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INDY LIGHTS: Tony Renna qualifies third for Michigan Race

22 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

(Brooklyn, Mi) - The love affair of PacWest Racings Tony Renna with Michigan Speedway continued today when he qualified third for tomorrows Detroit News 100 on the 2-mile super speedway.

Renna, who is 10th in Dayton Indy Lights Championship after four rounds, is more at home at Michigan than any other track in the series, having won his maiden Lights race at the venue back in 1998.

Today he clocked a time of 39.45 seconds in his #18 Motorola PacWest Lights entry at an average speed of 182.505mph marginally slower than Felipe Giaffone (39.287s) and Chris Menninga (39.303s) who will share the front row.

The Motorola Lights crew played the waiting game after Renna went on his qualifying run fourth in line. His time held up until Menninga caught a break when a huge cloud blanketed the track with shade, enabling him to best Rennas time by one tenth. Felipe Giaffone also benefited from the clouds to take the pole.

Scott Dixon, driver of the #17 Invensys/Powerware PacWest machine and who leads the championship, had his worst qualifying session of the year with a time of 40.026 seconds at an average speed of 179.216mph. Dixon battled an oil lead all day, but is confident he can make up some solid ground early in tomorrows 100-mile race.

TONY RENNA # 18 MOTOROLA PACWEST LIGHTS 3rd
Qualifying: 39.45s (182.505mph)

"Im definitely happy to be starting third in this race," said Renna.

"This is my second consecutive top-four start which is a testament to my crew. The guys have worked really hard to prepare my car and the efforts are starting to pay off.

"Tomorrows race will definitely be a drafting game and I am confident that Scott (Dixon) will make his way up early so we can run together.

"Otherwise I will do my best to make my way to the front and lead the pack like I did here when I won in 1998."

SCOTT DIXON #17 INVENSYS/POWERWARE PACWEST LIGHTS 13th
Qualifying: 40.02s (179.883mph)

"There is no doubt that I am disappointed to be starting so far back tomorrow," said Dixon.

"We had been having problems with an oil leak in my car all day, so my crew has been working very hard to fix the problem. We just couldnt muster up enough speed to move closer to the front, although we were flat-out all the way around. Tomorrow will be a long race, but Im confident I can make up some positions early to contend for the lead."

Text provided by Brett Murray

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