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Indy Lights: Menninga Wins First Dayton Indy Lights Championship Pole At Chicago

30 July 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

CICERO, Ill. - Chris Menninga (Mi-Jack Lola) won his first Dayton Indy Lights pole and the second in a week for Conquest Racing in qualifying Saturday for tomorrow's race at Chicago Motor Speedway. Menninga, who qualified a then career-best second last week at Michigan behind teammate Felipe Giaffone (Hollywood Lola), improved to the top spot in Chicago with a lap at an average speed of 142.587 mph (25.980 seconds).

Casey Mears held the pole until Menninga, the last driver to take to the track, grabbed the point on his first qualifying lap. The pole completes a strong week for Menninga and Conquest heading into tomorrow's race. Giaffone won at Michigan after sharing the front row with Menninga, the first time two Conquest drivers swept the top qualifying spots.

"There was a lot more understeer in Turns 1,2 and 4," Menninga said. "I knew everyone else was having problems by their times. We took the green our first lap and I knew that we needed to adjust the throttle because there was way too much understeer and the track wouldn't accept that. My crew did an awesome job."

Mears equaled his career-best qualifying effort of second set earlier this year at Detroit, but he never came closer to winning a pole than he did today.

"I was surprised by how the wind didn't affect the car much," Mears said. "I was expecting more resistance. I picked up a little more push in some areas where the wind affected the car from different angles. The car was a little more loose in the center of turns one and two. I had a slight problem on the back straight on the final lap when I upshifted. I hit the rev limiter a bit and that set me back."

Scott Dixon (Invensys/Powerware/PacWest Lights Lola) paced the field in practice Friday, but was slightly slower than Mears and Menninga Saturday.

"I think it should have rained today actually," Dixon said. "Racing on this track this year is a little better because it is not so green. We struggled a little on the first day without a new set of tires, but when we put on a new set we had a little bit of understeer. Obviously you have to do well and it's always nice to win the championship but you have to win races. You always have to go out there and do your best."

While championship contenders Mears and Dixon took their usual spots near the front of the grid, several other series front runners have encountered trouble this weekend. In fact, two race winners will miss tomorrow's race. Portland winner Jason Bright was not given medical clearance after his Friday practice accident and Jonny Kane (KOOL Lola) will miss his first Indy Lights race after crashing in Turn 4 in qualifying. Kane was not injured but his KOOL Lola was damaged too badly to continue.

"I am disappointed as the car had been reacting well up until then and it just came out of the blue," Kane said. "It is a bit surprising that the very next car out had exactly the same accident at exactly the same place so you would wonder if there might have been something on the track. Hopefully our run of bad luck is over for the season now and we can get on to some street courses and road courses where we know we are one of the quickest."

Veteran Derek Higgins will drive Bright's Dorricott Racing Lola in tomorrow's race and posted a qualifying lap after practicing this morning. The race car failed post-race tech, however, when it did not meet the minimum weight requirement. Tony Renna (Motorola/PacWest Lights Lola) also had his time disallowed when his race car also did not meet the minimum weight requirement.

Mario Dominguez (Herdez/Pegaso/Quaker State Lola) also was bit by the bad luck that seems to be plaguing the Chicago Indy Lights entries this weekend. He too crashed in Turn 4 just after Kane but will start his repaired race car in the back of the grid along with Higgins and Renna.

Jeff Simmons (KOOL Lola) will start fourth Sunday and Giaffone rounds out the top five.

Sunday's race will be shown in same-day coverage on ESPN2 at 11:30 p.m. ET (10:30 p.m. CT/8:30 p.m. PT).

Text Provided by Adam Saal

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