IRL: Greg Ray and Oldsmobile Sweep Colorado 200
30 August 1999
FOUNTAIN, Colo. - Greg Ray has a clear view of the Pep Boys Indy Racing
League championship after a dominant performance today in the Colorado 200
at mile-high Pikes Peak International Raceway. Ray reprised his winning
effort in last June's Radisson 200 at PPIR, taking the pole and leading 146
of 200 laps to score his third victory in four races - all on one-mile
ovals.
Ray took the lead for good on lap 183 when race leader Mark Dismore
pitted for fuel. He beat runner-up Davey Hamilton to the checkered flag by
.445 seconds. Dismore finished third, while Colorado resident Buddy Lazier
was fourth, the last driver on the lead lap.
"I wish we would race here a few more times this year!" Ray
exclaimed after scoring Team Menard's seventh victory, the most among all
IRL teams. "The wind was the biggest factor today. It really changed how
the car reacted from one end of the track to the other."
Ray knocked Scott Goodyear off the top of the championship standings
by scoring 53 points - three for the pole and 50 for the victory - and now
leads by 44 points with two races remaining. Goodyear, hampered by a broken
water line fitting, finished 21st.
"We're not doing anything different than we did at the beginning of
the season," Ray reported. "Our race strategy is getting better, our pit
stops are getting better. I have confidence in the car and the team, and a
lot of patience."
Ray led an Oldsmobile sweep of the top ten positions as the
only Infiniti-powered entry finished three laps behind the winner.
Oldsmobile's IRL Aurora V8 engines enjoyed another perfect reliability
record at Pikes Peak, with no reported mechanical problems. The race was
slowed by three caution periods - two for accidents and one for debris on
the track. There were no injuries, and 21 of the 24 starters were running
at the finish.
Davey Hamilton posted his fourth Top Five finish in four races at
PPIR. "When we came out of the pits after the last stop, I got beside Greg
and ran wheel-to-wheel with him for a few laps, but just didn't have enough
to get by on the outside," Hamilton explained. "He was a little faster in
traffic, and I was faster in clean air."
"We're not going to give up on the championship," Hamilton
vowed. "Finishing second the last two years felt great, but you always want
to win. We're going to fight all the way to the end."
Dismore was delighted with his third-place finish. "It's nice to be
here after knocking the wheels off in Dover," he laughed. "This really
catapults us forward in the championship. If a couple of these guys have a
hiccup, we're right there. I think I had a little more downforce than Greg
and Davey, but I couldn't do anything with them on the straightaways."
After a four-week respite, the race for the Pep Boys Million will
resume on the high-banked 1.5-mile oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on
Sunday, September 26.
RACE SUMMARY:
Track: Pikes Peak Intl. Raceway, 1.0-mile oval, Fountain, Colo.
Winner: Greg Ray, Team Menard Glidden Oldsmobile Dallara
Margin of Victory: .445 seconds
Average Speed: 134.450 mph
Top Five Finishers:
Pos./Driver/Engine Laps
1. Greg Ray/Oldsmobile 200
2. Davey Hamilton/Oldsmobile 200
3. Mark Dismore/Oldsmobile 200
4. Buddy Lazier/Oldsmobile 200
5. Sam Schmidt/Oldsmobile 199
Pole: Greg Ray/Oldsmobile, 176.263 mph
Fastest Lap: Buddy Lazier/Oldsmobile, 172.084 mph
Manufacturer Results:
Aurora Infiniti
Laps Led 200 0
Starters 23 1
Running at Finish 20 1
Winning Oldsmobile Engine Builder: Team Menard
POINT STANDINGS:
(After 8 of 10 events)
Driver/Engine Wins Points
1. Greg Ray/Olds 3 246
2. Scott Goodyear/Olds 2 202
3. Kenny Brack/Olds 1 199
4. Buddy Lazier/Olds 0 185
5. Davey Hamilton/Olds 0 180
Manufacturer Wins Points
1. Oldsmobile 8 88*
2. Nissan 0 56
*Clinched championship
NEXT RACE:
Vegas.com 500K, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Sunday, September 26, 1999
TV: ABC
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