Breakthrough Weekend of Racing Launches Team Toward Season's Finale in Chicago
by Ryan Smith
ryan@mphsolutions.us
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Guthrie Racing’s Logan Gomez. Photo:
JimHainesIRL |
Guthrie Racing finally had the breakthrough weekend the team had been looking for the entire ’08 Firestone Indy Lights season.
Guthrie Racing’s Franck Perera dominated the first race of the doubleheader weekend, and Logan Gomez was one of only a select few drivers, who was capable of passing on the tough 12-turn road course and came away with a second place finish in race two.
“This was an awesome weekend,” said Jim Guthrie, owner of Guthrie Racing. “We’ve all known that we're capable of winning races, but we hadn’t seen the results. I am really proud of everybody this weekend.”
Logan Gomez scored his top finish of the year with his second place run in race two. Gomez hopes to carry that momentum over to Chicagoland, where he won last year.
“I was able to make a couple of tough passes in the first few laps, but my tires really went away after that,” said Gomez. “I took it easy through the middle of the race to try to save the tires, and make a run at the end. I think we were faster than Donoso, but it was just impossible to pass. I really have to thank IZOD for all their support this weekend. I couldn’t ask for a better sponsor, and they really came out here in full force to support me.”
Perera Sizes Up Chicago as Basis for 2009 IndyCar Reprise
Perera hopes that his victory in race one is only the start of greater things to come.
“I am here to prove my abilities, and get back into the IndyCar Series,” said Perera, who ran the fastest lap of race two on his way to a fifth place finish. “I was the fastest car all weekend, but it was just too difficult to overtake without taking out a bunch of cars."
"I think people recognize that I am solid on the road courses, so now I want to prove to everyone that I can run the ovals just as well. I’ve heard a lot of good things about Chicago, so I’m excited to go up there and check it out.”
 Franck Perera at Sonoma. Photo: ChrisJonesIRL
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Sean Guthrie improved on his 2007 results at Infineon Raceway with a ninth place finish in race two. Guthrie managed to make up several spots in both races, when most drivers were unable to pass on the difficult road course.
“I’m pretty happy with this weekend’s results,” said Guthrie, who is ninth in points just 34 points from jumping all the way to seventh. “This weekend’s goal was to learn as much as possible, and improve on last year’s results. We did that, and I was able to make some passes and move up through the field. I think we can contend at Chicago, so I’m going to work hard to prepare and give that race everything I’ve got.”
“We’ve been working so hard all season to get to this point, and the whole team came through,” said Jim Guthrie, father and car owner of Sean Guthrie’s No.4 machine. “Sean is learning from Franck on the road courses, and everybody is improving. We’re all pretty rejuvenated after these results, and we’re going to try to ride that momentum into Chicago.”
Guthrie Racing is based in Brownsburg, Ind. For more information on Guthrie Racing please email Ryan Smith at ryan@mphsolutions.us. For information about Franck Perera please visit cjconsulting.us.
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