Center Line, Mich. - For Team Mopar's Jay Drake and Josh Wise, this weekend's
Mopar Thunder Weekend at Eldora Speedway presents several opportunities.
Getting a victory at the facility owned by team owner Tony Stewart, as well as
title sponsor Mopar rank at the top of the list, but both drivers are also eyeing
another brass ring. Regaining the USAC National Sprint Car Series points lead
is also a primary goal for both Drake and Wise.
Drake kicked off the series' season at Eldora Speedway with a victory at the
famed half-mile, and carrying the confidence of last year's championship with
him, he's ready to park the No. 21 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises machine in
victory lane once again.
"We're ready for this weekend," Drake said. "We're running a brand-new car in
this event, which is really good, as new cars seem to work the best. Having
won here in April, we're confident that we'll be prepared for this event. We
always go into a race with the objective of winning, but we're also looking to
move up in the series point standings, which is the main goal for the year."
The veteran hotshoe is also looking to cash in on the $50,000 paycheck that
goes to the victor of the USAC National Sprint Car Series finale on August 6.
"This event applied some pressure to us as a team because of the $50,000
purse," Drake said. "This is our biggest race of the year, and everyone is tough
at this race because of the payout. The format is also different than we're
used to running, and that takes some adjustment. Regardless of the pressure,
we're confident in our preparations, and the goal is to give it our best shot for
the win."
The importance of the event hasn't been lost on Wise, as he's looking to pick
up his first paycheck from the Eldora Speedway winner's circle on Saturday.
"In our last few runs at Eldora, I've gotten a lot more comfortable," Wise
said. "We'd always like to think that winning is within our grasp, but with the
progress we've made this season, we're confident that we've got a good chance
of winning this weekend. If we can just have some luck go our way, we'll be in
contention for the big payout at the end of the night."
While some drivers may fall victim to the high stakes pressure of the
prestigious Mopar Thunder Weekend, Wise and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Racing
Enterprises team plan to enter the event with a steadfast approach.
"We just need to run this race as we would any other event," Wise said. "We
can't try too hard or make a lot of changes; we've just got to do our normal
thing. There's always added pressure with a big event like this, but we think
that approaching it with big picture reasoning will help us to perform well on
Saturday."
Drake is currently ranked third in USAC National Sprint Car Series points as
the No. 20 and No. 21 teams head into the Mopar Thunder Weekend at Eldora
Speedway. Wise sits in fourth position in the points chase, as he continues to
campaign for the 2005 USAC Triple Crown championship.
The Mopar Thunder Weekend will kick off with the All-Star Circuit of
Champions on Thursday, August 4, followed by the World of Outlaws on Friday, August 5.
Mopar Thunder at Eldora will wrap up the events on Saturday, August 6. This
USAC National Sprint Car Series event finale boasts a $50,000 payout to the top
finisher in the A-main feature event, and will pay $2,000 to all 26 A-main
starters.
Tickets for Mopar Thunder at Eldora can be purchased by calling (937)
338-3815. Log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com for ticket prices and event information.
For more information regarding Mopar or the Mopar Thunder Weekend, log on to
www.moparspeed.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment
supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
Mopar Thunder Weekend at Eldora Speedway presents several opportunities.
Getting a victory at the facility owned by team owner Tony Stewart, as well as
title sponsor Mopar rank at the top of the list, but both drivers are also eyeing
another brass ring. Regaining the USAC National Sprint Car Series points lead
is also a primary goal for both Drake and Wise.
Drake kicked off the series' season at Eldora Speedway with a victory at the
famed half-mile, and carrying the confidence of last year's championship with
him, he's ready to park the No. 21 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises machine in
victory lane once again.
"We're ready for this weekend," Drake said. "We're running a brand-new car in
this event, which is really good, as new cars seem to work the best. Having
won here in April, we're confident that we'll be prepared for this event. We
always go into a race with the objective of winning, but we're also looking to
move up in the series point standings, which is the main goal for the year."
The veteran hotshoe is also looking to cash in on the $50,000 paycheck that
goes to the victor of the USAC National Sprint Car Series finale on August 6.
"This event applied some pressure to us as a team because of the $50,000
purse," Drake said. "This is our biggest race of the year, and everyone is tough
at this race because of the payout. The format is also different than we're
used to running, and that takes some adjustment. Regardless of the pressure,
we're confident in our preparations, and the goal is to give it our best shot for
the win."
The importance of the event hasn't been lost on Wise, as he's looking to pick
up his first paycheck from the Eldora Speedway winner's circle on Saturday.
"In our last few runs at Eldora, I've gotten a lot more comfortable," Wise
said. "We'd always like to think that winning is within our grasp, but with the
progress we've made this season, we're confident that we've got a good chance
of winning this weekend. If we can just have some luck go our way, we'll be in
contention for the big payout at the end of the night."
While some drivers may fall victim to the high stakes pressure of the
prestigious Mopar Thunder Weekend, Wise and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Racing
Enterprises team plan to enter the event with a steadfast approach.
"We just need to run this race as we would any other event," Wise said. "We
can't try too hard or make a lot of changes; we've just got to do our normal
thing. There's always added pressure with a big event like this, but we think
that approaching it with big picture reasoning will help us to perform well on
Saturday."
Drake is currently ranked third in USAC National Sprint Car Series points as
the No. 20 and No. 21 teams head into the Mopar Thunder Weekend at Eldora
Speedway. Wise sits in fourth position in the points chase, as he continues to
campaign for the 2005 USAC Triple Crown championship.
The Mopar Thunder Weekend will kick off with the All-Star Circuit of
Champions on Thursday, August 4, followed by the World of Outlaws on Friday, August 5.
Mopar Thunder at Eldora will wrap up the events on Saturday, August 6. This
USAC National Sprint Car Series event finale boasts a $50,000 payout to the top
finisher in the A-main feature event, and will pay $2,000 to all 26 A-main
starters.
Tickets for Mopar Thunder at Eldora can be purchased by calling (937)
338-3815. Log on to www.eldoraspeedway.com for ticket prices and event information.
For more information regarding Mopar or the Mopar Thunder Weekend, log on to
www.moparspeed.com.
Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment
supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep® vehicles.
