Center Line, Mich. - Team Mopar driver Jay Drake will attempt to win his fourth straight USAC Silver Crown Series event this weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Drake, who is currently fifth in USAC Silver Crown Series points, has been on mission since his first season victory at Pikes Peak International Raceway on July 4. Victories at The Milwaukee Mile and Indianapolis Raceway Park followed, and the No. 11 Mopar team from Stewart-Snider Motorsports team is looking for their first dirt event win Saturday.
"This season has definitely been different for us in the Silver Crown Series," Drake said. "We've won our events on pavement this season rather than dirt.
That's something that is out of the ordinary for this team. We're known for having a strong dirt car program, and people expect us to run better on the dirt. Hopefully, the momentum we're carrying right now will help us get the win and our dirt program will catch up with our pavement program. We think we're in a good position to turn this around this weekend."
The team has made dramatic improvements over the past month and a half, as the No. 11 team had only one top-10 finish in the first five events earlier this season, prior to the start of the three-victory streak. Drake credits the team's hard work and focus for their decisive turnaround.
"This team is working really well together at this point in the season,"
Drake said. "At the start of the season, things just weren't working the way we wanted them to. The turning point came in Colorado, and since then, we've just been going a lot better. The change for the better didn't materialize from any one thing, it all just started to click and now we're in the position we need to be in."
For more information regarding Mopar or Jay Drake, log on to www.moparspeed.com or www.jaydrake.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.
"This season has definitely been different for us in the Silver Crown Series," Drake said. "We've won our events on pavement this season rather than dirt.
That's something that is out of the ordinary for this team. We're known for having a strong dirt car program, and people expect us to run better on the dirt. Hopefully, the momentum we're carrying right now will help us get the win and our dirt program will catch up with our pavement program. We think we're in a good position to turn this around this weekend."
The team has made dramatic improvements over the past month and a half, as the No. 11 team had only one top-10 finish in the first five events earlier this season, prior to the start of the three-victory streak. Drake credits the team's hard work and focus for their decisive turnaround.
"This team is working really well together at this point in the season,"
Drake said. "At the start of the season, things just weren't working the way we wanted them to. The turning point came in Colorado, and since then, we've just been going a lot better. The change for the better didn't materialize from any one thing, it all just started to click and now we're in the position we need to be in."
For more information regarding Mopar or Jay Drake, log on to www.moparspeed.com or www.jaydrake.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.
