Center Line, Mich. - With only two points races left in the 2005 USAC National Midget Car Series Championship chase, Team Mopar's Josh Wise is sitting in an enviable position. Leading the series point standings by 112 points over second-place Jerry Coons Jr., Wise and the No. 20 Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises team can see the big picture becoming completed.
Seeing the finish line doesn't mean they'll be slowing down any time soon.
"The pressure to win the championship has subsided a bit," Wise said. "The burden is off of our shoulders. Knowing that we've got to maintain our points lead hasn't hindered our performance over the season. If anything, knowing that we're in a solid position allows us to go out and focus on winning the race."
Wise and the No. 20 team are geared up to face the challenge that all competitors will experience this week. The last time that the USAC National Midget Car Series made an appearance at the Columbus Motor Speedway was in 1978, presenting race teams with the task of figuring out a very unfamiliar racetrack.
"Going to a track that we've never seen, there's not really a way to prepare for that," Wise said. "I've looked up information about the track online, but most of our work will be done when we get there. I like to look at the track, get a feel for it. You try to figure out what line will be the quickest and you look for little things that could give you an advantage. It will be definitely be a challenge to run at Columbus."
Wise only needs to maintain a 67-point lead over the field to wrap up the
2005 USAC National Midget Car Series title. The final points race of the season will take place at Irwindale Speedway in California on November 24, with the running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix.
For more information regarding Mopar or Wise, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.mopar.com or www.joshwiseracing.com. For a complete schedule of USAC racing events, log on to www.usacracing.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.
Seeing the finish line doesn't mean they'll be slowing down any time soon.
"The pressure to win the championship has subsided a bit," Wise said. "The burden is off of our shoulders. Knowing that we've got to maintain our points lead hasn't hindered our performance over the season. If anything, knowing that we're in a solid position allows us to go out and focus on winning the race."
Wise and the No. 20 team are geared up to face the challenge that all competitors will experience this week. The last time that the USAC National Midget Car Series made an appearance at the Columbus Motor Speedway was in 1978, presenting race teams with the task of figuring out a very unfamiliar racetrack.
"Going to a track that we've never seen, there's not really a way to prepare for that," Wise said. "I've looked up information about the track online, but most of our work will be done when we get there. I like to look at the track, get a feel for it. You try to figure out what line will be the quickest and you look for little things that could give you an advantage. It will be definitely be a challenge to run at Columbus."
Wise only needs to maintain a 67-point lead over the field to wrap up the
2005 USAC National Midget Car Series title. The final points race of the season will take place at Irwindale Speedway in California on November 24, with the running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix.
For more information regarding Mopar or Wise, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.mopar.com or www.joshwiseracing.com. For a complete schedule of USAC racing events, log on to www.usacracing.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.
