News:

6-4-2006
Schmidt Drivers Run 4th-5th-6th at Watkins Glen
Camara Leads Trio Home in Wet Race

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 4) A cold and very wet Indy Pro Series race at Watkins Glen International Raceway resulted in a near-podium for rookie Jonathan Klein, and strong finishes for all three Sam Schmidt Motorsports drivers.

As a result, Jay Howard continues to lead the IPS championship after five of 12 rounds; Klein moves up to third in the standings, behind only his teammate and recent IndyCar graduate Jeff Simmons; while Jaime Camara gains one position in the standings to seventh.

The scheduled 29-lap race began under a cold and steady rain, with both Klein and Howard gaining two positions each on the opening lap. Klein ran fourth in the early laps, then moved up to third on Lap 10. The series rookie appeared headed for a podium finish as the rain diminished mid-race, but was caught and passed by first Phil Giebler, then teammate Camara in the closing laps. He finished fifth for the third time this season.

Points leader Howard also moved up two places, to seventh, in the first lap. That became sixth with the departure of Alex Lloyd on Lap 10. Howard and Camara then staged an exciting duel for fifth place during the middle stages of the race, before engine overheating forced Howard to back off his pace to ensure a sixth-place finish and solidify his hold on the championship lead.

After a cautious start, Camara put on a strong charge in the second half of the race, which was shortened by two laps to 27 due to the rain and time constraints. Battling first with Howard, and in the closing laps with Klein, Camara moved past Klein on Lap 26, giving him fourth at the checkered flag, and moving the Brazilian up to seventh in the IPS standings.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports and the Indy Pro Series return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway next month, running on the road course at the famed “Brickyard” on July 1, in conjunction with the U.S. Grand Prix.

Jamie Camara, #11 CELG Dallara/Firestone
Started 5th, finished 4th, moves up to 7th in IPS points standings after 5 events

“I think I drove one of the best races of my life today. That was the most passing I have ever done in a single race. It was challenging, but a lot of fun. At the start, the track was very slippery, and it was hard to see. But things improved quickly and I was able to have some good battles with both of my teammates. Jay [Howard] and I passed and re-passed each other more times than I can count. Then the last two laps, I gave 200% to catch and pass Jonathan [Klein], and to keep him behind me to the finish. I hope I can have more races like this in the future.

Jonathan Klein, #27 Klein Tools/Turn Key Forging and Design Dallara/Firestone
Started 6th, finished 5th, moves from 6th to 3rd in IPS points standings

“It’s a bit frustrating. I should be satisfied with fifth behind my teammate, but I felt like I had a third-place car today. We had a good start, picked up a couple of positions, then moved up to third. I felt like I was faster than [Phil] Giebler everywhere except Turn One, but he was quicker there and all the way up to the ‘Bus Stop’ as a result. I could only hold him off for so long, and he finally got past me. At the end, Jaime [Camara] got a pretty good run at me. If it had been anyone other than my teammate, I probably would have fought back harder, but the rain was coming down again and it made more sense to make sure we brought the car home in one piece.”

Jay Howard, #7 Lucas Oil/Isilon Dallara
Started 9th, finished 6th, continues to lead IPS points standings after 5 events

“I was hoping for a bit more today, to be honest. At the start, visibility was a real problem with all the spray. I even had water coming inside my helmet visor, but still picked up a couple of places [to seventh]. After a while, the rain slacked off and I found myself behind Jaime [Camara]. I tried to overtake a couple of times, but didn’t have the straight-line speed to make the pass. Later, I slipped off course for a second, and then the engine started overheating. By the end of the race I was short-shifting and doing everything I could to keep the engine temperature down. We maintained our points lead, so that’s a plus, and I’m looking forward to returning to Indianapolis to run the Grand Prix course there next month.”