Working to Cure Paralysis

Racing series IPS IRL Date 2004-10-16 (Fort Worth, TX)

Former Indy Racing League IndyCar Series driver and owner of the champion's Menards Infiniti Pro Series car driven by Thiago Medeiros, Sam Schmidt isn't one to give up. Full story

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Medeiros Wins Third Consecutive Race

Saturday Jul 03, 2004

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Thiago Medeiros has positioned himself to run away with the IRL Menards Infiniti Pro Series™ championship.

Medeiros, who sat on the pole in the No. 11 Sam Schmidt Motorsports Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone, led from the start and held off a late charge by Paul Dana to win the Aventis Racing for Kids 100 at Kansas Speedway on July 3.

It was a series-tying third consecutive victory and the second time in four races Medeiros has won from the pole. He has led 295 of 300 laps in the past two races.

“We didn’t have the best car setup today,” Medeiros said. “I had to make a lot of adjustments in the car to improve the handling around the corners. The wind changed a lot today, and I knew I didn’t have the best setup, so I just saved the tires for the end. I’m really happy, and I’m looking forward to Nashville.”

Dana, who started fourth in the No. 91 Ethanol/Hemelgarn Johnson entry, was runner-up for his best finish in the series. Al Unser, making his debut in the series, finished 0.3431 of a second behind Medeiros in third.

“Thiago is on a roll here and I wanted to break it,” Dana said.

Dana was never further back than two car lengths after a restart on Lap 31. Unser joined the battle after passing the No. 10 car of Ronaldo Quintanilla on Lap 39, and closed to 0.4985 of a second of Medeiros on Lap 52.

In Turn 3 on Lap 65, Dana attempted the first of multiple passes on the high side. They raced side by side around the 1.52-mile track, and Medeiros thwarted all the attempts.

“I think the key to the race was when we came up on a lapped car,” Medeiros said. “Paul was looking outside, so I took the reins and made it three-wide in Turns 3 and 4. That was my key. He had a better car than me today.”

Said Dana, who is third in the standings: “I really thought if we could get in the front we’d lead it. I kind of think it’s my mistake. I think we could have won, but Thiago’s a tough competitor. He’s shown that. If you give him an inch, he’s going to take it.