9-6-2006
Howard, Klein Battle for Indy Pro Series Championship
At Chicagoland Season Finale
Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammates Jay Howard and Jonathan Klein go into this weekend’s Chicagoland 100 as the leaders in the Indy Pro Series championship chase, and two of four title contenders for the Firestone Cup in the season finale to the 12-round 2006 season.
Howard, a two-time winner this season [at Nashville and Kentucky], carries an eight-point lead over teammate and friend Klein, who has been the most consistent points-scorer in the series this year with 10 top-six finishes. With 50 championship points on the table, and a 10-point difference between first and second in the race, it’s literally a case of “winner take all” at the fast, 1.5-mile Chicagoland oval.
He entered the 2006 Indy Pro Series with a resume filled with wins and championships, including the 2005 Formula Ford Zetec title. Now the 25-year-old Englishman finds himself in line to add the Firestone Firehawk Cup to his list of accomplishments.
Howard has won debut races in series across the globe, and nearly pulled off the feat in his Indy Pro Series debut, leading 60 laps from pole at Homestead-Miami Speedway before finishing third. He assumed the point lead following a runner-up finish in the Freedom 100 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval and has held the lead ever since.
Klein, a 19-year-old rookie from Long Grove, Ill., joined the Schmidt team as a relative unknown, but quickly turned heads with a front-row qualifying run in his series debut at Homestead.
Consistently running at the front of the field all year, Klein rolled off a string of 10 top-six finishes, including a career-best second at Kentucky Speedway and third-place finishes at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, Nashville, Milwaukee and Infineon Raceway.
“I haven’t slept for a week and I just can’t wait for the race on Saturday to be over!”said team owner Sam Schmidt, “we’ve had awesome speedway cars all year and this should be really interesting for the fans and drivers, I just don’t know if my heart will take it. Conceivably, the championship could go to which of these two that win the race. I just told them not to take each other out and lets finish the points 1-2 no matter what.”
The remaining title contenders include Bobby Wilson, currently third in the standings and 19 points behind the leader; and defending series champion Wade Cunningham, fourth with 327 points.
The 2006 Indy Pro Series season concludes on Saturday, September 9, at 4:55 PM EST. You can watch the race in streaming video on the internet at www.indycar.com. The television coverage will air at 2 p.m. Thursday, September 14, on ESPN2.
Jay Howard, #7 Lucas Oils/Isilon Dallara/Firestone
Championship Leader with 354 points
"This season has been up and down like no other season I've ever been through. We've had to work really hard this year, and I wish we had more than an eight point lead, but that certainly hasn't been from lack of effort from the team. I don't want to take the fact that we have the championship lead for granted, but it's always nice. We just need to do the things that we have done all season. I plan on going out there and winning the race and the championship. Depending on who the contenders are for the race (win) will determine how I run my race. I think all of the championship contenders are a big threat to win, but we just have to go out there and take it as it comes."
Jonathan Klein, #27 Klein Tools/Turn-Key Forging & Design Dallara/Firestone
Second in championship with 346 points, 8 behind Howard
"Well, my game plan, I cannot afford any mistakes. I have to run a perfect race at Chicago, make sure I finish the race. You know, if we win, I think that pretty much sums up the championship. If we come in second, it's going to be hard [to win the championship] from there because of the points spread, the way that works [50 points for a win and 40 points for second]. The pressure is on. It's going to be up to me to see if I can handle it and perform." |
