Atlantic

Michael David, PDR Racing PR

(submitted to Atlantic communications via e-mail) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mick Long Commodity Manager WWP/CEEC Tel. l:714-445-3160 Fax:714-445-3002 e.mail:mlong@bigscreen.mea.c ...

Edited: May 8, 2001, 12:19 PM

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(submitted to Atlantic communications via e-mail)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Mick Long Commodity Manager WWP/CEEC Tel. l:714-445-3160 Fax:714-445-3002 e.mail:mlong@bigscreen.mea.c

MICHAEL TODD DAVID/PDR BACK ON TRACK

LEXINGTON, Ohio (May 1) - PDR supporters and sponsors breathed a sigh of relief on Saturday, April 26, when driver Michael Todd David, of Corona, Calif., drove the PDR/Ralt-41 to a seventh-place finish at Nazareth Speedway (Pa.) in round three of the 12-race 1997 KOOL/TOYOTA Atlantic Championship. David's seventh-place showing was worth nine points, and propelled him from 40th to 14th place in the Atlantic point standings. According to Bob Lobenberg, David's driver coach, "the kid is coming off his best performance ever!" Early in the race when David was fast approaching Robert Sollenskog near turn one, Sollenskog was trying to pass a slower car on the inside. Sollenskog and the other car came together and next thing David saw was Mark Tague heading sideways into the wall. "I just aimed for daylight and punched it!" said David. "I barely made it through but I was thinking I don't need another incident like Homestead (where he was taken out in the first lap), and when the car kept going, the sensation was incredible. Throughout the race, I had an awesome car, and when I came up on the white flag I thought for sure I'd get past David Pook for sixth place." Those that know Nazareth have seen how the slower "lapper" packs can really change the pace of things in a hurry. "I got bogged down behind a 'lapper' and saw Jeret Schroeder get a run on me and he flew by," said David. "I reeled him in, and by turns two and three we were side-by-side. The car was sticking just right and the unbelievable handling took me to the checkered flag just ahead of him." There was also celebration on pit lane because a rivalry of sorts has been fostered between the PPI MCI team and their crew chief Nick Harvey, a former member of PDR last season, and PDR. As far as Michael was concerned, he might as well have been on the podium. "We've got a ways to go but we've gotten past the DNF's," team owner Mike David Sr. said to a fellow team owner who was visiting the garage to scope out the new transporter. "After the axle broke at Long Beach, I didn't know what to do. You have the best equipment, a good car, a good team, new transporter and can't finish a race. You begin to wonder where you can pull the next rabbit from." Lobenberg gave the team a little comfort by telling them, "Sometimes you just gotta pay your dues. It's just another bridge to cross. It's part of racing. You just pick up and move on to the next race." David Sr. couldn't be much happier. "Michael's really showing us what he's capable of, and beside, the Montel Williams show called twice. It wants him to go on the show and talk about his go-kart wreck and what it's like to be a professional racing driver."

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