Atlantic

Trois-Rivieres: Roger Yasukawa preview

Moving Forward: After a very successful start to the season, which included a win and two additional podium finishes, Yasukawa has run into some bad luck in the last two races. In Toronto, Yasukawa was hit and spun from behind on the first lap.

Published: Aug 2, 2002, 9:16 PM

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Moving Forward: After a very successful start to the season, which included a win and two additional podium finishes, Yasukawa has run into some bad luck in the last two races. In Toronto, Yasukawa was hit and spun from behind on the first lap. After running second in the Sunday morning warm-up in Cleveland, Yasukawa was again hit from behind on the first lap; he finished the race 11 laps down. However, the Yasukawa plans on turning his luck around this weekend in Trois Rivieres, he sat third in the points most of the first half of the season and with another strong result this weekend he could jump back to the top five in the championship points standings.

Sweet Success: Yasukawa has a little extra confidence going into Trois Rivieres, and for good reason, his team, Hylton Motorsports, won Le Grand Prix du Trois Rivieres last year with Hoover Orsi. In fact, the southern California based team led by crew chief Larry Edscorn and engineer Kyle Brannan has chalked up a stellar record in the past 15 months, they have recorded nine victories, 17 podium finishes and eight pole positions in the last 20 races with drivers Hoover Orsi (2001 CART Toyota Atlantic Champion), Ryan Hunter-Reay and Roger Yasukawa.

Representing Japan: A native and resident of West Hollywood, California, Yasukawa also considers Japan home. Yasukawa's family resides in the Tokyo area, (his father is the business development manager in Japan for the McLaren Formula One team) and he spends much of his time away from the track in the country. In representation of his duel citizenship, Yasukawa's #9 Swift proudly adorns both the Japanese and the American flag. So far this year, Yasukawa is one of Japan's most successful open wheel drivers, as he recorded his first Atlantic victory in just his second race at Milwaukee and finished on the podium at Laguna Seca (third) and in Chicago (second).

The Mentor Program: Yasukawa will be a guest of Walker Racing next weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sport Car Course for the for the CART Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio.

Yasukawa on Trois Rivieres: " Racing in Trois Rivieres is something very special for every Atlantic driver. This race has a great history, and being the main event is very exciting. We have our work cut out for us this weekend because it is very important that we make up some of the points we lost in Toronto and Mid-Ohio. I am determined to turn our luck around here in Trois Rivieres and I am confident I will have the resources to do it. My team obviously had a very good car here last year because, Hoover (Orsi) won from pole. The new Swift 014.a is a different story and requires a different set-up, but nonetheless, we know we have good baseline to start from. I have never been on the track before, but I have spent a lot of time studying the course and the data and notes from last year. We will spend a lot of time walking the track on Thursday, studying the turns, the surface changes and the line, after that I should be familiar with the track and ready for practice on Friday morning, I am really looking forward to it."

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