Sears Point: Michael Shank Racing qualifying report

Michael Shank Racing ready for Infineon Debut

(Sonoma, CA) 25 August 06--Michael Shank Racing will be looking to extend the team's impressive streak of double-top ten finishes this weekend as the two-car entry prepares for the Sonoma 250 on Saturday afternoon and round thirteen of the Rolex Sports Car Series 2006 season.

The grid for Saturday's two-hour event was set in qualifying on Friday, as the No. 6 Playboy Racing/Mears Motor Coach Lexus/Riley of Mike Borkowski and Brian Frisselle scored sixteenth on the grid, and the No. 60 Flight Options Lexus/Riley of Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri took twentieth.

The team has shown with both the Flight Options and the Playboy Racing machines that the qualifying results can bear little meaning to the finishing order. The last two races have seen both cars qualifying out of the top-fifteen, yet teamwork and precision driving have helped both sides of the Columbus, Ohio-based team score top-ten results in the last four Rolex events, with the Flight Options entry taking two fourth place finishes in the last five races.

"That was Mark's (Patterson) best lap of the weekend, and he showed at the Glen that he can really move up well once the race starts," said team owner Mike Shank. "We are a little disappointed with the results in qualifying for the Playboy Racing car because we just went the wrong way with the set-up. Brian did a good job, but the result doesn't really show what he can do. But we know what we need to do to move up, and plan on doing exactly that tomorrow."

The Sonoma 250 will be broadcast August 27th on Speed Channel at 3:00 PM ET.

-credit: msr