Utah: Patterson - MSR pre-race spotlight

Patterson not ready to give up on Trueman just yet

(Columbus, OH) 11 September 2007--Michael Shank Racing driver Mark Patterson is looking forward to the season-ending Rolex Sports Car Series race at Miller Motorsports Park this weekend as he looks to not only defend last year's race win, but to also make a final run at the Jim Trueman Award, which he won in 2006.

The Trueman Award points payout structure rewards both strong results at the finish as well as the number of miles completed by the driver. So despite being sixth in the Rolex team championship to the No. 76's twelfth, Patterson enters the weekend 273 points behind Krohn Racing's Tracy Krohn in the Trueman Award standings.

Krohn finished a close second in the 2006 Trueman standings and has teamed with drivers Boris Said, Max Papis, and Nic Johnson during the 2007 season in his bid for Trueman Award honors.

"We took different approaches this season," said Patterson. "Tracy did a tremendous number of laps this year and got a lot of mileage under his belt. We targeted overall race results, and then let the pieces fall where they may in the Trueman competition. Frankly it would take a small miracle to overtake Tracy this weekend, but this is racing and you can never say never."

The year got off to a difficult start when the No. 60 machine was hit from behind, slipping back to an apparently unrecoverable 41st position and preventing the car from running with the all-important aerodynamic rear bodywork for the second half of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. But characteristic perseverance, well chronicled by David Phillips in RACER magazine, saw the team finish a dogged ninth at the finish, the first of ten top-ten results for Patterson and co-driver Oswaldo Negri this season.

"It's been a lot of fun out there competing with Rob (Finlay), John (Pew), Jim (Matthews), Tracy, JC (France), and all the guys," said Patterson. "Being on the podium at such a great drivers track like Laguna Seca earlier this season was a real thrill and we'd certainly like to finish the year off getting on the podium at Miller again."

The team is hoping to create another positive "Rolex Moment" again this weekend as the two-car squad looks to defend an excellent team performance at Miller last season, taking fifth place as well as the win with the two team Lexus-Riley entries. The performance has been selected as one of the top "Rolex Moments in Time," and fans can pledge their support at this address:

-credit: msr