IRL: Pikes Peak Weekend Notes

Notes from the Colorado Indy 200 at Pikes Peak International Raceway….

Greg Ray and Sam Schmidt set identical times in qualifying for Sunday's race. This was the first time in Indy Racing League history that the pole was determined by a tie breaker. Ray swept the Pikes Peak series by taking the pole and the win in both visits to PPIR this season.

Al Unser Jr. and Johnny Unser were in attendance at PPIR this weekend. Both drivers were visiting their cousin Robby Unser, driver of the PetroMoly Team Pelfrey car.

Davey Hamilton has recently entered into a partnership with Mark Burnett to form MD Extreme Promotions. The new company will sanction and promote Freestyle Motocross Jump Exhibition Shows and Contests around the country. The next contest that Hamilton will put on will be at Pikes Peak International Raceway on September 19, 1999 at the AMA Superbike event.

John Hollansworth signed a three-year contract to drive for Team Extreme. Also signing three-year contracts with the team were Crew Chief Rob Stark and Engineer Mark Weida. Lycos will continue as the team's primary sponsor.

Buzz Calkins is currently training to compete in the Chicago Marathon. He completed the New York Marathon last October in 4 hours 6 minutes.

CARA Charities raised $15,000 at Friday night's Party at the Peak. The dunk tank was the highlight of the evening with Tony George, Leo Mehl, Phil Casey, Brian Barnhart and Johnny Rutherford all taking turns at getting wet for charity.

Jacques Lazier, of Vail, Colo., signed a two-year contract to continue driving for Truscelli Racing. The team is based in Colorado Springs, Colo.

ISM Racing missed the Pikes Peak race this weekend. The team has been out of competition since Steve Knapp was injured in an accident at Atlanta. John Paul Jr. is expected to race in the ISM entry at the Vegas.com 500 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September.

Energizer Motorsports chief mechanic Steve Fried made his first visit to a race track after his injury suffered at the Indianapolis 500 in May. "I can't tell you how much it means to be back here," Fried said. Energizer Moptorsports driver Robby McGehee presented Fried with his Bank One Rookie of the Year trophy during Fried's hospital stay. "Sitting at home, not an hour goes by that I don't look at that trophy," Fried said.

Seven drivers in the MCI WorldCom/Western States Midget Series use race engines built by Ed Pink Racing Engines. Pink also builds the Infinti Indy engines used by Team Cheever.