Indy NXT

Dan Wheldon Road Atlanta preview

Following his maiden victory in Indy Lights racing at Gateway near St Louis on 26 August, England's Dan Wheldon is hungry for further victories as his successful 2001 season enters its final phase. The tenth round of the 12-race CART Dayton Indy ...

Edited: Apr 15, 2002, 11:45 PM

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Following his maiden victory in Indy Lights racing at Gateway near St Louis on 26 August, England's Dan Wheldon is hungry for further victories as his successful 2001 season enters its final phase.

The tenth round of the 12-race CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship is being held this week on the 2.54-mile road circuit at the famous Road Atlanta Motor Sports Center at Braselton in Georgia, USA. It will be in support of the 10-hour Audi Petit Le Mans 1,000 mile endurance race on Saturday. Hence, unusually, the Indy Lights race is scheduled to start at 3pm on Friday 5 October with practice and qualifying taking place today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday).

Dan Wheldon was fastest in a test session at the Putnam Park circuit near Indianapolis last Wednesday where all but one of the Indy Lights teams were present. The 23-year old Englishman set a fastest time of 1 minute 5.47 seconds in his Gemstar Communications PacWest Racing Lola-Buick - faster than the previous quickest time of1 minute 5.77 seconds which was set by last year's Indy Lights title winner Scott Dixon, who is now racing successfully in the FedEx Champ Car World Series.

Speaking en route to Road Atlanta yesterday, Dan Wheldon said:'We are now building on the momentum we have created over the last two races. I want more wins! Three more would be really good- that's what the team and I are looking for. I am feeling really confident after last week's test and am very positive about achieving my aspirations for next season.

Dan Wheldon is currently in a strong third position in the 2001 CART Dayton Indy Lights Championship with 103 points- just 6 less than Ireland's Damien Faulkner and only 28 behind current series leader Townsend Bell from California who made his Champ Car debut in the two recent European races. With three Indy Lights races still to come, Wheldon is now challenging for the title.

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