For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
Cell: (317) 201-0729
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
Andersen Racing's Baker Nabs Podium Finish
In Incident-Filled F2000 Race
Saturday at Road America
ELKHART LAKE, Wis., Aug. 2 - Andersen Racing's Jonny Baker backed up his
victory at Mid-Ohio with another podium finish in the F2000 Championship Series
presented by Hoosier Racing Tire Saturday at Road America.
The 23-year-old from Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, England started fourth
and finished third in his factory Van Diemen that is sponsored by Allied
Interior Products.
Kyle Marcelli won the race by 0.416 of a second over Chris Miller. Miller
had the fastest lap of the race with a 2:19.805 (104.237 miles per hour), but
Baker wasn't far behind with a 2:20.212.
Only six of the scheduled 12 laps around the 4-mile road course were
completed during the event's time limit.
Andersen Racing's Anders Krohn, the series' point leader with five victories
in the previous eight races, was involved in a controversial accident with
polesitter Niki Coello at the start that knocked both drivers out of the event.
Andersen Racing's mechanics were hard at work at press time repairing Krohn's
No. 9 Van Diemen, which is sponsored by Trallfa Industries, Colosseum Dental
and Kruse Smith, so that the 20-year-old driver from Sandnes, Norway can try
again tomorrow.
The Palmetto, Fla.-based team's representative in the Masters Class, Scott
Willard of Weston, Conn., improved six positions to place 30th overall with his
BroadReach Partners No. 14.
Another Andersen Racing driver, Doug Prendeville of Whippany, N.J., was
running sixth until he crashed on the last lap after contact with another
competitor. He ended up right behind Willard in the final rundown. Prendeville said
his Allied Building Products/Restart Communications car is too damaged to
compete in the second half of the doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at 2:25 p.m.
local time. Qualifying for that race will be held at 10:55 a.m. Central time
Sunday morning.
Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. It is the
official Van Diemen factory team in F2000. The team's Web sites are at
andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com. More information on the F2000 series is
available at eformulacarnews.com and f2000championshipseries.com.
Post-race quotes follow:
Jonny Baker: "I came third. The race was caution filled.
"I got a fairly good start, but unfortunately Anders and Niki Coello had a
racing incident and got into each other. I avoided them, but Chris Miller got by
me. Then the caution came out.
"Kyle Marcelli got a good restart, and it was a bit of a drafting battle. I
didn't have much wing in my car, and in their dirty air my car was
understeering. I couldn't get on the gas quickly coming out of the turns, and had to be
patient. I worked with the bars and I was working it out and was right there,
but then another caution came out for four or five incidents around the track,
and we ended under caution.
"It would have been very interesting for sure between the three of us if it
had gone green until the end. Marcelli has been knocking at the door for a
while now though.
"I've been working really well with my engineer, Mike Reggio, all week; we
definitely have a good race car. I've been really enjoying myself after the win
at Mid-Ohio. I've got to thank Mike and J.R. Elliott, our crew chief; our
sponsors, and everyone else at Andersen Racing.
"I'll sit down with Mike this evening and see what changes, if any, we want
to make. Then I'll come back tomorrow and try to get a couple of steps higher
on the podium."
Doug Prendeville: "I was sixth, but I touched with another car and went into
the wall. I'm not hurt but the car is damaged a lot, so I'm not racing
tomorrow. It happened in Turn Five. It'll be all right."
Anders Krohn: "It happened just after the start heading into Turn 1. I was
on the outside, trying to pass the polesitter. I would have had the corner, but
when I was alongside him he slid into me. I don't know if he was having a
problem with his car or what, but it took us both out.
"I think we had a really good car; it's a shame. Sometimes these things
happen.
"I want to thank Andersen Racing and my sponsors. Andersen Racing prepares
my car as well as humanly possible. It's being fixed right away. It was very
unfortunate today, but we'll try again tomorrow.
"I think this track is really good. I really enjoy the drafting. Tomorrow
is a new day, and I think we'll have some fun."
The weekend's stats available so far:
Test (Thursday):
1. Anders Krohn, 2:16.664
3. Jonny Baker, 2:17.340
9. Doug Prendeville, 2:18.506
Practice 1 (Friday, 9 a.m. to 9:25 a.m.):
1. Tim Dunn, 2:16.903
2. Anders Krohn, 2:17.029
6. Jonny Baker, 2:17.752
12. Doug Prendeville, 2:18.364
34. Scott Willard, 2:22.631
Practice 2 (Friday, 1:15 p.m. to 1:40 p.m.):
1. Niki Coello, 2:16.210
4. Anders Krohn, 2:17.279
5. Jonny Baker, 2:17.487
6. Doug Prendeville, 2:17.503
31. Scott Willard, 2:21.382
Combined Times for Friday Practice:
1. Niki Coello, 2:16.210
3. Anders Krohn, 2:17.029
7. Jonny Baker, 2:17.487
8. Doug Prendeville, 2:17.503
33. Scott Willard, 2:21.382
Qualifying for Race 9 (Saturday, 10:55 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.; 41 drivers took
time):
_1. Niki Coello, 2:15.977
2. Anders Krohn, 2:16.052
4. Jonny Baker, 2:16.745
11. Doug Prendeville, 2:17.532
36. Scott Willard, 2:20.985
Race 9 (Saturday, 2:55 p.m., 6 of 12 laps completed):
1. Kyle Marcelli
3. Jonny Baker
30. Scott Willard
31. Doug Prendeville
DNF: Anders Krohn
About Allied Building Products Corp.:
Allied Building Products Corp., headquartered in East Rutherford, N.J., is
one of the largest roofing and siding distributors in the United States. Founded
in 1950 with five employees and two trucks, today it is a $1.8 billion
building material distribution company with over 3,500 employees, more than 200
branches in 30 states, well over one million square feet of office and warehouse
space, and an inventory of approximately 85,000 products, from residential
roofing and siding to doors, windows, waterproofing, manufactured stone, interior
products and commercial roofing systems. For more information see
alliedbuilding.com.
About Andersen Racing:
Andersen Racing strives to provide the best and most comprehensive training
possible for future open-wheel superstars while giving its marketing partners
media exposure and hospitality opportunities at some of the most prestigious
events in North America. It provides a unique, three-step program utilizing
multiple entries in three different series: the F2000 Championship (webcast), Star
Mazda (televised on SPEED) and Firestone Indy Lights (televised on ESPN2). In
2008 it will field multiple entries in 42 races in 19 states and provinces at
some of the best facilities on the continent, including the famed
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Andersen Racing's principals, brother Dan and John Andersen, have extensive
experience in series administration as well as team management. They've worked
with many of today's top open-wheel stars, including several Indy 500 winners.
Andersen Racing is sponsored by Allied Building Products Corp. It is the
official development team of Rahal Letterman Racing, which competes in the IndyCar
Series. In addition, its F2000 team is also the official factory team of Van
Diemen. The team is headquartered at Andersen RacePark, an 18-acre facility
in Palmetto, Fla. that includes a 1-mile test track. For more information see
andersenracingteam.com and andersenracepark.com.