For more information:
Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
E-mail: LindaKMansfield@cs.com
Cell: 317-201-0729
Andersen Racing's Prendeville
Wins on Father's Day at the Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y., June 15 - Andersen Racing's Doug Prendeville of Whippany,
N.J. gave his father, Ed, a terrific Father's Day present when he won the
sixth round of the F2000 Championship Series presented by Hoosier Racing Tire
Sunday at Watkins Glen International.
Prendeville became the third Andersen Racing driver to win at the historic
3.4-mile road course in the last eight days. Charles Hall of Sheffield, England
won a Star Mazda race here last Saturday, and Anders Krohn of Sandnes, Norway
won the first half of the F2000 doubleheader here yesterday for the Palmetto,
Fla.-based team.
Prendeville started third in the Allied Interior Products/Restart
Communications No. 5 Van Diemen. He took second on the start by blasting by Kyle
Marcelli, and then zeroed in on his teammate, Krohn, who had won the pole in the No.
9 Andersen Racing Van Diemen sponsored by Trallfa Industries, Colosseum Dental
and Kruse Smith.
Krohn, who has won four F2000 races this year and is the current point
leader, won the pole Sunday morning with a lap in 1:53.874, breaking Mike Andersen's
former mark of 1:54.0 set in 2006.
Krohn led every practice and qualifying session at the Glen as well as every
lap of Saturday's race. He got off to a 3-second lead initially in Sunday's
race before a yellow came out on lap three for multiple incidents.
The restart on lap seven turned out to be the race's defining moment. The top
runners went four wide in Turn 1, with Prendeville coming out on top.
Prendeville was never again headed. He had a whopping 4.875-seconds lead at
the checkered flag as he posted his first victory ever at the historic track,
and his first triumph since 2002. He set the fastest lap of the race to boot
with a sizzling 1:55.647.
Krohn's day disintegrated shortly after he lost the lead. His car developed a
problem with its left-rear suspension, and he was forced to retire from the
event a few laps later.
Another Andersen Racing driver, Jonny Baker, could commiserate with Krohn.
Baker, of Farnham Common, Buckinghamshire, England, started seventh in the
Allied Interior Products entry, but worked his way up from sixth to second behind
Prendeville during the chaotic restart. His hopes were immediately dashed,
however, when he was hit in the rear by another competitor exiting Turn 1 just
seconds later, forcing him out prematurely too.
Andersen Racing's Masters class representative, Scott Willard of Weston,
Conn., retired after the right-front wing of his BroadReach Partners No. 14 was
bent during an altercation on the initial start.
Sunday's race attracted a field of 35. Joining Prendeville on the podium were
runner-up Tim Minor and Marcelli.
The next F2000 doubleheader is July 12-13 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
in Lexington, Ohio.
Prendeville's brother, Andrew, will also be in action at Watkins Glen in a
Firestone Indy Lights doubleheader here July 5. Andrew Prendeville drives the
Best Friends Animal Society No. 5 for RLR/Andersen Racing, which also fields a
Firestone Indy Lights car for J.R. Hildebrand. The team is the development
team of Rahal Letterman Racing.
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:
Doug Prendeville: "I qualified third, got second on the start, and then
passed Anders on the restart going into Turn 1.
"Dad went home yesterday, but he'll hear about this, I'm sure.
"Tim [Minor] got close to me once in the Bus Stop, but then I calmed down and
put some good laps down and got a gap going.
"This is my third car this season, and I like this one the best. The car was
the best it's been all weekend today. It was great!
"I want to thank Dan Andersen, Michelle Kish, Mike Reggio, Steve Thexton and
everybody else at Andersen Racing, as well as my driver coach for this race,
Tony Kester.
"I was glad to be able to get a win for Restart Communications. They
represent a lot of drivers, but they said I'm the first one to actually win a race
carrying their decals. They're through the moon about it."
Anders Krohn: "Two bolts that are part of the left-rear suspension worked
loose. I don't know if I got hit on the restart or not to cause it; I didn't
feel anything.
"I got off to a good start. I was leading by 3 seconds for the first three
or four laps, and then the safety car came out. I wasn't ready for the
restart, and I got passed in the first corner. Then the bolts came loose, so I would
have had to retire anyway.
"We had the pace to win. We need to take Saturday's victory, the two poles
and the new track record from here, and take that on to Mid-Ohio."
Jonny Baker: "I got a mega-start; I was flying. I started seventh, and worked
my way up to second behind Doug after the restart. Then another driver came
up from behind in Turn 1 and turned into my sidepod, taking me out. It's a
shame because I did the hard work to get up there, and I wanted to give the team a
good result.
"I'm really happy for Doug though. He's looked after me for a year and a half
now, so I'm really pleased that he won. He really deserves it. I just wanted
to be up there on the podium with him for our team, because it's the best."
Sunday's stats follow:
Qualifying for Race 2 (Sunday, 9:15 a.m. to 9:40 a.m.):
1. Anders Krohn, 1:53.874, new track record
3. Doug Prendeville, 1:54.804
7. Jonny Baker, 1:55.650
12. Scott Willard, 1:56.404
Race 1 (Sunday, 1:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., 13 laps):
1. Doug Prendeville*
23. Anders Krohn
27. Jonny Baker
DNF: Scott Willard
* Set fastest lap of the race with a 1:55.647.
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.