Road Atlanta: Newman Wachs Racing race report

NWR EARNS 6th ATLANTIC VICTORY OF 2009 AS SUMMERTON DOMINATES AT ROAD ATLANTA

Braselton, GA (September 25, 2009) - Jonathan Summerton started on pole for the next-to-last race of the 2009 Atlantic Championship today at Road Atlanta alongside his teammate John Edwards who started 2nd. Summerton brought home the victory for Newman Wachs Racing- his 4th in 2009 and 3rd with NWR- and edged closer to Championship leader Simona De Silvestro, who rounded out the podium with Edwards in 3rd.

Summerton, 21, from Kissimmee, FL had a great start and led the field into turn one following the standing start. He led lights to checkered flag in addition to turning the fastest time of the race on the final lap. With the race ending with only a handful laps of green flag conditions, Summerton still managed to gap 2nd place by over four seconds. He moves into the 2nd position in overall standings and now trails De Silvestro by just seven. Summerton has won three of the last four races and hopes to continue that momentum into the finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in just a few short weeks.

Jonathan Summerton, #34 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI/ Newman Wachs Racing: (P1)

"Coming from (last month's race at) Mosport and a dominating weekend there, we were fastest in all the practices and qualifying and we won the race there, it was the same thing here. We were very, very quick in all the practices and qualified on pole and won the race. I think we're in for a good run at Laguna Seca. I hope John will be there also with us up there strong. Basically, I can only do what I can do and focus on winning races. The rest is out there. We're going for a championship and I know it can be done. The way the car has been the last three or four races, I can't complain. I know we're going to have a strong car in Laguna. Hopefully, we can do it in dominating fashion again there."

Edwards, 18, from Cincinatti, OH had an impressive qualifying run, putting his car on the outside front row on the final lap in yesterday's session. Unfortunately De Silvestro beat him into turn one at the start and he was never able to create a passing opportunity to get by her. He rightly took 3rd place points rather than put himself in a precarious on-track situation and takes the Championship battle into the season finale in Monterey, California.

John Edwards, #36 MAZDASPEED/ Nuclear Clean Air Energy/ Entergy/ NEI/ Newman Wachs Racing: (P2)

"I got a bad start, and that's really where the race was lost. I had a couple of chances where I was drafting her (De Silvestro), but I never really got close enough until about two laps from the end. That was the lap that Tonis (Kasemets) decided to spin or something in the chicane, so his car was stalled and there was a yellow flag. I went to pop on Simona, I popped out and had a run, but unfortunately the yellow flag didn't allow me to complete the pass. That was unfortunate, but the reality is that I gave the position to her at the start and that ruined my race."

Newman Wachs Racing was founded by the late actor and philanthropist, Paul Newman, along with Eddie Wachs. Wachs is a veteran racer, prominent motorsport figure, and entrepreneurial business owner. Based just outside Chicago, NWR is in its fourth season in the Atlantic Championship Series fielding two "Nuclear Clean Air Energy" cars. The team is supported by MAZDASPEED, along with the Nuclear Energy Institute and Entergy Corporation. In its four successful years of competition, NWR has earned 9 victories, 20 podium finishes, 29 top-fives and 6 pole positions.

-credit: newmanwachsracing.com