Davison wins Mid-Ohio race two

It was one of the wildest scenes ever: Sam Schmidt Motorsports' James Davison motored down the final quarter mile beneath a waving checkered flag while race-leader Jonny Reid of Integra Motorspors, in error, cut short his sure victory by entering pitlane, apparently assuming that a flag-station on the backstretch at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course that relays the green flag from the actual start/finish marked the end of the race.

The result was a surprise win for Davison who only one week before had been eliminated from contention on the oval at Nashville after winning the pole and while leading after being struck by Reid.

"If it's the racing gods way of evening things out," said the beaming Davison from the podium, "I'll take it!"

The race was delayed for over an hour when thunderstorms swept through northcentral Ohio, washing the grip away from the surface of the 2.258 mile road course outside Lexington, Ohio.

When racing commenced the track was slick as waxed glass and multiple drivers, including Davison, went off into the grass or trackside gravel pits; either unable to see through the roostertails of puddled water spun by the speeding cars ahead or simply unable to find traction and stay put on the racetrack.

Wade Cunningham, driving this week for Alliance Motorsports, and Pablo Donoso of Team Moore won second and third in the event, with American Spirit's Cyndie Allemann fourth ahead of Sam Schmidt Motorsports' Ana Beatriz.

Championship points leaders Raphael Matos and Richard Antinucci failed to finish the race, both victimized by the slick conditions. Matos finished sixteenth and yielded the overal 2008 points lead (toward the Firestone Firehawk Cup) to Antinucci (who finished fourteenth) by a single point.

Beatriz remains third, with J R Hildebrand of RLR Andersen and Matos' AFS Andretti Green teammate Arie Luyendyk Jr on fifth with four races remaining on the schedule.