NA-F2000: Road America round 15 race notes

Pecorari Continues Win Streak in Wisconsin

ELKHART LAKE, WIS. (August 21, 2004) - Adam Pecorari, of Aston, Pa., won Round Fifteen of the Formula Ford Zetec Championship, part of the Cooper Tires Championship Series, at Road America. Completing the top-three is Bobby Wilson, of Dousman, Wis. and Ian Lacy, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The win is the third consecutive for Pecorari. Winning the American Continental Championship is Jerry Szykulski, of Ham Lake, Minn.

In the penultimate round of the 2004 season, the 35-car field went three-abreast at the start. Getting a great jump Wade Cunningham made it past front-row starters Pecorari and Lacy to assume the lead on the opening lap. Running in close formation the top-five battled for position through the opening stages of the 12-lap race. On lap three, Lacy was able to get a good run on Cunningham and passed for the lead. As Lacy slowly built his lead, Bowles and series points leader Andrew Prendeville began to battle for fourth place. Entering turn five, Prendeville made contact with the wall and retired from the race. Looking to capitalize on Prendeville's misfortune, championship contenders Pecorari and Wilson began to attack the high-speed track. Posting the fastest laps of the race, Pecorari passed Cunningham and began to close on race leader Lacy, while Wilson passed Bowles for position and closed up on Cunningham. Racing nose-to-tail, Pecorari passed for the lead on lap nine, as Lacy came under attack from Wilson, in the No. 3 Citrus Systems/Miller Milling/Stars of Karting Cape Motorsports Van Diemen Ford. Once in the lead, Pecorari, in the No. 28 Grand Prix Distributing/SAI Hydraulics Andersen Walko Racing Van Diemen Ford, began to build his lead, as Lacy and Wilson battled for position, going side-by-side through several corners. Eventually making his way past Lacy, in the No. 8 JDC Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, Wilson closed on Pecorari. At the checkered flag, Pecorari had captured his third consecutive Zetec Championship win by a track record 0.143 second. With the win, Andersen Walko Racing captured the 2004 Formula Ford Zetec Championship Team of the Year award. Entering the season-final race on Sunday, August 22, 2004, Prendeville continues to leads the Zetec Championship standings by two points over Wilson (304-302).

"That was a really really close race," said Pecorari, who still has a mathematical chance at winning the championship. "My confidence sky high right now. I just wish we had a few more races left in the season."

"The car was amazing," said Wilson, who will start on pole in race two after posting the fastest lap in race one. "I was pushing as hard as I could and just needed another lap."

"That was great battle with Bobby [Wilson]," said Lacy, who remains sixth in the championship standings. "The car went away slightly at the end of the race, but the team gave me a great car."

"I had a great race," said Szykulski, who won his first-ever American Continental Championship race. "That was fun and I can't wait for tomorrow."

Completing the top-five is Cunningham, of Auckland, New Zealand, in the No. 2 RCC/WPL/Placemakers Mt. Wellington/Turbo Traders Cape Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, who lead a race for the second time this season and Bowles, of Ontario, Calif., in the No. 7 Citywide Electronics/Sparco/Service Software Systems JDC Motorsports Van Diemen Ford, who continues to lead the Greg Moore Rookie of the Year standings.

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