Vancouver: Event preview

Portland's Scott Jenkins gears-up for Molson Indy Vancouver Fran-Am race.

Portland, OR (July 22, 2002) - Scott Jenkins, of Portland, is preparing for this weekend's inaugural Fran-Am 2000 race at the Molson Indy Vancouver by doing what he does best - hustling an open-wheel race car around a closed-circuit track as quickly as possible. Jenkins will participate in a two-day test on Tuesday and Wednesday in a Fran-Am 2000 race car at Portland International Raceway, in preparation for this Saturday's Fran-Am race at Concord Pacific Place, part of the CART FedEx Championship event through the streets of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

"I'm really excited to see the Fran-Am series taking off," said Jenkins, who will compete in this weekend's race with Gelles Motorsports. "I'm glad to be a part of the inaugural event and am looking forward to putting on a good show in front of a tremendous Canadian crowd. I've never raced on Vancouver's street course before, but I've gotten some pointers from several people who have had some success there in Atlantics. It should be a great race. It's a level playing field for us all I can't wait to take our first laps on Friday morning."

Jenkins, 19, most recently captured 7 wins, 8 poles and 2 track records in the 2001 Star Mazda Series. He took the 2001 Star Mazda West Coast Championship as well as the Red Line Oil Championship title, and was named the 2001 Professional Driver of the Year by the SCCA Oregon region. Jenkins also was selected as a top five finalist for the 2001 Team USA Scholarship. Racing since 9 years of age, Jenkins' karting accomplishments include numerous wins and championships ranging from Junior 1 and Junior Piston Port, to 125cc Gearbox and Formula C.

Jenkins will be up against some tough competition this weekend including B.C.'s Sean McIntosh, Trent Lewis and Calgary's Scott Robertson. Galen Puccini, Aaron Ellis, Dino Bruno and a contingent of Mexican Formula Renault teams will also be vying for the top spot in Vancouver.

The Fran-Am 2000 Championship, a cousin of Formula Renault in Europe, South America and China, begins its inaugural North American season this year with support from Michelin International. Each Fran-Am 2000 race features a $25,000 Michelin International supported cash prize fund, with the overall series champion winning a ride with a leading Formula Renault team for the 2003 European series. Formula Renault is recognized worldwide as a primary feeder for the Formula One stars of tomorrow. Recent graduates include McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen (who went straight to Formula One from Formula Renault) as well as Sauber's Felipe Massa.

The Fran-Am 2000 race car features a spec-Tatuus carbon-fiber monocoque chassis, sealed 2.0-liter/186-horsepower motor, 6-speed sequential gearbox, and spec-Michelin Sport racing tires.

On track activities for the Fran-Am series at Vancouver include a 30-minute practice session at 9:15 am PT on Friday, July 26, followed by qualifying at 4:45 pm. Action resumes Saturday with a warm-up at 8:00 am before the race later that day at 5:15 pm.

Further information on the Fran-Am series is available at www.fran-am.com.

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