Denver: Tomy Drissi preview

Tomy Drissi seeks another podium finish in the Denver Trans-Am race.

Denver, CO - The Trans-Am Series "Most Improved Driver" in the 2000 season, Tomy Drissi, is looking for his second podium appearance when the Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich Tires Cup returns to the streets of Denver for the Shell Grand Prix of Denver weekend August 30 - September 1. Drissi, who has five top-ten finishes in eight starts, scored third place points four weeks ago at Trois-Rivieres, his first podium finish since taking third place at Mosport in 2000.

Two weeks ago, Drissi, who drives the No.5 Pyro Jaguar XKR, qualified ninth, ran as high as fifth, and finished eighth at Road America, but a post-race penalty for contact with another competitor moved him back to ninth place.

"I have a bad habit of being too accommodating which sometimes makes it look like my front end is hitting the rear of another driver's car," commented Drissi. "I've learned my lesson. I need to be a bit more aggressive initially. I need to make the pass stick and not make the pass twice.

"Even still, we built some good momentum at Trois-Rivieres and Road America," said Drissi, whose strong showings at the recent Road America and Trois-Rivieres outings have moved him up to eighth place in the Drivers' Championship standings, only seven points out of the seventh place. "I'm confident that we're not yet out of the hunt for a top-five finish in the points. We need to focus and put together a few awesome races, but we're capable of doing that."

Though the street course in Denver is new, Drissi senses a familiarity about it. "It reminds me a lot of Long Beach in reverse, right down to the Expo Center," Drissi revealed, who scored his first Trans-Am win in Long Beach in 2000. "Many of the characteristics are similar, but I'm sure this track will have its own charm and personality."

"Racing on a new temporary circuit will be a great equalizer," explained Drissi, who joined Rocketsports Racing for the 2002 season. "No one can test ahead of time, so it really showcases the abilities of both the drivers and teams who are able to learn and adapt quickly."

The Denver Trans-Am race will be broadcast on a one-week tape delayed basis on the SPEED Channel on Sunday, September 8th, starting at 2:00 PM Eastern.

-rocketsports-