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Marlboro 500, Fontana, California
Race
Jonny Kane Racing, Fontana, 29th October 2000:
KANE 10TH AT FONTANA FINALE
Team KOOL Green driver Jonny Kane finished 10th in today's Dayton Indy Lights race at the Fontana Super Speedway. He battled hard to make his way up through the field but every time a move looked like it was the one Jonny was forced out of the train and had to battle through again.
Scott Dixon clinched the championship with a win. Townsend Bell finished a close second and Dixon's teammate, Tony Renna topped off the top three. Kane's top ten finish saw him take tenth spot in the championship.
JONNY KANE, #27 TEAM KOOL GREEN
"It was a strange race. It isn't a good example of what skill is out there. It is a case of trying to stick in the train. If you come out of it to try and pass you risk not getting back in. If you get bumped out you have to try and work your way back up again. It was difficult to get up to the front from fourteenth. We were quite well up there at one stage but got shuffled back again. I think we ended up tenth. It is a disappointing way to finish the season but you come to these races knowing that it is a bit of lottery."
Saturday qualifying
Team KOOL Green Press Release, Fontana, 28th October: Team KOOL Green teammates Jeff Simmons and Jonny Kane qualified 13th and 14th for the Dayton Indy Lights season finale tomorrow at California Speedway. Simmons turned a lap of 39.933 seconds (182.916 mph), while Kane's best lap was 39.965 (182.770 mph).
Felipe Giaffone earned his third pole of the season today, with a lap of 39.478 seconds (185.025 mph). Points leader Scott Dixon turned a lap of 39.577 (184.562 mph) and will line up on the outside of row one.
Indy Lights drivers have an early morning tomorrow, as their warm-up will take place at 7:45 a.m. The 50-lap Indy Lights season finale will take the green flag at 9:30 a.m.(Pacific).
JONNY KANE, #27 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (14th with a lap time of 39.965 seconds / 182.916 mph):
"The KOOL car felt okay, but we ended up with some pretty slow times and I'm not really sure why. It must be the conditions because nobody is going especially fast. The good news is that qualifying isn't all that important here. You've just got to be around for the finish. We've spent most of the weekend working on running in traffic and getting a good race setup. We're trying to solve some of the problems we had at Michigan. Tomorrow morning we'll see if we can work some more on the car's handling in the morning warm warm-up."
JEFF SIMMONS, #26 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (13th with a lap time of 39.993 seconds / 182.916 mph):
"We were flat-out from the moment we left the pits - I never lifted. We got slower and slower with each lap. I don't know why. Maybe the wind picked up. On my first lap out of the pits I was checking my speed on the back straightaway and I never saw that speed again for the rest of the run. My lap before I took the green flag was my fastest. But the KOOL car is pretty good. We've been working on the car's balance in traffic and we'll do some more of that in tomorrow morning's warm-up."
Friday qualifying
Team KOOL Green Press Release, Fontana, 27th October:
KANE & SIMMONS ARE SIXTH AND 13th FASTEST IN FRIDAY PRACTICE
Team KOOL Green teammates Jonny Kane and Jeff Simmons posted the sixth and 13th fastest times, respectively, in today's only practice session for Indy Lights at California Speedway.
The teams were limited to one afternoon session due morning rain. Kane's quick lap was 38.692 seconds (188.783 mph), with Simmons posting a time of 38.996 seconds (187.312 mph). Jason Bright was fastest of the day at 38.215 seconds (191.140 mph) with Tony Renna second (38.235 seconds / 191.040 mph) and points leader Scott Dixon third (38.276 seconds / 190.835 mph).
Indy Lights drivers have one final practice session tomorrow morning from 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. Pacific, with single-car qualifying set for 4:00 p.m. Pacific. Sunday's 50-lap season finale is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. Pacific and will be televised on tape delay on ESPN2, Sunday, Oct. 29, at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
JONNY KANE, #27 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (6th with a lap time of 38.692 seconds / 188.783 mph):
"I don't really have a problem with the bumps. I can feel them but they don't seem to be upsetting the car very much. I only ran a few laps by myself, because we've only got the one session today. Normally I try to run a lot more than that by myself. We were trying to focus more on getting the KOOL car to work better in traffic, so that we don't have too much understeer like we did at Michigan.
"The car did feel a bit better and we'll keep working on it tomorrow. Fortunately we've got one more session before qualifying. The pole would be great, but I think it's important to focus on the race. Starting position isn't quite as critical here as on a street course."
JEFF SIMMONS, #26 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (13th with a lap time of 38.996 seconds / 187.312 mph):
"It's pretty bumpy on the back straight, but it's not really causing a problem. When we first went out I was running with our race setup from Michigan and the KOOL car was really pretty good. It was bottoming a little in turn one, so we tried raising the rear. It didn't cause too much of a problem though, I was still flat-out all the way around.
"We have a bit of understeer, but I'm concerned that if we put more front wing back in it to correct it, the turbulence could cause a problem. We'll just have to look at the data and see what we can find out. I was running behind other cars most of the time, looking at different things that I might want to try in the race. I never really tried to put together a quick lap."
Race Preview
Team KOOL Green Press Release, Fontana, 25th October: Team KOOL Green Indy Lights driver Jonny Kane is looking to repeat his stellar performance of 1999 by once again scoring a win from the pole at the California Speedway in Fontana. Teammate Jeff Simmons is still looking for that elusive first win in his rookie season, and would love nothing better than to end the season in victory lane.
JONNY KANE, #27 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (Started 1st / Finished 1st at Fontana in 1999; Currently 10th in the standings with 49 points):
"I can't think of a better way to finish off my Indy Lights career with Team KOOL Green than to successfully defend my championship in Fontana. Winning the race there last year was brilliant - something that I'll always remember. We haven't had the kind of success this season that we had hoped for, but I've gone into every race with the feeling that I could win. Fontana is no exception, especially with the way things went for us on the superspeedway last year."
JEFF SIMMONS, #26 Team KOOL Green Lola T97/20 (First race at Fontana in Indy Lights; Currently 7th in the standings with 80 points):
"All of the podiums we've had so far this season have come on road or street courses, so that's some added incentive to put in a strong performance at Fontana and maybe pick up a win or podium finish on an oval. It's also another opportunity to race on a track for the first time. I've heard that the Fontana superspeedway is a thrill and a challenge and I'm the type who enjoys new challenges. It would be great to go out with a win for Team KOOL Green, which has worked so hard all season long."
2000 Race News
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Motorola 300, St Louis
Gateway
Honda Grand Prix of
Monterey, Laguna Seca
Molson Indy, Vancouver
Miller Lite 200, Mid-Ohio
Target Grand Prix of
Chicago
Detroit News 100, Michigan
Freightliner/G.I.
Joe's 200
Detroit News Challenge
Miller Lite Milwaukee Mile
Toyota Grand Prix
of Long Beach