Nazareth, Penn. (May 1, 1999) — Nicolas Rondet, in his first-ever appearance on an oval, once again proved his racecraft with a solid performance in a hotly-contested Kool/Toyota Atlantic Championship race today at Nazareth. After starting in the 11th spot, Rondet drove a smart race to finish 7th in the #14 World Speed Motorsports/Red Line Oil, Martini Sunglasses Swift 008.a.
“I definitely learned a lot today,” said Rondet, following today’s 60-lap/56.76-mile race. “I had the chance to run in some quick traffic and experienced the front end lifting going into Turn 1. I was closing on (Alex) Gurney and lost the front downforce and pushed towards the wall. But we had a good race today. The car was near perfect and the World Speed crew did a terrific job all week. I’m glad to have an oval race under my belt, I now have a better idea of what to expect going into Gateway.”
Rondet started the day’s warm-up activities by setting the 11th fastest time. “I think the car is better than it was yesterday. There was no wind on the front straight, so we were entering Turn 2 a little bit faster, which was a little uncomfortable. But the car is freer, and it’s not scrubbing as much speed through the corners. I made an outside pass on
one of the Player’s cars in Turn 3. It’s good to know that the car will stick on the high side and in the marbles. I think we’ll have a good car for the race. It will be important to stay out of trouble and keep up with the lead draft.”
“Nicolas did a fantastic job,” said Chuck West, team owner. “I think he learned a lot about oval racing this week and will be much more comfortable going into the next two races. The team worked exceptionally well and it showed with our solid performance throughout the week.” Today’s race was won by Anthony Lazzaro, followed by Kenny Wilden and Andrew Bordin. The race will be televised Sunday, May 9 at 12:30 pm Eastern on espn2, with repeat broadcasts on Tuesday, May 11 at 1:30 am, and Thursday, May 13 at 2:00 am. Round three of the 1999 Kool/Toyota Atlantic Championship is scheduled for Saturday, May 29 at Gateway International Raceway, part of the Motorola 300 CART FedEx Championship weekend.