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Archive > August 2008Muniz
Runs Strong for 12th, Part Failure Destroys
Skerlongs Top-Five Finish
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
August 17, 2008
Trois Rivieres, QC- The weekend was as bumpy
as the track at Trois Rivieres for Pacific Coast
Atlantic Drivers Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz.
Carl finished in the top-three in both practice
sessions, but just outside of the top-three in
both qualifying sessions. In the race, he was
forced to come into the pits under green flag
conditions for a new nose, due to contact with
Markus Niemela. Although it seemed like trouble,
he was back on track in a flash, coming out just
behind the current race leader, Jonathan
Bomarito. He stayed on Jonathans tail, and
even snagged the fastest lap at one point, before
a mechanical issue beckoned him back into the
pits, where he had to park the King Taco car.
Frankies race followed his plan, he
drove a clean and consistent race, gaining six
positions and finishing up in 12th position. He
just missed the point for gaining the most track
positions by one place; Simona de Silvestro
gained seven positions.
Although the weekend was filled with ups and
downs for the drivers, they fought hard against
everything that stood in their way and still came
out of the weekend with some championship points
and a hunger for victory in New Jersey next
month.
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Warm-up
Finish Position 7th
Time 1:00.325
Speed 90.768
Race
Start Position 6th
Time 0:59.481
Speed 92.056
Finish Position 18th
Time 1:00.267
Speed 73.001
Carl on the race: Today was a
disappointing end to the weekend. Weve had
a fast car at every track weve been to all
season, and if we dont have any incidents,
weve finished at the front. This weekend,
we had a car that if not capable of winning, was
at least close to it. Unfortunately, I got hit by
(Markus) Niemela right at the beginning of the
race and had to come in for a new nose under
green. The guys did a great job getting me back
out there quickly. I then raced for about 20 laps
before having to park the car because of a broken
rear sheer plate. We had a tough weekend, but I
want to thank the guys for all their continued
hard work with the King Taco car.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Warm-up
Finish Position 16th
Time 1:01.333
Speed 89.277
Race
Start Position 18th
Time 1:00.461
Speed 90.564
Finish Position 12th
Time 1:01.312
Speed 79.359
Frankie on the race: First of all,
Im very happy to have finished the race
today. I struggled all weekend with this track
and the right mind set to race on it, so to
finish and to finish in 12th makes me so happy.
Im really glad I was able to drive a clean
race and stay in it until the end. I want to
thank the guys for sticking with me when things
got tough. Im really looking forward to New
Jersey next month. Its my real home race,
so its going to be great.
Shane Seneviratne, Team Manager: We
didnt necessarily get the results we were
hoping for this weekend. Unfortunately, Carl had
some bad luck in the race. He had contact with
Markus Niemela on lap 3 and had to come in for a
new nose under a green flag. The guys did a
fantastic job changing the wing so quickly.
Despite such a short track, Carl ended up
returning to the track right behind the leader
(Jonathan Bomarito). He hung right in there with
Jonathan (Bomarito) and even had the fastest
track time at one point before his rear sheer
plate failed near the end. Frankie drove a decent
and consistent race. He gained six positions,
moving from 18th to 12th. It seemed like he had a
good battle going with (Douglas) Soares and
(Dominick) Muermans and was having fun out there.
I want to thank the team for all the hard work
and dedication theyve put into this
weekend. Were looking forward to New Jersey
next month.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Trois Rivieres Challenges Result in
Disappointing Qualifying Results for PCM Drivers
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
August 16, 2008
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 2 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
3rd |
:59.545 |
91.957 |
Qualifying 2 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
6th |
59.481 |
92.056 |
Carl on qualifying: The last two
days have been a little frustrating for me.
Ive been quick in both practice sessions,
finishing in the top three, but I havent
been able to get the same results in qualifying.
Today was about finding track position, but
unfortunately we were not able to get a gap and
qualified in traffic. Ill have a lot of
work to do in the King Taco car in
tomorrows race to get back up front, but
the guys have continued to give me a good car all
season, so Im hoping for positive
results.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 2 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
18th |
1:00.959 |
89.824 |
Qualifying 2 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
18th |
1:00.461 |
90.564 |
Frankie on qualifying: Ive
been struggling all weekend. This is a really
difficult track to drive on, and I havent
been able to find the right mentality to conquer
it yet. Youve got to be really competitive
out there and fight for position. Im slowly
getting there, but I just didnt have enough
today. Tomorrow is going to be a long and tricky
race, but hopefully other people will make some
mistakes, and I can drive clean; then I can gain
positions and championship points. I want to
thank the guys for all the effort theyve
put into this weekend, and Im hoping for a
good day tomorrow.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Skerlong Searches for Second Pole, Muniz
Struggles with Gears
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
August 15, 2008
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 1 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
1st |
:59.853 |
91.466 |
Qualifying 1 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
4th |
1:00.142 |
91.045 |
Carl on qualifying: Finishing
fourth in qualifying after being fastest in this
mornings practice is a little
disappointing. I know we have a car that is fast
enough for pole, as we proved this morning, but
we just didnt have the best run out there
this afternoon. I was fastest for part of the
session, but (Jonathan) Bomarito got it in the
end. Still, I was about .2 of a second off from
pole, so hopefully we can do it tomorrow.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 1 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
18th |
1:02.229 |
87.974 |
Qualifying 1 |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Finished |
15th |
1:01.444 |
89.115 |
Frankie on qualifying: Overall,
Im not extremely satisfied with the day. I
had an issue with my gear box cable this morning,
so I ended up missing about fifteen minutes of
practice time. We still had some issues with the
gear shifter in this afternoons session,
but Im happy that I improved positions from
this morning. You have to be comfortable when
driving this track, and Im not quite there
yet. Im happy that we have another shot to
make it into the top-ten in tomorrows
qualifying.
*Noteworthy: Frankie Muniz met with Trois
Rivieres Mayor and Atlantic race fan, Yves
Levesque (pictured left) today at the racetrack.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Skerlong Knocking on the Door for Maiden
Victory, Muniz Races to the Top-Ten
(August 14, 2008)
Event: Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
Round: 8 of the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents the
Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
Where: The Streets of Trois Rivieres, Trois
Rivieres, Quebec, Canada 1.521 mile
temporary street circuit
TV: August 17, 2008 at 1:30 pm ET
Drivers: Carl Skerlong #14 King Taco and Frankie
Muniz #41 PCM/USRT
Maiden Victory: Carl Skerlong is a
proven front-runner and contender in the 2008
Atlantic championship. Hes scored a pole
position and three podium finishes in seven
races. His average starting position is third and
hes finished in the top-five, five times.
One achievement eludes the 19-year Seattle
racer
his first Atlantic victory and
Skerlong believes it could come this weekend,
We have a good street course car, and I
think weve got a good shot at this event,
not least with the track being new to virtually
everybody. Ive been studying the course
with the computer games and I am definitely still
in the running for the championship so Im
hoping we can put it all together this weekend
and get a strong result. Im looking forward
to getting back out there and enjoying the
passion of the Canadian race fans. They really
love their racing here so it always makes for a
great atmosphere!
Top-Ten Racer: Frankie Muniz has stated
his goals publicly since he signed with Pacific
Coast Motorsports in January. He intends to run
inside the top-ten in the worlds most
competitive driver development series and he
achieved that goal last weekend. Muniz has
finished every race this season and improved from
his starting position in six of the last seven
races. At Road America last weekend, he achieved
his goal and finished 10th in the second race of
the double-header battle at one of Americas
most famous road courses. Its great
to be competing inside the top-ten in this
series. With just three seasons of racing under
my belt, this is a huge achievement for me
personally and I intend to make a habit of it! I
am so excited to race this weekend in Trois
Rivieres. This event has so much history and it
is an honor to participate here. The track is
tough, it is fast and bumpy but Tim (Lewis, race
engineer) and I are working well together and I
am sure we are going to put out a fast race
car.
Road America Correction: Following the
second race of the Road America double-header
last weekend, we inaccurately stated
Skerlongs damage to his car was a result
from contact with Markus Neimela. The suspension
damage was in fact due to a bolt which was not
properly fastened. Skerlongs performance on
the series fastest circuit with loose
suspension was phenomenal; he finished the race
in fifth position despite nursing a compromised
race car.
PCM Online Team Members: Pacific Coast
Motorsports recently activated their online team
member program. Fans who sign up at www.pcmracing.com
are invited to private meet and greet sessions
with the Atlantic and IndyCar drivers at each
event. In addition to garage tours, ticket
give-aways and discounts on merchandise. Join the
team today!
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Muniz Achieves Goal of Top-Ten at Road
America
Road America Showcase
August 10, 2008
It was a successful day at the end of a
double-header weekend for the Pacific Coast
Motorsports drivers Carl Skerlong and Frankie
Muniz. Both drivers had a strong start, each
gaining a position within the first couple of
laps. Carl made a beautiful pass for 3rd in the
carousel right before Tom Sutherland spun,
causing a caution and also allowing Frankie to
move up to the 11th position.
On the restart, both Carl and Frankie were
challenged by other drivers for positions, but
they continued to fight back. Halfway through the
race, Carl and rookie Markus Niemela made
contact, which resulted in broken rear suspension
on the #41 King Taco car. He didnt let that
hold him back though, and continued to race until
the end, finishing fifth.
Frankie fought hard for his best finish of the
season. Hes been stating all season, that
his goal is to run in the top-ten, and he earned
it today with his hard-fought 10th place finish.
Both Carl and Frankie moved up in the
championship, making it an all-around great
weekend for the Pacific Coast Motorsports
Atlantic team.
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 2 |
Position |
Time |
Finished |
13th |
2:01.635 |
Race 2 |
Position |
Time |
Started |
4th |
|
Finished |
5th |
2:01.476 |
Carl on Race 2: Once again, we had
a car that was capable of winning. We were one of
the fastest cars on the track, and I had moved up
to third, but about halfway through the race I
was involved in an incident with (Markus)
Niemela, and came out with a broken rear
suspension. I was able to keep racing, even
though I dropped back to fifth. Im still
very happy to finish fifth and gain more
championship points, even though I wasnt on
the podium today. Thanks to my whole crew for a
successful weekend. I cant wait to race
again next weekend in Three Rivers.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 2 |
Position |
Time |
Finished |
14th |
2:01.632 |
Race 2 |
Position |
Time |
Started |
13th |
|
Finished |
10th |
2:02.261 |
Frankie on Race 2: Its been
my goal all season to finish in the top-ten, so I
am extremely happy and so excited to have
finished tenth today. It was so much fun driving
in this race, there was a lot of passing and cars
touching, which was really exciting. This was my
first top ten finish that wasnt gifted to
me. I felt like a real professional race car
driver out there today. I really want to thank
the whole team because the car was just perfect.
This was the best race of my whole life.
Shane Seneviratne, Team Manager: I would
definitely say that this weekend was a successful
one. We started off with an open test on
Wednesday, and at that point we were a little bit
behind some of the other teams. By the second
qualifying, we had two competitive cars. In the
first race, both drivers did an excellent job.
They both finished well and moved up in the
championship points, which is our goal in the
long-run. In the second race, Carl unfortunately
had an ill-handling car towards the end due to a
suspension problem. He drove a great race, and
made the best of the situation, competing for
points and finishing fifth. Frankie drove the
best race Ive ever seen from him, and
Im very proud. Now hes added some
fuel to the fire in order to finish out the
season strongly. We had another double-header
this weekend which was a lot of work, so I want
to give a big thanks to the entire crew. Everyone
worked really hard and did an excellent job,
giving us another successful weekend. Were
looking forward to next weekend in Trois
Rivieres.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Skerlong Climbs to Fourth, Muniz One Step
Closer to the Top-Ten
Road America Race Showcase
August 9, 2008
Pacific Coast Motorsports drivers Carl
Skerlong and Frankie Muniz rallied for strong
results today at Road America after a frustrating
start to the double-header weekend on Friday. The
morning kicked-off with qualifying for
tomorrows race #2. Both PCM drivers had
strong sessions, Skerlong will start fourth
tomorrow and Muniz 13th. This afternoon, race #1
was held and got off to a wild start, but both
Frankie and Carl avoided the melee, for strong
points paying positions. Skerlong started ninth
and raced to fourth, while Muniz started 16th and
finished 12th. The green flag will fall for race
#2 on Sunday at 2:30 pm (CT) and live timing is
provided at www.champcaratlantic.com.
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Race 1 |
Started |
Finished |
|
9th |
4th |
Carl on Race 1: I didnt have
a great start at the beginning of the race, but I
was able to stay clean and avoid the incidents.
After 20 minutes, we had only raced two laps due
to two cautions right at the beginning of the
race. Ive been struggling the past couple
days, but I had two good restarts and was able to
race the King Taco car all the way up to fourth.
I scored a good amount of championship points,
too, which I definitely want and need. Thanks to
my team for giving me such a great car. Im
hoping for the same great car for tomorrows
race.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Race 1 |
Started |
Finished |
|
16th |
12th |
Frankie on Race 1: The start was
absolutely crazy. There was a lot of blocking
going on, and it was probably the most
nerve-wracking race of my career. After the
cautions at the beginning, I had some oversteer
and was having trouble turning left, but I was
still able to hold on to my position. Im
happy to finish 12th, getting closer to my goal
of a top-ten finish, and Im now up to 11th
in the points which is fantastic. Thanks to the
guys, and Im ready to race again
tomorrow.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
Skerlong and Muniz Searching for Success
on Saturday
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
August 8, 2008
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King
Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Practice 1 |
5th |
2.00.484 |
120.905 |
Qualifying Race 1 |
9th |
2:00.486 |
120.950 |
Carl on qualifying: Im
pretty disappointed with my qualifying results
today. I was hoping to be in the top five, but
instead I ended up ninth. I think we are getting
on the right track with the car, but we still
have a lot of work to do for tomorrows race
if we want to finish on the podium. Im
hoping to have an all around better day
tomorrow.
Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session |
Position |
Time |
Speed |
Practice 1 |
17th |
2:01.583 |
119.859 |
Qualifying Race 1 |
16th |
2:01.032 |
120.405 |
Frankie on qualifying: Today
wasnt a very good day for me. I felt like
it was going well, but Im disappointed with
my result. Drafting is important on this track,
and I was running by myself for most of the time.
I am disappointed with 16th and my goal is to
break into the top-ten, but at least we have
another shot tomorrow. The races this weekend
will be pretty sketchy now that we are allowed to
block.
Visit the Pacific Coast Motorsports website at
www.pcmracing.com
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