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INDYLIGHTS: Dorricott Racing Looking for Back-to-Back Successes

11 September 1998

SONOMA, Calif. - The 1998 PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship is rapidly coming to a close, but two races remain and each will play a critical part in the overall season standings for Dorricott Racing's Philipp Peter and Oriol Servia. Next up is Laguna Seca Raceway and round 13 of the 14-race series Sunday, Sept. 13, in the Honda Grand Prix of Monterey.

This year's annual return to the picturesque central California coastline will celebrate the 13th overall and consecutive visit of the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship to the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road circuit. An anticipated field of over 24 cars will take the green flag at 2:45 p.m. (PT) for the 34-lap Indy Lights sprint, which immediately follows the CART FedEx Championship Series Honda Grand Prix of Monterey.

Peter, of Monte Carlo, Monaco, is looking to rebound from a disappointing race at Vancouver in round 12 where he essentially ran second fastest the entire weekend. Steering and throttle problems struck his No. 31 Sebring/Red Bull/ESTEBE Lola on the 28th of 42 race laps. His car suddenly went into a controllable spin, and although he avoided contact with the wall, the loss of time also meant a loss of seven positions. Peter had been running unchallenged in second place to that point. Unable to recover during the remaining moments of the race, he was forced to settle for ninth place.

Servia, of Pals, Catalonia, Spain, also suffered race-damaging problems but his occurred earlier than Peter's. While rounding a corner, Servia lost control and spun into an adjacent wall. He was forced to retire the No. 32 Catalonia/Elf/RACC/Heritage Bank Lola on lap 21.

Peter enters Laguna Seca in seventh place overall with 61 points. Servia is close behind in eighth place in the Indy Lights championship with 57 points.

Guy Smith has clinched Indy Lights Rookie-of-the-Year honors with 107 points. Derek Higgins is in second place with 74 points followed by Peter and Servia.

Dorricott Racing is a year-round professional motorsports organization based at Sears Point International Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Race results, team and sponsor information may be viewed on Dorricott Racing's website, http://www.dorricottracing.com.

Same-day television coverage of round 12 of the PPG-Dayton Indy Lights Championship from Laguna Seca will be over ESPN2, Sunday, Sept. 13, from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET (5:00-6:00 p.m. PT) .