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Drake looking for strong start to 2005 USAC season

by TonyStewart.com

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Updated: January 27, 2005, 1:42 PM EST

CENTER LINE, Mich. - Mopar's Jay Drake has barely had time to enjoy the spoils of winning the 2004 USAC National Sprint Car Series title, but like any race driver, he's already focused on expanding that effort in 2005. After winning an unprecedented three straight pavement USAC Silver Crown Series events in 2004, Drake and the Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises team are looking to better that mark, beginning with this weekend's Copper World Classic.

"When you do something significant as a team, you always hope to equal or better your accomplishment," Drake said. "With five pavement races on the schedule, we'd like to win four or maybe five of those shows. We're definitely looking forward to the challenge of trying to better our own record, and where better to get our first win than at Copper World."

Drake's display of pavement dominance last season left no question as to his team's capacity for winning. The No. 22 team is confident that it can translate that experience into track position at The Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) this weekend.

"When you run at Phoenix, you want to have the combination of horsepower and a well-balanced car on your side," Drake said. "We're focusing on the setup as much as possible, and combined with the reliability and horsepower of the Mopar engine; we believe we're going to have a strong combination that will help us get out front."

The Copper World Classic will also be the first outing for Tony Stewart Racing Enterprises' USAC Silver Crown effort. The team will field cars for both Drake and Josh Wise. Drake is looking forward to entering the season with a newly renewed confidence.

"This year is going to be a great year for us," Drake said. "We're focused on learning new things, while at the same time, utilizing the information we've gained from years past. We're confident that we can make 2005 our best Silver Crown season yet."

The Copper World Classic is scheduled to take place at PIR January 29-30. For more information regarding Mopar, Drake, or the Copper World Classic, log on to www.moparspeed.com, www.jaydrake.com, or www.phoenixintlraceway.com.

Mopar is based in Center Line, Mich., and is the exclusive original equipment supplier of parts and accessories for Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.

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