Driver Diary: Carl Skerlong
Trois Rivieres Summary

After coming off a somewhat stressful weekend at Road America I was looking for a turn in events headed to GP3R in Trois Rivieres, Quebec. Getting there on Monday straight from Wisconsin, I had lots of time to acclimate to the change in soundings before getting our first hot laps around the short 1 mile temporary street circuit.

We started the weekend on Friday morning with a 45 minute practice session that went as good as anyone can hope for. By the time the checkered flag fell on the first practice it was the #14 king taco car that was on top by a margin of .2 seconds. As good as we had rolled off the trailer; we all still knew there was a lot of work to still to be done.

Going back to a single race weekend format was a pleasant change of pace having somewhat of a second chance to stamp our place on the grid for Sunday’s main event. Being such a small circuit meant that qualifying times would most likely be very close, and they were. Even with a car that in my mind was good enough to take pole, we ended up 4th for Q1 which made the success earlier that morning somewhat bitter sweet.

Going back to the top 3 in Saturday mornings 7:45 (a.m.!!) practice we still had hope at moving at least to the front row in Q2. At the start of the session we were right there swapping the top stop with Bomber (Bomarito) until getting caught in traffic near the end of the session. Without getting another lap at speed we slipped from P2 down to P6 on the final results.

With such a nonstop track it makes for a very tough circuit to overtake and this was proven in the beginning of the race. I was able to get one spot on the start and was making up ground over the leading cars. This all changed very quickly however when Marcus Neimela got crossed up coming out of turn 3 and lost momentum going onto the longest straight. Starting this weekend the rule on blocking was changed back to how it had been in 2007 and I expected him to drive to the rule. When he blocked to the inside I made an immediate move to the outside of the brake zone. Niemela did the same and clipped my front wing and sent me straight into the run off area. I was able to limp back to pit lane and get a new nose but missed staying on the lead lap by one car. After running the first half of the race at the same pace of the lead car, a rear suspension piece broke and retired us from the rest of the race.

It has been a season of bad luck for us so far but we are all hoping to turn it all around going into the final 3 races of the season. I have to thank all the guys at PCM and USRT, as well as Luis Martinez and King Taco for all there help and support.

Carl’s diary; Trois Rivières P1/Q1:  Practice 1-1st, Qualifying 1-4th

Hi Everyone,

In contrast to last weekend this weekend couldn’t have started much better.  The PCM crew had the King Taco car ready for business and our pace in the first practice this morning was more than promising.  The car felt great and I was ready to back up our practice performance.  Mid way through, although my overall pace was still not where it was in the first practice we were still the car to beat.   We had made few changes that turned out, unfortunately, to be steps in the wrong direction and late in the session we still searching for this morning’s speed.  (Jonathan) Bomarito upped up the pace towards the final laps and we just couldn’t find the sweet spot and put our best run together.  The good news is that the car is fast, we know how to find that bit of speed and I am ready and excited to race.  There is a lot on the line and we are right on the pace. I know that team King Taco/ PCM is up to the challenge and I look forward to making the most of every opportunity. 

This should be a great race! 

Carl

Carl’s diary; Road Atlanta Q2/R1:

Welcome back,

Well I don’t think we could have hoped for a much better result given the position we were coming from as of Friday!  The King Taco/PCM/US Racetronics team did just what they set out to and got the most out of our hard earned data from the days before.  They gave me a great car and I had a much better qualifying session in the morning for Sunday’s race putting us forth on the grid for Race 2.  In the afternoon Race 1 went better than I had visualized.   We spent a lot of the early going under the yellow so I had to make things happen in short order once the race went green finally on 20.  I had the chance to make a couple of tough outside passes and I didn’t hesitate, I had made up four positions by late in the race and was close behind Hinchcliffe in closing laps.  Just before the checkers, I managed to make a move on Hinch and then held on to bring the #14 King Taco car home in fourth!  From 9th to 4th is pretty satisfying and I am feeling outstanding for Sundays race. 
I simply cannot thank Team King Taco/PCM/US Racetronics enough!  We even managed to hold onto the fastest lap of the race until the last few laps when I was pipped to second fastest.  Overall a great recovery and result that shows the determination and work ethic of the team. 

Thanks for the support!  Now for some more fun and excitement on Sunday.  I love this track and I love racing here! 

Once again….stay tuned!

Carl

Carl’s diary; Road Atlanta Q1:

Hello everyone,

As you may know by now this weekend has not gone to plan so far.  Wednesday’s practice was not what we had hoped for and we struggled to find a setup for the King Taco/PCM/US Racetronics car all day.  We took a look our data and decided to take a different approach with the car today.  The team worked hard on the changes but unfortunately they did not give us the results we were looking for.  I am disappointed not to have gotten the car further up the grid for the team and all of our supporters.  The good news is that we have a lot of information and I am confident that by race time tomorrow the King Taco/PCM/US Racetronics team will make good use of it and give us a better chance in the races tomorrow and Sunday.  I know starting from ninth makes it getting up on the podium where I need to be a real challenge, but I think we’re up to it.
It is great to have Shane back at the track.  
Now with a good start and a little luck….who knows?  

Stay tuned.

Carl
Muniz Runs Strong for 12th, Part Failure Destroys Skerlong’s Top-Five Finish
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
Sunday, 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 Jonathan’s 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.

Frankie’s 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 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 7th

1:00.325

90.768
Race Position

Time

Speed
Started

6th

:59.481

92.056
Finished 18th 1:00.267 73.001

Carl on the race: “Today was a disappointing end to the weekend. We’ve had a fast car at every track we’ve been to all season, and if we don’t have any incidents, we’ve 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 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 16th

1:01.333

89.277
Race Position

Time

Speed
Started

18th

1:00.461

90.564
Finished 12th 1:01.312 79.359

Frankie on the race: “First of all, I’m 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. I’m 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. I’m really looking forward to New Jersey next month. It’s my real home race, so it’s going to be great.”

Shane Seneviratne, Team Manager: “We didn’t 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 they’ve put into this weekend. We’re looking forward to New Jersey next month.”
Trois Rivieres Challenges Result in Disappointing Qualifying Results for PCM Drivers
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
Saturday, 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. I’ve been quick in both practice sessions, finishing in the top three, but I haven’t 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. I’ll have a lot of work to do in the King Taco car in tomorrow’s race to get back up front, but the guys have continued to give me a good car all season, so I’m 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: “I’ve been struggling all weekend. This is a really difficult track to drive on, and I haven’t been able to find the right mentality to conquer it yet. You’ve got to be really competitive out there and fight for position. I’m slowly getting there, but I just didn’t 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 they’ve put into this weekend, and I’m hoping for a good day tomorrow.”

Carl on Top in First Practice!
SKERLONG QUICKEST IN OPENING PRACTICE AT TROIS-RIVIERES
August 15, 2008

TROIS-RIVIERES, Quebec, Canada - In the first Atlantic Championship practice session at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres in five years, American Carl Skerlong claimed the top spot with a lap at 59.853 seconds (91.466 mph).

Driving the No. 14 King Taco machine for Pacific Coast Motorsports, Skerlong was the only driver in the opening session to break the one-minute barrier. He has finished inside the top five in five of seven races thus far in 2008, but enters the weekend at Trois-Rivieres still looking for his first career Atlantic victory.

"Coming of a pretty stressful and a little bit upsetting weekend last weekend, to come here and lead the first session by a fair margin is definitely where we want to start," Skerlong said. I think we still have quite a bit of time left. Being a street course, the track is just going to get faster and faster and faster, so if we can stay ahead of the curve, I think we'll be good all weekend."

Second-quickest was points leader Jonathan Bomarito in the No. 26 Del Taco/Stone Brewing/Discount Tire/RLM Investments machine for Mathiasen Motorsports. Bomarito posted a best lap at 1:00.068 (91.139 mph) as he looks for his third victory of the season this weekend. He has finished the last four races inside the top-four positions, which included victories in the first race of doubleheaders at both Edmonton and Road America.

"We ended P2," Bomarito said. "It was really hard to get any clean laps. I was behind one of the Walker cars for, like, five laps in a row, and kept hounding him, but he didn't want to let me by. We were racing in practice this morning. It's unfortunate, but we have a good car to start. It's just practice. In qualifying, it'll be very important to get multiple clean laps. That should help a lot. The track is good. It was getting a lot better as the session went on. It's still very green with a lot of dirt. We're still really cleaning the track. Qualifying should go a chunk faster again."
Local favorite Kevin Lacroix was third in the No. 25 Uni-Select/Deans Knight/Wasteco machine for Walker Racing with a lap at 1:00.167 (90.989 mph). The native of Saint-Eustache, Quebec owns top-10 results from four of seven races thus far in 2008, and he is looking for his first victory since the second race of a doubleheader at Portland last year.
"It's good to be fast in the first session, because in the last couple of weekends I've had trouble in the first session with crashing or things like that," Lacroix said. "Now, being in the top three again in front of my crowd and my country is very good. I'm very happy. The start is very good and normally when you start good, you finish good. I'm pretty confident here. The walls don't bother me. I'm very confident. I think it's going to be a good weekend."

Daniel Morad made it two Canadians in the top four spots with a lap at 1:00.173 (90.980 mph) in the No. 70 Metro Directories of Georgia/Grapeking machine for Eurointernational. American rookie Jonathan Summerton--who won the second race of the doubleheaders at Edmonton and Road America--was fifth in the opening practice with a lap at 1:00.240 (90.878 mph) in the No. 36 Newman Wachs Racing entry.

The top 13 drivers in the session were covered by less than one second.

Skerlong Searches for Second Pole, Muniz Struggles with Gears
Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres
Friday, 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
Started

4th

1:00.142

91.045

Carl on qualifying: “Finishing fourth in qualifying after being fastest in this morning’s 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 didn’t 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
Started

15th

1:01.444

89.115

Frankie on qualifying: “Overall, I’m 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 afternoon’s session, but I’m happy that I improved positions from this morning. You have to be comfortable when driving this track, and I’m not quite there yet. I’m happy that we have another shot to make it into the top-ten in tomorrow’s qualifying.”

*Noteworthy: Frankie Muniz met with Trois Rivieres Mayor and Atlantic race fan, Yves Levesque (pictured left) today at the racetrack.

Skerlong Knocking on the Door for Maiden Victory, Muniz Races to the Top-Ten

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. He’s scored a pole position and three podium finishes in seven races. His average starting position is third and he’s 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 we’ve got a good shot at this event, not least with the track being new to virtually everybody. I’ve been studying the course with the computer games and I am definitely still in the running for the championship so I’m hoping we can put it all together this weekend and get a strong result. I’m 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 world’s 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 America’s most famous road courses. “It’s 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 Skerlong’s 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. Skerlong’s performance on the series’ fastest circuit with loose suspension was phenomenal; he finished the race in fifth position despite nursing a compromised race car.
Skerlong and Muniz Searching for Success on Saturday
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Sunday, 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 didn’t 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. He’s 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

Speed

Finished

 13th

2:01.635

 
Race 2 Position

Time

Speed
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. I’m still very happy to finish fifth and gain more championship points, even though I wasn’t on the podium today. Thanks to my whole crew for a successful weekend. I can’t wait to race again next weekend in Three Rivers.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Practice 2 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 14th

2:01.632

 
Race 2 Position

Time

Speed
Started

13th

 

 
Finished 10th 2:02.261  

Frankie on Race 2: “It’s 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 wasn’t 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 I’ve ever seen from him, and I’m very proud. Now he’s 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. We’re looking forward to next weekend in Trois Rivieres.”

Skerlong and Muniz Searching for Success on Saturday
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Saturay, August 9, 2008

Pacific Coast Motorsports driver’s 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 tomorrow’s 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 Started

Finished
  9th

4th

Carl on Race 1: “I didn’t 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. I’ve 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. I’m hoping for the same great car for tomorrow’s race.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Race 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. I’m happy to finish 12th, getting closer to my goal of a top-ten finish, and I’m now up to 11th in the points which is fantastic. Thanks to the guys, and I’m ready to race again tomorrow.”

Skerlong and Muniz Searching for Success on Saturday
Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
Friday, August 8, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Race 1 Position

Time

Speed
Practice 5th

2.00.484

120.905
Qualifying Race 1

9th

2:00.486

120.905

Carl Skerlong: “I’m 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 tomorrow’s race if we want to finish on the podium. I’m hoping to have an all around better day tomorrow.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Race 1 Position

Time

Speed
Practice 17th

2:01.583

119.859
Qualifying Race 1

16th

2:01.032

120.405

Frankie Muniz: “Today wasn’t a very good day for me. I felt like it was going well, but I’m 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.”

Skerlong Second, Muniz Charges for Strong Recovery, Dominguez Loses a Wheel
Rexall Edmonton Indy
Saturday, July 26, 2008

Carl Skerlong earned his third podium of the season today in the second of two Atlantic races this weekend in Edmonton. He also set the fastest lap of the race, recording a 1.06.020 lap. Muniz recovered from a first-lap incident which sent him to the pits for a new nose. He fell to 18th position but charged back through the field to finish 13th.

Mario Dominguez had a very strong start at today’s Edmonton Indy. He started 19th but was 14th by the tenth lap. PCM’s strategy played out perfectly as they caught a yellow flag in time for their first stop of the day. The stop was flawless and Mario returned to the track, set to run for a top-12 finish. Unfortunately, his day turned for worse when he lost the right rear tire after his second stop. Although his car was in running order, he was not able to receive a “tow” from the IndyCar Safety team and was forced to retire.

Noteworthy: Global News report Kevin Karius assisted in the pits today, manning the “lollypop” sign which indicates the stopping point for the driver. His report on “life in the pitlane” will air on Monday’s 6pm news on Global.

Skerlong set his second “fast lap” of the race today; his first was at the season-opener at Long Beach. He also earned his first Atlantic pole position this weekend.

MARIO DOMINGUEZ, #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM/Honda/Dallara/FirestoneStarted: 19th Finished: DNF

Mario on the race: “I am so disappointed. The car was running strong and we had a great start to the race. They struggled with that tire during the stop and right after I returned to the track, I called into the boys that a tire seemed loose. Sure enough, the tire fell off right after that. I am confused, because I was right by the pits and I thought they would try to put my tire on or tow me to the pits like they did with Camara (Jaime) earlier in the race when it happened to him. For some reason, they told me that I had to get out and I could not get a tow, so that was disappointing.”

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Started: 1st Finished:2nd

Carl on the race: "At the start of the race, we just didn't have it, and Jonathan (Summerton) did. He passed me right at the start, and I stayed in second for the remainder of the race. I'm happy with my finish, especially after an unfortunate race yesterday. The more we compete, the more it's proving that if we can finish the race, we will finish on the podium. I'm still looking for that checker and a win, but we will take every championship point we can; consistency is the key right now. The King Taco car ran great all weekend and even gave me the fastest lap of the race. Thank you to everyone on the team for helping me finish on another podium, and I'm looking forward to Road America."

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Started 14th Finished 13th

Frankie on the race: "I was involved in an incident on the first lap with Simona (de Silvestro) and Leo (Mansell). I broke my front wing and had to come into the pits two different times under yellow, once for a new nose and once for new tires. I really want to thank the guys for getting me back out quickly and keeping me on the lead lap. I moved down to 18th after that, but then I worked my way up to 13th and even passed two cars at once near the end. I'm a little disappointed that I didn't make my goal of finishing in the top-ten today, but I did get a lot of racing experience chasing the field which was awesome."


Carl secures 2nd place in race 2 in Edmonton
for the King Taco and PCM car.

Looking forward to reaching the next step on the podium.

-Carl was feeling positive today as the cars gridded for the first Race of the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton. He had earned a 3rd place starting position from Thursday’s qualifying session and achieved the first pole of the year earlier in the day. He was the fastest car on the track all day and was looking good for a strong finish. Unfortunately fate dealt the young racer a blow early in the race when California racer Dane Cameron and he touched, breaking Skerlong’s front suspension, sending him to the pits and the back of the pack. The PCM/US Racetronics crew did a fantastic job in the pits to get the King Taco car fixed and back on track, but the damage went beyond the broken component and the car was a handful. Carl returned to the pits again one more time and managed to finish the race for a valuable point. Not the result the Carl or the team had hoped for in front of the enthusiastic Edmonton crowd.

Carl has chosen to take a positive attitude and will approach Race 2 on Saturday with a fresh perspective. “Starting from Pole will be a new experience in the King Taco Car. I intend to make a clean start, stay smooth and make the most of this opportunity. I can’t say enough about how well the team is coming together. I am now confident that my first win in the series is close at hand and I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get me here!”
CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Race 1 Position

Time

Speed

Started

 3rd

1:06.302

107.128
Finished 19th    
Qualifying Race 2

1st

1:05.455

108.514

Carl on race 1 and his pole qualifying effort: “The day started off great. I qualified on the pole for the race tomorrow and had an awesome car to drive in the race. I had a good start, but I got punted by Cameron (Dane) on the first lap and had to come into the pits for repairs. I ended up finishing two laps down in 19th. Everything seemed like it was going to go well today, but all I can say is that things happen. I want to say thanks to the team, and I’m looking forward to a fresh start on the pole tomorrow in the King Taco car.”
Carl P3 - Q2 in Edmonton
Carl P3 - Q1 in Edmonton
From The Edmonton Sun: Racing's in his blood

Skerlong had no problem trading his skis for a helmet

http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/CarRacing/2008/07/25/6260411-sun.html

He's been racing since he was seven years old.

But he's only been racing behind a wheel for the past five years.

Carl Skerlong is in his second year of driving in the Atlantic Championship Series, but the 19-year-old from Seattle first got the speed bug on ski hills.

"I started to ski when I was two," Skerlong said yesterday, between practice laps at the Edmonton Indy.

"First started to ski in Whistler, B.C. From Seattle, it was close. We did a bunch of family trips up there.

"When I was seven, I started ski racing. In the Pacific Northwest, that was everything. I won the western region in Under-16 two years in a row, when I was 15 and 16."

That put him into the national championships in that age group. Then it was Junior Olympics for two years, winning once.

He had goals of making it to the national team. And visions of being an Olympian.

Then he drove a go-kart.

"When I was 14, a friend of mine got me into a go-kart. For a couple of years I mixed the two, go-karting was just a hobby. Then I started to win a couple of races! Then I thought, 'Maybe this could be the thing.'

"I was almost 17 when I put the skiing aside and said, 'I'm going to go after this.' "

NOTICED

Moving up from karting to into different open wheel series he began to get noticed, landing an Atlantic seat last year at 18. When Pacific Coast Motorsports purchased the team over the winter, they wanted Skerlong, too.

He and teammate Frankie Muniz, the former child TV star, will be wearing Edmonton Sun logos during the two Atlantic races this weekend. (Today at 5:15 pm, tomorrow at 12:45 pm.)

Skerlong found his skills and abilities translated well from sliding on two planks of carbon fiber to sliding on four spheres of rubber.

"I've thought, from the day I got into a go-kart, that ski racers make the best drivers. Because ski racing, all it is line and momentum," he said, meaning you stick to the proper path into the corners so as to lose as little speed as possible coming out of them.

DIFFERENT

"And that's everything in auto racing, too. There's a few different aspects, of course, but it's 'line and momentum.' Momentum is everything.

"The biggest change for me was changing my mental capacity from putting everything into a minute-and-a-half run (down a ski hill), to putting everything into a 50-minute run.

"And that's still going to be a jump up (timewise) when I go up to the next level."

Which means it is also a physical retuning of motorskills.

"Ski racing is more of a burst. You use all your strength in a minute and a half. Mentally you have to be dead focused for two minutes at the most."

Auto racing is the same thing, he said. Except you repeat it again and again and again for every lap.

"Here we do, 35 or 40 laps," of the long circuit at City Centre Airport.

"It can be hard to focus at the end of that. You can forget where you are after a while."

But Skerlong says, no matter where his racing career goes, he won't forget where he's from.

"You can do everything there," he said of the Pacific Northwest. "Be on the snow in the morning, be on the water in the afternoon. And go for a mountain-bike ride later that day, too.

"I get to go to amazing places racing, but I can't imagine living anywhere else."

Carl FASTEST in practice!

Skerlong third, Frankie Turns in his qualifying result and Dominguez runs in the middle at Edmonton
Rexall Edmonton Indy
Thursday, July 24, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session Position Time Speed
Finished 3rd 1:06.302 107.128

Carl on qualifying: “n today’s qualifying session, we used a different tire strategy than the other teams. As a result, we ended up finishing P3. We had the car to finish P1, but I am still happy to be starting on the second row for the first of two races this weekend. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s race as well as a second chance at pole in the second qualifying session. Thanks to the PCM crew for a great day.”


Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session Position Time Speed
Finished 14th 1:07.453 105.300

Frankie on qualifying: “I felt good in this morning’s practice. I was relaxed and handled the car really well, finishing P9. I pushed really hard in this afternoon’s qualifying session and overdrove the car when I should have been relaxing, but it was hard for me to do that when I am trying so hard. I ended up making more mistakes in qualifying, and I’m disappointed after a good run in this morning’s practice, but at the same time I feel really good starting P14 because it’s my best start in my Atlantic career so far.”


Mario’s Mexico City Travel Tip: “Chapultec Park is one of the biggest city parks in the world. It is so beautiful and a great place to take your family for a nice walk, or go on a row boat on the lake.” A favorite for locals and tourists,Chapultec Park is at one end of Paseo de la Reforma. The park covers 1,800 acres (7.3 km²) of land; centuries old forest, several small lakes, and landscaped areas with out-door cafes. Chapultepec Zoo is located here, as well as an amusement park, La Feria Chapultepec Mágico, and the official residence of the President of Mexico, Los Pinos.

For assistance planning your next vacation to Mexico City, visit www.mexicocity.gob.mx.”

A Lap of Rexall Speedway with America’s Top-Ranked Atlantic Driver, Carl Skerlong

Carl Skerlong’s need for speed started as a youngster, a two-year old on skis. By the age of seven he was racing for his local mountain, the Stevens Pass Club just outside of Seattle.

A specialist in Slalom and Giant Slalom, the four-time Junior Olympic ski racer turned his focus go-karts at the age of 14 and the rest is history. Heading into this weekend’s double-header at Edmonton, 19 year-old Skerlong is battling for his fourth racing championship, this time the IMSA Atlantic title. Skerlong’s season is off to a strong start, scoring two podiums in three races, he is currently ranked fifth in the championship.

Q. How would you rate the start to your season after the first three races?

CS: On scale of 1-10 I would rate my season so far, a 6.5. We had a major set back at Long Beach but are working our way back up to the top. I am ready to win and I am focused on the championship.

Q. What are your goals this season?

CS: My goal from the start of the season was winning the championship and it remains the same. We are just going at it with a little different approach now, we used our one “gimme” and we absolutely cannot have any other mistakes. This championship is very competitive and the champion will need to be nearly perfect every weekend. We’ve been consistent, consistently in the top-three, but it is time to win and I know I’ve got the tools to get it done.

Q. Edmonton could be considered your “home” race since you are a native of Seattle. Does this add extra pressure?

CS: Not at all, when I am in the car, everything around me disappears. It is only me, the track, and the 20 other cars.

Q. Tell us a little bit about the Edmonton track?

CS: The Rexall Speedway is a high-speed road course with walls. Edmonton is its own beast, it is extremely high speed yet still very technical, the track has a great rhythm. I like it.

Q. How difficult are double-headers, especially on a track like the Rexall Speedway in Edmonton?

CS: The double-headers are a win-lose situation. It is great having a "second chance" on a familiar track in race #2, although the lack of track time prior to race #1 makes it much more difficult. Longevity is key.

In his own words:

A Lap of Edmonton with the #14 King Taco Atlantic driver, Carl Skerlong

Edmonton is truly a one of a kind circuit. It is as high-speed as any other circuit the Atlantic Championship runs on, however it is primarily surrounded with concrete walls. There is no room for error on this beast of a race track.

Heading into turn one, it is extremely hard to find your bearings after sweeping across what seems like a mile wide runway. As you fly through the very fast right hander, you are immediately thrown into a five-turn rhythm section starting off with a nearly flat out 4th gear chicane. You then have a backed right then two speedy lefts in a row, finishing this technical section with a right the throws you straight towards a large white wall.

Next comes the second fastest corner on the track, a bumpy flat out 4th gear right hand sweeper that gives you your first reminder of the track being a temporary circuit. From there you head into a decreasing radius left that takes you to the slowest corner on the track; a low speed double apex right that makes for a prime passing place. All that is left is the long straight away - that is broken in the middle by a 135 mph flat out 5th gear chicane.

This takes you to your second lap around the grueling Rexall speedway.

Another Podium for Skerlong, Muniz Races for Best Finish of the Season
Sommet des Legendes
Mont Tremblant, Quebec
Sunday, June 29, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Session 1 Position

Time

Started

 4th

1:30.358
Finished

3rd

 


Carl Skerlong: “The race today was great. I was able to make a pass for third on the first lap, and after that we ran a clean and consistent race. I continued to pull away from Hinchcliffe, who was in fourth, throughout the race. He did a good job in the race as well, but finishing in front of him today really helped me in the points. After dealing with inconsistent weather all weekend, I’m very happy with the overall outcome. I would have loved a win today, but I’m so happy to be finishing in the top three again, and we’ll take all the points we can get. Thanks to the PCM team who gave me a great car today. I’m looking forward to racing the King Taco car in two races at Edmonton and hopefully finishing on more podiums.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session 1 Position

Time

Started

 15th

1:31.330
Finished

11th

 

Frankie Muniz: “I am very happy with the way this weekend turned out. We struggled initially in testing on Friday, and we didn’t get very much time to run on a dry track in qualifying on Saturday, but all our struggles paid off in the race today. I was wheel to wheel with Lacroix in the last turn of the last lap, and ended up passing him to take 11th place. I was 15th in Long Beach, 13th in Laguna Seca, and today I achieved my best finish yet, and came one-step closer to our goal which is to finish consistently in the top ten. I’m so excited to head off to Edmonton next month where we will have two races and hopefully two top -ten finishes.”

Shane Seneviratne, Team Manager: “The race today was awesome. We were off to a rough start yesterday, but the crew was really able to put the cars together to give us excellent results. Our biggest goal is to keep gaining as many points as we can, and both drivers did a great job today making that happen for our team. Carl is a very consistent driver who keeps finishing on the podium which is great for the championship. Frankie, too, keeps finishing higher in the field and getting more and more points. Burke Harrison gave Carl a great car to work with today and Tim Lewis did a great job guiding Frankie through the field. I want to give a big thank you to Lee Bentham (driver coach), and the whole crew for making it possible to achieve such fantastic results at the Sommet des Legendes in Mont Tremblant.”

Skerlong Scores a Second Row Start in Rain, Muniz Holds on to Position
Sommet des Legendes
Saturday, June 28, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Session 1 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 3rd

1:29.316

105.64
Session 2 Position Time Speed
Finished

4th

1:47.201

88.018


Carl Skerlong: “I had a good session in the morning, finishing P3, but both qualifying sessions were tough since it rained for most of the time. We had a good car, though, and unfortunately I made a mistake on my last lap of the second session and crashed into the tires. With rain on the forecast for tomorrow, we’ll see what we can do. However, I’m very glad to still be ending the day with a second row start for the race.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Session 1 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 16th

1:30.541

104.10
Session 2 Position Time Speed
Finished

16th

1:48.920

86.629

Frankie Muniz: “I was really happy with the way this morning’s practice went. I was only one second off from the top of the pack, and the car was much better today. I was excited to go into the first qualifying session, but I really only got three good laps in before it started to rain. It was my first time out in the rain since January, so it was exciting to drive in it again, even though it was pretty slick on the track. I had a good lap going in the second session until I spun on the last turn. I’ll have a lot of cars to pass tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to it and hoping it’ll be a dry race.”

PCM Atlantic Quotes – Mont Tremblant Testing
Sommet des Legendes
Friday, June 27, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Session 1 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 8th

1:29.497

1:05.429
Session 2 Position Time Speed
Finished

2nd

1:29.004

1:06.013


Carl Skerlong: “Overall, we had a good day of testing. There was a long break from Laguna Seca to this race, so we spent today just trying to get back up to speed. We improved in our second session from the first session’s time, staying at the top of pack. We were P1 for the first half, and moved down to P2 in the last few minutes. I’m very happy to be back in Tremblant and even happier to be in the top three today. Thanks to all the guys for all their hard work on the King Taco car today. I’m looking forward to qualifying tomorrow and the race on Sunday.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires

Session 1 Position

Time

Speed

Finished

 18th

1:31.457

1:03.170
Session 2 Position Time Speed
Finished

18th

1:30.941

1:03.755

Frankie Muniz: “Testing today was all right. I had a lot of trouble with the car, so we really just spent both sessions trying different things and finding out what was going to work best for us. We had a long break in between the last race and this one, and I really wish I could have driven more over that break. At the end of the day, we learned some things that will give us a better jump for qualifying. I’m happy to be here at this track, and I’m ready to get back out there tomorrow.”




"I want to thank and congratulate the whole PCM/USRacetronics team for this fantastic effort. Racing at Laguna was a amazing! I look forward to moving one more step up on the podium in the near future and I am confident that we will be there soon! I can wait until the next race at Mont-Trembalnt. The team is really clicking right now and we are focused on continuing to improve."

Skerlong Secures Front Row in the King Taco Car at Laguna
The Monterey Festival of Speed
Saturday, May 17, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Starting Position: 2 Time: 1:16.356 Speed: 105.516

Carl on qualifying: “Good progress over yesterday. The PCM/USRT team did a great job getting the King Taco car quick again today. I am very excited to start on the front row and bring home a solid result tomorrow.”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Starting Position: 18 Time: 1:18.240 Speed: 102.975

Frankie on qualifying: “I felt like I was driving well and the car felt good but I just couldn’t’ put a lap together. I am disappointed in the place I am starting because I thought we would be better than that, but I am optimistic that we will have a good race tomorrow because I am happy with my car.”

Shane Senivratne, Team Manager: “As a crew, I think we have improved our game quite a bit over Long Beach. Carl did everything right today, he drove methodically and with confidence. Frankie is losing some time in the high speed corners, but he continues to make improvements.”

About Pacific Coast Motorsports: Formed in 2002 and based in Oxnard, California, Pacific Coast Motorsports are champions on the track and in the marketplace. The 2004 Toyota Atlantic Champions have competed in a diverse array of motorsports challenges, from open wheel to sports car racing and succeeded in every discipline. This season PCM returns to Atlantic competition in partnership with US RaceTronics. PCM’s two-car effort fields American standout drivers, Carl Skerlong and Frankie Muniz. Off the track, PCM has represented some of the countries most recognizable names, from Imperial Capital Bank to Menards, TECATE and Vonage to Uniden establishing successful, high-profile marketing platforms that deliver meaningful exposure and a quantifiable return on investment. PCM is dedicated to success and committed to go beyond the traditional means to deliver value and exceed the expectations of our partners. Follow our 2008 season at www.PCMracing.com.


Skerlong and Muniz Searching for Success on Saturday
The Monterey Festival of Speed
Friday, May 16, 2008

CARL SKERLONG, #14 King Taco/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Carl on qualifying: “I made a mistake. We had a great session this morning and I was confident we had a good car for qualifying. Unfortunately, I pushed too hard too fast and lost it at turn four. It was really a shame because the King Taco car is strong. I’m sorry for my guys, but I think we should be quick tomorrow and I can’t wait to get back out there. I’ve tested a few times at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, but this is my first time racing here and I love this place!”

Frankie Muniz #41 PCM/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Frankie on qualifying: “I am disappointed because I definitely left something on the table out there this afternoon. We made a lot of progress earlier today. I felt like I had a reasonable session going until we came in for tires toward the end of the session. I didn’t maximize that set, but even there I learned a few things. I am really looking forward to tomorrow, I think I should be able to be right around p.12. I hope it cools down just a bit, because I’ve been battling a bit of a flu-bug and it is hot out there.”


Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway a Favorite for Muniz and Skerlong

Event: Monterey Festival of Speed
Round: 2 of the 2008 Cooper Tires Presents the Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda
Where: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, 2.238-mile permanent road course
Race Date: Sunday, May 18, 2008

Confidence at the Corkscrew: If testing results give any indication of what is to come, the California-based PCM/USRT team are looking good for a successful weekend. Skerlong led most of the two-day test here last winter and finished second overall, while Muniz hovered near the top-ten. It will be the first time racing here for both Frankie and Carl.

PCMracing.com: PCM re-launched their website this week. Check out www.pcmracing.com for all of the latest news and notes on Frankie and Carl.

Keeping Busy: It’s been nearly a month since round one of the Atlantic championship at Long Beach, but the PCM drivers have been keeping busy. Skerlong has spent the month off racing his go-kart. The 19-year old from Seattle is leading the Rotax Max Series. He’s been competing at various tracks around the Pacific North West. Muniz has been busy training and preparing for a big move. Muniz bought a house in Scottsdale, Arizona and plans to move there after this weekend’s event.

Going to Indy: Frankie Muniz and Carl Skerlong will join the rest of the PCM crew in Indianapolis next weekend for the 92nd running of the Indy 500. Mario Dominguez drives the #96 Visit Mexico City/PCM entry.

Monterey Memories: Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is a special place for the California-based PCM squad. They clinched the 2004 Atlantic Championship at the Historic raceway.



Frankie Muniz #14 PCM/USRT/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Atlantic Starts: 13 Best Atlantic Finish: 9 (Toronto)
Frankie Muniz: “I am very excited to race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It is going to be pretty intense to race on. I can’t imagine having 20 other cars within an inch from me on the Corkscrew, but it is going to be fun!”



Carl Skerlong #41 PCM/USRT/Mazda/Swift/Cooper Tires
Atlantic Starts: 13 Best Atlantic Finish: 2nd (Houston)
Carl Skerlong: “I am excited to be back at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It’s been a long month off. We showed good speed here in the King Taco car during winter testing, and we were fast at Long Beach, so I am expecting a good weekend.”


Media Contact: Katie Brannan, PCM Public Relations Cell: 949.306.9194