Dempsey’s Oval Satisfaction in Milwaukee
Peter Dempsey produced one of the drives of his career to finish fourth for his new team Juncos Racing in Milwaukee last Saturday.
The result helps maintain Dempsey’s challenge for the Star Mazda Championship series title, the Ashbourne racer netting an unexpectedly large haul of points on his oval racing debut to lie just four points off the championship lead heading to round seven.
After a hectic week organising the latest phase of his career, Dempsey arrived in Milwaukee never having driven on an oval, let alone raced on one, but he shrugged off the obvious disadvantages of his preparation by immediately getting down to competitive lap times with his new team.
Ahead of the weekend Dempsey had been on the verge of being forced to stop racing due to a funding shortfall when he was thrown the career lifeline he has been desperately hoping for.
The reigning Dunlop Motorsport Ireland Young Racing Driver of the Year was approached by Juncos Racing following his battling performance in New Jersey the previous week, and the Florida based outfit tabled an offer that has allowed the Ashbourne driver to stay in the Star Mazda Championship series.
The relief of not having to worry about funding was translated into instant competitiveness on the Milwaukee Mile where he finished the second practice session eighth fastest. Heavy rain in the region meant qualifying was abandoned, however, and Peter’s fastest practice time of ninth overall would be his grid position for Saturday’s 100 lap race.
His instant rapport with Juncos engineer Ernie Gonella was evident in the sure footed handling of the Hooters/Irish Sports Council/Quayside.ie machine with which Peter was able to work his way towards the front with relative ease.
By half distance Dempsey was up into a sensational second place, and he was getting set to challenge for the lead as the race headed towards its conclusion. A late race yellow flag caution period bunched the field up, however, and he came under attack from the third and fourth placed drivers close to the finish.
Despite the late setback, Dempsey was ecstatic about the result of the weekend, not least because he half expected to watch the race from the sidelines. It’s a result, he says, that vindicates his decision to persevere in the face of apparently insurmountable odds.
“I’ve won a lot of car races in the last few years but this fourth place ranks among the best of my successes,” said Dempsey afterwards. “I wasn’t sure I’d be racing, and when I did get the call from Ricrado Juncos I still assumed that this weekend would be about getting up to speed on ovals.
“Instead we managed to put together a really competitive race, and we’ve maintained the challenge for the championship. It’s a young team, but the way they worked over the weekend gives me great hope for the rest of the season.
“The car was in road course spec until the night before practice began, and the boys worked though the night in the awning up to their ankles in floodwater to get the car prepared for the oval.
“It was a massive effort, and I was proud to be able to produce a result after it all.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to Motorsport Ireland, Dunlop, the Irish Sports Council and Quayside.ie for the support which has got me this far.
“Now I’m looking forward to some proper testing ahead of the next round and really putting together a concerted effort to win this title.”
Points Standings after six rounds:-
1 Adam Christodoulou 211 Points
2 Peter Dempsey 207
3 Joel Miller 194
4 Alex Ardoin 187
5 Caio Lara 186
6 Anders Krohn 172
Next Round: Iowa Speedway July 10th.
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