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Rookie Losch Wins Pole For Freedom 100

INDIANAPOLIS, Thursday, May 24, 2007 ? Rookie Ken Losch topped a field of 24 drivers to win the SWE Pole Award for the May 25 Freedom 100 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Losch, 46, recorded a two-lap average of 188.231 mph (1 minute, 35.6271 seconds) on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. He became the oldest driver to win a pole in the Indy Pro Series.

Series points leader Alex Lloyd (188.080 mph) will join Losch on Row 1. The penultimate qualifier, he broke up a potential all-Apex Racing front row. Mike Potekhen, driving the No. 53 Apex Racing car, posted an average of 187.686 mph. He will share Row 2 with Super Aguri Panther Racing’s Hideki Mutoh (187.341).

Losch and Ryan Ruth founded Apex Racing in 2004 and are in their first season fielding a two-car team in the Indy Pro Series, the development series for the IndyCar Series. The team competed in Star Mazda last year, with Potekhen finishing fourth and Losch 12th in the standings.

AFS Racing driver Wade Cunningham (187.341), the 2006 Freedom 100 winner, will share Row 3 with Indiana native Logan Gomez (187.016) in the No. 23 Isilon Systems/Lucas Oil/Sam Schmidt Motorsports car. Chris Festa (186.839), driving the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing car, and Matt Jaskol (186.728) in the No. 8 Michael Crawford Motorsports car, will be on Row 4.

The 40-lap race is part of Miller Lite Carb Day, which includes the final IndyCar Series practice prior to the Indianapolis 500 on May 27, the Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Challenge and the Miller Lite Carb Day Concert, featuring Kid Rock.

DAY 14 NOTEBOOK:
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Six Indy Pro Series teams that will field entries in the Freedom 100 have direct ties to teams with cars in the Indianapolis 500:

Andretti Green Racing, which has five entries in the Indianapolis 500, fields a full-time entry for 2005 Freedom 100 winner Jaime Camara.

Panther Racing, which has three entries in the Indianapolis 500, fields an entry for rookie Hideki Mutoh.

Playa Del Racing, which has two cars in the “500,” fields an entry for Al Unser III.

Rahal Letterman Racing, which has two cars in the “500,” has entries for Andrew Prendeville and Joey Scarallo.

Sam Schmidt Motorsports, which will field a car for Buddy Lazier in the “500,” also fields full-time entries for Alex Lloyd, Logan Gomez and Ryan Justice.

Target Chip Ganassi Racing, which has two entries in the Indianapolis 500, fields a full-time entry for Chris Festa.

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Four drivers competing in the Freedom 100 have visited Victory Lane at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Wade Cunningham and Jaime Camara are past winners of the Freedom 100 on the famed 2.5-mile oval. Alex Lloyd won the Liberty Challenge on the road course in 2006, while Matt Jaskol won a Formula BMW USA race on the road course in 2004.

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