Preview: Barber Dodge Pro Series - Monterrey.

The Barber Dodge Pro Series race at Fundidora Park in Mexico this weekend will be the first ever race south of the border in the 18-year history of the competition, adding a little extra spice for possibly the most competitive grid in years.

The field of talented racers hopes to convert success in the Pro Series into a step up the ladder, the same way Juan Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay, and AJ Allmendinger have done before them and, driving identically prepared Dodge-powered Reynard 98Es in front of both the Champ Car and Toyota Atlantic teams, the mix of returning drivers and swift rookies, should spawn some exciting and close racing in the intense quest for the $100,000 top prize.

Opening round winner Leo Maia will be hoping to keep up the momentum and convert this race weekend into a more significant points lead in the 2003 championship battle. Maia will have plenty of competition, though, as the field of twenty-two racers is packed with talent, all of whom will be gunning for the top spot themselves.
Second-year Barber Dodge driver Dan di Leo followed Maia across the finish line in St Petersburg and is hoping to reverse that order in Mexico.

"I keep expecting more and more out of myself in these cars now that I have a season under my belt," di Leo said, "I was disappointed not to have taken a win in St Pete - Leo ran a great race, but I am really hungry for a win here in Mexico."

Fellow second-year Barber Dodge driver and Canadian Josh Beaulieu took the provisional pole position in qualifying in St Petersburg, only to find his race over after just two laps after making contact with the wall while trying to pressure Maia in the lead. Beaulieu is determined to have an error-free and points-generating weekend in Monterrey.

"I learned my lesson in St Pete," he admitted, "I just have to concentrate on being competitive during the full length of the race, and I know the results will come. I was fast in qualifying, and I know this car pretty well now, so its just a matter of putting a whole weekend together for me."

One of the closest battles of the opening weekend was between Mexican racer Memo Rojas, and Barber Dodge Pro Series rookie Scott Proirier - with Rojas emerging to take third place ahead of the young Floridian - and that battle will no doubt continue south of the border. Among the other racers to keep an eye out for, note Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer Colin Fleming, who showed great speed in the opening weekend but found his efforts hampered with a pair of key mechanical set backs.

Fellow Barber-Champ Car Scholarship racer Al Unser was another quick study in St, Pete, coming just shy of a top ten spot in just his first ever professional auto race. Burt Frisselle is hoping to have a strong championship run in his rookie Barber Dodge Pro Series season, and got off to a good start in St Pete with a sixth place finish. 2002 Formula Mazda champion Guy Cosmo also showed speed in his first race weekend with the Barber Dodge Pro Series, earning a top ten in just his first start. Cosmo participated in the Sebring 12-Hour last weekend, and is hoping to keep moving toward the front and onto the podium in Mexico. Young Canadian Chris Green showed speed and patience beyond his years in the opening round, and was rewarded with a strong fifth-place finish in just his first Pro Series start.

The race will be the first opportunity for a trio of Mexican racers to race in front of their countrymen, with Rojas, Luis Pelayo and German Quiroga - all of whom reside in Mexico City - representing the home team this weekend. All three are excited about the opportunity to participate in one of the regions biggest events, but the Mexican involvement covers more than just the drivers, as several Mexican companies have thrown their support behind these young racers to help them move up the Champ Car
ladder. Rojas and Pelayo wear the colours of Mexican telecommunications company Telmex, while Quiroga is supported by Mexican retail company Gigante.

Rojas, who took the fifth spot in the 2002 championship, scored a third-place finish in the opening round at St Petersburg after a mammoth race-long battle with Scott Proirier. The cagey veteran now has a full season of Barber Dodge Pro Series competition under his belt and, with knowledge of the tracks, as well as his increased comfort level in the Reynard-Dodge, he will be a podium contender every race.

"I?m thrilled to be racing back in my country," Rojas admitted, "I haven't raced anything in Mexico for four years, last time was when I did the Mexican F3 Championship in 1999. Obviously, I?ll have great support of friends and sponsors who will see me race live for the first time, so I?m looking forward to a strong result in front of them!"

Pelayo won several karting championships in Mexico before moving up to the Skip Barber Formula Dodge National Championship in 2002, and was very impressive in just his first Barber Dodge Pro Series start in St Petersburg. He moved up from the thirteenth starting spot into an astonishing fifth place before being taken out in a late-race incident. Pelayo showed that he can adapt quickly to a new car, as he not only moved up well in the field, but he also carded one of the top five fastest laps of the race.

"I haven't really had a chance to race here since 1996, so I am really am looking forward to representing Escuder?a Telmex in Monterrey and showing what I can do," he said, "I have shown that I can race in this series, and that I have the courage to be fast. Its important to me to have a good race weekend in Monterrey."

Quiroga, meanwhile, finished fifteenth in the 2002 Barber Dodge championship, and has been working his way towards the front of the grid in Barber Dodge competition. Last season saw Quiroga score several top tens, including a season-high finish of sixth at Road America. The St Petersburg round gave him another opportunity to show his progress, as he moved up into eighth position at the finish after a disappointing qualifying session had him start from clear back in fifteenth.

Jorge Quintanilla, who is responsible for managing the Gigante racing programme in Champ Car with driver Michel Jourdain, also oversees the progress being made by second-year Barber Dodge Pro Series driver.

"We are really looking forward to the event in Monterrey," Quintanilla said, "It's an important race for Gigante, and we will have a lot of special guests out to the race for the weekend. German continues to move himself up on the grid in this very competitive series and is also improving in the races, and we are hoping to see him and Michel take their first wins in Monterrey."

Eight of this weekend's field hail from the United States, with the remainder of the field providing representation from all parts of the globe. Joining those already mentioned will be David Martinez (Mexico), Antoine Bessette, and Mike Richardson (Canada), Shinji Kahima (Japan), Victor Gonzalaz (Puerto Rico) and Nelson Phillipe (France).