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| For immediate publication |
| 2004.07.19 |
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Nissan Maintains Solid Second Position
in CORR Standings After Strong Topeka Finishes
- Frontier Drivers Overcome Early Race Problems Gain Podium Finishes -
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TOPEKA, Kansas (July 13, 2004) - A trio of Nissan Frontier drivers seemed to have a standing reservation on the winner's podium at the Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) Lucas Oil Heartland Park Topeka Off-Road Championships, July 9 - 11. Led by Art Schmitt Racing owner/driver Art Schmitt, who charted top five finishes in all three rounds of racing, Nissan maintained its hold on 2nd place in the CORR season points standing.
Schmitt, teammate Mark Krueger and fellow Nissan factory driver Chad Hord, recorded three third place finishes in the fiercely contested Pro-Lite Division during the weekend, giving notice that each are poised to make a run at the series leaders in the season's final eight-week stretch. Schmitt and Hord now occupy third and fourth place respectively in the CORR drivers' point standings. Krueger is sixth after eight events.
And, though the Frontier pickups always seemed to be among the leaders at the finish, getting there was not always easy. In the first of the three rounds of racing at Topeka, Schmitt stalled his Frontier at the start, leaving him to overtake 13 other racers on his way to a third-place finish. Hord, dealing with his own difficulties with a flat tire, was able to post a ninth-place finish, while Krueger was unable to complete the race due to electrical problems.
In the second day of racing, the Nissans pressed for the checkered flag throughout the race. Hord and Schmitt fought valiantly among the leaders, finishing just short of the top two positions with Schmitt third for the second consecutive round, while Hord ended up fourth. Krueger again overcame early difficulties to finish a respectable sixth.
In the weekend's final round Sunday, Krueger, Hord and Schmitt dueled throughout the race with Krueger, the hard-luck driver in the two previous races, taking third. Schmitt wound up fifth and Hord sixth.
Schmitt, Krueger and Hord race 2004 Frontier Pro-Lite chassis with Nissan 2.5-liter 16-valve, 4-cylinder racing engines rated at nearly 300 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque.
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