P.J. Chesson learned while competing in the World of Outlaws that patience pays. That strategy has been reaffirmed in his first five Menards Infiniti Pro Series™ races.

Chesson’s patience in the Kentucky 100 on Aug. 14 was rewarded with his second consecutive victory. His initial Series victory came at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 1 and he was second a week earlier at The Milwaukee Mile.

“We sat back. We knew we had a decent car,” said Chesson, who started seventh in the race on the 1.5-mile tri-oval in the No. 76 Mo Nunn Racing
Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone. “We kept working on it and adjusting the car. As the race went on, we got better and better and better.

“Just our fifth race out, we won two races. I don’t know how you explain that. It’s just unbelievable.”

Chesson remained in contact with the lead pack through the early part of the 67-lap race. He was fifth on Lap 50 and fourth seven laps later. When Leonardo Maia passed pole sitter Travis Gregg for the lead on Lap 59, Chesson was running third. Taking a high line throughout the race, he moved to the front on Lap 61 and withstood a Lap 66 restart to win by 0.0514 of a second over Paul Dana. Maia was third, Arie Luyendyk Jr. fourth and Gregg fifth.

“What a sprint car has taught me I think is patience and to be calm in the car and race under a very highly intense situation, be able to stick there, hang in there, battle back and work with the race car that I have on the track during the race,” Chesson said. “So whether it’s moving around on the racetrack or working on the car, one or the other, it’s just taught me to stay calm and stick with it.”

Menards Infiniti Pro Series points leader Thiago Medeiros, who started alongside Sam Schmidt Motorsports teammate Gregg on the front row, finished sixth. He has 350 points, with Dana second with 276.

Dana followed Chesson around Maia before a Lap 63 caution for smoke trailing from the engine of the No. 22 Western Union Speed Team entry driven by Phil Giebler. Chesson got a good jump on the restart and was able to hold off Dana.

“We actually had a run on (Chesson) at the line,” said Dana, driver of the No. 91 Ethanol/Hemelgarn Johnson entry. “He went so early on the restart that he caught us all napping. If I would have even gotten a remotely respectable restart, I think we could have won it.”

The order was reversed at The Milwaukee Mile.

“The Ethanol car was awesome,” Dana said. “The Hemelgarn/Johnson guys were perfect. It was so busy out there. I got hit twice, and I can’t even believe it’s still rolling. It was a wild afternoon.”

Maia tied his season best with third place. He qualified sixth in the No. 33 Skip Barber Racing School entry for Brian Stewart Racing.

“It was a great race, but I was in the wrong gear when I was leading,” said Maia, who said he needed to be in fifth gear. “I was the first car that was able to pass the new guy (Gregg). I was happy about that. I thought we had the car to beat. The Skip Barber Racing School car was just awesome.”

Gregg, who surprised everyone by winning the pole in his maiden event in the Series, led 57 laps – including the first 40. He is confirmed to compete in the race at Chicagoland Speedway in September and more could be added.

“We were out front pretty much most of the race,” said Gregg, who has been competing in sprint cars. “Thiago was racing me pretty tough. Then I felt a push later in the race and I couldn't keep it as low and the pack behind me was just eating up at me. Leonardo got underneath me and then Chesson came around me and I was just trying to hold on and stay safe because it was my first race and put away a top-5 finish.”

The first caution came when the No. 2 Western Union Speed Team entry driven by Al Unser made contact with the wall on Lap 24. Unser was checked in the infield care center and released.

“We were just running alongside Paul Dana trying to get up to the front and he took the air from Thiago and I think that gave him a little bit of a push and we ended up touching tires and the car ended up in the wall which is not a good thing,” said Unser, who won the pole and finished third at Michigan.