|
 November
2002; Star Mazda Series professional auto racer
Mishael Abbott accomplished a major goal this
week when she tested with Schmidt and Parsons
Motorsports for a spot in the 2003 Infiniti Pro
Series which races in conjunction with the Indy
Racing League at events in Indianapolis and
other major tracks across North America. Running
in Las Vegas, Nevada at the Las Vegas Motor
Speedway, Mishael, a resident of Coral Springs,
FL, posted the second fastest lap time of the
day, 31.41 seconds at a speed of 172.078 MPH, on
Wednesday November 13,2002.
Sam Schmidt, an
Indy Racing League team owner, was enthusiastic
about the results of Mishael’s test. Schmidt, a
former I R L winner, manages the team with Ray
Parsons handling the Infiniti Pro Series
marketing effort.
“I was very
impressed with her maturity level. She was
conservative and disciplined in her approach to
getting up to speed and learning the gear box.
What made her performance even more impressive
was that she had never raced in an Infiniti Pro
car before, she had no experience with this type
of gearbox, and yet her racing times were as
good as, if not better than the other drivers
who have been racing this type of car for quite
some time,” said Schmidt. “I was really pleased
with the way the test went, and I’m excited
about working on her marketing efforts with her
over the next few months. She listened extremely
well and did exactly what she was told, which
made it easier for her, and for me, as I enjoy
working with people who listen.”
Abbott, a 21-year
old college student, has been racing since the
age of fourteen. This year, her first as a
professional driver, has been a rewarding one
for Mishael. She racked up three Formula Mazda
wins and qualified for the South Atlantic Road
Racing Championship (SARRC) runoff held at Road
Atlanta in September. She also qualified in the
top 10 in two of the three Star Mazda events in
which she participated in this season. Testing
with Schmidt’s team in the Infiniti Pro has
served to cap off a successful 2002 racing
season.
Mishael was
excited about the experience with Schmidt and is
looking forward to participating in the first
full season of the Infiniti Pro Series in 2003.
“I was thrilled
to have the opportunity to test for the Infiniti
Pro Series with Sam Schmidt Motorsports,”
Mishael stated. “Sam is one of the premier names
in the Indy Racing League, and it has always
been my dream to compete at this level along
side someone of his caliber. The test went
extremely well, and I was able to adjust quickly
to driving the Infiniti car and achieve speeds
comparable with more experienced oval
competitors. The dream of competing in and
winning the Indianapolis 500 is one giant step
closer.”
To find out more
about Mishael and her racing career, please
visit
www.mishaelabbott.com.
|
