Pro Drive's Todd Harris and Racing Legend Greg Pickett Join Forces Sunday
Professional race instructor cites key factors to winning this weekend's Trans-Am.
Portland, OR (PRWEB / PRWEB) June 12, 2009 -- When Pro Drive's Todd Harris takes the green flag in Sunday's Muscle Milk Trans-Am race at Portland International Raceway (PIR), he won't just be facing off against his former teammate and car owner, but will be joining forces with a fierce rival he beat here just two years ago.
Todd Harris of Portland Oregon and Greg Pickett from Benicia. Calif. have faced off before at Portland International (PIR). In the 2007 feature Rose Cup race Harris drove the Fluge Global Adventures Corvette against Pickett's Trans-Am Jaguar, with Harris driving a near flawless race to victory.
With car owner Nick Fluge driving that same Corvette in this weekend's Trans-Am race, Harris has joined forces with Pickett.
"I guess Greg decided it was better to have me on the team and keep an eye on me than to have to compete, so we're teammates," Harris joked. "It's a great honor to be teamed with a former Trans-Am champion like Greg, with his 17 Trans-Am wins. I watched Greg race his Trans-Am Corvettes at Portland and Seattle in the late '70s and '80s. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would one day be Trans-Am teammates," Harris explained.
Greg Pickett captured his 17th-career Trans-Am win earlier this year at Road Atlanta, the season-opener for the Muscle Milk SCCA Trans-Am Series and the first Trans-Am race since 2006. In fact, Pickett is the only driver to capture a Trans-Am victory in each of the past four decades.
Harris' friendly rivalry with student and former teammate Nick Fluge might take on a new dimension this weekend, as Fluge was practicing at near his track record speed this past Tuesday. Harris was pleased with his test session earlier in the week, and looks forward to Sunday's race beginning at 2:55 p.m.
"I am just getting comfortable with the car, and Greg and I are running about the same lap times,' Harris said of the Jaguar XKRs that he and Pickett are racing. "I'm excited to finally drive the car and get acclimated." Harris said driving the Jaguar is not that different than the Fluge Global Adventures Corvette he's raced the past two years, though getting used to the different engine sound between the Corvette and the Jaguar is one of the first things he noticed.
As for race strategy, he says patience is the key.
"The Trans-Am's 90-mile race is a fairly long distance when we typically have raced for only 30 minutes in the Rose Cup. It's going to be easy to run the tires off the car and with no scheduled pit stops, the way to win is patience," Harris explains.
"You're gotta be smart," he added. "You can't try to do qualifying laps in the race because the tires will give up. You have to baby the tires."
Harris' Jaguar is carrying sponsorship from Muscle Milk and Temp-Control Mechanical Corp. There is also a bright orange Fluge Global Adventures sticker on his car, as a tribute to his friend, student and former teammate.
"The coolest think I can say about the race is being onboard with a rival in Greg Pickett, and being able to race against Nick," Harris said. "But when the green flag drops on Sunday, we're each competitive racing drivers. We can be friends again after the race is over."
About Todd Harris:
The son of an amateur race car driver, Todd was immediately attracted to the sights and sounds of competitive auto racing and started his racing career in go-karts. Before moving into the world of car racing, Todd won many regional and state karting championships. The transition from karts to cars went smoothly for Todd, as he claimed many victories during his rookie season of car racing.
The Tigard, Oregon resident continued his success by becoming the Northern Pacific and Oregon Region Champion while setting track records at race tracks up and down the west coast. During a two-year period, Todd won 17 races in a row while racing in Sports Car Club of America's most competitive class, Spec Racer Ford. In 1997, Todd received the "National Driver of the Year" award from the Sports Car Club of America's Oregon Region.
In recent years, Todd has been competing and winning races in a wide range of race cars including sports racers, formula cars, and grand touring cars. If it has four wheels and a motor, chances are Todd is going to be fast in it.
This exceptional driving versatility was most recently evident when he entered races in a 125cc go-kart, a Mazdaspeed Miata, a Spec Racer Ford, and a 650 horsepowered GT1 Camaro all within a few weeks. He finished with three wins and a second.
When Todd is not behind the wheel of a race car, he is coaching drivers ranging from amateur club racers to professional racecar drivers competing in the likes of NASCAR and IndyCar. He can also be found on local television and radio stations offering valuable driving advice to motorists.
Todd is a graduate of Portland State University, an avid guitar player, and classic film buff. He and his wife Jennifer have two sons, Calvin and Taylor. They love to watch their daddy race! Todd has combined his passion for racing with his extensive teaching skills and engaging personality to become a highly respected professional in the driving industry.
About Pro Drive:
Pro Drive Inc. is the official driving school of Portland International Raceway. It was founded in 1987 to provide advanced driver training using modern teaching methods and technology. Over nearly 20 years, Pro Drive has offered a variety of driving programs dedicated to building a drivers confidence and skill whether it is on the street or the racetrack.
In 1989, Pro Drive acquired state-of-the-art SkidCar technology to advance drivers knowledge and skill of car control and vehicle dynamics. Throughout the years, the SkidCars have remained the centerpiece of all of Pro Drive's programs. One drive in a SkidCar and drivers of every level of experience understand the benefits this amazing vehicle has to offer.
Pro Drive conducted various high performance and competition driving schools for many years. In 1997, current Pro Drive President, Todd Harris, purchased the company from founder Dane Pitarresi and began offering racing schools conducted in purpose built racecars.
Todd developed various racing programs designed for the aspiring race driver, as well as, the motorsports enthusiast who simply wanted to experience the thrill of driving a real race car. Having enjoyed great success in racing the Spec Racer Ford himself, Todd felt it was the perfect race car for his school. The Spec Racer Ford is not a car built only for student training purposes, but instead is the exact same race car used in Sports Car Club of America's most competitive class.
By combining a full fledged racing school with high performance driving courses, SkidCar courses and corporate events, Pro Drive has become the premier driver training destination in the Pacific Northwest.
Pro Drive is passionate about driving and dedicated to training and entertaining everyone who loves to drive.
For further information, please visit www.prodrive.net.
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