Jul 1, 1999

Ray Wraps Up Pikes Peak 200

By JR Nerad




Greg Ray got emotional as he claimed his first Pep Boys Indy Racing League winning the Radisson 200 on Sunday at Pikes Peak International Raceway.

"After I saw the checkered flag I wanted to stop and cry," said Ray. "This is a great series. These cars are fun and I love to drive ovals. We gritted our teeth in the past and ran without money. But it’s great to see the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow."

Ray’s victory margin was just 0.12 of a second over Sam Schmidt. The Plano, Texas, native and Schmidt battled throughout the entire event as the lead changed hands between the pair six times. Ray took the lead from Schmidt for the last time on Lap 178 on the 1-mile tri-oval.

Ray, who also won the PPG Pole award, earned $146,300 for the victory and moved from eighth to third in the Pep Boys Indy Racing League points. His average speed was 134.111 mph, and he led four times for 109 laps. It was also the fifth Pep Boys Indy Racing League win for Team Menard.

The next Pep Boys Indy Racing League event is the Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 presented by MCI WorldCom on July 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.


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