For the first time in his career, Mario Dominguez started from the front row source: cart.com His fans were overjoyed as he made a clean start and chased pole sitter Bourdais through the first chicane. His luck changed just one lap later as he lost control on cold tires and spun. Dominguez remained calm as his engineers reassured him they had a strategy that would compensate for the spin and the lost track time. His crew did not fail him, Dominguez's pit stops were lightening fast and his engineers created a strategy that took Dominguez from last position back to the top five and into the lead by the middle of the race. As the crowd roared, Dominguez took the checkered flag and represented his country on the podium in the third position. Ryan Hunter-Reay had a good start; he gained five positions, but was knocked off course by Jimmy Vasser twice, the first time on the first lap and the second time during the middle of the race. The first time it sent him to 16th position. Hunter-Reay passed to 11th place within 10 laps and was in the fourth position by lap 28. His pace was so good that the team chose to keep him on track, delaying his pit stop as long as possible. Hunter-Reay made his first pit stop on lap 30. It was a perfect stop by the #4 crew and Hunter-Reay passed Champion Paul Tracy on his way out of the pits. Vasser destroyed the second segment; he knocked Ryan off course again putting Hunter-Reay back to 10th position. From that point forward, Hunter-Reay and his crew did their best to work their way back up the field, his day ended where it began, in the eighth position. Mario Dominguez, #55 Herdez/Lola/ Ford-Cosworth Mario on the day: "What an unbelievable day. I just can't say enough about my team, they are the best. We had a good start and then I just lost it on the cold tires. My engineer told me they were working up a great strategy and to just drive as hard as I could. I did and it was just unbelievable. It was a tough day out there, I can't describe the variety of emotions I felt in the car today. This is fantastic for all of us, my team, my sponsors and my fans here in Mexico. I am so happy." Ryan Hunter-Reay, #4 Herdez/Lola/Ford-Cosworth Ryan on the day "That is the most tired I have ever been in a race. The conditions were incredibally difficult. We had a good race start and then I don't know what was going on with Jimmy, he knocked me off the track twice. It is a shame because we had a fast car and my stops were great. I think we gave a very good effort and I am so happy for Mario and Herdez, finishing on the podium in Monterrey. That was fantastic." Keith Wiggins, Managing Director, "If ever there was an occasion when the team made the difference, it was today and I am very proud of the them all. I think the race was a good result for the team and Mario. Give it another race and we will have Ryan up there as well. We look forward to carrying the momentum into Milwaukee.
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