source:
conquestracing.com
Mi-Jack Conquest Racing pilot Justin Wilson was disappointed not to take the
Roshfrans Rookie of the Year honors, but felt as though he'd lost out to a
worthy competitor in A.J. Allmendinger. Wilson, who raced last season for the
Minardi and Jaguar Formula One teams, has scored seven top ten finishes this
season and still had a shot of winning the award entering the penultimate round
last weekend in Surfers Paradise, Australia.
Wilson and Allmendinger ran similar pit strategies during the race, but Wilson
suffered when he was blocked by a lapped car at the last second heading into a
corner midway through the race, and lost several positions in the process.
Wilson fought back to move back up the order and finish in eighth, but
Allmendinger was able to clinch the Roshfrans Rookie of the Year award with his
sixth place result.
Wilson and Allmendinger have got to know each other on and off the track this
season, and have developed a mutual respect for each other in the car.
In Wilson's first visit to Portland International Raceway for round four of the
Champ Car World Series, the two rookies staged a mammoth battle, dueling for
position over the final sixty-two laps of the race, and finishing within just
one second of each other. Wilson got the better of the fight to take fifth at
the finish ahead of Allmendinger, who had plenty of experience in Portland,
scoring a fourth place finish in 2003 in Atlantics after winning there in 2002
in Barber Dodge.
"A.J. and I have had some great battles on the track this season, and he is
certainly a talented driver," said Wilson. "The Mi-Jack Conquest team had a
great start to the season, but we lost a bit of momentum in the points chase
with being knocked out of a couple of races in the middle of the season. RuSport
and A.J. did a great job to stay out of trouble and get the points he needed."