ERIC MAUK: We have Rocketsports owner and Champ Car World Series co‑owner, Mr. Paul Gentilozzi. Mr. Gentilozzi, thank you for joining us today. source: paddocktalk.com PAUL GENTILOZZI: Always a pleasure. ERIC MAUK: And we have a very exciting announcement as Rocketsports announces today that they will be campaigning Champ Car Atlantic veteran Tonis Kasemets for a minimum of six races in the 2006 Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford season beginning with the June 18th event at Portland International Raceway. Tonis Kasemets, a three‑time winner in the Atlantics last year, he finished second in the championship, won twice at Portland and won at Road America, so a proven young driver. And this means that the top three finishers in the Atlantic Championship in 2005 will have competed in the Champ Car World Series in 2006, so it's a boost to the driver development program. Mr. Gentilozzi, tell us a little bit about Tonis Kasemets and what attracted you to bring him on as a race car driver. PAUL GENTILOZZI: Well, the obvious one is that certainly last year I watched Tonis; really should have won a championship in the Atlantic. I watched a real competitor work very, very hard to get to the race each week and to win races, and that's something, that kind of commitment and enthusiasm, it's very difficult to find in a race driver today. But my relationship with him goes back to I think the year 2000 when we met at a regional banquet or a banquet in Chicago region of SECA, and I can remember Tonis coming up to me, I was the speaker that night, and asking me questions about how he moves up the ladder and what the progression is like for racing. We've had a five‑year, six‑year relationship. The last couple of years I've certainly admired everything he's done and have spent considerable time watching him.
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