Tony Ave Racing and Ave Motorsports Double Up On Podiums at New Jersey Motorsports Park

June 16, 2015

Paul Fix and Doug Peterson Podium Together For Second-Consecutive Race; Fix Claims Third Consecutive Pole in TA-Class Competition

MILLVILLE, New Jersey (June 15, 2015) - Tony Ave Racing and Ave Motorsports continued their run of podium finishes in the 2015 Trans Am season Sunday in the 2nd Annual 'Weekend of Thunder' presented by MPT Industries at New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) where Paul Fix finished second and Doug Peterson third in the featured TA-class race.

The double TA podium showing for the Ave organization is the team's third in this year's first-five races. Peterson finished second and Fix third in the season-opening race at Sebring and the teammates later swapped those podium positions at Road Atlanta.

In total, Fix has finished on the podium in all five races run to date this season, including a victory one race ago at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut.

The New Jersey weekend also saw Fix claim his third consecutive TA-class pole on Saturday with a top lap time of 1:16.679.

Driving his No. 4 Classic Tube/StopFlex/Car Coach/Royal Purple Corvette, Fix led the majority of the TA-class MPT Fuel System Cleanse 100, but ultimately finished second after dropping down as low as fifth during the race. Peterson,who started second in the race finished third in the No. 87 3Dimensional.com Corvette.

"Paul and Doug both had good cars for qualifying, unfortunately we just missed the long run setups a bit," said Tony Ave, Director of Ave Motorsports and Tony Ave Racing, and a champion driver and constructor. "The drivers definitely did the best they could with what they had."

Prior to the TA-class race, the TA2 division took to the NJMP track for the MPT Twelve Lubricant & Penetrant 100. Tony Ave Racing's Justin Napoleon finished 10th in his No. 90 Turnkey Industries and CommState Bank Camaro, his second top-10 showing of the season.

Napoleon's teammate and father, Joe Napoleon wasn't able to match his son's top-10 pace but did improve two positions from his qualifying effort to finish 15th. Joe Napoleon drives the No. 91 Turnkey Industries and CommState Bank Camaro that is nearly identical to his son's race car.

"Joe and Justin dealt with some gremlins along the way, but proved adept at learning another new track in tough circumstances," Ave said. "I'm very proud of the effort those guys are putting in."

Ave, who holds the TA-class track record at New Jersey, started eighth in the TA2 race in the No. 70 Lamers Motor Racing/Highpoint Farms Mustang, which is prepared by Tony Ave Racing.

After scoring his first TA2 victory at Lime Rock, Ave was hoping his winning ways would continue in New Jersey. Unfortunately, he couldn't catch a break from the word "go" and was actually tagged by a spinning competitor on the first lap of the race. He later retired after a second but more costly multi-car contact incident that he had no chance to avoid during a late restart. Ave was not injured in the incidents but the 19th place result will hurt in his bid for the 2015 TA2 championship.

"I got hit on the right front on the first lap and it messed up my steering rack," Ave said. "So, I am driving around and can barely keep it on the track but I did get up to eighth. Then, on a restart, everybody piles up in front of me in Turn 1 and I couldn't miss it. BANG!"

In addition to the Corvettes that Fix and Peterson race, three other competitors at NJMP were competing with Ave Motorsports-built chassis in the TA class. Jim McAleese, driver of the No. 03 McAleese & Assoc./Jetco Engineering Corvette, finished fifth, one spot ahead of David Pintaric, who races a similar No. 57 Kryderacing Corvette. Claudio Burtin, driver of the No. 7 Foametix Corvette, finished ninth to give Tony Ave Motorsports built cars a top-10 sweep in New Jersey.

Round 6 of the 2015 Trans Am Championship, the Ryan Companies Independence Day Classic, will be run on Fourth of July weekend at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota. All Trans Am divisions, including the top-tier TA and TA2 classes, will compete in one race on Sunday, July 5, 2015, at 1:50 p.m. CDT.

Follow Ave Motorsports on Twitter: @AveMotorsports and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AveMotorsports.

You can also follow the action throughout the weekend at www.gotransam.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gotransam and on Twitter at @gotransam. Live timing and scoring is available at www.gotransam.com/live-timing.