Indy Lights: Former DFR Driver Has Promising Finishes at Watkins Glen

Mitch Cunningham returned to the cockpit of an Indy Lights car at the Glen with a pair 12th place finishes (Photo: Firestone Indy Lights - Ron McQueeney) WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (July 6, 2008) - Former Dave Freitas Racing driver Mitch Cunningham was in the thick of things in both races at the Corning Duels doubleheader event of the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights championship at Watkins Glen International on Saturday. The 21 year-old younger brother of former Indy Lights champion Wade Cunningham qualified 11th and crossed the finish line 12th in each race after lights to flag battles with standout second-year driver Andrew Prendeville. In each case he managed to avoid the contact that took out pole man Frank Perera and championship leader Dillon Battistini in the first race and the other Kiwi in the race, Jonny Reid in the second. This weekend's round of the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights Series put an all-new spin on the doubleheader (each of the two races over the weekend is considered a separate round of the championship) by running the two races just hours apart on Saturday. Adding to the challenge was the fact that there was only one qualifying session (on Saturday morning) with the grid for the second race based on the finishing order of the first race, with the top-six positions inverted. The first race was won by Brazilian Raphael Matos from Italian Richard Antinucci and American Jeff Simmons, the second by Antinucci from Matos and fellow Brazilian Ana Beatriz. In the first race Cunningham finished 12th behind Prendeville and in front of Sean Guthrie and Brent Sherman, and in the second he was 12th just behind Australian James Davison, but in front this time of Prendeville with Sherman 14th and Daniel Herrington 15th. With this year's contract for road courses only Cunningham's next appearance behind the wheel of the No. 33 Brian Stewart Racing car will be at Mid-Ohio in a fortnight's time for another doubleheader meeting.