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James Jakes feeling confident about Edmonton Indy

19/07/2012
James Jakes feeling confident about Edmonton Indy

Holding onto momentum from his career high 8th place finish in Toronto, Jakes is feeling confident about the racing in Edmonton this weekend. "I'm really looking forward to heading back to Edmonton this year. It's a track I really enjoyed learning at last year. Edmonton suits my driving style and I am looking forward to getting the No. 19 Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Honda around there."

Proving that qualifying positions do not totally determine the end result, Jakes hopes to improve his qualifying strategy at Edmonton. Starting at the 25th position in Toronto, Jakes' determination paid off when he finished in the 8th position.

"Honestly, I have been a little disappointed with the result so far this season, especially with my qualifying. I have been struggling to adjust to the red tires but I feel I am getting closer to resolving this issue. We seem to be making progress in the last few races. If I can sort my qualifying problems out we can be up at the front challenging for podiums."

With 5 races remaining, Jakes is optimistic. "I am aiming to get in the top 5 for the remaining races. Our pace is always good, so there is no reason why we cannot achieve that with an improvement in qualifying positions. With the next 4 of 5 races being road/street courses it should be a great opportunity for us to get some solid results."

Edmonton Indy is a temporary circuit that is set up at the Edmonton City Centre Airport. This 3.361km (2.256mi) course has 13 turns that incorporate the airport runways, creating long straightaways allowing drivers to attempt to simply out run their opponents.

Edmonton Indy will air Sunday July 22 on the NBC Sports Network at 2:45pm (ET). For more information on Edmonton Indy, go to www.edmontonindy.com. Be sure to follow @JamesJakes on Twitter for LIVE updates on practice, qualifications and appearances throughout the race weekend.