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| flat-out fast Jonathan Macri is ready for his first oval race of the season. The Gormley, Ont., driver is tied for second place in CART Toyota Atlantic Championship standings, with two podium finishes in the first two races this year. He's hoping for another podium on May 31 – this time on the top step – at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis. He says the 1.032-mile oval track is difficult, but not intimidating. "It's a challenging setup," he acknowledged. "The track is extremely quick. We're flat-out and we try to get the car as trimmed-out as possible. The slightest little error can end in the worst situation, so you have to stay 100 per cent focused and be sure of what you're doing." Macri finished third in the Atlantic race at Milwaukee last year. He returns this year with a new team – Polestar Atlantic – in the No. 84 NTN Bearings Toyota Swift race car. fit to drive Macri says the secret to speed on an oval track is physical fitness. He changes his workout routine before each race, tailoring his strength training to match the track. "On an oval, you have to really be in shape so you don't get tired. If you get tired, you start making mistakes and any mistake at an oval is going to be huge,” he noted. "For an oval, I do more arms and shoulders because it does take more out of my forearms and shoulders. At other tracks where there's lots of g-force, I have to work on my legs more." Chicago stop Macri and the Polestar Atlantic team will stop in Chicago en route to the Milwaukee race. They will be guests at a barbecue for the staff of NTN Bearing Corporation of America, which sponsors Macri's Atlantic entry. The team will present the No. 84 NTN Bearings race car and give the employees an inside peak at the team transporter and race equipment. The support of sponsors and fans has a major impact on Macri's performance. "They really care for the sport and that gets any driver pumped up," he said. "At Toronto, where the fans really know me and follow my career, it's unbelievable. It reflects back into my driving – I just push that much harder." data The CART Toyota Atlantic Championship race is set for May 31 at 6 pm ET at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis. The race will air on SPEED Channel on June 1 at 9 pm ET. |
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