2009: Race Season Recap

After coming off an exciting 2008 season, 2009 showed great promise and opportunity. Royal Purple graciously agreed to sponsor and build a relationship with Chris after he walked away victor of Speed Channel's "Setup" Season 2 reality show representing their company.

Many decisions regarding Chris' career direction needed to be considered and made in anticipation of collecting the "Setup" Season 2 prize money that he had won. The show aired in 2008, however, the deadline for payment came and went with unfortunately no payment received. While trying to show restraint and work with the show's producer to collect the earned funds, it became clear that the producer had no plans of paying, and legal actions would need to be taken. This presented a definite distraction behind the scenes, but would not lower Chris' morale and determination. Life must go on and a true show of Chris' commitment to his racing career was to follow.

As the economy took a turn for the worse and people tightened their budgets, Chris took a chance on himself and his talent. He invested all his savings into purchasing a used Porsche Boxster and built it into a Grand-Am Continental Sportscar Challenge ST Class racecar. Most of the assembly was done on the west coast at Pierce Motorsports and was completed in three months time. Chris had learned a lot while driving for the Banner Racing Grand-Am Rolex GT team in 08' and knew a great group of people who could work with him to form a strong young team. A test was next on the agenda to shake down the car and begin the long process of its development. The test at Willow Springs Raceway was a success and plans then turned to entering the car in its 1st race...Barber Motorsports Park.

Follow this link to read about the team's full race weekend recap:
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/hunt-junk-yard-motors-and-all-night-marathons/

The event at VIR (only Chris' third race in the Grand-Am Continental Series) put the skills of the entire crew to the test. Chris got behind the wheel in the first practice session and laid down a few quick laps before turning over the car to his new co-driver. The driver unfortunately lost control of the 986 Boxster and put it into an embankment in "The Esses". Faced with seemingly insurmountable damage to continue the weekend, the crew worked diligently to make repairs and source needed parts. The team worked super late that night and by morning Chris had never been so proud of his teammates as they fixed the racecar with expertise and efficiency. Though the car was miraculously mended back to race-able conditions before the start of the race, the co-driver made the heart wrenching decision not to continue thus ending the squad's 2009 race season.

As a fun reward after such a challenging experience, Chris and his crew members learned of an autocross event being put on by the VIR track and entered the Porsche deciding that each member would get the opportunity to drive the car. Chris signed up for a separate event called the Volkswagen Challenge and turned the top time of all competitors. The reward for his efforts was the winning of a special edition VW guitar, a small but encouraging win to boost the team's confidence for the great things to come in the following 2010 race season.

A major thank you again goes out to Royal Purple Synthetic Lubricants for its involvement in the season. The creation of the race car was largely helped by the knowledge that their support and commitment would be firmly standing behind him to further his career.

2008: Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series' RumBum.com 250 at Laguna Seca Race Recap

Setup II, racing reality show winner Chris Prey qualified the No. 06 Banner Engineering / Las Vegas BikeFest Pontiac GXP.R in ninth position. Prey got his first taste of the GXP.R on Friday morning and steadily improved his speed throughout the day to post a qualifying time of 1:28.614.

After qualifying, Prey commented, “I am still trying to get the maximum out of the car on a new set of these Pirelli tires in every corner. The team gave me alot of laps this morning to get a feel for the GXP.R. My first time out with the DP cars on the track took some getting used to. I focused on my line, giving them a little room and now the comfort level is really rising. The car is very good here. The handling is pretty neutral, so I can put the car where I want and it holds the track. I didn’t get 100% out of the car in qualifying, but turned my quickest time of the day and am good with a top ten qualifying position for tomorrow's race in my first go with the car. The data shows that I'm giving up just a little time during corner entry in the brake zones so chalk that up to my learning curve of these amazing brakes and move forward to focusing on the race.”

After the green flag was thrown, Prey was able to move up a couple of positions before his car was hit in the side by another competitor. The contact caused him to spin and stall the car. By the time he restarted the LS2 motor he had lost valuable track position. At the races mid-point he turned it over to Leighton Reese who brought the car home in ninth.

“I had a good start,” Prey said. “About six laps into the race the 32 car came inside me late going into turn five and hit me right in the door after turn-in, sending me off into the dirt. The car stalled. I got it started and then had to wait until the leading DP traffic cleared before getting on course and lost a bunch of positions. The contact didn’t hurt the car at all and I got back going and focused on running clean fast laps. Leighton did a good job to finish out the race in ninth place.”

“This was an amazing opportunity,” Prey continued. "For Pontiac, GM Racing, Banner Racing and Leighton Reese to work to turn a test into a race weekend, it was just beyond my expectations. It was a dream come true and a great education to work with a professional team like Banner and the guys from Pratt & Miller. Now I have to take this experience and put it to use in my future racing endeavors.”

Co-driver and team owner Reese added, “Chris did a great job. We really threw him to the wolves and he performed professionally. He qualified well and in spite of the incident early in the race, he maintained his composure, took care of the car, and gave me a great hot rod at the mid-point. We lost a lap due to fuel strategy and pit stops and then nearly got it back. If we had been able to get back on the lead lap, I think we had a possible top 5 for sure.”

2008: Chris Prey Earns a Race Drive with Banner Racing Team Instead of Testing Opportunity

Chris Prey will be racing in the RumBum.com 250 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA on May 16-17, 2008. He’ll be driving the #06 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R alongside teammate Leighton Reese in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series' GT Class. This race will be televised on Speed Channel Sunday, May 18th at Noon Eastern/11am Central time.

Chris met Leighton and members of the GM Racing Program while on the set of Speed Channel's racing reality TV show, "Setup" Season 2 in October & November of 2007. That series had its debut broadcast on February 21st, 2008 and started with over 60 potential competitors that had been chosen from more than 2,500 applicants. The field was then cut to 24 drivers and their personal crew chiefs to drive 12 Silver Pontiac Solstice GXP's for the chance to win $100,000 and a test drive in the Pontiac GXP.R racecar. There were many twists and turns to maneuver through, both on the track during elimination races and off the track when back at the GM Goodwrench Tech Center. The season finale was televised on April 10th, 2008 and it proved to be a very exciting finish. In the end, Chris Prey emerged from the pack as the Overall Winner & Champion of the show and performed some wicked donuts for all those in attendance.

The Banner Racing team asked Chris to join them as a driver changer for the #06 car at the March 27-29 Gainsco Grand Prix of Miami and he gladly accepted. A couple weeks later, Chris got to put one of his trade skills to use as he assisted in co-driving the team's semi tractor/trailer carrying the 2 Banner racecars #06 and #07 to Mexico City, MX for the Mexico City 250 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. The convoy then pressed on to the next race which was the following weekend, April 26-27 for the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway. Chris learned a lot about the car and its characteristics over this period of time while getting to listen and work directly with Leighton and his co-pilots Jan Magnussen, Ron Fellows, and Marc Bunting. This experience also allowed Chris the chance to build camaraderie with members of the crew and the engineers from Pratt & Miller.

During all of these racing adventures, Chris gained the confidence of the Banner Racing team along with members of the GM Racing Program and was approached with an extraordinary opportunity to waive the Pontiac GXP.R test drive for the chance to pilot the car in a full race weekend. The RumBum.com 250 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca will quickly be upon us, so watch and root for him on Speed Channel in the black, yellow, and red #06 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R as he trys to "Get in and Win"!

Chris’ Comments:

Obviously, I'm humbled that they have the confidence in my racing background and throughout our recent dealings and formation of relationships to give me this amazing opportunity to showcase my talents over the course of a race weekend. I know that having never tested the car, I'll be facing a steep learning curve, but I welcome the challenge and am looking forward to driving the car and working with the crew and engineers to find the right setup compromise between Leighton's driving style and my own so we can keep this Pontiac out in front where it belongs.

SpeedTV.com Press Release:
"GRAND-AM: SPEED’s Setup II Winner to Race Banner Pontiac at Laguna Seca" Article written by: GM Racing

2008: Chris Prey is the Winner of Speed TV's Racing Reality Show "Setup" Season 2

"SETUP; Pontiac Solstice GXP models featured on SPEED TV"
by Bill Davis for Pontiac Performance Magazine Summer 08' Edition

TWENTY-FOUR up-and-coming drivers. Twelve identically equipped turbocharged Solstice GXP models. Several challenging racing courses. And, ultimately, one victor emerging from the pack.

That, in a nutshell, sums up the exciting second season of SPEED TV’s Setup program. After eight weeks of hotly contested racing, Chris Prey grabbed the top spot, earning $100,000 and the opportunity to test with Pontiac’s factory Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona race team, Banner Racing.

“Obviously, the money will allow me to follow a couple of opportunities,” says Prey, who has participated in Skip Barber and SCCA National events. “The test and getting involved with the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series provides me an opportunity to showcase my skills, and work with a top-flight professional team.”

Teamwork was an important element of the show. Twelve two-man teams started the contest, with each driver bringing a crew chief along for the ride. Teams prepped their factory-built Solstice GXP's before competition, performing general maintenance and slight adjustments to the engine and suspension. (The vehicles had already been equipped with roll cages and other safety equipment by Pratt & Miller.) Participants then alternated driving during a given broadcast’s two races. Drivers were then eliminated during the program’s races, which took place on oval and different road course configurations. Eventually, teammates became competitors.

“When it got down to the final six guys or so, you really got the feeling how much the competition took out of them, and how much it ultimately meant to win,” says Robert Ecker, SPEED's Vice President of Programming. “There was no second place for any of them.” The last race represented a true battle of attrition, with four cars holding a chance to prevail with five laps remaining. Prey grabbed the title on the last stretch, and had nothing but good things to say about his car. “It displayed great handling, and the power was impressive,” he says.

Since his victory, Prey — a truck driver by trade — has worked with the Banner Racing team, hauling their racecars across the country and working on their pit crew. “It’s been a great experience, which I owe to the show,” he says. For SPEED TV’s Ecker, the Setup series accurately captures the essence of sporting competition. “There is no coverage of things outside of the track and garage — the focus is on good, intense racing,” he says. “As a result, it comes across completely credible and real — and not for the faint of heart.”

2008: Setup Season 2 Contestant

Get your popcorn ready! Chris has just been selected as a final contestant on Speed Channel's racing reality show "Setup Season 2". The show is set to air 8 episodes, 1 hour in length on Thursday evenings beginning February 21st and ending April 10th at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT with re-airs: Thursday nights at 11 CT, Friday mornings at 7 am CT, and Sunday nights at 9 pm CT. Prepare your cheering voices and root for his team as they try to chase victory.

The following link is a story being run on Speed's website regarding the show's history. It includes interviews with its producer Scott Gillen and host of the program former Trans-Am Series champion Tommy Kendall: Click Here for Article

Also, Please feel free to check out this link to the show's website http://www.setup-tv.com. There you can join the forum, watch promos, view pictures, or just learn more information about the show. Thanks for all the support and enjoy the show!

2007: Spec Miata Season Review

After a long off-season that saw significant upgrades made in the tools and equipment department, it came time for the 07' SCCA Central Division Championship and Chris' 2nd season in the Spec Miata. Over the course of the winter, many long overdue parts and pieces of alignment equipment were accrued to help in chasing the ever elusive perfect setup on the car and thus consistently making it a staple at or near the front of the grid.

Once the new toys got put to use, some staggering numbers were staring the team in the face. The car had a ridiculously large amount of scrub due to its toe settings, corner weight numbers that needed major adjustment, and ride height figures that only compounded the issues. Much time and effort was put into addressing the concerns and the final product going into the first race of the year could only bring excitement and anticipation.

When it came time for Chris to shake the rust off Day 1 at Gingerman Raceway, he did so in grand fashion by securing P1 on the grid for Sunday's race and rewarding all the team's hard work and long hours in the lead up to the event. With a great start in hand through turn 1, things were looking promising, but a banzai move/mistake by the driver in 2nd place resulted in contact at turn 2 moving him backwards in the field. Overall pace was much better than the newly leading car, but due to the parity of the class and differences in performance between model years, it made a cleanly executed pass very difficult and the end result was a very frustrating 2nd place finish.

Blackhawk Farms was the next stop on the schedule. Holding his P4 starting position through the 1st lap of the race, a surprising black flag / stop and go penalty was wrongly assessed and the resulting run through pit lane ended all chances of earning victory. Chris put his head down to collect as many points as possible toward the championship and drove past almost the entire field to place 5th and set the race's fastest lap in the process.

With the teams return to Blackhawk Farms coming a fortnight later, it instilled confidence and lofty aspirations throughout the squad. Again finding P4 on the grid to start the race, by lap 5, Chris had found his way to the front and that was where he stayed for 2 laps. Unfortunately, it was again contact, this time at the final turns apex which removed him from his post. The resulting off-track excursion caused a strong vibration that compromised the cars performance and forced him to lose track of the top 3 cars by the checker.

The ultra competitive and prestigious June Sprints at Road America came next. The qualifying sessions showed that the 1.8 liter cars had an advantage over the 1.6 liter cars while climbing the hills and in top speed at the end of the straights. Chris had a race long battle with Steve Welk for the final spot on the podium and at the line, it was Welk by a car length. Chris did manage to take over the points lead in the process however, and now it was onto Indianapolis Raceway Park.

Fastest in all sessions meant bringing home the pole and race's fastest lap, but a terrible start relegated Chris back to 4th. The battle up front ensued the entire race needing a photo finish at the line to determine the winner. Just short and 2nd.

With two races left to decide the division championship, all the competitors traveled to the Autobahn Country Club. Being fastest on the test day that preceded the event didn't translate into qualifying success. The team missed the set-up for the Q run and almost caught it before the race. The left side tire wear and temps were discussed, but a change was not made. The miscalculation showed itself in the race as the car picked up a bad push in right hand turns and the end result was a 4th place finish with a 4th place car. It made for a long day when coupled with losing the points lead.

The last race in the Central Division was a return to Road America. The 1.6 liter again showed its flaw, but it did lead Chris into a great fight for 4th with the newly crowned SCCA Pro Racing MX-5 Cup Champion Jason Saini. Both drivers worked together to try and chase down the front running 1.8's. It almost paid off as the gap closed significantly near the end, however, when it became apparent it was to be just out of reach the 2 drivers turned on each other. Great racecraft followed and Chris earned the spot by just a half car length. The championship points battle was lost and Chris needed to settle for 2nd.

In preparation to the SCCA National Championship Run-Offs, the team made the trek down to Topeka, KS for the "Last Chance National". After qualifying 5th, just a few tenths off the pole, a bad start by some fellow competitors relegated Chris back to 7th. Over the course of the run, he began picking his way back up the queue. While passing side-by-side to take over P3, the other driver spun in the high speed chicane and proceeded to clip the backside of Chris' car sending him rearward toward a concrete wall. Luckily it was a glancing blow, but major damage was still the result. Following the event, the damaged bodywork was fixed and a full exterior restoration including paint job was performed. Along with the exterior upgrade made to the car came the long overdue addition of the Mazdaspeed racing differential which the team had gone without in all previous campaigns. All that was left to find out was how much an increase in pace the car would show going back to the scene of the crime, it was 07' Run-Offs time.

The differential made a night and day difference as it turned out. The car picked up a full second consistently and qualifying saw the car slotted in 7th spot as the fastest 1.6 liter. However, a tech violation forced the team to give up the time and changed the complexion of the event. An issue getting the car fixed and run on the dyno before the final Q attempt meant a car not at full song. Starting 23rd presented many obstacles like spinning cars and a fully mud splattered windshield. Chris had to drive off-course to avoid major contact and as it turned out the race only saw 8 laps of green flag racing. Time to recover was the enemy and the move back through the pack was halted at 20th when the checker flew. More hard lessons learned to close out the year, but watch for this driver, team, and car in the future!

2006: Back to Back 100 Lap Endurance Race Shifter Kart Class Co-Champions

SHAWANO, WISCONSIN (Saturday, October 28, 2006) - It took just over 2 grueling hours of karting to determine who would finish atop the podium at USA International Raceway's annual 100 lap endurance race. It again took excellent pit strategy to maintain the kart and get in the necessary driver changes required to earn the victory. With lessons learned from the previous attempt, the race unfolded as expected and seemed to go off with out a hitch allowing the team of Chris Prey, Derek Lang, and Micheal Lang to better their time of the year prior.

"I truly enjoy the strong competition this event provides drivers in the shifter class as our closest rival finished on the lead lap at the finish. It's so important when overtaking fellow competitors to pick your spots wisely in order to keep our shiny red Birel bullet out of trouble while maintaining a fast and consistent pace throughout the run" stated Prey.

Lang concurred and commented "A huge thanks has to go out to my Dad for the kart prep needed both prior to and throughout this event. We had to overcome some inconvenient setbacks and without his dedication to making this race a reality for Chris and I, we wouldn't have had this opportunity to repeat as Champs. This was my second year in the shifter and I felt very comfortable in the kart. I was able to really push our competition and feel I put in a strong drive."

2006: Spec Miata Season Review

The 06' season presented many difficult challenges to overcome and learn from within the newly formed team and newly finished racecar. These obstacles rightly began at the 1st event of the year, a rainy Blackhawk Farms Raceway. While having made it to the race and getting the car through its 1st SCCA annual tech inspection was a major accomplishment for the team, having no rain tires quickly complicated matters. Chris managed to out qualify a few cars on rain tires, but come race time in a steady downpour, he pushed a bit too hard ending the run in the marsh outside turn 8. Learning that lesson in short order, a set of treaded tires was to accompany them to the next race at Grattan Raceway. Just 3 days before leaving to that event, a major engine problem was discovered and prompted immediate action to source a junkyard motor. One was secured, and it was installed the night before the trailer rolled. It did rain at Grattan and Chris put down the race's fastest lap on his new rubber. A potential race win was lost though after light contact with former national champion Harry Manning slowed the charge and thus resulted in a 5th place finish. Returning to Blackhawk, the issue was a massive brake failure during the race. Luckily at turn 6 where the airport grass runway could be the cars landing point about 200 yards out. A strong qualifying session and 4th place result at Mid-Ohio in early June gave some hope of better things to come.

However, the June Sprints were next and it presented itself as a mixed bag of failing differential, failing transmission, and ultimately the heartbreak of having the ignition plug under the steering wheel come unhooked on the last lap while running in 8th. Not gridding on time at Indianapolis Raceway Park lead to a forced start from the pit lane as a field of 18 cars screamed by. Chris drove possessed through the field to finish 4th and won the race's Hard Charger Award. The July run at Road America turned out to be a hectic time that consisted of a crew members wedding, a last minute tire change which eventually lead to the little detail of attaching the car's hood pins before final qualifying being overlooked. The hood came over into turn 5 on the 1st hot lap and chaos ensued. With no option of running without a hood, the team was blessed by the help of B6 Racing in the late night hours while they attended the reception by delivering a new hood with all the attaching hardware to just bolt on the following morning. A 9th place finish resulted in receiving a single point, but as it turned out, that point would eventually mean everything to their season. With finishes of 8th at Nelson Ledges and Grattan Raceway, Chris was the potential odd man out of making it into the SCCA's National Championship Run-Offs coming into the last event at Nelson Ledges. After a strong downpour, Chris - a true "Mudder" - put the car on the pole by 1.8 sec. over the Central Division's Champion Mark Bennett. The race was dry and only a 2nd place finish would secure his place in Topeka. With a nice gap in hand, Chris asked a bit too much of his cold tires in turn 3 and was suddenly facing the end of his season head-on. Needing to charge through from back in the pack, he went into "red mist mode" and put on one of his best drives ever. He drove to that 2nd place finish by a margin of less than a second, giving him the 8th position in the divisional points championship and thus earning the team its first entry into the SCCA's Championship Run-Offs by only the 1 point cushion.

A new experience to all involved, the Run-Offs were being held at Heartland Park Raceway in Topeka, KN after a 10 year stint at the famed Mid-Ohio Raceway. Unbeknown to the team before the event, a transmission engagement problem reared itself upon arrival and plagued the team throughout the 4 days of qualifying before a new transmission could be sourced and then used for the race. This resulted in qualifying 46th position on the grid of 57 entries. The bright spot during the qualifying week was running the overall fastest time in Wednesday's rain session despite these times meaning nothing to the race's overall grid positions. The track was wet at race time, but had a dry line just starting to form. The call was made to run a wet set-up due to the team's starting position and the fact that much time would be spend off-line making moves. It turned out to be a good call as Chris rocketed out of the gate making up 20 spots in the first 3 laps. He was hit and driven off-track on 2 separate occasions by other drivers later in the race, but fought hard to finish in 20th place. He was the races biggest mover, picking up 26 positions and earning himself the Hard Charger Award of the race.

With many important lessons learned over the course of the season it should be said that Chris has continued to build his racecraft skills and is another year the wiser.

2006: Snap-On Stars of Karting presented by the IRL Driver News - Chris Prey
(originally posted at http://www.ekartingnews.com)

After a strong push from both sides, former Toyota Atlantic and Skip Barber National driver Chris Prey will drive for Stock's X-Factor Karting at USA International Raceway on August 4th-6th. The platform Chris will work his magic from will be a Merlin Racing chassis with Pavesi power supplied by Franklin Motorsports.

"I'd like to give special thanks to Chris Wallace and Dave Hermann over at Stock's Harley Davidson for approaching me with this opportunity. I believe we have a great package to work with and look forward to getting the Merlin chassis dialed in at at this extremely technical track," said Prey.

Prey continues, "I'd also like to give a shout out to Jamie Sieracki at Franklin Motorsports for helping us out on the engine side of this deal and for helping with many of the little details. I'm excited to be running Pavesi power and feel we will be competing up front in short order."

Chris Wallace, Stock's X-Factor Karting team manager said, "We are very pleased to have added Chris to our team. His drive and determination are a perfect fit for us and we look for Chris to come up to speed quickly."

Stock's X-Factor Karting is a division of Stock's Harley Davidson in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. They are a Merlin Racing Kart dealer and a full service kart shop. For more information about the Merlin chassis line or Stock's X-Factor racing programs contact Chris Wallace or Dave Hermann at 920-684-0237.

2006: Built a Spec Miata National Competition Car

After unsuccessfully securing sponsorship to compete in the 2006 Champ Car Atlantic Championship, Chris needed to look at what potential options he had to go racing in the '06 season. With the knowledge that the SCCA was making its Spec Miata class a National Division, Chris felt it would be a way to race somewhat cost effectively in a very competitive category. Having autocrossed his friend Sean Bray's Miata in 2005, it was an opportunity and venture that they both decided would be the correct move to make.

With only weekends to work on the project, the car tear down began in late February and finished its transformation by mid-April.

A special thanks needs to go out to everyone who helped along the way: Mike Bray, Jimmy Christman, Josh Daniels, Amanda Bray, Roy & B6racing.com, Bob Hogan, Tim Everson, Pabst, Performance Auto Sound, Gehl, Hypertech, Extreme Motorsports Performance, Wisconsin Sports, Arden's Transmission, and Appleton Signs.

2005: USA International Raceway 100 Lap Endurance Race Overall Co-Champion

SHAWANO, WISCONSIN (Saturday, October 29, 2005) - After 100 laps of intense racing, the Prey Racing Team that consisted of drivers Chris Prey and Derek Lang came out on top of the podium in USA International Raceway's annual 100 lap endurance race. With lightning fast driver changes, refueling strategy, and great chassis maintenance being performed by Michael Lang, the team ran a flawless race and earned its maiden endurance race victory. After two hours of racing, the margin of victory was a scant 43 seconds.

"I really enjoyed competing in this event, and I learned some valuable lessons about conserving the equipment throughout the run while picking-off traffic at the right moment to keep up the quick lap times." said Prey. "Driving the shifter against other 2 cycles and the 4 cycle carts was like running a prototype car in the ALMS. The closing speeds on the other karts was impressive and demanded quick, decisive decisions in the brake zones."

2005: Oshkosh Rookie Chris Prey Lands in the Gravel and Comes Out on Top with Gehl

ELKHART LAKE, WISCONSIN (Sunday, August 21, 2005) - In his first appearance in the Toyota Atlantic series, Oshkosh, WI resident Chris Prey piloted the Gehl Company-sponsored No. 2 entry almost flawlessly until the 10th lap of the 17-lap event when a missed down-shift in turn 12 started a chain reaction that ultimately sent Prey for a trip deep into the pea-gravel and ended his debut performance in front of his local fans and family.

Buried deeply in the gravel, Prey's car was safely pulled from the pit by a Gehl Dynalift Telescopic Handler, adding a little irony to the situation.

"It wasn't exactly the way I pictured I'd be leaving the track, but, what can I say about Gehl's amazing equipment," Prey said with a smile. "Those Dynalifts can really pull their weight."

Prey was very matter-of-fact explaining the events that lead to his early departure.

"It was a simple thing, really. I missed the throttle blip to the down-shift going into the turn and lost my braking rhythm. The car slowed enough that it lost its downforce from the wings and ground effects, which gave me too much brake pressure and locked up the front wheels," he said.

"I'm disappointed, but I'll chalk it up to my education and keep trying hard to improve every lap around the track."

There were no down faces in the Gehl hospitality tent when Prey joined them after the race. As he walked in, the crowd burst into applause for their new "favorite driver."

Gehl's Marketing Manager, Lori Heidecker, said, "This weekend was a huge success for us. Chris is a incredibly talented driver with a warm personality, and all of our guests enjoyed watching Chris drive the Gehl car."

"We had a great time cheering for a fellow Wisconsin native," she said. "We like to take care of our own."

Gehl's Manager of Trade Shows and Special Events, Terry LeFever, went on to say, "We had an incredible weekend. Having a car here makes a world of difference - it really completes the program. This is the first time we've ever done this and it has really been exciting for our dealers, customers and our own people, too."

Gehl entertained over 300 guests, consisting of dealers, customers and employees. LeFever said that one of his dealers, Bruce Bowman from Star Equipment out of Iowa, brought 40 people to the event to cheer for Chris an the Gehl car.

"The response has been tremendous," LeFever said.

Prey summed up the weekend by saying, "I can't thank Gehl enough for everything they've done for me. I'm looking forward to working with them on events in the future."

While no plans have been made regarding next year for Prey and Gehl, Prey is confident that this hometown race was the beginning of a long, fun relationship.

Gehl Company is an international manufacturer of compact construction equipment and agriculture implements based in West Bend, WI. For more information about Gehl, visit the company's web site at www.Gehl.com

2005: Chris Prey Teams up with Gehl
(excerpted from Generac 500 at Road America 2005 race program)

This weekend Chris Prey, a native of Oshkosh, WI, will take another step towards his goal of reaching motorsports' top levels.

By teaming up with Gehl Company, an international manufacturer of compact construction equipment and agriculture implements based in West Bend, WI, Prey will be competing in the Road America 500 at Elkhart Lake. Prey will be racing a Toyota Atlantic Championship car for Jensen Motorsports.

Gehl Company is a common sight in the world of auto racing. In 1990, it found an opportunity to sponsor two tracks on the Champ Car circuit. By providing skid loaders and telescopic handlers for the construction of the temporary street circuit in Long Beach, CA and the remodeling of the Road America Track in Elkhart Lake, WI, Gehl Company became the "Official Construction Supplier" for both tracks.

Motorsports has provided the perfect arena for Gehl Company to showcase its equipment and ideas. By expanding its motorsports coverage, Gehl Company has become one of the most recognized construction manufacturers in the racing industry. Today, Gehl Company has taken its motorsports marketing to a new level with its sponsorship of Chris Prey.

2005: American Racer Chris Prey Joins Jensen MotorSport Toyota Atlantic Team for Road America 500 Event (originally posted at http://www.toyotaatlantic.com)

August 3 - One of America's top rising open-wheel racing talents has today announced he will be driving for the Jensen MotorSport team at the Road America 500 event taking place the weekend of August 19th-21st in Elkhart Lake, WI. This will be the 11th Round of the 2005 Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama.

Prey, an Oshkosh, WI native who considers Road America to be his home racetrack, will be putting his track knowledge to the test as he gets his first taste of the Swift 014.a chassis during the series test day prior to the race weekend's proceedings. He will be racing in the #2 entry with sponsorship from the fellow Wisconsin based Gehl Company and is also using this opportunity to promote three charities in which he both volunteers and strongly believes: Habitat for Humanity, ONE.org, and the American Red Cross.

"I will be facing a steep learning curve over the course of the weekend as many of my competitors will already have 10 races of experience along with their season testing schedules to rely on," says Prey. "But I'm a quick study, and with four additional practice sessions prior to the first qualifying, I feel that is sufficient time to get comfortable in the car and to be competitive. The championship battle will be in full swing and I look forward to mixing it up with the top drivers in the series."

Prey continues, "Gehl Company has been excellent to work with in the lead up to this event. We have come up with some fun and fresh ideas to help make this a successful weekend at the racetrack for both myself and in the marketing of their compact construction equipment and agricultural implements. I'm very grateful of this opportunity and focused on giving my best effort to the team."

Team owner Eric Jensen states, "I first recalled hearing a lot of Chris at the 2004 Road America race, as he battled with Marco Andretti and the top guys in the Skip Barber National Series race for the overall victory. So Chris obviously knows how to be quick at Road America, and it is a real pleasure for me to continue to assist some of the talented young drivers in getting their first chance in the pro Atlantic series."

2004: Formula Dodge National Championship Point Standings

2004: Prey Racing becomes an exhibitor at the PMC Convention

In an effort to market myself to potential decision making individuals, I put together an exhibit for the Pharmaceutical Marketing Congress in Philadelphia, PA. I met some neat people who were interested in what I was doing and worked hard to create networking opportunities. I believe the booth turned out well.

2004: Purchase of 125cc Birel/Honda Shifter Kart

This off-season, I purchased a 125cc Birel/Honda shifter kart. I wanted a cost-effective means of keeping my skills honed and sharp while getting valuable seat time in a competitive atmosphere. It's a new vehicle that has its own characteristics for me to learn and continue building my racecraft with.

2004: Chris Earns Infiniti Pro Series Competition License

With the help of Sam Schmidt Motorsports, I completed the rookie test and earned the Menard's Infiniti Pro Series Competition License. The test took place at Kentucky Speedway which is a 1.5 mile tri-oval with 14 degrees of banking. Aid from the track's banking allowed me to reach 3.5 lateral G's while cornering. I completed a lap in 28.92 seconds at an average speed of 186 mph. It was a valuable learning experience to interact in a team environment and to put oval driving on my resume.

2004: Domination of the Skip Barber Winter Series

During the 2004 Skip Barber Winter Series, I won all 4 races that I competed in and left both tracks with lap records.

2003: 2 Day Test of Barber Dodge Pro Series Race Car

The first day involved learning the handling characteristics of the Reynard 98E at the famed Sebring International Raceway while building confidence in the chassis at it's limit. With day 2 comes a fresh set of slick tires. After bringing them up to temperature the grip level significantly increased and the lap times plummeted. I spent the remainder of the test learning set-up changes and how they effect the car.

2003: Chris Wins Scholarship at U.S. Championship Run-Off

The field of drivers at the U.S. Championship Run-Off was very strong. With a 4th overall finish and 1st place in my age bracket, I earned a $5,000 scholarship from Skip Barber Racing, LLC.