Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Ex-WoO champ set for Infiniti Pro Series debut

Wednesday, June 23, 2004 | 10:09 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Former World of Outlaws driver P.J. Chesson isn't letting a testing crash last week at The Milwaukee Mile negatively impact his confidence as he prepares for his Indy Racing League Infiniti Pro Series debut at Kansas Speedway.

Chesson logged 114 laps in his first time in an IPS car at Milwaukee, but had his test cut short when he tagged the Turn 4 wall on the 1-mile oval.

"I've always been a better racer than (a tester)," Chesson said. "When I get too much time on my hands, even sitting around the house, I start thinking too much and trying stuff. I'm a real competitive kind of a guy. I guess it'll be easier for me to learn being around a bunch of other cars.

"I guess we hurt the right side of the car a little bit (but) it didn't feel like we hit very hard, that's for sure; the cars are built pretty well. It was just an unfortunate incident. We met and we shook hands, now hopefully we don't have that conversation again -- that is, the wall and I."

Chesson, who spent four years in the World of Outlaws Sprint Series, is moving from the dirt to the asphalt with Mo Nunn Racing's new entry in the IPS. The team is under the direction of Morris Nunn's wife, Kathryn, and will debut July 3 at Kansas Speedway.

As a rookie in the open-wheel series, Chesson said he has modest goals for his debut.

"The first couple of races, I just want to get some good laps under my belt, work with the guys and if we can post a good finish, that'd be really good," he said. "I think we're definitely going to have a very fast car there; it's just a matter of whether or not the chauffeur is going to be up for the challenge."

Kathryn Nunn, who has spent the past year putting together the team, said she views the nine remaining races as a learning experience for both Chesson and the new team.

"Coming into Kansas, there's no pressure on P.J. -- if there is any pressure, it's all what he's putting on himself," she said. "We just want him to learn the tracks.

"We're considering the rest of this year just a learning experience to get comfortable with the car, with the crew, with his engineer and next year we'll certainly concentrate a lot more on being at the front of the pack all the time."

Jaskol, 19, started third on the grid for the 14-lap race, passed pole-sitter Jonathan Summerton on lap 9 and led the final six laps. After taking the checkered flag, Jaskol jumped out of his car and kissed the famous yard of bricks at the Speedway's start/finish line.

"Those bricks tasted unbelievably sweet," Jaskol said. "I just had to do that, being an American and all. To win here at Indianapolis just means more than anything.

"I want to come back here and win the Indy 500; it's the American thing to do. And then I want to go on to (Formula One) and see that American flag raise up over my head again and hear the national anthem, just like today. It doesn't get any better than that. I know I've got a lot of work and road miles in front of me, but I'm up for it."

Jaskol is one of the winners of the 2004 Red Bull Driver Search program, which is designed to groom young American drivers for a potential ride in Formula One.

Sunday's victory came a day after he finished 15th in the fifth race of the season after being assess a drive-though penalty. Jaskol's other win this season came a week earlier, in Round 4, during the Canadian Grand Prix weekend in Montreal.

Jaskol is fourth in the championship after six of 14 races and trials front-runner Andreas Wirth by 23 points.