Power Steering Issue, Etc. Affects Duno’s Toledo Results

Toledo, Ohio (May 20, 2012) – Milka Duno’s hopes to better her 2011 finish in today’s ARCA Racing Series Menard’s 200 at Toledo Speedway were dashed when a power steering failure and collateral crash damage put her 7 laps down just a little over halfway through the race. Duno finished the race 24th.

With an 18th place finish in last year’s ARCA race at Toledo Duno, her Crew Chief Dave Leiner Jr and the Eddie Sharp Racing crew arrived at the half-mile oval determined to better last season’s finish. In a very competitive field in which the top 30 cars qualified less than a second apart Duno started 24th.

“We had a very competitive starting grid today and having qualified only 7/10’s of a second behind the pole sitter I felt that we might have a fair chance for a good result,” said Duno. “But early on in the race we had a power steering issue that cost us a lot of time and then we got caught up in a wreck that cost us even more. It’s impossible to make up that time but we gave it our best. Thanks to Dave and the crew for a great job and we’ll be working very hard on our next race.”

A power steering failure brought her into the pits under green flag conditions on lap 47 and while the team repaired the system as quickly as possible - when Duno got back on the track she was 4 laps down due to the lost time.

In a race that would ultimately see the yellow flag wave 10 times it was the 7th caution on lap 107 that would put Duno another 3 laps down. A competitor spinning ahead on the track caused a multi-car collision behind as drivers tried to slow and avoid. Duno collected heavy left-side damage that required multiple visits to pit row.

Back on track 7 laps down Duno hoped to gain lost ground and turned her fastest lap of the race on lap 119. Hard racing brought her up to a slower car ahead that didn’t give her much room left or right and with nowhere to go she went underneath, making contact and causing right front damage to her #6 Toyota. Needing only one pit stop under yellow for repairs Duno was back out on track and finished 24th.

“It certainly was not a good day for us here at Toledo,” said Crew Chief Dave Leiner Jr. “There was a lot of action on the track and in the pits that really put us behind early on and ultimately greatly affected our results. Milka did a great job trying to overcome the setbacks and she’s getting better with every race. We’ll be working hard for a better result at the next race.”

About Milka Duno
Duno has eight major race wins in the highest classes (Prototype) in the American Le Mans Series and Rolex Series and the highest finish ever by a female driver (2nd Place) in the Rolex 24 at Daytona in the 48-year history of the race. Go, Milka, Go! - a book about her life and racing career, was awarded the Best Young Adult Sports/Recreation Book of 2009 at the 11th Annual International Latino Book Awards. In 2010, Duno became the first Venezuelan athlete inducted into the Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame.

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