2011 Grand-Am Rolex Series

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Spirit Of Daytona Takes Pole at Barber..........

Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:57 pm

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---Antonio Garcia was clearly a man on a mission Friday at Barber Motorsports Park. After missing out on the pole in last year’s Porsche 250 by a fraction of a second, the Spaniard had something to prove this time around.

Garcia didn’t fail to disappoint, having pounded around the twisty 2.3-mile circuit to claim the top spot for Sunday’s three-hour race. Turning a 1:21.682 lap time, it marked Spirit of Daytona’ first pole position in Daytona Prototype competition, not to mention its ever-improving Coyote-Chevrolet package.

“Last year we missed pole position by a thousandth of a second and a hundredth another time. So it’s good to be up in front and good for the team,” said Garcia, who will share the wheel with fellow GM factory driver Paul Edwards. "For the Coyote to be on the pole for the first time, and the Chevy engine as well, to put everything together is always good. This program has been developing for over a year now. And now we’re in a position to take the profits of this hard work”

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing will line up alongside Garcia and Edwards in second, making it an all-Chevy ront row. Two-time Daytona Prototype champion Jon Fogarty was unable to improve on his 1:22.178 lap time that was laid down on his first flyer. With tires at a premium this weekend - most DP teams being allowed only five sets for practice, qualifying and race - Fogarty turned only two laps in qualifying. It leaves he and co-driver Alex Gurney with three fresh sets of Continentals, plus the qualifying set, for tomorrow’s race.

“Luckily that lap was good enough to hang onto the front row,” Fogarty said. “I don’t know if we had anything for the 90 car. We would have really had to take a lot of risks and abuse the tires in trying to catch them. We ran the fewest laps of everybody, so that’s a good thing.”

The No. 10 SunTrust Racing Dallara-Chevrolet of Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli will roll off third, thanks to Taylor’s 1:22.193 lap time. While the 21-year-old was unable to secure back-to-back Barber poles, he, like Fogarty, are thinking of the big picture. “I think we had a car that could’ve been on the pole or second – definitely second, but maybe even pole,” Taylor said. “I just think I didn’t get everything from it. It’s just a matter of saving your tires for the race. Speed isn’t going to mean as much as it should.”

Defending Rolex Sports Car Series champion Memo Rojas qualified his No. 01 Telmex Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-BMW in fourth, with the No. 77 Doran Racing Dallara-Ford of Brian Frisselle rounding out the top-five.

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Qualifying marked a number of firsts not only in Daytona Prototype but also GT, as Dane Cameron took his Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 to the class pole. It was the first pole for the 22-year-old Californian and the Georgia-based Dempsey squad.

“I wasn’t that confident we could be on the pole, but this morning we were second,” Cameron said. “The tires are so sensitive, especially around Barber. As hard as it is on tires, I really didn’t know what to expect. I knew we had two laps to do it, so I tried to stagger myself to get two clear laps and went absolutely maximum. It ended up being enough.”

Cameron’s 1:31.106 lap edged out Friday morning’s pace-setting Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R of Robin Liddell by 0.254 seconds. After scoring the LMPC class pole and win in the Twelve Hours of Sebring last month, the 2011 season is certainly off to a strong start for the rising sportscar star.

“It’s very pleasing for me, for 12 or 13 years worth of work up until this point and I still feel like I’m getting better,” Cameron said. “I’m only 22, so I’m still learning. Being around Dempsey Racing and around guys that have a lot more experience than I have is a good learning tool. And I’m soaking up every minute of it.”

The No. 07 Banner Racing machine Gunter Schaldach posted the third-quickest time in GT, making it two Camaro GT.Rs inside the top-three. Wayne Nonnamaker in the No. 42 Team Sahlen’s Mazda and the Andrew Davis-driven Brumos Porsche rounded out the top-five.
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News & Notes, Barber

Post by mlittle » Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:54 pm

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The Stats
--DP 1st: Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett, No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley
--DP 2nd: Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney, No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet/Riley
--DP 3rd: Mike Forest and Ryan Dalziel, No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley
--GT 1st: Paul Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen, No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3
--GT 2nd: Gunter Schaldach and Oliver Gavin, No. 07 Banner Racing Chevrolet Camaro
--GT 3rd: Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito, No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8
-Margin of Victory: 28.954 seconds
-Average Speed: 86.351 mph
-Cautions: 3 for 16 laps

The Points
--DP: Scott Pruett/Memo Rojas 105; Terry Borcheller/Joao Barbosa/JC France and David Donohue/Darren Law, 80
--GT: Bill Auberlen/Paul Dalla Lana, 86; Craig Stanton/John Potter 84; Sylvain Tremblay/Jonathan Bomarito 83

The Story
--Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas extended their record winning streak to six races by winning the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park for the third time. The drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley ended their 2010 Daytona Prototype championship season by winning the final three races, and opened 2011 by winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Grand Prix of Miami for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.

Pruett ran down race leader Burt Frisselle and beat him to the inside of Turn 17 on Lap 78. He led the final 27 laps, beating Alex Gurney in the GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley at the checkered flag by 28.954 seconds.

Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest finished third in the Starworks Motorsport No. 8 Miracle Grout Shield Ford/Riley. The Spirit of Daytona gave the TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing duo its biggest challenge. Antonio Garcia started on the pole in the No. 90 Chevrolet/Coyote and led 38 circuits. Paul Edwards then took over and led 12 laps. The car then began losing power in the final hour, dropping Edwards to ninth at the finish.

Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana scored their second consecutive GT victory in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3, moving from fourth to first in the point standings. Six different cars shared the GT lead, with Auberlen finally taking over on Lap 63 and leading the final 38 circuits.
Gunter Schaldach and Oliver Gavin finished second in the No. 07 The Cool TV/Mobil 1 Camaro, followed by Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito in the No. 70 MazdaSpeed/Castrol Edge Mazda RX-8.

The Surprises
- Mike Forest and Ryan Dalziel, who struggled in practice and qualified ninth, then went on to score their first podium finish of the season, taking third in the No. 8 Miracle Grout Shield Ford/Riley.
- Boris Said started last and came through the field to lead 26 laps in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette, which was retired shortly after Eric Curran took over.
- Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow finished eighth after their No. 2 Duncan/Acior Airlines Ford/Riley crashed early in Friday? practice and missed qualifying.
-The No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara, which had the left-rear wheel come loose shortly after Max Angelelli took over from Ricky Taylor, who had led nine laps. Angelelli was able to continue after losing 10 laps. The team fell from a tie for second to fifth in the DP points.

The Numbers:
-2 - Number of consecutive GT victories for Paul Dalla Lana - also the number of career GT victories for the Canadian.
- 3- Third victory for Pruett and Rojas at Barber Motorsports Park - they went on to capture the DP championship after winning in both 2008 and 2010.
- 50 - Number of laps led by Antonio Garcia [38] and Paul Edwards (12).

The Quotes:
- "The 90 team had everybody covered today. We caught up to them after I got in the car, and we cut down about an eight-second differential between us and them. I'm sliding around and he looked pretty pasted down to the ground. I just thought, 'You know what?' These guys are really strong here today. You never know how it's going to play out, but they were certainly in the catbird seat to sneak in a win this week." - Scott Pruett, No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley
- "It's important to get a result. We've been trying really hard. We had a definite strategy for this race and there were a few fleeting moments when I thought we might have done it right. I had a lot of struggles in the last half hour, and probably 15 laps from the end, I just faded big time. With two laps to go, we broke the right-rear pushrod, so the car was wobbling all over the place." - Alex Gurney, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet Riley
- "Me and Oliver (Gavin) had a serious fight in the beginning. I couldn't make 10 feet up on him and he couldn't get away, and all of a sudden, his car started going off. That just makes you smile. It's like a shark when you see blood." - Bill Auberlen, No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3
- "We had an amazing race car today. I? a little bit bummed that we weren't on the same lap with the top two to be able to race with those guys." Jonathan Bomarito, No. 70 MazdaSpeed/Castrol Edge Mazda RX-8
- "Our hearts go out to all of the people in Japan and the suffering that they are going through. I hope everybody can take a look at the Red Cross message and make some donations to help. I don't think we really know the extent of what is going on over there, how much pain is going on over there. Our thoughts are with them and we are racing with them this weekend." - Patrick Dempsey, running a Red Cross message to benefit the victims of the disaster in Japan on his No. 40 Visit Florida Mazda RX-8
- "I wish I wasn't so old because I'd like to race in it again. I really enjoyed it when I was down there. I'm glad to be coming back even if it is just to watch it this time." - A.J. Foyt, on being named Grand Marshal of the 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2012.

The Next Race:
Next up for the Rolex Series will be the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway near Danville, Va., on May 14. Pruett and Rojas are the defending winners on the scenic 3.27-mile, 17-turn circuit, scoring their third consecutive victory in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley en route to capturing the 2010 Daytona Prototype title. Pruett held off Burt Frisselle in the No. 61 AIM Autosport Ford/Riley by .293 seconds at the checkered flag. Andy Lally and Ted Ballou were the 2010 GT winners in a TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Pruett is the leading DP winner at the circuit, winning in 2005, 2008 and 2010 - the last two with Rojas - while Bill Auberlen leads the GT competitors with three victories (2002, 2004 and 2005).
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Post by mlittle » Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:16 pm

Current 2011 Grand-Am Standings


~~DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10+)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 105 pts(3 wins)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 105 pts(3 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Darren Law, 80 pts
t-3rd}[4]David Donohue, 80 pts
t-3rd}[5]Joao Barbosa, 80 pts
t-3rd}[6]J.C. France, 80 pts
t-3rd}[7]Terry Borcheller, 80 pts
8th} Mark Wilkins, 79 pts
9th} Burt Frisselle, 78 pts
t-10th}[10]Max Angelelli, 76 pts
t-10th}[11]Ricky Taylor, 76 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 105 pts(3 wins)
t-2nd}[2]Chevrolet, 88 pts
t-2nd}[3]Porsche, 88 pts*
4th} Ford, 83 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 105 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Dallara, 77 pts
3rd} Coyote, 59 pts
4th} Lola, 25 pts

~~GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers' Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Bill Auberlen, 84 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[2]Paul Dalla Lana, 84 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[3]Craig Stanton, 84 pts
t-1st}[4]John Potter, 84 pts
t-5th}[5]Jonathan Bomarito, 83 pts
t-5th}[6]Sylvain Tremblay, 83 pts
t-7th}[7]Spencer Pumpelly, 74 pts(1 win)
t-7th}[8]Steven Bertheau, 74 pts(1 win)
t-9th}[9]Dane Cameron, 72 pts
t-9th}[10]James Gue, 72 pts
GT Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Mazda, 92 pts
2nd} Porsche, 91 pts(1 win)
3rd} BMW, 84 pts(2 wins)
4th} Chevrolet, 76 pts
5th} Ferrari, 19 pts
6th} Ford, 15 pts
*--Porsche utilizes both a 3.6L Flat-6 Boxer engine and a Lozano Bros.-built Cayenne 3.8L V8 engine in DP competition
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Grand-Am Posts Bounty On Ganassi For VIR

Post by mlittle » Thu May 12, 2011 2:15 pm

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----DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 4, 2011) - Chip Ganassi Racing, with drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, are "wanted men" in the GRAND-AM paddock.

Responding to a six-race winning streak dating back to late last season, GRAND-AM has posted a $25,000 bounty which will be awarded to the first team stopping the "Ganassi Gang" by scoring an overall victory in the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

"I think it's a great idea and a great promotion, and it points out how serious people are about trying to beat us," Ganassi said. "I just hope they don't get to pay it out for awhile."

Competitors will have their first opportunity to snag the bounty in the Bosch Engineering 250 on Saturday, May 14 at Virginia International Raceway. "Chip Ganassi and his entire organization have done an amazing job fashioning one of the most remarkable streaks in the annals of American sports car racing," said GRAND-AM Director of Competition Mark Raffauf. "This reward gives their competition another incentive to step up and beat them to the checkered flag."

Pruett and Rojas, co-drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley, wrapped up the 2010 Daytona Prototype championship by winning at Watkins Glen International, Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and Miller Motorsports Park - giving them nine victories in 12 events. To open the current season, the Ganassi Gang won the Rolex 24 At Daytona, then followed up with victories at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Barber Motorsports Park.
Rival car owner Mike Shank knows all too well what's required to bring the Ganassi Gang to "justice."

"You need to have a perfect race to beat them," said Shank, who fields the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley for John Pew and Ozz Negri. "Regardless, we can all be upset that they're dominating right now but at the end of the day, we need them in our series. We'll figure out on our own how to beat them. That's up to us."
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Post by mlittle » Sat May 14, 2011 4:15 pm

VIR Practice Session #1 Top-5
DP-1} #01 Telmex BMW/Riley, 1:44.851 sec
DP-2} #90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote, 1:45.329 sec
DP-3} #10 SunTrust Ford/Dallara, 1:45.691 sec
DP-4} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 1:46.097 sec
DP-5} #5 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 1:46.357 sec

GT-1} #88 Autohaus Camaro GT-R, 1:54.108 sec
GT-2} #57 Stevenson Auto Camaro GT-R, 1:54.161 sec
GT-3} #07 Banner Eng. Camaro GT-R, 1:54.426 sec
GT-4} #40 Team Seattle Mazda RX-8, 1:54.760 sec
GT-5} #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8, 1:54.886 sec


VIR Practice Session #2 Top-5
DP-1} #60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 1:45.923 sec
DP-2} #77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara, 1:46.156 sec
DP-3} #61 GAMMA 88 BMW/Riley, 1:46.526 sec
DP-4} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 1:46.654 sec
DP-5} #01 Telmex BMW/Riley, 1:46.934 sec

GT-1} #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8, 1:54.867 sec
GT-2} #57 Stevenson Auto Camaro GT-R, 1:54.914 sec
GT-3} #67 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3, 1:55.362 sec
GT-4} #59 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3, 1:55.868 sec
GT-5} #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, 1:55.872 sec


VIR Trueman-Akin Practice Session Top-5
DP-1} #61 GAMMA 88 BMW/Riley, 1:46.587 sec
DP-2} #60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 1:48.073 sec
DP-3} #2 Starworks Ford/Riley, 1:48.079 sec
DP-4} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 1:49.272 sec
DP-5} #8 Starworks Ford/Riley, 1:49.702 sec

GT-1} #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, 1:56.866 sec
GT-2} #07 Banner Eng. Camaro GT-R, 1:57.230 sec
GT-3} #40 Team Seattle Mazda RX-8, 1:57.424 sec
GT-4} #94 Turner Mtrspts. BMW M3, 1:57.688 sec
GT-5} #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8, 1:58.181 sec
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Edwards, Spirit of Daytona On Point in VIR

Post by mlittle » Sat May 14, 2011 4:18 pm

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Spirit of Daytona's Paul Edwards notches his seventh pole in Grand-Am competition; his previous six were all GT-class poles.......

----DANVILLE, Va. - Given his turn to qualify the Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote, Paul Edwards stepped up Friday and ran a lap of 1:44.984 (112.131 mph) to capture the pole position for Saturday's Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway.

It was the team's second consecutive GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 pole, with Antonio Garcia leading qualifying for the recent Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park. "The team decided at the beginning of the year that they were going to treat us both as ‘A' drivers," said Edwards, who won his first career DP pole. "They said we were going to flip-flop through the year with who starts and who finishes. It's a good experience for both of us, gives us the full-rounded package of starting and finishing races."

Memo Rojas - who is seeking to give the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley co-driven by Scott Pruett its seventh consecutive victory - appeared to take the pole with a lap of 1:44.935. On his next lap, through, Rojas went wide in Turn 17 and came to a stop, bringing out a black flag. Under GRAND-AM qualifying rules, drivers who cause a qualifying session to be stopped are penalized their fastest lap. As a result, the No. 01 will start sixth.

"I was a little concerned when I heard Memo had pipped me by half a tenth," Edwards said. "I was on a flyer to better the pole, but then he had an incident and threw up some dirt. It will be nice starting on the pole, trying to get the Bounty award." GRAND-AM has posted a $25,000 "Bounty" for a team that can halt the TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates winning streak.

Jan Magnussen won his second GT pole of the season, running a lap of 1:53.727 (103.511 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Automotive Group Camaro co-driven by Robin Liddell. He will be joined on the front row by Boris Said, who went 1:54.380 (102.920) in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet Corvette co-driven by Eric Curran.
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CoolDown Lap: VIR

Post by mlittle » Fri May 27, 2011 5:25 pm

(from 14 May 2011)
----It was a history-making day at Virginia International Raceway. Bill Lester took the GT victory in the Bosch Engineering 250 to become the first African-American to win a GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series event, while Joao Barbosa beat Scott Pruett to the checkered flag by .270 seconds to end TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing's record six-race winning streak.

Fittingly, Lester's victory came in Danville, Va., the hometown of racing pioneer Wendell Scott - the first African-American to win at NASCAR's highest level. Lester was joined by Jordan Taylor in the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. It was Lester's third career podium finish in 39 races.

Barbosa took the lead in the No. 9 Action Express Riley Porsche/Riley also driven by JC France and Terry Borcheller with 50 minutes remaining, and led the final 22 laps to score his first victory since the 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona. In addition to the $25,000 "Bounty" posted by GRAND-AM for the team that stopped the Ganassi team's winning streak, Action Express also pocketed an $18,750 Continental Tire Horsepower bonus in addition to the winner's share of the purse for an $83,750 payday.

Pruett didn't give up without a fight, though, closing up to Barbosa's rear wing on the final lap of the competitive race. It marked only the third time in 15 races since the 2010 Rolex 24 that Pruett and Memo Rojas failed to win in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley.

Darren Law passed Max Angelelli with two laps remaining to give put the No. 5 Action Express Porsche/Riley in third, giving the team two cars on the podium.

The skies opened up moments before the start of the two-hour, 45-minute race, causing most of the opening hour to be run behind the pace car. By the time the checkered flag waved, the sun was shining over the 3.27-mile circuit.

The GT race also came down to the wire. Four days after his 20th birthday, Taylor led twice for 29 laps for his first victory in 26 races. He held off a late charge by Oliver Gavin in the No. 07 The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro. It marked the fourth second-place finish for co-driver Gunter Schaldach in the last six races dating back to 2010.

Bill Auberlen finished a strong third in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 started by Paul Dalla Lana, ending their two-race winning streak.
DP contenders Antonio Garcia - driving the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote started on the pole by Paul Edwards - and Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley got together in Turn 3 to bring out the fifth and final caution. Following the restart, Pruett pressured Barbosa throughout the final seven laps to the checkered flag.
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Post by mlittle » Fri May 27, 2011 5:45 pm

Current Grand-Am Rolex Standings



~~~DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 137 pts(3 wins)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 137 pts(3 wins)
t-3rd}[3]J.C. France, 115 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Joao Barbosa, 115 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[5]Terry Borcheller, 115 pts(1 win)
t-6th}[6]Darren Law, 110 pts
t-6th}[7]David Donohue, 110 pts
t-8th}[8]Max Angelelli, 104 pts
t-8th}[9]Ricky Taylor, 104 pts
10th} Mark Wilkins, 101 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 137 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Porsche, 123 pts(1 win)
3rd} Chevrolet, 116 pts
4th} Ford, 109 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 140 pts(4 wins)
2nd} Dallara, 105 pts
3rd} Coyote, 82 pts
4th} Lola, 25 pts

~~~GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers' Standings(top-10+)
t-1st}[1]Bill Auberlen, 116 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[2]Paul Dalla Lana, 116 pts(2 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Oliver Gavin, 103 pts
t-3rd}[4]Gunter Schaldach, 103 pts
t-5th}[5]Bill Lester, 101 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[6]Jordan Taylor, 101 pts(1 win)
t-7th}[7]Craig Stanton, 100 pts
t-7th}[8]Dane Cameron, 100 pts
t-7th}[9]John Potter, 100 pts
t-7th}[10]Jonathan Bomarito, 100 pts
t-7th}[11]James Gue, 100 pts
t-7th}[12]Sylvain Tremblay, 100 pts
GT Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Mazda, 120 pts
2nd} Porsche, 117 pts(1 win)
3rd} BMW, 114 pts(2 wins)
4th} Chevrolet, 111 pts(1 win)
5th} Ferrari, 16 pts
6th} Ford, 11 pts
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SunTrust Repeats '10 Victory With 2011 Win

Post by mlittle » Thu Jun 02, 2011 7:03 am

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---Dusting off the script from a year ago, Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor won the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park while Daytona Prototype championship leaders Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett struggled after an incident early in the race.

Taylor won the pole earlier Monday in the No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara and led the opening 46 laps before the driver change. Angelelli didn't miss a beat, leading twice for 107 laps - including the final 57, as the team led all but 30 of the 183 circuits.

Ozz Negri finished second, 26.026 seconds behind, joining John Pew in the best finish of the season for Michael Shank Racing's No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley. Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest took their second podium finish of the year, taking third in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley.

For the second straight year, Rojas had an off-course excursion that damaged the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley. While the damage was not as severe as 2010's first-lap incident, the team lost eight laps replacing the splitter and fell to ninth position. Pruett managed to make up a lap and regain two positions - turning the fastest lap of the race in the process.

They now have a 21-point lead in the DP standings over sixth-place finishers JC France, Terry Borcheller and Joao Barbosa (161-140), with Taylor and Angelelli one point back in third.

Spirit of Daytona Racing ran in the top three for the bulk of the two-hour, 45-minute event, with both Paul Edwards and Antonio Garcia leading a combined 26 laps in the No. 90 Chevrolet/Coyote. However, the team retired in the final half hour with broken shift linkage.

The GT race also went to the pole-winning car, with Robin Liddell and Jan Magnussen claiming the first victory of the season for the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. The pair combined to lead 107 laps, with Magnussen pacing the final 79 circuits. Among its winnings, the team claimed a $25,000 Horsepower Award bonus posted by Continental Tire.

Coming off their first GT victory in the most recent race at Virginia International Raceway, Jordan Taylor and Bill Lester finished second in the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. Lester's victory was the first by an African-American in a Rolex Series race. Leh Keen and Andrew Davis finished third in the No. 59 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana retained the GT point after finishing sixth in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 - also driven by Joey Hand. Lester and Taylor moved up to second, eighth points behind (141-133), with fourth-place finishers Dane Cameron and James Gue in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8 another five points back
Boris Said and Eric Curran had their best outing of the season in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette. Said led for 62 laps in the early going for Marsh Racing, the lone Connecticut-based team in the Rolex Series.
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Post by mlittle » Sun Jun 05, 2011 7:22 am

Current Grand-Am Rolex Standings


---DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10+)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 161 pts(3 wins)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 161 pts(3 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Joao Barbosa, 140 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Terry Borcheller, 140 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[5]J.C. France, 140 pts(1 win)
t-6th}[6]Max Angelelli, 139 pts(1 win)
t-6th}[7]Ricky Taylor, 139 pts(1 win)
t-8th}[8]Darren Law, 136 pts
t-8th}[9]David Donohue, 136 pts
t-10th}[10]Oswaldo Negri, 125 pts
t-10th}[11]John Pew, 125 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 161 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Chevrolet, 151 pts(1 win)
3rd} Porsche, 149 pts(1 win)
4th} Ford, 141 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 172 pts(4 wins)
2nd} Dallara, 140 pts(1 win)
3rd} Coyote, 104 pts
4th} Lola, 25 pts

---GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers' Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Bill Auberlen, 141 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[2]Paul Dalla Lana, 141 pts(2 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Bill Lester, 133 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Jordan Taylor, 133 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[5]Dane Cameron, 128 pts
t-5th}[6]James Gue, 128 pts
t-7th}[7]Andrew Davis, 127 pts
t-7th}[8]Leh Keen, 127 pts
t-9th}[9]Oliver Gavin, 126 pts
t-9th}[10]Gunter Schaldach, 126 pts
--Additional Wins: (1)Jan Magnussen & Robin Liddell(1 win), (2)Spencer Pumpelly & Steven Bertheau(1 win)
GT Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Mazda, 148 pts
2nd} Porsche, 147 pts(1 win)
3rd} Chevrolet, 146 pts(2 wins)
4th} BMW, 139 pts(2 wins)
5th} Ferrari, 16 pts
6th} Ford, 12 pts
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The Brothers Taylor On Point For The 6 Hours......

Post by mlittle » Sun Jun 05, 2011 7:41 am

Image

----Ricky and Jordan Taylor led their respective classes Friday in qualifying for the 30th running of the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, becoming the first brothers to win pole positions for both Daytona Prototype and GT classes at the same GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 event.

Ricky Taylor won his second consecutive Daytona Prototype pole, running a lap of 1:40.691 (121.560 mph) in the No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara, while younger brother Jordan took his third career pole and first of the season with a lap of 1:51.939 (109.345 mph) in the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

"It's tremendous, and I can't get my arms around it yet," said their father, racing veteran Wayne Taylor. "They've both won poles in the past, but to get them at the same time - and especially at Watkins Glen. This is such a big event, because they qualified here against the fast guys. This was the first time Ricky's qualified against Scott Pruett - and it's a big thing for him - and it was fantastic for Jordan against the top GT guys."

The SunTrust team is seeking its second-consecutive victory, after winning Monday's Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park in dominating fashion.

Antonio Garcia was second in DP qualifying with a lap of 1:40.909 (121.297 mph), giving the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote co-driven by Paul Edwards its fourth straight front row start.

Scott Pruett qualified third in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley with a lap of 1:41.011 (121.175 mph). He and Memo Rojas are seeking their fourth consecutive victory in the event. Alex Gurney - who joined co-driver Jon Fogarty in winning the 2007 Sahlen's Six Hours - qualified fourth with a lap of 1:41.787 (120.251 mph) in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley.

Jordan Taylor's pole - the first for Autohaus Motorsports - continues a torrid streak for the team which has moved he and co-driver Bill Lester to second in the production-based GT championship. Lester became the first African-American to win in the Rolex Series when the team scored its first victory at Virginia International Raceway last month, followed by a second-place finish Monday at Lime Rock Park. Tom Milner Jr. will join the team for Saturday's Sahlen Six Hours.

Camaros swept the top three positions in GT qualifying. Robin Liddell will join Jordan Taylor on the front row after running a lap of 1:52.189 (109.102 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro co-driven by Ronnie Bremer. Oliver Gavin timed in third fastest with a lap of 1:52.304 (108.990 mph) in the No. 07 The Cool TV/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Camaro co-driven by Gunter Schaldach and Mike Skeen. He will be joined on the second row by Wayne Nonnamaker, who shares the No. 42 Team Sahlen Mazda RX-8 with Memo Gidley.

Eric Curran, who ran 1:53.016 (108.303 mph) in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette co-driven by Boris Said, originally qualified fourth but will start last after his time was disallowed due to an inproper throttle body. Saturday's schedule opens with final practice session at 9:30 a.m. The Sahlen's Six Hours takes the green flag at 1 p.m. ET.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:37 am

(from 4 June 2011)


Image
---Ricky Taylor held off Scott Pruett by 3.839 seconds Saturday to win the 30th Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, ending one winning streak while continuing another. Taylor was joined by Max Angelelli in the No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara, winning his second consecutive Rolex Series race from the pole.

Pruett and Memo Rojas were seeking their fourth consecutive victory in the event - the second-longest race on the GRAND-AM Rolex Series schedule. An off-track excursion by Paul Dalla Lana in the closing minutes led to the fifth and final caution, setting the stage for a three-lap sprint to the checkered flag. Running as the closing driver for the first time with SunTrust Racing, the 21-year-old driver from Apopka, Fla., resident was able to pull away from Pruett to take his third career DP victory - and 17th for Angelelli.

Pruett and Rojas failed to win for the third consecutive event, after the drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley won 12 of 14 races over a two-year stretch. They retained the points lead, while Taylor and Angelelli continued to gain ground by moving up to second, 19 points back (193-174).

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty finished a solid third in the No, 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley, followed by Ozz Negri and John Pew in the No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley.

Leh Keen and Andrew Davis led Brumos Racing to its first victory in the production-based GT class, co-driving the No. 59 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. It was the team's first victory at Watkins Glen since 2003, when David Donohue helped the team win in the debut of the DP class in the Sahlen's Six Hours.

The final caution helped Keen gain nearly a lap on Tommy Milner - co-driving with Jordan Taylor and Bill Lester in the No. 88 Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro - and Jeff Segal, who teamed with Emil Assentato in the No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8.

Milner held off Segal to finish second, allowing GT pole winner Jordan Taylor and Lester to score their third consecutive top-two finish. That boosted Taylor and Lester to a three-point lead in the GT points standings over Keen and Davis (165-162). Dalla Lana and Bill Auberlen held the lead coming into the event but finished 11th in the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3, and are now third in the points.
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 25, 2011 7:48 am

Current Grand-Am Rolex Standings



~~~DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10+)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 193 pts(3 wins)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 193 pts(3 wins)
t-3rd}[3]Max Angelelli, 174 pts(2 wins)
t-3rd}[4]Ricky Taylor, 174 pts(2 wins)
t-5th}[5]Joao Barbosa, 164 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[6]J.C. France, 164 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[7]Terry Borcheller, 164 pts(1 win)
t-8th}[8]David Donohue, 162 pts
t-8th}[9]Darren Law, 162 pts
t-10th}[10]Oswaldo Negri, Jr., 153 pts
t-10th}[11]Alex Gurney, 153 pts
t-10th}[12]John Pew, 153 pts
t-10th}[13]Jon Fogarty, 153 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 193 pts(3 wins)
2nd} Chevrolet, 186 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Porsche, 175 pts(1 win)
4th} Ford, 169 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 204 pts(4 wins)
2nd} Dallara, 175 pts(2 wins)
3rd} Coyote, 127 pts
4th} Lola, 25 pts

~~~GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Bill Lester, 165 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Jordan Taylor, 165 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[3]Andrew Davis, 162 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Leh Keen, 162 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[5]Bill Auberlen, 161 pts(2 wins)
t-5th}[6]Paul Dalla Lana, 161 pts(2 wins)
t-7th}[7]Oliver Gavin, 154 pts
t-7th}[8]Gunter Schaldach, 154 pts
t-9th}[9]Dane Cameron, 151 pts
t-9th}[10]James Gue, 151 pts
GT Manufacturers Standings
1st} Porsche, 182 pts(2 wins)
t-2nd}[2]Chevrolet, 178 pts(2 wins)
t-2nd}[3]Mazda, 178 pts
4th} BMW, 159 pts(2 wins)
5th} Ford, 30 pts
6th} Ferrari, 16 pts
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:09 am

Road America Practice Session #1
note: top-7 overall times listed; practice held under wet & rainy conditions
1st} #57 Stevenson Automotive Camaro GT-R, 2:34.854 sec
2nd} #88 Autohaus Camaro GT-R, 2:38.878 sec
3rd} #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8, 2:43.621 sec
4th} #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, 2:49.358 sec
5th} #69 FXDD-Castrol Mazda RX-8, 2:54.429 sec
(DP)6th} #90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote, 3:00.852 sec
(DP)7th} #61 GAMMA-88 BMW/Riley, 3:01.845 sec


Road America Practice Session #2(DP-GT top-5)
DP-1} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 2:03.132 sec
DP-2} #5 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 2:03.786 sec
DP-3} #77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara, 2:04.839 sec
DP-4} #61 GAMMA-88 BMW/Riley, 2:06.002 sec
DP-5} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 2:06.476 sec

GT-1} #59 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3, 2:15.605 sec
GT-2} #94 Turner Motorsports BMW M3, 2:15.796 sec
GT-3} #88 Autohaus Camaro GT-3, 2:16.117 sec
GT-4} #57 Stevenson Automotive Camaro GT-R, 2:16.359 sec
GT-5} #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8, 2:16.391 sec
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Post by mlittle » Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:22 am

Road America Practice Session #3(DP-GT top-5)
DP-1} #60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 2:03.528 sec
DP-2} #01 Telmex BMW/Riley, 2:04.229 sec
DP-3} #8 Starworks Ford/Riley, 2:04.341 sec
DP-4} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 2:04.373 sec
DP-5} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 2:04.841 sec

GT-1} #67 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3, 2:14.591 sec
GT-2} #42 Sahlen's Mazda RX-8, 2:15.488 sec
GT-3} #31 Whelen Corvette C-6R, 2:15.686 sec
GT-4} #59 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3, 2:15.747 sec
GT-5} #94 Turner Motorsports BMW M3, 2:15.888 sec


Road America Trueman-Akin Practice(DP-GT top-5)
DP-1} #61 GAMMA-88 BMW/Riley, 2:03.984 sec
DP-2} #60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 2:04.492 sec
DP-3} #8 Starworks Ford/Riley, 2:04.840 sec
DP-4} #2 Starworks Ford/Riley, 2:07.987 sec
DP-5} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 2:09.801 sec

GT-1} #07 TheCoolTV Camaro GT-R, 2:16.324 sec
GT-2} #42 Sahlen's Mazda RX-8, 2:17.012 sec
GT-3} #30 Racers' Edge Mazda RX-8, 2:17.065 sec
GT-4} #69 FXDD-Castrol Mazda RX-8, 2:17.660 sec
GT-5} #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, 2:18.137 sec
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