Sunday Group Management

GRAND-AM Cooldown Lap: Barber Motorsports Park

GRAND-AM Cooldown Lap: Barber Motorsports Park

Porsche 250

Rolex Sports Car Series

Saturday, April 6, 2013

The Recap

Max Angelelli took the lead with 45 minutes remaining and held off Alex Gurney for the final 33 laps to win Saturday’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Angelelli was at the wheel of the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP, scoring his 22nd career GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype victory. Angelelli’s co-driver Jordan Taylor won for the first time in DP after scoring two GT victories.

Gurney and pole-winning co-driver Jon Fogarty continued their hot streak in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP, which last won at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas. The pair now trail Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas by two points (93-91), after the drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley finished fourth.

In GT, Robin Liddell held off Alessandro Balzan to win by .733 seconds. Liddell co-drove with pole winner John Edwards in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro. Balzan took over from new co-driver Jeff Westphal in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458.

Dr. Jim Norman took his third consecutive triumph in the new GX class, co-driving with fellow Circuit of The Americas winner Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 38 BGB Porsche Cayman. Both of the new SpeedSource Mazda 6 entries took turns in the lead earlier in the race. Tristan Nunez and Joel Miller finished second in the No. 00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda 6, three laps behind.

The Stats

DP 1st: Jordan Taylor/Max Angelelli, No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP
DP 2nd: Jon Fogarty/Alex Gurney, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP
DP 3rd: Ricky Taylor/Richard Westbrook, No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP

GT 1st: John Edwards/Robin Liddell, No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro
GT 2nd: Jeff Westphal/Alessandro Balzan, No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458

GT 3rd: Boris Said/Eric Curran, No. 31 Whelan/Team Fox Corvette
GX 1st: Jim Norman/Spencer Pumpelly, No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche Cayman
GX 2nd: Tristan Nunez/Joel Miller, No. 00 Visit Florida Racing/SpeedSource Mazda 6
GX 3rd: Tom Long/Sylvain Tremblay, No. 70 Mazdaspeed/SpeedSource Mazda 6
Margin of Victory: 4.116 seconds (DP); .733 seconds (GT); 3 laps (GX)

Average Speed: 96.494 mph (DP); 88.882 mph (GT); 83.639 mph (GX)

Cautions: 1 for 6 laps

The Points (Unofficial)

DP: Memo Rojas/Scott Pruett, 93; Alex Gurney/Jon Fogarty, 91; 53; Max Angelelli/Jordan Taylor, 88; Ryan Dalziel/Alex Popow, 79; Ricky Taylor/Richard Westbrook, 76.
GT: Andy Lally/John Potter, 83; Dion von Moltke, 81; Alessandro Balzan, 80; Emil Assentato/Anthony Lazzaro, 78; Paul Dalla Lana/Bill Auberlen, 77.
GX: Jim Norman, 105; Sylvain Tremblay/Tom Long, 70; Jeff Mosing, 65; Joel Miller/Tristan Nunez, 55

Noteworthy

Ø Joining the race with a multi-lap disadvantage, Brendon Hartley’s strong run went unnoticed as he went on to finish 10th, two laps down. However, the first-year DP driver had his second consecutive solid outing, turning the fastest lap of the race in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley at 103.443 mph/ 1 minute, 20.044 seconds. Hartley came within 15 minutes of winning at Circuit of The Americas before making contact with a GT car.

Ø Ozz Negri missed his first race since Phoenix in 2006 due to scheduled surgery to repair a fractured non-stress-bearing leg bone from an off-season mountain bike injury. Negri managed to drive in both the Rolex 24 At Daytona and Circuit of The Americas, but the bone was not healing as well as hoped, necessitating the surgery. Negri will also sit out the next race at Road Atlanta, but plans to be back behind the wheel of the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley at Detroit. Michael Valiante is co-driving with John Pew in both races that Negri misses.

Ø APR Motorsport – GRAND-AM’s lone Alabama-based team, had hoped to race the No. 52 Audi R8 in its home race. However, sponsorship issues forced the team to withdraw its entry. APR – which finished second with the Audi in both the 2012 Lime Rock season finale and 2013 season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona – hopes to have the car back in action for the next round at Road Atlanta.

Ø Rossella Manfrinato was on hand providing technical support for the Ferrari teams in the GT class. One of the first female engineers in sports car racing, the native of Milan, Italy’s resume includes working in IndyCar, Indy Lights, Star Mazda, ALMS, USRRC and working with Phil Creighton Motorsports in GRAND-AM’s inaugural 2000 season. While best known for her engineering, she also raced in Formula Ford 2000 – winning a pair of South East Division national championships – C Sports Racing and earned her license in Indy Lights.

The Numbers:

Ø 7 – DP lead changes among six cars and eight drivers
Ø 8 – GT laps led by Dion von Moltke in the No. 18 Muehlner Motorsports Porsche GT3
Ø 9 – GT lead changes among five cars and six drivers
Ø 11 – DPs finishing on lead lap
Ø 38 – DP laps led by the No. 10 Corvette DP (33 for Max Angelelli, five for Jordan Taylor)
Ø 94.873 – Speed in MPH of Bill Auberlen’s fastest GT race lap

Quoteboard:

Ø “For me, from my side it was kind of easy because I only had to maintain the gap, looking after the tires, so I was really babysitting the tires all along. And the car was great. Jordan (Taylor) allowed me to have such a race, an easy race, because he put the car in such a good position ahead of the 99, and that really helped. And on top of that, the team really made a good call, and I’ve thought about it. I was the one pushing the team for only a one-stop race, but as usual they didn’t listen to me. So, we won the race.” Max Angelelli, No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP

Ø “A couple of times I could get close – depending on traffic. We were pretty good, so I can’t complain. It’s a good points day. I ran out of fuel towards the end, so I backed off and cruised around the last two or three laps.” Alex Gurney, No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP

Ø “I was under a lot of pressure today, because the Ferrari was a wee bit faster. Really, the key was the second pit stop, and getting back out ahead of the Ferrari. From there, I managed to hang on. The track is really improved. The fall-off on the tires is really reduced than it was here before.” John Edwards, No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro

Ø “My first five laps were quite difficult – never having driven a dry lap at Barber before today’s race. To get to one second of the fast drivers is not that difficult – to cut down that last second is very hard. I spent a bit of time following behind Robin [Liddell] and learning his lines. Then I started learning lines that would work better with the Ferrari. I could really understand the track during the last 20 minutes. We have a fast car, and I’m very happy with the team. We’re going to go after the victory at Road Atlanta.” Alessandro Balzan, No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458.

Ø “We were quicker today than in Austin, and the team has made huge progress. I was able to push every single lap. Our only problem was with the fuel line – nothing to do with the SKYACTIV Diesel.” Joel Miller, No. 00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda 6

Ø “Even though it was only practice, being No. 1 in a session was very encouraging for the team. [The Rolex 24 At] Daytona was very difficult for us, being a new team and only taking possession of the car five weeks before the race. It’s a new team, new car, new drivers and new crew, but everyone’s been working very hard. Now we are going faster. We were fastest in a wet situation. Now, we want to be fast in the dry, for sure. Being on top – even for practice – is very encouraging.” Stephane Sarrazin, No. 3 8Star Motorsports Corvette DP, fastest in Friday morning’s final Rolex Series practice session held in damp conditions.

Ø “I can’t tell you how exciting it is to represent Mazda and SpeedSource in the new GX class. Every time out, the car has improved by leaps and bounds – and that’s all due to their hard work. Sure, it was tough at first, especially in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but even though the results weren’t there at Austin, it was a very incredible feeling because of how much better the car was. I’m very confident that by the end of the year we will have a very reliable, competitive package.” Tom Long, No. 70 Mazdaspeed SpeedSource Mazda 6, after winning the first pole for Mazda in the GX class.

Coming Up:

Round 4 of the 2013 Rolex Sports Car Series season will be GRAND-AM Road Racing’s first visit to Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on Saturday, April 20. (SPEED, live).

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

CHEVY INDYCAR AT BARBER MOTORSPORTS PARK: James Hinchliffe Press Conf. Transcript

JAMES HINCHCLIFFE, NO. 27 GODADDY.COM ANDRETTI AUTOSPORT CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Barber Motorsports Park and discussed celebrating his first win at St. Pete, his emotions after his first win, his outlook for Barber this weekend, and much more. Full transcript.

HOW DID YOU CELEBRATE YOUR FIRST WIN? “I had to be a bit reserved since my wonderful PR booked 8 o’clock phone interviews for Monday morning. (LAUGHED) There was a bit of a get-together on Sunday night. Sebastien Bourdais had planned a place and a lot of drivers showed up and lot of the crews actually got their flights cancelled because of snow in Indy so it was nice. A lot more people than originally planned got to be around Sunday night and got to catch up with some people. It was good. It was low-key, but it was good.”

TALK ABOUT YOUR OUTLOOK FOR THIS WEEKEND HERE AT BARBER. “We’re looking forward to a good weekend. Obviously, the test went well for the Go Daddy car. We were P2 and had a strong car last year as well. The race didn’t go the way that we wanted but we had certainly had the pace in qualifying. We can expect more of the same here this weekend. It’s going to be a little bit different. We have a new red (alternate) compound tire that we haven’t tried before, again, kind of a similar situation to St. Pete. It’s a bunch of question marks in some respect with the diamond grinding that they’ve done to the track as well. From the test and from last year, history would say that we should be competitive, and hopefully, I can put it all together in qualifying because that’s going to be key this weekend.”

ABOUT THE ADDED PRESSURE TO REPEAT. “I think some respects, yes, (there is added pressure). If anything, the external pressure has come down a little bit, but now my internal expectations have gone up because it’s easy for people on the outside to say, ‘When are you going to win? When are you going to get that first one.’ Whereas I know how hard it is to win at this level and how competitive the field is. Now that I’ve won a race, that question isn’t being asked externally anymore and I think to myself, ‘I’ve done it. I still know how hard it is and it’s just as hard as it was before, but now I know I can do it, I want to do it again.’ Luckily I’m, obviously, with a great team and I think we’re going to find ourselves in a position to battle for more wins this season. At the end of the day, it took my 32 tries to get the first one. Hopefully it won’t take 32 to get the next one. But you never know. It’s a very competitive series.”

ABOUT THE TEAM REACTION, ARE TEAMMATES RUNNING TO YOU FOR ADVICE? “We’re only one race into the season. It’s not quite there yet. We’ve all worked so well together. Marco (Andretti), Ryan (Hunter-Reay) and I last year and adding E.J. (Viso) this year has been a seamless transition this year. Everybody had a competitive car at St. Pete until Ryan had his troubles and E.J. bouncing back from his mishap on Saturday. It’s so very much a team effort. Everybody is taking elements from each other’s setups and that’s why everyone is running so competitively.”

WHERE DO YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD AT BARBER? “It’s a tough thing to nail down. This track requires such a compromise in setup. Obviously, anywhere, you want to secure a rear on entry, but with the long duration corners here, that can bring in a tremendous amount of understeer, which a lot of drivers hate. You have to find this balance in the setup between having a car you’re comfortable with at turn in but you’re not mowing the walls down on exit with understeer. Some guys can deal with one or the other better than others. Obviously it’s a fast, flowing track. You need subtle, smooth inputs guys that are more aggressive in their inputs struggle here more so than a street circuit. I can’t say what it is that Ryan likes or dislikes about this place. He’s the champion and he’ll figure it out and hopefully we’ll all be up front.”

WHERE DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU CAN FIND TIME? “I’m still looking for time in Turn 2 and 3 and a little bit in Turn 8 as well. That’s never been a corner in Lights or anything here that I’ve loved. I’m trying really hard to fix that. We made some gains in the test, but looking at where Mr. (Will) Power is quick, there’s definitely time in (Turns) 2 and 3.”

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO UNSEAT PENSKE HERE? “Well the Penske guys have done a tremendous job in the offseason and got a handle on the new tires very well. If you look at St. Pete, there’s no doubt that they were the quickest car and we put together a better Sunday. I think we aren’t going to lie to ourselves and say we were the best in every category last race. We know there are still areas where we can improve. If you look at the test, both Penske cars were incredibly quick. We need to buckle down and I think having that win under our belts does give us a little bit more confidence that if we’re in that position near the end of the race that we know how to seal the deal and bring it home. Hopefully, we find ourselves in that position and see if that confidence does help.”

WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO BEAT WILL POWER? “I was asked that question before St. Pete and my answer was, “I think I might have to pee in his gas tank.” Luckily, I didn’t have to do that and it worked in our favor. It’s going to be incredibly difficult. He’s been incredibly quick here every year. Even when he had bad luck and started mid-field, he still managed to find his way to the front. We just need to the best job that we can do and at the end of the day, minimize mistakes just because that’s where this team has been strong. If you look at last year, some of Ryan’s victory didn’t come with the quickest car. They came with the best Sunday by running mistake-free races. That’s setup. That’s driving. That’s strategy calls. That’s pit stops and that’s where this team really excels. If we keep making the car better and closing that gap to Penske, topped off with the way we run on Sundays, we’re going to be strong by the end of the year.”

WHAT WERE THE EMOTIONS OF YOUR FIRST WIN? “Tough to describe. When I came off the last corner and was coming to the line, and first the first accepted it was going to happen, I had the same feeling you get where you’re winning a race. It’s that thrill of the moment adrenaline rush and screaming in the helmet. And then when I crossed the line, I was overwhelmed with emotions and spent a good chunk of the cool-down lap bawling my eyes out. It’s tough to admit, but it’s the truth. It was the culmination of a very long journey that me and my family and the people who supported me have been on for the last 17 years. To do it the way we did it and where we did it. There were a lot of things that added up to being a very emotional and special day.”
Connect with Team Chevy on social media. Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TeamChevy, follow us on Twitter@TeamChevy, and add +TeamChevy into your Google+ circles.

Team Chevy racing photos are available at:
About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4.5 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design, and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

REVISED: Fogarty Shatters Track Record En Route To TOTAL Pole Award At Barber

Editor’s Note: Corrected lap time of pole winner in second paragraph

Fogarty Shatters Track Record En Route To TOTAL Pole Award At Barber

Edwards Fastest As GM Cars Take 1-2 In GT Session

Espenlaub Takes First Pole In 11 Years In CTSCC Qualifying

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (April 5, 2013) – Another race, another TOTAL Pole Award for Jon Fogarty, who extended his GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series record to 25 poles in Friday’s qualifying for the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park.

For the second straight event, Fogarty waited until the final minute of the 15-minute Daytona Prototype session before unleashing the power of the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP. The “Red Dragon” responded with a track-record lap of 104.878 mph/1 minute, 18.949 seconds. It was Fogarty’s third pole at Barber, and fourth for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing at the circuit. Co-driver Alex Gurney won his first career pole at the scenic 2.3-mile layout in 2005 in only his second DP race.

“We’ve done our homework and came to a setup that works around here,” said Fogarty, who won the pole before joining Gurney to win for the first time since 2011 in the most recent Rolex Series race in Austin, Texas. “Stoking the fire at Circuit of The Americas was great for the team, and we want to try to move forward from there. We’d love to have another win here, for sure.”

Fogarty exchanged the pole with brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor throughout the session, with all three eclipsing Ricky Taylor’s 2010 track DP record.

Ricky Taylor, who was trying to extend Spirit of Daytona’s three-year Barber pole streak to three years in the No. 90 Corvette DP co-driven by Richard Westbrook, was second with a lap of 104.623 mph/1:19.141. Jordan Taylor took third in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP he shares with Max Angelelli, 104.552 mph/1:19.195.

Point leader Memo Rojas – looking to join Scott Pruett in winning a fourth consecutive DP championship – qualified fourth in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley, 103.947 mph/1:18.656.

The GT class will also have an all-GM front row, with the lone Chevrolet competitors in the class eclipsing the three-year old track record in the process. John Edwards captured his sixth career pole, running a lap of 95.60 mph/1:26.610 in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro. Boris Said qualified second in the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette, running a lap of 95.527 mph/1:26.677. Both drivers broke Jonathan Bomarito’s GT track record, which was set in 2010 in the SpeedSource Mazda RX-8.

Tom Long gave the new Mazda 6 its first pole in the new GX class, running a lap of 89.965 mph/1:32.036 in the No. 70 Mazdaspeed/Castrol entry co-driven by Sylvain Tremblay.

Charles Espenlaub led a group of 10 drivers eclipsing the existing Grand Sport track record in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge qualifying. Espenlaub ran a lap of 87.570 mph/1:34.553 in the No. 48 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3. It was his second career pole in the series, with the Floridian leading GS II qualifying at Daytona in 2002.

Jade Buford’s two-race GS pole streak was halted, with the driver of the No. 55 Multimatic Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage qualifying second.

Kyle Gimple was awarded the Street Tuner pole by virtue of leading the point standings when the ST session was black flagged before competitors completed a full lap. Adam Isman (No. 63 BMW 128i)went off straight at the exit of Turn 5 and came to a stop atop the guardrail. The driver of the No. 63 Mitchum Motorsports BMW 328i was evaluated and released from the infield care center.

The Porsche 250 takes the green flag at 1:45 p.m. ET on Saturday at 11 a.m. (SPEED, April 7, 5:30 p.m. ET), followed by the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge at 3 p.m. (SPEED, April 13, 2 p.m. ET).

barber13_qual-release_REVISED.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

GRAND-AM News And Notes: Barber Motorsports Park

Fast Facts

GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
The Race: Porsche 250

The Place: Barber Motorsports Park
The Date/Time: Saturday, 1:45 p.m. ET

TV: SPEED – Sunday, 5:30 p.m. ET

Radio: MRN, 1:30 p.m. ET (local affiliate WYDE 1260 AM)

Race Length: 2 hours

GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge

The Race: Barber 200

The Place: Barber Motorsports Park
The Date/Time: Saturday, 5 p.m. ET

TV: SPEED – April 13, 2 p.m. ET

Race Length: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Corvette DP, Spirit of Daytona Return To Site Of First Win

Barber Motorsports Park was a breakthrough track for both the Corvette DP and Spirit of Daytona Racing in 2012. One year after earning their first wins at the 2.3-mile road course, both are considered favorites again for Saturday’s Porsche 250.
The Corvette DP – the first manufacturer-specific Daytona Prototype – had major fanfare for its reception on the eve of last year’s season. While the best finish for the new car was fifth in its debut race five months earlier, Corvette DPs swept the top two positions at Barber Motorsports Park – the first of eight victories en route to Chevrolet capturing the DP engine manufacturer title.
Richard Westbrook and Antonio Garcia gave Spirit of Daytona its first DP victory – and first of three in 2012. Westbrook won his first DP pole position – one year after Garcia gave the team its first DP pole, also at Barber.
“Spirit of Daytona has a magic sauce here, based off what they’ve done here the last few years,” said Alex Gurney, a two-time Porsche 250 winner who joined Jon Fogarty in finishing second, 2.326 seconds behind the winners. “We tried real hard to find their secret, but we’re only about halfway there.”
Westbrook has a new teammate in 2013, with Ricky Taylor now co-driving the No. 90 VisitFlorida.com/Go-Pro Corvette DP. Taylor is the DP track record holder, with his pole-winning lap of 1:19.624 (103.989 mph) from 2010.
“We always seem to have a great car at Barber so we’re all eager to get going this weekend,” said Spirit of Daytona team owner Troy Flis. “We are hoping to consistently be in the hunt for all the races. We just want to get some momentum going in the points and hopefully we can kind of kick start that this weekend.”

GAINSCO Racing Ends Dry Spell At COTA, Second In DP Points

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty ended a dry spell dating back to August, 2011 by winning the most recent Rolex Series race at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas.
Now, the drivers of the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP return to a track where they have enjoyed plenty of success.
The GAINSCO team had a breakthrough outing at Barber Motorsports Park in 2005, when Gurney – then co-driving with team owner Bob Stallings – captured his first DP pole in only his third GRAND-AM race. Gurney and Fogarty won at Barber in 2007 and 2009, and went on to capture the DP championship both times.
Currently the longest-running driver pairing in the Rolex Series, Gurney and Fogarty have been driving together for GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing since mid-2006 – sharing the No. 99 DP for 89 of the team’s 102 races. They have co-driven to 16 DP victories. Fogarty also was fastest qualifier for the Austin event, extending his series record to 24 pole positions.
“Barber is a very unique track where finding the right car setup for its undulating hills and drop-offs is always tricky,” Gurney said. “We feel we’ve got a big book of knowledge built up over all our races there and we think we should be very strong.”
The team GAINSCO is chasing in the points — TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates — is no stranger to success at Barber either. Co-drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas have won more races at Barber (three) than any other team and are coming off a win and third-place finish in the first two events of the 2013 season.
The two-hour race on the 17-turn, 2.3-mile Barber circuit will begin at 1:45 p.m. ET on Saturday. The event will be televised on SPEED on Sunday, beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Pruett, Rojas Rally For Podium Finish In Texas, Lead In Quest For Fourth Straight Title

Capturing a major championship typically involves winning races and scoring consistent finishes in addition to having a bit of good luck thrown into the mix. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas have experienced all three already this season in their bid for a fourth consecutive Daytona Prototype title.
The drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley opened the year with a victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Then it was on to Austin, Texas, where Rojas opened the race with a solid double stint, leading a race-high 33 laps. Shortly after Pruett took over, he had contact with Max Angelelli’s No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP, shearing off the front nose. While Pruett fell to 10th, he got a little luck with a caution flag as he was preparing to pit. Able to stay in contention, Pruett battled back to finish third.
After two of 12 races, Pruett and Rojas now lead the championship by six points (65-59) over Austin winners Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty.
Pruett and Rojas teamed to win the 2008 DP title. After finishing second in 2009, the drivers of the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley won the next three titles. Pruett leads the series with 40 victories, followed by Rojas with 26.
The duo has three victories at Barber Motorsports Park, including consecutive wins in 2010 and 2011.

Negri To Miss Next Two Events For Michael Shank Racing, Valiante To Team With Pew

Michael Shank Racing announced last week that Ozz Negri will miss the next two rounds of GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series competition as he continues his recovery from a leg injury. In his place Michael Valiante who raced with the team in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona will co-drive with John Pew.

Valiante has experience driving with both Michael Shank Racing and Pew, co-driving with Pew in the full 2009 season.
“We are lucky to have Michael available to step in, and a huge thanks to John for being flexible with the situation,” said team owner Mike Shank. “The good thing is that John and Michael have so much experience working together, so we are fortunate to have a good solution to a really tough situation.”
Valiante has earned victories in both the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and has competed in at least one event every year since 2005. One year ago, he pulled off an impressive double victory at Mid-Ohio, winning the Rolex Series race for Spirit of Daytona and CTSCC race for HART on the same day.
Since participating in the first-ever Daytona Prototype race in 2003, Negri has made 113 Rolex Series starts winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Michael Shank Racing in 2012.
“This is one of the hardest things I’ve had to deal with — just the idea of not being able to be in the car is so tough,” said Negri. I’m eager to get going already, and will be working hard to be back and better than ever in Detroit.”

Westphal Joins Scuderia Corsa Lineup For Rest Of Season

Jeff Westphal will join Alessandro Balzan in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 for the remainder of the season, beginning this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park. Westphal has made a handful of starts in both the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge with a career-best finish of fourth coming at Miller Motorsports Park in 2009.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to drive the No. 63 after working with Scuderia Corsa and Ferrari for over a year,” Westphal said. “The remaining races encompass quite the challenge with world-class facilities, events and tracks that I cannot wait to see again from behind the wheel.”

Rolex Series, Etc

* Hartley’s Heartbreak: Brendon Hartley broke onto the Rolex Series scene at Circuit of The Americas driving the No. 8 Starworks Ford/Riley from one lap down to the lead before contact with a GT car in the final 20 minutes took him out of the race. The Formula One simulator driver for Mercedes AMG returns this weekend with Starworks and co-driver Scott Mayer.

* Von Moltke Teams With Muehlner: Dion von Moltke will team with Eduardo Costabal this weekend in the No. 18 Porsche for Muehlner Motorsports. Von Moltke is second in GT points.

Play Ball: CJ Wilson Racing Breaks Through For First Victory

The Major League Baseball season may have started this week, but for Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim pitcher and avid racing enthusiast CJ Wilson, his first “regular season” win of the year came during Spring Training.
Wilson — who owns a pair of Mazda MX-5s in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge — enjoyed his most successful weekend as a CTSCC team owner at Circuit of The Americas in March while the All-Star pitcher was busy preparing for the 2013 baseball season. A dominant two-car effort gave CJ Wilson Racing both its first series pole and victory as the Texas-based team won in its home event.
Chad McCumbee,who is recognized for his role as Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the movie 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story gave the team its first pole in the No. 3 Mazda MX-5 while the No. 5 Mazda MX-5, driven by Stevan McAleer and Marc Millerwent on to win the race.
This weekend CJ Wilson Racing hopes to make it two-in-a-row at Barber Motorsports Park where the team nearly pulled off an upset victory on a pitstop gamble with severe weather approaching. McCumbee and co-driver Jason Saini finished fourth in that event one year ago.

APR Motorsport Has One Goal: Pick Up Win In Home Event

The APR Motorsport team will be bringing more than a pair of Volkswagen Jettas on the 100-mile haul from its shop in Opelika up Route 280 to Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham.
Alabama’s lone GRAND-AM team will also bring along several hundred guests for its home race.
Ian Baas and Mikey Taylor will share the No. 171 APR Tuned/Mutul/Rays Wheels Volkswagen Jetta, with Aleks Altberg and Chris Lock in the No. 181 Jetta.
The racing arm of APR, LLC – which specializes in providing high-quality and highly engineered aftermarket performance products for Porsche, Audi and VW vehicles – the team has been competing in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge since 2008.
The team also ran a full season with the new Audi in the Rolex Series GT class in 2012, finishing second in the season finale at Lime Rock Park. Partnering with Audi Sport Customer Racing, APR finished second in GT in the 2013 Rolex 24 At Daytona, with Baas, Frank Stippler, Marc Basseng and Rene Rast co-driving the No. 52 Audi.

CTSCC, Etc.

* Rum Bum Racing, BGB Motorsports Renew GS Rivalry: Rum Bum Racing and BGB Motorsports spent much of the 2012 season going head-to-head for the GS championship. While Rum Bum Racing won five of 10 races, consistency kept BGB in the title hunt. When all was said and done Rum Bum won the team championship while BGB drivers David Empringham and John Farano won the driver championship. Two races into the 2013 season the two title contenders are picking up right where they left off with Rum Bum holding a six-point lead over the No. 38 BGB Porsche. Both teams ran well at Barber one year ago with Rum Bum drivers Matt Plumb and Nick Longhi winning the race and BGB finishing fourth.

* Norman Enjoying Dream Season: Dr. Jim Norman has been as hot as any driver over the first two races of the season. In addition to two Rolex Series GX class wins, he finished second in GS at Circuit of The Americas and sits second in GS points.

GRAND-AM, IMSA, DTM Announce Technical License/Cooperation Agreement

GRAND-AM, IMSA, DTM Announce Technical License/Cooperation Agreement
Organizations Aligned Toward Common Goal Of North American Version of DTM

Manufacturer Commitments Key To New Series’ Feasibility

Earliest Possible Start Is 2015 Season

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 26, 2013) – Exploring an opportunity that could additionally change the face, and the future, of road racing, GRAND-AM Road Racing and the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) tonight announced a license and cooperation agreement with the Internationale Tourenwagen-Rennen (ITR e.V.), which administers DTM racing.
The collective goal is a North American version of DTM, the popular German touring car series. Representatives from all three organizations gathered for the announcement during a press conference at the InterContinental New York Times Square Hotel’s Gotham Ballroom, an event highlighted by GRAND-AM founder Jim France and ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht signing the agreement.
The earliest the new series would begin would be 2015, possibly running as part of United SportsCar Racing event weekends. United SportsCar Racing was announced March 14 as the name of the new series resulting from the merger of GRAND-AM and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón. IMSA will serve as the sanctioning body for United SportsCar Racing, which also was announced on March 14.
“On the heels of our United SportsCar Racing and IMSA announcements, reaching this agreement adds to the momentum we’re experiencing right now,” GRAND-AM President and CEO Ed Bennett said.
“The next steps in this process will involve further discussions with various automotive manufacturers, whose commitment to this concept is essential if a North American DTM-style series is to become reality.”
If realized, a North American version of DTM would join the current Europe-based DTM and Japan-based SUPER GT platforms. DTM is administered by ITR e.V., SUPER GT by GT Association (GTA). ITR e.V. and SUPER GT agreed last October to a cooperation starting in 2014.
“The new technical regulations and the formed partnerships represent – for the first time in the history of the sport – a global platform for the manufacturers involved,” said Aufrecht, “a platform offering them the opportunity to race – on the same technical basis and with the best global promoters as guarantee for a competitive and attractive platform – in the core markets of North America, Europe and Asia.
“In addition to the six German and Japanese manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Nissan and Toyota – which are already involved, the new cooperation quite obviously also offers a new and extraordinary field of activity for the American premium manufacturers such as Cadillac, Lincoln or Dodge SRT within the framework of future motorsport programs. Now, we have to inform and thrill them together with our new partner GRAND-AM/IMSA and encourage them to get involved.”
Said GTA Chairman Massaki Bandoh: “The new partnership between the parties will further increase the value of DTM, GRAND-AM, IMSA and SUPER GT. This would be the opening of the doors for globalization of GT/Touring car races. We have to take this opportunity to cooperate with each other.”
European automobile manufacturers responded optimistically to news of the agreement, acknowledging the importance of the U.S. market to their businesses and the direct link DTM-style racing would create with consumers.
“This offers the opportunity to use the Audi RS 5 DTM in a premium race series not only in Europe but in Asia and North America too, in the future,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Audi AG’s Board of Management member, technical development. “For Audi as a globally operating company, this development represents an exciting and interesting option.”
Jens Marquardt, BMW’s motorsport director, said his organization “welcomes the planned cooperation between DTM and GRAND-AM/IMSA. It represents another important step on the way to the internationalisation of DTM. We as BMW are extremely open-minded, regarding these plans. The North American market represents the biggest market area for BMW in general – and the biggest market area for BMW M vehicles, too. BMW has got a great motor-racing tradition in the USA and therefore, we are truly happy about the prospect to also see DTM vehicles racing in the USA, in the future.”
“For Mercedes-Benz, the U.S. represents the biggest market area worldwide,” said Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. “We are particularly delighted about the long-term cooperation deal between DTM and GRAND-AM/IMSA. Thanks to the technical basis agreed upon, we will be offered the opportunity to use our DTM cars to also demonstrate the competitiveness of our brand on U.S./North American race tracks, in the future.”
Sports car racing legend Hans Stuck, now the president of Germany’s motorsports governing body, Deutscher Motor Sport Bund (DMSB), considers the current DTM competitive environment a template for success.
“If you want to hold motor-racing events in car nations such as Germany or the U.S., your grid must feature cars that have what it takes to fascinate the crowds,” Stuck said. “The technical DTM regulations that were developed by DMSB in close cooperation with the car manufacturers involved – Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – combine this guideline with an extremely high safety level that also represents an international benchmark. We are delighted that these regulations will be used not only in Europe, in the future, but also in Japan and the U.S.”
ABOUT GRAND-AM ROAD RACING:
GRAND-AM Road Racing operates and sanctions the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. GRAND-AM also sanctions the Ferrari Challenge in North America. Owned by NASCAR Holdings Inc., GRAND-AM is located in Daytona Beach, Florida. With a racing schedule led by the prestigious season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, GRAND-AM delivers professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. For additional information, please visit www.grand-ammedia.com.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SPORTS ASSOCIATION:
Since its establishment in 1969, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) has conducted hundreds of auto races on a variety of permanent and temporary racing circuits in the United States and Canada. IMSA organizes and officiates professional road racing competitions and is one of the seven member clubs of the Automobile Competition Committee of the United States (ACCUS), which is the FIA sporting association for the United States. As such, IMSA is one of just a few organizations in the U.S. authorized to stage competitions based in the International Sporting Code. Currently IMSA sanctions several professional auto racing series including the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama, Cooper Tires Prototype Lites powered by Mazda, Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Michelin and Lamborghini Super Trofeo. Starting in 2014, IMSA will be the sanctioning body of United SportsCar Racing – the new road-racing series resulting from the merger of ALMS with GRAND-AM Road Racing.
ABOUT DTM:
The magic three letters “DTM” once stood for “Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft” (German Touring Car Championship). Today, they are the trademark of the most popular international touring car racing series, based in Wiesbaden, Germany. Its history began in the 1984 season with cars that were close to the production versions and culminated in

GRAND-AM IMSA DTM_FINAL.pdf

Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media

@sundaygroup
317.908.2975 (m)
www.sundaymanagement.com

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, www.twitter.com/Sundaygroup

Hulman & Company Elects Board Of Directors At Annual Meeting

Note: Corrects year Tony George resigned from board to 2012. For Immediate Release HULMAN & COMPANY ELECTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT ANNUAL MEETING TERRE HAUTE, Ind., Friday, March 22, 2013 – The Hulman & Company board of directors concluded its annual Hulman-George family shareholders’ meeting and elected its board of directors, company officials announced Friday, March 22. The shareholders re-elected all 10 members who served the most recent term on the board with the addition of Anton "Tony" H. George, who previously has served on the board. In addition to George, Hulman & Company board members re-elected include John F. Ackerman, Jeffrey G. Belskus, Mari Hulman George, Nancy L. George, M. Josephine George, Katherine M. George-Conforti, Andre B. Lacy, Mark D. Miles, James T. Morris and Michael L. Smith. Tony George resigned from the Hulman & Company board in October 2012 due to an appearance of a conflict of interest. Now that the appearance of conflict no longer exists, the shareholders have re-elected him to the board. With the exception of Hulman & Company Chief Executive Officer Miles and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President and Chief Executive Officer Belskus, the board members have no day-to-day management duties with Hulman & Company. About Hulman & Company Founded in 1850 and headquartered in Terre Haute, Ind., Hulman & Company has owned and operated numerous businesses over the last century-and-a-half. Hulman & Company’s current holdings include Clabber Girl Corporation, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation and its affiliated companies, including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC, INDYCAR and IMS Productions. …HC2013-001…

Nick Fry steps down as CEO of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

Sepang – 22/03/2013 NICK FRY STEPS DOWN AS CEO OF MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One team today announced that Nick Fry, the team’s Chief Executive Officer, will step down from his current position at the beginning of April. He will continue to assist the team’s commercial operations as a consultant until at least the end of 2014. Toto Wolff, the team’s new Executive Director and 30 per cent shareholder, will therefore take a greater role in the day-to-day running of the team alongside Team Principal Ross Brawn, assuming the areas of responsibility previously held by Nick. "I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with our team for the last 11 years and remain extremely proud of the fact that we took the team to its first race win and especially the double World Championship in 2009. Equally important is the success of our commercial activities as we have managed to gain the support of some of the most important companies in the world, thereby building a strong foundation for the future success of the team," said Nick Fry. "I believe that MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS offers the best sponsorship proposition in Formula One and I look forward to continuing to assist the team and its partners over the coming years." "I would like to thank Nick for more than ten years of service to the team in Brackley," commented Toto Wolff. "MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS enjoys a strong network of global, blue-chip partners who want to be associated with Mercedes-Benz in Formula One and we will work hard to retain our loyal partners while also attracting new names to the sport in the future. I am pleased that Nick will remain close to the team to support us in achieving these targets." Media Contacts Wolfgang Schattling +49 711 17 84008 Bradley Lord +49 711 17 84012 Nicola Armstrong +44 779 38 44549

About Daimler Daimler AG is one of the world’s most successful automotive companies. With its divisions Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses and Daimler Financial Services, the Daimler Group is one of the biggest producers of premium cars and the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles with a global reach. Daimler Financial Services provides financing, leasing, fleet management, insurance and innovative mobility services. The company’s founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history with the invention of the automobile in the year 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler continues to shape the future of mobility today: The Group’s focus is on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior automobiles that appeal to and fascinate its customers. For many years now, Daimler has been investing continually in the development of alternative drive systems with the goal of making emission-free driving possible in the long term. So in addition to vehicles with hybrid drive, Daimler now has the broadest range of locally emission-free electric vehicles powered by batteries and fuel cells. This is just one example of how Daimler willingly accepts the challenge of meeting its responsibility towards society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly all the countries of the world and has production facilities on five continents. Its current brand portfolio includes, in addition to the world’s most valuable premium automotive brand, Mercedes-Benz, the brands smart, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, Fuso, Setra and Thomas Built Buses. The company is listed on the stock exchanges of Frankfurt and Stuttgart (stock exchange symbol DAI). In 2012, the Group sold 2.2 million vehicles and employed a workforce of 275,000 people; revenue totaled EUR 114.3 billion and EBIT amounted to EUR 8.6 billion.

NICK FRY STEPS DOWN AS CEO OF MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS.pdf

CHEVY INDYCAR AT ST. PETERSBURG: Chevrolet IndyCar V6 Ready for 2013 Season-Opening Race on the Streets of St. Petersburg​

@sundaygroup

FAST FACTS: ST. PETERSBURG 100

Note: Official entry list for the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is attached to this e-mail as a Microsoft Word and Adobe PDF. If you can’t open the attachments, all files are available at media.indycar.com

FAST FACTS: ST. PETERSBURG 100

2013 FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS SEASON STARTS

ON STREETS OF ST. PETE

At-Track Schedule (all times local):

Friday, March 22

10:10-10:55 a.m. Firestone Indy Lights practice

1:40-2:25 p.m. Firestone Indy Lights practice

Saturday, March 23

9:25 to 10:10 a.m. Firestone Indy Lights Sunoco Pole Qualifying (All cars/45 minutes)

3:40 p.m. Firestone Indy Lights St. Petersburg 100 (45 laps/81.45 miles)

(Taped, 11 a.m. March 24, NBC Sports Network)

***

The 2013 IZOD IndyCar Series season opens with the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg March 24 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla. The race will be televised live at noon (ET) by the NBC Sports Network (Verizon FiOS 90/590, DirecTV 220, DISH 159 and AT&T UVerse 640) and broadcast by the IMS Radio Network, on SiriusXM (Channel 211) and www.indycar.com. The 2013 Firestone Indy Lights season begins March 23 on the streets of St. Petersburg. The race will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network at 11 a.m. (ET) on March 24, immediately preceding the IZOD IndyCar Series race broadcast.

********************
********************
This message may contain confidential information intended only for the named addressee(s). If that is not you, please notify the sender, delete it and do not read, print, disclose, copy, forward or otherwise act upon it. The company is not responsible for any loss/damage arising from any virus/error associated with this transmission. This exchange does not constitute a contract, even if the name and title of the sender is included in a signature block.
********************
********************

STP FIL Entry List.pdf

STP FIL Entry List.doc

“The Hues of Horsepower: Images of Endurance Racing at Daytona”

"The Hues of Horsepower: Images of Endurance Racing at Daytona"

www.wesduenkel.com/


www.lanemotormuseum.org

Nashville, Tennessee (15 March 2013) – Noted motorsports photographer Wes Duenkel has made a career of capturing the effort and passion that goes into Sports Car racing, and the wrencher-turned-photographer will see his own efforts recognized starting this weekend as a selection of Duenkel’s work will be on display at the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville, beginning March 16, 2013.

Frequently dispatched to tracks across the continent to photograph for both private clients as well as a range of publications, Duenkel’s often stunning images have established him as an innovator. The savvy shooter is able to demonstrate the motion and emotion that goes into motorsport as well as convey the narrative of a race weekend.

The exhibition, which is entitled “Hues of Horsepower: Images of Endurance Racing at Daytona,” will feature 12 of Duenkel’s photos. He will speak about the images and his motorsports photography career at the museum’s "Vroom… Start Your Engines" event on March 16 at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
Duenkel, a Goodlettsville, Tennessee resident, is a long-time fan of the museum and is thrilled to display his work at the popular Nashville landmark.

“Most of my work has been in GRAND-AM, and in addition to covering each event for StangTV.com (a go-to source for Mustang news), I provide images to several teams and corporate clients involved in the series,” says Duenkel, who has been traveling the sports car racing circuit for over six years.

“I find the ‘traveling circus’ of the racing world addictive. One of my favorite times to photograph is after the track has gone quiet, and the warm glow of dusk settles on the paddock. People think of the race track being a loud place, but when the cars are not on track, there are a lot of subtle sounds that I really appreciate–people laughing, impact guns clattering, generators humming. Mechanics change brake pads, adjust wheel alignment, and glue lug nuts to wheels. Drivers study data to turn the faster laps. Everyone wants to taste the champagne on race day and it is a great time to capture the personalities that pour their hearts into their jobs.”

Lane Motor Museum is well-known in Nashville and specializes in highly-unique, European cars that are rarely seen stateside. The goal of the organization is to share in the mission of collecting and preserving automotive history for future generations. With over 300 vehicles in its collection, Lane Motor Museum rotates its collection on a regular basis to keep the exhibit floor fresh for returning guests.

Both new and returning guests alike will have the opportunity to view some of Duenkel’s striking images which will be displayed from now until February 2014.

“A race team member will often ask me, “Why are your photos so crisp, clear, and colorful?” offered Duenkel. “It’s a good question, and not easy to answer. I used to engage a long explanation of the incremental benefits of focal lengths, apertures, file formats, and equipment quality. But now, instead of watching their eyes glaze over, I relate it to the question, ‘Why is your racecar so quick?’”

Duenkel’s work has been showcased in a range of national publications including Jetset Magazine, Ford’s 2013 Mustang GT500 posters and calendar, Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, 5.0 Mustang Magazine, and Powerblock Magazine among many others.

###

Contact:

WesFinalRelease.pdf