Suntrust Racing out to return to the top at Laguna
Suntrust
TRG
AIM Autosport
Southard
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Suntrust
MONTEREY, Calif. (May 13, 2008) -- A year ago this weekend, the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Daytona Prototype team of Wayne Taylor Racing arrived at scenic Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca as the defending race-winner, fresh off its first of two Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series victories of 2007 and with a somewhat comfortable 11-point lead in the championship standings.
What a difference a year makes as the SunTrust team and its fellow Rolex Series competitors return to the 2.238-mile, 11-turn hillside road circuit for Saturday's RumBum.com 250.
As is the case every racing weekend, SunTrust drivers Max Angelelli and Michael Valiante plan to wage a full-scale assault on a return trip to victory lane Saturday afternoon. They'll arrive on the central California coast equipped with the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara chassis that, still in its relative infancy, has already proven to be a front-runner and potential race-winner after qualifying on the front row twice in the first three outings of its racing existence -- including starting from the pole at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) near Alton three weekends ago -- and has already led 28 laps in the process.
But, as has never been the case during the four-plus seasons of Rolex Series racing history recorded by the championship-winning SunTrust Racing program, Angelelli, Valiante and Company find themselves in a highly uncharacteristic 13th place in the team standings, a hefty 67 points behind the championship-leading No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates entry of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, who are already three-time race winners through four events this season. Three racing mishaps in three consecutive races at Homestead, Fla., Mexico City and VIR have sidetracked what began with a solid fifth-place run at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in the SunTrust team's annual pursuit of the Rolex Series championship.
In its 56 previous event weekends since joining the Rolex Series in 2004, SunTrust Racing has arrived at a race track no worse than third in points on 45 occasions, including 37 times in the top-two, and 17 times with the point lead in-hand.
Fear not, says team owner Wayne Taylor, who co-drove with Angelelli to the 2005 series championship and who has never seen SunTrust finish outside the top-three in the season-ending points. Despite being faced with having to outscore its fiercest rival by almost seven points a weekend over the final 10 races of 2008, Taylor knows all too well that, in racing, all things are possible. And digging out of such deep holes in the standings are the very challenges on which the most steadfast of championship teams thrive.
As the team sets up shop at Laguna Seca this weekend, more so than ever before the current focus for the SunTrust team turns to winning races in bulk quantities and not so much on scoring maximum points each time out. There are certainly benefits to that approach, not the least of which are the headlines that accompany each visit to victory lane on the Rolex Series circuit. Without the stress that goes along with trying to stay within striking distance of the season-ending championship on a week-to-week basis, that equates to fun for Angelelli, Valiante and the SunTrust Racing team for the immediate time being. And, if all goes according to plan, there's no telling just how close the No. 10 will be to winning its second Rolex Series title by the season-ending event in the Utah desert.
Practice for Saturday's RumBum.com 250 begins Friday morning with Daytona Prototype-class qualifying set for 7:50 p.m. EDT. Saturday's 250-mile (or 2-hour, 45-minute) race begins at 4:45 p.m. with SPEED-TV's next-day delayed broadcast scheduled for noon Sunday. The detailed event schedule, as well as live timing and scoring during all on-track sessions, can be found at www.grand-am.com.
Max Angelelli, co-driver of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara:
Are you looking forward to just tightening your belts and racing to win races in light of the current situation in the championship?
"We will continue to look like a championship team, as we always have, but we will not be conservative at all. Whenever I have had to be conservative on the race track, I always felt like there was all this weight on top of my head. The new car needed to be really good, and it has been really good. It has been frustrating to not be able to really go racing with this car, yet. Especially because Wayne and I worked so long and hard on this deal and the time we spent to make it happen. We still have a lot of work to do, but we will have fun on the race weekends for the rest of the year, for sure."
Have you thought about doing anything to help turn around the team's recent streak of bad racing luck?
"I am not superstitious at all. I really don't believe in luck. I think it has just been an unfortunate turn of events that we got together with these people the last three races. Other than that, I have nothing to say about it. I'm just looking forward. It can be very difficult if you let yourself keep looking back on it. But the way I handle it, I don't think about it. I am only fully concentrating on making our new car go faster. If I start thinking about all that bad stuff, I will lose sleep. And this is not what I want. I just want to think about the next race, how we will make the car go faster, and what strategy we will use to get the best result every single time."
What are your thoughts about the championship chase with 10 races to go?
"As far as I'm concerned, the championship looks more difficult than ever because we're talking about trying to catch a team like Ganassi. If it was any other team, I'd say perhaps it would still be very possible. I do have to say that, in racing, nothing is impossible. So I still have to have some hope that we can still be fighting for the championship at some point.."
Michael Valiante, co-driver of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara:
Are you attacking this weekend at Laguna Seca any differently after three consecutive setbacks on the race track?
"It's always about finishing and winning. Really, the main thing -- the only thing -- I'm looking at is I believe we'll be competitive once again, and finishing is going to be the most important thing we can do. As has been the case all year long, we're looking for another great result this time. We've had speed at every race this year. If we just would've finished those races, we would have had great results. The problems we've had have been out of our control. To be so competitive with a brand new car really goes to show that the SunTrust team and Dallara are such top-notch organizations. Working under those conditions allows us to go out and expect to win races week in and week out."
Looking at the team's latest approach, does it take any of the pressure off of your shoulders for the next 10 events?
"To be honest, it's a huge undertaking to win the championship, especially since we've introduced a new car this year. There are going to be ups and downs whenever you introduce a new car, especially when you haven't had the opportunities to test the car as much as you'd like to. It's unbelievable how this new car has put us in position to dominate and win races right out of the box. Unfortunately, the reason we're so far back in the points has little or nothing to do with the fact this is a new car. Yes, I'm very much looking forward to being able to focus solely on winning races each weekend. Who knows, we might surprise ourselves with where we end up in the championship when it's all over."
Wayne Taylor, owner of the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara team:
What is your overall outlook as the team heads to Laguna Seca this weekend?
"We're extremely excited about going out to Laguna. The guys are more motivated than ever. Clearly, our focus is what it always is and that is to go and win races. Everybody is in that mode and everybody is excited. We've done a little bit of testing between the last race and now. We just can't wait to get there."
How did your testing go, and what did you learn about what to expect at Laguna Seca from the new Dallara?
"It went really well. (Son) Ricky (Taylor) did all the testing for us. I'm not exactly sure what to expect this weekend, though. When we looked at all the tracks that we race at, we always thought the one that's going to be most difficult for this car is probably Laguna. So I think we'll have a really good read after Laguna about where we stand. We've been competitive at all the other tracks so far, so we know the car's good. But Laguna's a totally different package. There are a lot of slow corners and we're not quite sure how the car is on that type of circuit. (Technical director) Travis (Jacobson) and (general manager) Simon (Hodgson) and the guys have been working really hard and I'm sure they'll come up with something that's going to make us just as competitive as we've been at all the other races. There has just been a massive amount of support from Dallara. I can't thank them enough. You've got to remember that everything we're doing is not only for Laguna Seca. All these things we're doing, like the testing that Ricky did with us last week, it's all good data for these races and, more importantly, for Daytona again next year at the 24-hour. This is a long-term program and we are doing a lot of work."
You say you're racing for wins. Isn't racing for wins always the goal?
"There's a fine line between racing for points and racing to win, and our focus in the short term is purely on winning races. We've had two races we haven't finished, already. So, in terms of the championship, we've never been in such a bad position. In the end, you never really know what's going to happen. It's a huge mountain to climb, so at least we can go and try and win races and not worry so much about racing for points."
TRG
TRG Looks to Defend 1-2 Finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca And Home Turf with Five-Car Entry in RumBum.com 250
PETALUMA, Calif. (May 9, 2008) - In the GT class, there is no Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 race closer to home for TRG than next weekend's RumBum.com 250 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
There is also no facility on the 2008 schedule for which TRG owner Kevin Buckler - and many others in the Grand-Am paddock - has as much passion as the picturesque, 2.238-mile, 11-turn permanent road course in Monterey, Calif.
"I'm going back to my roots," said Buckler. "We lived across the street from the track when (wife) Debra and I first moved back to California. It is one of my favorite all-time circuits anywhere in the world. Everybody loves going to Monterey. Everyone has a great time. It's a fantastic place. One of my first-ever races-and I think my first driving school-I did there. I'm really looking forward to returning to the circuit and we've done very well there."
Indeed, the team has done extremely well at Laguna Seca. Last year, the team swept the top-two positions in a standalone GT race, with co-drivers RJ Valentine and Andy Lally taking the victory in the No. 66 Porsche, followed by Ross Smith and Daniel DiLeo in the team's No. 65 machine. The team also finished second with co-drivers Lally and Marc Bunting in the 2006 Rolex Series event.
"We finished first and second there last year and had a great run," Buckler said. "It's just a track that puts a smile on everybody's face, racing there, staying there on the Monterey Peninsula. You see more wives, family and friends being brought to this event than many others because they just like going. We enjoy Laguna Seca like everybody else. I do get to drive down since it's only three hours from home. I really feel like we're going home, because Debra and I started The Racer's Group and TRG there at Laguna Seca Raceway."
TRG has grown immensely since those early days of the team in Monterey, as evidenced by the fact that the team will bring no fewer than five Porsche GT3s to the RumBum.com 250. The team's two full-time entries for the 2008 season are once again entered at Laguna Seca, with co-drivers Bryce Miller and Ted Ballou in the No. 66 Marquis Jet/Mitchell Rubber/Resorts International/IPC/Total Lubricants machine, and Spencer Pumpelly and Tim George Jr. in the No. 67 Monster Cable/944 Magazine/WIN Institute/Gleukos Porsche.
The No. 67 team is currently second in the Rolex Series GT point standings heading into Round 5 of the 13-race championship, just six points behind the class leaders. Pumpelly and George have achieved that status on the strength of podium finishes in three of the first four races this season, including second-place performances in Round 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March and at VIR last month.
The No. 66 team is also a fixture in the top 10 and is currently ranked seventh. Miller and Ballou had their best result of second in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona alongside co-drivers Lally and Richard Westbrook.
Returning to the site of his sweet victory last year, Valentine will pilot the No. 68 CRG/Maxter/Rotax/MBA Group/F1 Air Porsche along with co-driver Bryan Sellers. It will be the fourth start of the season for both drivers, and both have already finished inside the top five.
Returning for their second consecutive Rolex Series race and third of the year are Jim Lowe and Jim Pace in the No. 64 SRS/Globus/Adopt A Pig Porsche for TRG/J Lowe Racing. Lowe and Pace own a best 2008 result of fourth from the Rolex 24, when they shared their No. 64 machine with Valentine, Johannes van Overbeek and Tim Sugden.
For the first time since the Rolex 24, TRG will also field the No. 65 machine, which carries sponsorship from Riegel Tuning, Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing and Total R as well as co-drivers Hima Maher-who drove TRG's No. 63 entry in the Rolex 24-and team newcomer Craig Stanton, who won the 2005 GT driver's championship.
"We'll have five cars and it's a big event for us," Buckler said. "We're debuting our new car with Riegel Tuning and Craig Stanton and Hima Maher. We're working on it right now and we're very excited. We're ready to go."
AIM Autosport
AIM Autosport readies for Grand Am at Laguna Seca
Working towards victory one step at a time
Woodbridge, Ontario (May 12, 2008) - With four races in the book, some strong performances and a mixed bag of results, the AIM Autosport crew is heading to California confident of another good outing for the Exchange Traded Gold #61 Ford Riley. Following two successive front row starts and a consistent run at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) a few weeks ago, everyone under the AIM Autosport tent has a good feeling about their chances for a podium result very soon. The race at Mazda Laguna Seca next week could be that chance.
The race at VIR would be AIM's best finish so far this season -- a sixth place result, but that does not tell the real story. The car was fast all weekend and Brian Frisselle would score the early fastest lap and continue to turn consistent laps through his stint. Brian had also qualified the car to the front row spot.
"The car was on pace right away and we were having a very good run at the front" said AIM Autosport's team manger Ian Willis. "We ran into a couple of problems when Mark (Wilkins) was on track that cost us a couple of positions, but that has helped us further develop race strategy for the future."
Drivers and crew took some time to regroup after the race at VIR and focus forward to the next race in the Rolex Grand Am Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California this weekend.
"Laguna Seca is a very challenging course for the drivers with a combination of some extreme elevation changes and some very fast corners" commented Willis. "Track position is going to be very important as it is a very difficult circuit for passing and this year we will have both DP and GT cars on track together so working traffic will be of paramount importance."
Following back-to-back races in Mexico and Virginia, Frisselle and Wilkins have had a bit of time to reflect on the series so far. Mark has spent time reviewing video of the last race and recently commented, "I made a few mistakes and ended up losing a few positions. I now need to concentrate on how best to approach and work my way through traffic and maintain my pace."
Brian had this to add, "As a team we need to continue what we have been doing all year. "If we all give just one percent more, I believe AIM Autosport will have the breakthrough result we have been trying for."
The action at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca starts Friday (16th) at 10:30 PT (13:30 ET) with a 90-minute practice with qualifying at 16:50 PT (19:50 ET). The race takes place on Saturday (17th) starting at 13:45 PT (16:45 ET). It is schedule to run 250 miles (112 laps) with a time limit of 2 hours, forty-five minutes. The race will be broadcast on Speed TV, Sunday (18th) at 12:00 ET.
Southard
Southard Motorsports Looks to Keep Forward Progress for No. 3 Lexus in Laguna Seca
MONTEREY, Calif., May 12, 2008 - There is a singular mission at Southard Motorsports: keep the No. 3 Southard Motorsports Lexus-Riley at the sharp end of the highly competitive Daytona Prototype (DP) field. Entering Saturday's Rum Bum.com 250 at Raceway Laguna Seca, drivers Bill Lester (Atlanta, Ga.) and Shane Lewis (Jupiter, Fla.) have twice brought home the Powell, Ohio-based machine in the top-10 of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series. The 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course on the Monterey (Calif.) Peninsula is an ideal setting for the Steve and Martha Southard (Powell, Ohio) owned team to keep the program's progress moving forward with the team's first Grand-Am Rolex Series overall victory. Athletically, the track fits the driving style of both the team's drivers. Mechanically, past experience there in many different forms of the sport benefits the team's preparations. Emotionally, the hillside facility holds a special place in the heart of both veteran drivers and the longtime team owners.
The intangible of emotion is often the determining factor in motorsports. For Lewis, the most experienced road racer in the group, Laguna Seca's sweeping corners, elevation changes and the legendary set of turns known as "The Corkscrew" was the site of his first professional race win (Bridgestone Supercar Series, 1994). Lester watched his first pro race in Monterey in 1969 witnessing the ground- pounding rear-engine, Can-Am cars. Steve Southard, now retired from professional driving, brought his Coca-Cola Porsche 935 to the celebrated Monterey Historics in 1998. Like all who drive the course the owner of both TrueChoice Motorsports and PAP-Parts has it forever etched in his memory and his heart.
While emotion may provide that extra tenth needed to win, it is the professional approach of the team that puts the drivers in the position to win. The weekend is about far more than cherished memories. It is about making new ones. Since the season-opening event, the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, Southard Motorsports has shown the strength of its organization. While the intensely contested battle between the top DPs is constantly moving the bar, the Southard effort has been able to gain significantly in 2008. The addition of veteran NASCAR driver Bill Lester to the established potency of Lewis- a multi- time Grand-Am event sanctioned race winner- has given the squad a tough one-two punch that it has lacked in recent seasons. The two drivers ask for a similar setup in the American-built Riley chassis and have been able to get the most from the Lexus V8 mounted just behind their heads. However, the final ingredient to gain those last few critical tenths of a second has been missing. Engineer Buddy Fey and crew chief Rich Howe have spent the last two weeks working with Southard, Lewis and Lester to narrow that speed gap. The program hopes that what they have found will make the difference beginning at the northern California track.
The program suffered from a late race accident, caused by a mechanical failure, at the Rolex 24 At Daytona that dropped them from a top-eight position to a frustrating 17th in class. They rallied at Round Two, in Homestead-Miami (Fla.) to take their first top- 10, ninth, of the year. The back-to-back races at Mexico City and Virginia International Raceway added a 12th and 10th respectively. As it stands, Southard Motorsports is tied for 11th in the team championship just seven points out of the top-ten. Drivers Lewis and Lester are tied for 13th in the driver point chase the same deficit out of the top-10 that the team is.
Steve Southard Owner: "We have had some breaks come our way and we have finished fairly well. There is still room to make improvements to the car and make it faster. We have been just narrowly off the pace and hopefully we can find that time at Laguna."
About his favorite memory at Laguna Seca: "My favorite memory was the first time I came to Laguna in 1998. Porsche was the featured marquee at the Monterey Historics and I brought a 935 to the event. You really need to drive something at speed on the track to fully appreciate this place. The people and the fans are really great on the Peninsula." About his unique method of travel to Laguna Seca: "Martha and I took a different route to Laguna as we came through the Panama Canal on a cruise ship. The canal passage was the highlight of the trip. The canal is really one of the seven wonders of the world."
Bill Lester, Driver: "Our engineer, Buddy Fey, has been working overtime to give Shane and I a well balanced car with lots of grip. So I'm optimistic we'll have what we need to be competing in the front end of the field for a top-five finish."
About his favorite memory at Laguna Seca: "My favorite memory of Laguna Seca was when I saw my first professional race there in 1969. The event made an impression on me that I'll never forget. It was a Can-Am race and I still remember the McLarens, Lolas and Chaparrals fighting it out and how mesmerized I was by the sights and sounds of that race."
About his favorite part of racing at Laguna Seca: "Without a doubt, my favorite part about racing at Laguna Seca is the infamous Corkscrew. There's no other series of turns like it and getting through there quickly and intact is key. I'm also looking forward to going there because this will be my first professional race back in the Bay Area since I ran an IMSA GTO event in 1989. Needless to say, I'll be excited to have lots of family and friends in attendance."
Shane Lewis, Driver: "I absolutely love Laguna Seca. The track has it all; great turns, gorgeous location and incredible fans. Every track gets the competitive juices going but Laguna is one of those tracks that you get just a little bit more excited about going to. We have run well at Laguna as a team and I think we can do that again. We have been running pretty well lately and all the guys are working hard to find that little bit of extra speed we still seem to be missing. Our crew chief, Rich Howe, is having his first baby this weekend so he won't be at the track with us. It will be tough not having him at the track but we are doing this one for Richie and Jen."
About his favorite memory at Laguna Seca: "My first professional victory came at Laguna. That was really special for a lot of reasons. I was racing against factory teams and highly financed teams so I know that if I could do it then we can take Southard to its first professional victory at Laguna too."