GRAND AM: Robinson Racing to Start Old Chassis at The Glen After Practice Crash
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
May 19, 2001WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (May 19, 2001) -- Robinson Racing announced it would run its old Riley & Scott chassis in the Six Hours of The Glen instead of the new Riley & Scott Mark III-C chassis. Team owner and driver George Robinson (Houston, Texas) was in the car during night practice on Friday, when he lost control of the new car in turn 11, causing him to go straight into one of the foam walls at Watkins Glen International.
Robinson's co-driver Jack Baldwin (Marietta, Ga.) reported today that the throttle stuck, caused the accident. The crew of the #74 went over the car and found that the problem was in the cable. Riley & Scott loaded the car into their truck Friday night, and it is already on its way to their shop in Indianapolis for repairs.
Luckily, in a last minute decision this week, Robinson decided to bring their old chassis with them to Watkins Glen this weekend. The team has pulled out the old #74 Judd Riley & Scott, which it ran at the first three races of the season, and will start it this afternoon in the Six Hours of The Glen, as well as the Lime Rock Grand Prix next weekend. Team hopes the new chassis will be repaired in time for the ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic, May 7-10 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
"The car was running wonderfully this weekend," Baldwin said of the new Riley & Scott Mark III-C chassis. "We were very happy with the car, and were expecting to have a very impressive showing today. It's a shame that we can't debut the car this weekend, because we were so happy with it.
"We are very lucky that George made the last minute decision to bring the other car. We actually didn't have room to bring both cars and all the bodywork, so Riley & Scott picked it up and brought it for us."
Baldwin will start in the back of the grid this afternoon, due to the changing of cars. However, several of SportsRacing Prototypes will be further back in the grid than normal due to the wet track conditions in qualifying on Friday.
Schumacher Racing also announced today that after working on its #99 Porsche GT1 throughout the night, it will start the GTS car this afternoon. The #99 was involved in an accident during Friday's qualifying, tearing a large section out of the rear of the car.
Text provided by Christie Hyde
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