Rolex Series Drivers Eagerly Await Finale at Daytona
Rolex Series Drivers Eagerly Await Finale at Daytona DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2001) -- The Rolex Sports Car Series season will come to a close at the Grand-Am Finale, being held as part of the Manheim's Daytona Auto Auction Presents The Brumos Continental Historics at Daytona International Speedway, Nov. 1-4. After an extended hiatus from racing due to the Finale's postponement because of the national tragedy, teams and drivers are eager to get back on track. One of the drivers looking forward to wrapping up the 2001 season, and hopefully the GT driver championship, is G&W Motorsports' Darren Law, of Phoenix. Law needs only to complete one lap under green to clinch his team's second-straight driver championship. "I just have my fingers crossed and hope that nothing goes wrong," Law said. "I just want to get it done now, after being delayed for a month. He and co-driver Matt Drendel, of Hickory, N.C., have positioned the Motorola/CommScope/Valley Group-sponsored #81 Porsche GT3 R into the top spot in the team owner point standings, which they hope to clinch at the Finale. The G&W Porsche is only one of 27 GT cars entered to race in the GT, GTS or American GT classes. Another 17 entries will travel to Daytona to race in the prototype classes, making the field of 44 one of the largest of the season. Among the prototype entries heading to Daytona is the current points leader, Dyson Racing Team, with its pair of Norcold/Thetford/Goodyear-sponsored Ford-powered Riley & Scotts. Englishman James Weaver hopes to wrap up his second-straight SRP driver championship, as well as the class team owner championship, in the #16 car. However, the Dyson team will face fierce competition from a strong field of SRPs, including the #37 Banana Joe's Judd-engined Lola and #27 Doran/Lista Racing Judd-powered Ferrari that have both recorded overall victories this season. Robinson Racing also hopes to be a top contender in its new 74-Ranch Resort Riley & Scott Mark III-C. The team attempted to debut the car several times during the season, but developmental setbacks delayed its first race appearance. Team owner George Robinson, of Houston, will have to miss the car's debut due to prior obligations taking him out of the country on the dates of the rescheduled Finale. 74-Ranch driver Jack Baldwin, of Marietta, Ga., will instead share driving duties with Steve Knapp, of Salem, Wis., in the Mark III-C's debut race. Seven SRPII cars are lined up to compete in the smaller prototype class. Archangel Motorsport Services has already locked up the class team owner championship for 2001, but which of its two cars will take the top honors -- that will be decided on the racetrack in the Grand-Am Finale. Archangel's 180 Commerce/bendevlin.com-sponsored #21 Nissan Lola will try to hold off its sister car, the 180 Commerce/Avon Tyres-sponsored #22 Lola, for the class championship. Hometown-favorite Flis Motorsports Team X-1R is looking to lock up the team owner championship in the American GT class for the second-straight year, as well as position its pair of drivers in a tie atop the class driver standings. Currently, Criag Conway, of Daytona Beach, holds a one-point lead over his co-driver Doug Goad, of Farmington Hills, Mich. The green flag will fall on the Rolex Series three-hour race at 6 p.m., on Saturday, Nov. 3. Tickets to the Grand-Am Finale, being held as part of the Manheim's Daytona Auto Auction Presents The Brumos Continental Historics at Daytona International Speedway, Nov. 1-4, are currently on sale at the Speedway ticket office. They may be purchased by calling 386-253-RACE (7223) or by logging on to www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com. Additional information about the Grand-Am Finale and the Rolex Sports Car Series is available online at www.grand-am.com. -30- For more information: Grand-Am Public Relations Christie Hyde (386) 681-4182 email: CHyde@grand-am.com