G&W Motorsports Leads 54-Car Field On California's New Road Course

G&W Motorsports Leads 54-Car Field On California's New Road Course

FONTANA, Calif. (March 21, 2002) -- The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series took to California Speedway today for its first practice session on the new 2.8-mile, 21-turn road course. At the front of the 54-car field was the #81 G&W Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup, posting a 1:49.213 lap time at 92.956 mph. Southern California natives Cort Wagner, of Los Angeles, and Brent Martini, of Laguna Beach, shared driving duties in the Porsche. 

Defending series champion Powell Motorsports clocked the second-fastest time, with drivers Devon Powell and Doug Goad piloting the #11 Sunoco/Encompass Corvette to a 92.809 mph lap. They were followed by points leaders Selby Wellman and Sylvain Tremblay in the #70 SpeedSource Porsche GT3 Cup. 

Leading the Grand Sport II class was the BMW M3 of Team Spartanburg Racing, which is making its debut in the class as an addition to its successful Sport Touring II car. Reza Pourkhomami and Rank Selldorf are sharing driving duties in the team's #78 Peak Engineering/Live Sky BMW, which clocked a 1:54.969 lap to lead the class. The #30 Shreiner Racing Mustang Cobra R posted the second quickest time in GS II with a 1:56.588 lap. 

BMW also led the Sport Touring I class with Villaconn International's #36 HMS Motorsports/BL Patch BMW Z3. Donald Salama and Bransen Patch recorded a 1:57.268 lap at 86.571 mph to lead the field of sport compacts. Defending driver champion Bob Endicott and Mike VanSicklen were second in ST I in their #64 King Motorsports Acura Integra R, followed by the Team Lexus #0 Lexus IS300 of Andy Lally and Chuck Goldsborough. 

Fresh off its season-opening Sport Touring II win at Daytona, the #27 Bill Fenton Motorsports Acura Integra LS returned to the front of the field during the first practice session. Driver/team owner Bill Fenton and Bob Beede had a 2:02.379 lap, followed closely by the brothers Will and Wayne Nonnamaker in the #44 HRPworld.com Acura Integra LS. 

Additional practice sessions will be held on Friday, March 22, before the start of qualifying at 5:35 p.m. The 250-mile Grand-Am Cup race will kickoff the racing excitement on Sunday, March 24, at 8 a.m., prior to the start of the Yamaha Indy 400 at 12:30 p.m. 

Tickets for the event weekend are currently available online at www.californiaspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at 800-944-RACE (7223). Additional information about the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series can be found online at www.grandamcup.com. 

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EDITORS NOTE:
Photos and results will be available on the Grand American media-specific website at www.grand-am.com/media. 
Additional information may be requested from: 
Grand American Road Racing Association 
Christie Hyde (386) 681-4182; email: CHyde@grand-am.com