Local Driver Interviews, Race Car Rides to Highlight UnitedAuto 200 Media Luncheon
Local Driver Interviews, Race Car Rides to Highlight UnitedAuto 200 Media Luncheon The Grand American Road Racing Association and Phoenix International Raceway will host a media luncheon at the racetrack prior to the UnitedAuto 200 presented by azcentral.com event weekend, Wednesday, April 17. The luncheon will include interviews with several of the Rolex Sports Car Series top drivers from the Phoenix area, and will be followed by two-seater race car rides on PIR's road course. Drivers participating in the media luncheon include: Didier Theys, of Scottsdale, Ariz. - Theys captured his second overall Rolex 24 victory at Daytona earlier this season. The win was the first in a string of victories that currently have him on top of the SportsRacing Prototype point standings. Theys, who has starts at LeMans and the Indy 500 on his resume, will race in the #27 Doran Lista Racing Judd-powered Dallara during the UnitedAuto 200 with co-driver Fredy Lienhard Jr. Terry Borcheller, of Phoenix, Ariz. - Borcheller currently leads the point standings in the SportsRacing Prototype II class, the smaller of the two prototype classes. After racing in the GT ranks for several years, Borcheller made his debut in the SRPII class with a class victory at last year's finale in Daytona. He kicked off the 2002 season with another SRPII win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and has extended his winning streak in the class to four races. Borcheller will race the #8 Rand Racing Nissan-powered Lola in the UnitedAuto 200 with teammate Ralf Kelleners. He will also run the #54 Bell Motorsports BMW M3 in Grand-Am Cup's UnitedAuto Sport 250. Darren Law, of Phoenix, Ariz. - Law captured the GT driver championship with G&W Motorsports last season. He continues with G&W in 2002, moving into the SportsRacing Prototype II class where he is currently second in the driver point standings. Law has scored second-place finishes in the class at the last two races. He will run G&W's #07 Momentum Motorcars BMW-powered Picchio in the UnitedAuto 200 with 2001 SRPII driver champion Andy Lally. He will also race the #07 G&W Porsche GT3 Cup in Grand-Am Cup's UnitedAuto Sport 250. Buddy Rice, of Phoenix, Ariz. - Rice joined the Miracle Motorsports team this season in the Rolex Series premier SportsRacing Prototype class. He ran his first race with the team at the Nextel 250 in Miami, where he stayed in the top three until engine problems dropped the team back to a fourth-place overall finish. Rice won the 2000 Toyota Atlantic championship with five wins, 10 podiums and two poles. He also became the first driver in Toyota Atlantic history to start from the pole at his first race at Long Beach in 1998. Rice will partner with team owner John Macaluso in the #6 Miracle Motorsports Ford-powered Riley & Scott during the UnitedAuto 200. Two-seater race cars available for rides include: #33 Ferrari 360GT of Scuderia Ferrari of Washington - The #33 Ferrari will be driven by teammates Cort Wagner and Bill Auberlen, both of Los Angeles. The pair has captured two GT podium finishes this season in the #33 Ferrari. #15 Porsche GT3 R of Crazy Redhead Racing - The #15 Porsche will be driven by Kim Hiskey, the Rolex Series only female car owner. Hiskey made Rolex Series history last year in Phoenix by becoming the first female to win her class. #24 Mosler MT900 R of Perspective Racing - The #24 Mosler will be driven by Joao Barbosa, of Portugal. Barbosa captured Mosler's first professional victory at this year's Nextel 250 in Miami, winning the GT class. He also placed the Mosler on the GT pole at the 2001 and 2002 Rolex 24 At Daytona. #88 Ford Focus of Prisma Racing - The #88 Focus will be driven by Jim Harrell and Mark Underwood. The pair races the Focus in the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series Sport Touring II class. When: Wednesday, April 17th Noon - Media Luncheon with Driver Interviews; 12:45 p.m. - Two-Seater Race Car Rides Where: Phoenix International Raceway Infield Media Center, 7602 S. 115th Ave., Avondale, AZ Notes: Please RSVP to Phoenix International Raceway's Public Relations Department at 602-252-3833. Contacts: Kenny Kane, Phoenix International Raceway Director of Publicity, 602-252-3833 Christie Hyde, Grand American Road Racing Public Relations Coordinator, 386-681-4182 PIR Media Center Phone (Wed.17th - Sat. 20th) 623-772-2030