Rand Racing - Phoenix practice

Phoenix International Raceway
practice, April 18, 2002

night moves

Rand Racing topped the SRPII class during the two Thursday practice sessions 
for Sunday's Rolex Sports Car Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.  
Bill Rand, Niclas Jönsson and Marino Franchitti drove the new No. 7 Rand 
Racing Nissan Lola.  Terry Borcheller and Ralf Kelleners drove the No. 8 car.

The second session was a night practice, in preparation for the Saturday 
evening race.  Jönsson, who has driven many night races, explained the 
subtleties of racing at night.

"The difference is not that big here because the track is lit up pretty good. 
 You have to know where the curbs are without really seeing them 100 per 
cent, but it's not that big a change from daylight," he said.  "You have to 
pay a little more attention because there are a lot of guys who don't have a 
lot of experience.  For example, when it's daylight, you can see when someone 
turns their head and looks in the mirrors.  When it's dark, you can't see 
that."

fast at Phoenix

Ralf Kelleners finished second in the Grand-American Road Racing Series race 
at Phoenix in 2000.  He noted the different car setup and driving style 
required for a strong performance on the 1.51-mile road course.

"The big difference to the other circuits is that we have a very low grip 
level here," he explained.  "Here you need a lot of downforce, you need a 
soft car and you need a smooth drive.  On other tracks where you have a flat 
surface, you go quite stiff [on suspension setup] and you try to run as low 
downforce as possible for a good top speed.  Here you don't care as much 
about the top speed because you need to find everything that can help you in 
the corners."

As a driver, he said, "You have to be aggressive, but at the same time 
smooth.  The car is wandering around all the time, so you always have to 
balance it on the edge."

tire talk

The Dunlop Racing Tires on the Rand Racing Lolas have a slim tread - just 
5/32 of an inch.  If the treads on the 800 tires used by the Rolex Series 
SRPII and GT teams this weekend were stacked together, they would reach only 
10 feet.  That's the height of a basketball hoop.

###

Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945