Dorricott Racing Report - Laguna Seca

MOTOR PROBLEM DERAILS JON FOGARTY AT LAGUNA SECA
                        Alex Gurney Finishes Sixth in TAC Fourth Round 

        MONTEREY, Calif. (June 8, 2002) - - What was shaping into a highly
productive race weekend turned to disappointment for Dorricott Racing at
the Mazda Raceway Laguna in round four of the 12-race Toyota Atlantic
Championship on Saturday, June 8.

        Dorricott Racing's Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney, and Luis Diaz improved
their starting positions in Saturday morning's final qualifying by Gurney
and Fogarty sneaking into row two with positions three and four,
respectively, and Diaz leaping to seventh on the grid. When the 30-lap race
was complete, Dorricott Racing's driver trio became more a "Tale of Three
Drivers."

        Fogarty recorded his first DNF (did not finish) through no fault of
his. Diaz struggled to complete the race due to multiple contacts
throughout, and Gurney's savvy found a way to keep his Castrol/Behr Swift
014.a running enroute to his third top-six finish in the first four races.

        The tone of the race emerged at its beginning when the 26-car field
screamed down the front straight-away toward the second corner of the
11-corner, 2.238-mile road course. Pole-sitter and eventual race winner
Ryan Hunter-Reay decided upon a painfully slow approach to the starter's
stand while the field formed an extremely tight-quartered dual column of 13
rows. As the morass of cars headed into turn two, the inevitable occurred
with multiple contacts between six cars including Fogarty. When the dust
had lifted, over one-half of the field had been adversely affected
including those who succeeded with their evasive measures. One car was
forced to retire by turn five, but the remainder continued albeit in a race
order that was unimaginable two turns earlier.

        Fogarty, however, was the exception as he improved two positions to
second place and set out after Hunter-Reay.

        "I got a good start," said Fogarty. "I was able to pass Alex
(Gurney) then I was inside of Jonathan Macri. Sepp Koster came around the
outside and barreled on me. We had contact but it wasn't a big deal for me.
I think he spun. I came out 'P2' which was fantastic."

        Gurney, meanwhile, was forced to run off-track into turn two's dirt
before recovering and swinging the into seventh place. Diaz didn't lose as
many positions as he could have and guided the Temex Swift 014.a through
the carnage to reappear in 10th place.

        "The start wasn't very good," said Gurney. "My car had a little
taller first gear for the speed that Ryan slowed it down too. I just didn't
get a good jump. I fell back to at least fourth. I think Sepp Koster spun
around. I had to chose one way or another. The way he was spinning forced
me to go around the outside. I had to run off onto the dirt on the exit of
turn two. I came out of that mess in seventh. After that, my car was loose.
It was difficult to keep pace with the handful of guys in front of me."

        Diaz then began a methodical pace of passing cars one by one. Diaz
passed Canadian Michael Valiante for ninth place on lap five. Grant Ryley
fell victim to the aggressive Diaz two laps later when Diaz passed him for
eighth. 

        Gurney had maintained seventh place since the opening melee. Both
cars were running well but Diaz seized an opportunity to pass Gurney  on
the inside while entering the ever-sharp left-hander of turn 11 and pulled
into seventh place on lap 14.

        The problem for Gurney was more that Ryley took advantage of the
gap created behind Diaz on the pass and slipped tight and behind him. All
three cars sped 'flat' down and up the long front straight-away with Gurney
nursing the outside. As they approached the near-180 degree corner of turn
two, Gurney and Diaz were nearly side-by-side. Unintentional, incidental
contact occurred between them through the braking zone. Diaz slid into the
dirt. Gurney recovered and continued but Ryley avoided contact and leaped
to seventh place. Diaz pitted for a precautionary inspection of his car's
rear suspension before resuming.

        "I was running well but then came the unfortunate incident with my
teammate, Alex," said Diaz. "It's painful because I love Dorricott Racing.
My teammates are my friends and I have the utmost respect for Alex. It was
unintentional and a shame because we were both running well and might have
each finished much higher."

        More trouble plagued Diaz on lap 21 when he suffered a contact
strike from Eduardo Figueroa. Diaz was able to continue for a 15th place
finish, but Figeuroa was forced to retire from the race.

        Things continued to worsen but this time for Fogarty. With only six
laps remaining in the race, it appeared the Portola Valley, Calif.,
resident would cruise to an uncontested second place finish. However,
disaster struck the Thomas Fogarty Winery & Vineyards Swift 014a with
""pop," "sputter," and a rolling stop off-course due to a blown engine. 

        "I drove really hard to keep the car in second place but,
unfortunately, the car didn't give back," said an upset Fogarty. "It turned
out to be 'one of those days."

        Fogarty relinquished his Toyota Atlantic Championship lead to
Canadian Michael Valiante, 52-46. Gurney, however, improved to 39 points
but dropped one position into a tie for fifth place with  Rodolfo Lavin.
Diaz moved to eight place in the TAC with 27 points. 

        Fogarty maintained a slim three-point lead for Atlantic
Rookie-of-the-Year honors over Roger Yasukawa, 46-43. Diaz is in fourth
place with 27 points.

        A bright light for Fogarty came in the form of a $1,000 bonus as he
collected his first career $1000 WorldCom "Fast Pace" Award for running the
race's fastest lap with a time of 1:19.651 seconds (101.151 mph).

        Round five of the 2002 Toyota Atlantic Championship will be held at
Portland International Raceway this upcoming Saturday, June 15.