Street Stock Racing Heads to The Glen

EDITORS NOTE:
The latest results, point standings and photos are 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) 795-1189 cell; email: CHyde@grand-am.com
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Street Stock Racing Heads to The Glen
Grand-Am Cup's Twin 250s Offer Fans Twice the Racing Action

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 18, 2002) -- The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will run the fourth race of its 10-race 2002 season at Watkins Glen International this weekend as part of the Sports Car Grand Prix. Grand-Am Cup's Twin 250s will offer fans twice the racing action as the series' four classes are split into two 250-mile races this Saturday, June 22. 

The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series is the premier proving ground for many of today's automobile manufacturers. The series features production cars with only minimal racing modifications to enhance safety and performance. Typically, four classes of race cars compete on the track at the same time during the Grand-Am Cup event, with drivers racing for top honors in their specified class, as well as the overall win. However, the Grand-Am Cup Twin 250s at The Glen will split the series into two races featuring two classes in each race. 

The Sport Touring classes will be the first to take to The Glen's 3.4-mile road course with the green flag scheduled to wave at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. The race will feature small to midsize sedans and sports coupes from the Sport Touring I (ST I) and Sport Touring II (ST II) classes. The ST I class will be lead by point leaders Bransen Patch and Don Salama in Villaconn International's #36 BMW Z3. 

The Villaconn duo will face a serious threat from the 2001 winners Bob Endicott and Mike VanSicklen in the King Motorsports #64 Acura Integra R which picked up a win in California earlier this season. Honda of America Racing Team earned the ST II win at last year's race, but has moved into the ST I class for the 2002 season. The team has yet to earn its first victory in the new class and hopes last year's luck at The Glen will carry the team to Victory Circle once again. 

Bill Fenton and Bob Beede enter Saturday's race with the ST II points lead. The pair will co-drive the Bill Fenton Motorsports #27 Acura Integra LS, which won the first two races of the season at Daytona and California. 2001 driver champion Will Nonnamaker will look to improve his third-place point standing by teaming up with his brother, Wayne Nonnamaker, in the HRPworld.com Acura Integra LS, while the DTM Engineering team aims for a repeat winning performance in their Mazda Miata. The team picked up its first win at Grand-Am Cup's last race in Phoenix. 

Immediately following the checkered flag for the Sport Touring race, the Grand Sport portion of the Twin 250s will begin. High-end sports and GT models, as well as popular sports and muscle cars highlight the Grand Sport I (GS I) and Grand Sport II (GS II) classes running in this race.

As the 2001 race winner and current points leader, Powell Motorsports will be the favorite in the GS I class. Drivers Doug Goad and Devon Powell will try to earn their second win of the season in the #11 Corvette Z06. However, the #43 Corvette of Planet Earth Motorsports could spoil their plans. Joe Nonnamaker and Shane Lewis bested the Powell Corvette at Grand-Am Cup's last race in Phoenix, earning Planet Earth its first win of the season. 

Other top contenders in the GS I class will be the Porsche GT3 Cup entries of Doncaster Racing, SpeedSource and G&W Motorsports. All three teams have posted impressive qualifying times and finishes this season and are leaders in the hunt for a spot in Victory Circle. 

The #53 Mustang Cobra R of Max Q Motorsports enters this weekend with the GS II points lead. Drivers Emil Assentato and Nick Longhi took the class victory in Phoenix and will try to make it two in a row at The Glen, but rivals Jeff Lapecvich and John Shreiner could topple the point leaders in their own Mustang fielded by Shreiner Racing. 

After sweeping the GS II championships last season, SpeedSource has yet to capture a win this season. Defending driver champion Sylvain Tremblay and co-driver John Sturm will try to end that streak in the team's #63 Porsche 911, while Marcelo Abello and Don Horne take a shot at the team's first GS II win in the #62 Porsche.

Tickets for the 2002 Watkins Glen season, including the Sports Car Grand Prix weekend, are now on sale.  For tickets, reserved camping, and additional information, please contact The Glen ticket office at 607-535-2481 or log on to the official Watkins Glen website at www.theglen.com.  

More information about the Sports Car Grand Prix, as well as the latest news on the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series, can be found online at www.grandamcup.com. 

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