Villaconn Captures One-Two Finish at Second-Straight Race

EDITORS NOTE:
Photos and race agate from today's races 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) 681-4182; email: CHyde@grand-am.com
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Villaconn Captures One-Two Finish at Second-Straight Race

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 21, 2002) -- Villaconn International captured its second-straight one-two finish in the Grand-Am Cup Sport Touring race at the Sports Car Grand Prix at Watkins Glen International. Bransen Patch and Don Salama piloted Villaconn's #36 BMW Z3 to victory in the 250-mile race, with teammates Beau Buisson and Ken Dobson taking second place in the team's #34 BMW. The pair of Villaconn entries finished in first and second at Grand-Am Cup's last race in Phoenix, with the #34 car taking top honors. 

"We were running consistently fast laps. I don't know if we were the fastest car out there... but we ran a perfect strategy," explained Salama. "We ran fast enough all day, we had a perfect pit, we did it all with one pit, and we just brought it home."

BMW showed its dominance in the Sport Touring I class at The Glen with Team Spartanburg's #72 BMW Z3 starting the race from the pole position and Villaconn's #34 BMW beside it. The pair battled for the lead in the opening laps until the #34 car spun out exiting the inner loop, with its sister car running behind it narrowly missing it. 

The Power Racing Team #77 Acura Integra R briefly took over second place before Villaconn's #36 BMW passed it. A battle developed for the lead between the two BMWs in the first hour of the race, and the Villaconn BMW took the lead when the Team Spartanburg entry began to fade with power steering trouble. The #72 BMW was never able to break back into the front of the pack, finishing sixth. 

The #36 BMW maintained the lead for less than 10 laps before it pitted for a driver change, handing the front of the field over to its team car, which also pitted moments later for a driver change. The Hyundai Motorsports #6 Tiburon and Team Lexus #0 Lexus IS300 also took their turns at the front of the pack during the series of pit stops for driver changes by the field. 

With fresh tires and a rested driver behind the wheel, the Lexus could not hold off the threat from Villaconn's #36 BMW, and it moved back in front at the start of the second hour, where it stayed for the remainder of the race. The #34 Villaconn car took second place when Team Lexus brought in the #0 car with brake worries, and the one-two finish was set for the team. Last year's race winner, King Motorsports #64 Acura Integra R, finished in third place. 

The Sports Touring II class was home to a fierce battle between the #27 Acura Integra LS of Bill Fenton Motorsports and the HRPworld.com #41 Acura Integra LS. For the first 10 laps of the race it appeared as though the two cars exchanged the class lead on every lap. Eventually, the Bill Fenton Acura steadied its position in front, but with the HRPworld.com car still on its tail. 

When the overall race leader moved to pass the pair of cars on lap 21, Wayne Nonnamaker was able to use it to his advantage and slide past Mike VanSicklen in the leading #27 Acura to capturing the lead. However, he could not pull out to a strong lead, and the pair again exchanged the lead a few laps later. The #41 Acura pitted first for its driver change, and when the #27 car finally came into the pits, it held a big enough lead that it remained at the front of the class when it returned to the track. 

Though the HRPworld.com Acura threatened, it could never retake the lead, and Bill Fenton Motorsports took its third win of the season in the ST II class. "We had a great car that was just set up for this race. The suspension and the car was hooked up," said Bob Beede, who drove cleanup in the #27 Acura.

The Caduceus Motorspots #05 Mazda Miata held the third-place position in the class until the final lap of the race when it headed into the pits for a splash of gas. That handed the final spot on the podium over to DTM Engineering's #5 Mazda Miata. 

The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will travel to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., next week for a combined three-hour race on Saturday, June 29. 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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