Powell Motorsports Corvette Returns to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio

Powell Motorsports Returns to Victory Lane at Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, OHIO (August 10, 2002) -- Powell Motorsports drove its #11 Sunoco/Encompass Corvette to the overall and Grand Sport I win at Mid-Ohio. The Shreiner Racing DRPT/Royal Purple #30 Mustang earned top honors in Grand Sport II. The Sport Touring I class was won by HART's Red Line Oil/DC Sports #00 Acura. The Sport Touring II class was bested by Bill Fenton Motorsports' Southern Auto Auction #27 Acura. What these winners all had in common is that they had more gas at the end of the two and a half hour contest than their rivals. 

Strategy played the biggest role in the outcome of the Grand-Am Cup Series race at Mid-Ohio and it was the teams that gambled the least on gas that earned the greatest rewards when the checkered flag fell. Two of the leaders at the start were winners at the end. The Honda American Racing Team ST I and Fenton ST II entries were quick off the gate and used the right pit strategy to hold those leads. HART led from start to finish. Fenton led for all but a couple of laps. The other winners used the right pit stop strategy to overcome odds and record their wins.

At the front of the pack Doncaster Racing's points leading #76 Porsche jumped to the front over the #11 Corvette. When the first full course caution came out around 45 minutes into the race, the #11 came in right away and changed drivers. The Vette stopped again for fuel before the green in what was probably the winning move. The #76 Porsche seemed like it would wait but then dropped in on the last yellow lap and came out on the first green lap, losing its lead to the #18 Team Turbo Performance Ajilon Porsche.

The Ajilon Porsche held the lead past the hour and a half mark before dropping to sixth at the end. But at the end it was a battle between the #76 Porsche and #11 Corvette. The Porsche was turning the best times, but a late splash and go that turned out to be not quite enough splash gave the lead to the Corvette. With the Porsche closing at the very end, the fight ended with the Porsche sputtering with an empty tank. What had been a margin of about 10 feet with two laps left turned into a margin of victory of nearly a half minute at the end as the Porsche nursed around with an empty tank.

"I was driving as quickly and defensively as I could," remarked winner Doug Goad. "I wasn't going to make it easy for him. I know he was getting frustrated because he gave me a little bump at one point to let me know."

"I was on reserve for the last three laps," Doncaster's David Empringham said. On coming in for a splash and go and still running out of fuel, he admitted "We just made a mistake on that last stop."

The #30 Shreiner Mustang had a firm hold on first in the GS II class until Terry Borcheller drove the Bell Motorsports #54 BMW up to challenge. With about half an hour left in the race, the BMW had closed within a half second of the leading Mustang. Traffic made passing difficult and as the end of the race drew near Borcheller had to back off as his BMW's engine started to sputter with a dry fuel tank.

The one class winner who seemed to have things under control from start to finish was the #00 HART Acura in ST I which led from flag to flag. It's dominance was so great, it did not even lose its position when it came in for its one pit stop.  The ST II winning #27 Bill Fenton Acura had it almost as easy. It led most of the way, but lost its lead when it pitted. That put the #41 HRPworld Acura into the lead, but the HRP car had to pit for a splash of gas near the end and could not work its way back to challenge again.

The next event on the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series calendar will be on Labor Day Weekend, August 29-September 1, at Virginia International Raceway.

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For additional information: Grand American Road Racing Association
Pat Murphy, email: PMurphy@grand-am.com