Grand-Am Cup Teams Excited to Return to VIR

**FAST FACTS**
What: Grand-Am Cup Twin 250s
Where: Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Va.
When: Saturday, August 31st
Time: 1:45 p.m. & 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: 888-RACE-099 or www.virclub.com
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 20, 2002) -- The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will make its second appearance of the season at Virginia International Raceway next week during the VIR 500 on Labor Day weekend. While the teams enjoyed racing on VIR's 2.25-mile North Course in June, most admit the real excitement will come next week during Grand-Am Cup's Twin 250s on the full 3.27-mile road course.

"Without a doubt, the high-speed esses are the best," said King Motorsports' Mike VanSicklen. "They are super high speed. You hold your breath every lap. It's really fun when you do it right."

VanSicklen and Bob Endicott captured the Sport Touring I victory at VIR in June after a thrilling battle for the lead in the closing laps of the race. VanSicklen believes that the Sport Touring 250 on Saturday, August 31, will be even more exciting. "All the manufacturers and teams are right there in the hunt - Acura, BMW, Hyundai, Lexus. The cars are ready. The teams are ready. The drivers are ready. There is no way to predict who will win this race. It's going to be exciting."

Also competing in the Sport Touring 250, scheduled to begin at 1:45 p.m., will be the cars of the Sport Touring II class. Brothers Will and Wayne Nonnamaker took home the class victory in their HRPworld.com Acura Integra LS in June and will try to sweep VIR with another win next weekend. They will face stiff competition from not only fellow-Acura racers, but also top teams fielding Mazda Protégés, Miatas and Ford Focuses.

Shreiner Racing will be looking for a repeat Grand Sport II win at VIR during the Grand Sport 250, slated to start at 5 p.m. The Shreiner Mustang bested the points-leading Max Q Motorsports Mustang by less than a second at the June event, and the team expects another fierce battle when the Fords take to the full course.

"The full course is more of a Mustang-type track than the short course was. It's a little more wide open," said Shreiner driver Jeff Lapcevich, who will team with John Shreiner in the race. "I think that will be to our advantage against the Porsches, Audis and BMWs, but the guy we really need to beat is also in a Mustang."

The GS II class will not be the only cars mixing it up during the Grand Sport 250. The powerful Corvettes, Porsches and Saleen Mustangs of the Grand Sport I class will be fighting for the overall victory as the fastest cars on the track.

Doncaster Racing's Porsche GT3 Cup picked up the win in June, which moved it into the points lead. However, Powell Motorsports' Corvette Z06 is fresh off a win at Mid-Ohio and will be looking to reclaim its spot on top of the point standings at the same track where it lost the lead.

The racing excitement will get underway at Virginia International Raceway on Friday, August 30 with practice sessions. Qualifying for the Grand-Am Cup Twin 250s will be on Saturday, August 31 at 9 a.m. The green flag will fall on the Sport Touring 250 at 1:45 p.m. and the Grand Sport 250 at 5 p.m. Tickets for Saturday's races are available for $20 and may be purchased by calling 888-RACE-099 or online at www.virclub.com.

Additional information on the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series is available at www.grandamcup.com.

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EDITORS NOTE: Additional information may be requested from Grand American Road Racing Association
Christie Hyde 386-681-4182 phone; CHyde@grand-am.com