Rand Racing - Virginia practice

Virginia International Raceway
practice, Aug. 30, 2002

championship pace

Rand Racing is taking a conservative approach to this weekend's Rolex Sports 
Car Series race at Virginia International Raceway.  With SRPII team and 
driver championships on the line, only three races remaining in the season 
and rainy conditions, the team is holding its pace to make sure both cars go 
the distance in Sunday's five-hour race on the 3.27-mile road course.  SRPII 
driver points leader Terry Borcheller is driving the No. 8 Lola Nissan with 
Anthony Lazzaro.  Marino Franchitti, Ralf Kelleners and Niclas Jönsson share 
the No. 7 Lola.

"The championship is what we've been working for all year and that's where 
our focus is," Lazzaro explained.  "VIR is a fantastic race course, but it's 
also a very unforgiving track.  We don't want to put anything at risk this 
weekend.  With the way the weather is, we're being a little bit conservative. 
 We definitely want to make sure we get two cars started in the race on 
Sunday."

Jönsson noted the Rand cars, prepared by Risi Competizione, are ready to 
race.  "We've gone with a basic setup and just done fine-tuning.  Everywhere 
we've gone, the track has been suitable for this car because it's an 
excellent race car overall.  It's just a matter of getting the time to dial 
the car in and we can get it to go fast anywhere," he said.  "This place is 
just unbelievably fun to drive.  It has everything - fast corners, slow 
corners and elevation changes.  it's going to be a very challenging and fun 
weekend."

new set-up

This is the first time the Rolex Series has staged an event at Virginia 
International Raceway.  Rand Racing's crew chief, Richard Taylor, explained 
how the team sets up its race cars for a new track.  Accounting for the width 
of the track and characteristics of the turns, "You set it up for a similar 
track where you've been before," he said.  "You can change the gear ratios 
for top speed, dive planes, wing angles, the rake of the car, springs and 
rollbars.  All those would be similar to what you'd do on that type of 
circuit before."

early victory

Rand Racing strategist Thomas Blam was a member of the winning team in a 
celebrity karting event held Thursday evening on the new Euro Rally kart 
track at VIR.  Team drivers Terry Borcheller and Niclas Jönsson also 
participated in the hour-long endurance race.  

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Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945