BELINDA ENDRESS GETS CREATIVE TO FINISH GRAND-AM AT VIR

BELINDA ENDRESS GETS CREATIVE TO FINISH GRAND-AM AT VIR



ALTON, Va., Wednesday, September 4, 2002 — Belinda Endress drove through a
grocery list of obstacles to finish 11th in the hotly contested
Grand-American Cup Street Stock Series GS II class at Virginia International
Raceway (VIR) over the weekend. The Newbury Park, California-resident
piloted the # 31 Audi Quattro S4 for The R.A.C.E. Team, Inc. with co-driver
and car owner, Raff McDougall through some of the most treacherous
conditions of her career. Like much of the weekend, the 250-mile race was
run in the rain. A parade lap pit stop to attempt to correct a fogging
windshield put Endress, driving for the first time at VIR and in the Audi, a
lap behind from the start. However, she overcame the difficulty through
quick thinking and ingenious problem solving to take the checkered flag.


“It was a real disappointment that the windshield fogged up so badly,”
offered the former Women’s Global GT Series standout. “As soon as we started
the parade lap it fogged up, I mean really fogged up! I had no choice but to
pit. I was lucky just to make it around the track! We wiped the shield only
for it to completely fog up as I went through turn-one. I navigated blindly
around to pit again. I had to do that five times. I asked for a rag on a
stick so I could wipe the shield as I went down the straights. I got into a
rhythm of going through the corners: short shifting, wiping, shifting,
wiping. I radioed in at one point, saying ‘we will never give up!’ and we
didn’t. All things considered, we finished pretty well. VIR was fun and
technical. The R.A.C.E. Team was just super to work with and the Audi was a
blessing to drive in the rain. All-in-all it was a fun, wet and wild race
weekend!”


Xtreme Island Designs (XID) of Honolulu is the primary sponsor of the former
stuntwoman’s Audi. XID is a maker of high-energy island-oriented apparel
that is sold throughout the United States. A strong supporter of Endress’
career for a number of years, XID followed her into the highly competitive
and professional Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series in early 2002.


Endress owns and operates SK Productions, a sports video company. Prior to
racing cars she was heavily involved in horse racing, working as an
assistant trainer and exercise rider. Currently, outside of her daily work
routine and racing, she acts as a safety and high performance-driving
instructor in southern California.


For more on Belinda Endress please see www.GodSpeedOnWheels.com. To learn
about XID, please visit www.godspeedonwheels.com/xidwrite. Visit
www.raceteam.org to learn more about The R.A.C.E. Team.