Terry Borcheller - Fontana preview

back from Baja

Terry Borcheller was smiling after his first Baja 500 competition.  Although 
he usually races cars, he joined fellow Phoenix resident Buddy Stubbs for the 
grueling 500-mile motorcycle race from Ensenada, Calif., through Mexico.  
Borcheller got more challenge than he expected when the third rider on the team 
wasn't able to compete.

"It was just an unbelievable experience!" Borcheller enthused.  "We were 
anticipating three riders and one of the riders couldn't make it, so Buddy and I 
did 425 miles of the 500.  There was an 18-hour time limit and we had a problem 
with the bike that put us down for about two hours.  If it hadn't been for 
that, we would have finished in the top 10."

Feeling every bump of the course, Borcheller was grateful to sponsor 
Alpinestars for providing a pair of Tech 8 professional motocross boots.  "They 
performed awesome," he reported.  "About the only thing that doesn't hurt on my body 
is my feet."

An estimated 200,000 spectators watched the race, contested by 200 off-road 
vehicles and 75 motorcycles.  The race was an extra event for Borcheller's 
sponsors K&N Performance Filters, Infinity2 Nutrition, Dark Dog, Alpinestars, Bell 
Helmets, Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, Gatorz Eyewear and 
Goodyear.

on to Fontana

Borcheller will be back in familiar territory this weekend, driving in two 
races at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif.  He and Forest Barber of Fort 
Worth, Tex., will drive the No. 54 Bell Motorsports BMW M3 in a Grand-Am Cup 
race on June 7.  T hey'll return to the 2.8-mile infield road course on June 8, 
driving the No. 54 Bell Motorsports Doran JE4 prototype in the Rolex Sports Car 
Series race.

"Coming off the win at Birmingham [on May 18], the whole team is pretty 
excited," he said.  "Fontana is a superspeedway with a road course, so we'll 
probably reach the highest speed in the car so far.  That should give us an 
advantage with the design of the car and the Chevy power.  This is the home event for K
&N Performance Filters - they're based right up the street in Riverside - so 
it would be great to win for them."

Borcheller and Barber won the Grand-Am Cup race at California Speedway last 
year.  "It was a last-lap win.  We were running third and won the race, so it 
was a really good win for us," Borcheller recalled.  "It's not a great track 
for the BMW because of the high speed, but we hope to have another good finish."

on the mend

Borcheller reports Bell Motorsports crew members Shane Knight and Bernie 
Vanhamond, injured at the last race, are healing quickly.  "I spoke to both of 
them this week and they are doing really well.  They'll be at Fontana," he said.

details

The Grand-Am Cup race is scheduled for 4 pm to 6:30 pm on Saturday, June 7, 
and the Rolex Sports Car Series will run Sunday, June 8 from 1 pm to 3:45 pm, 
both on the 2.8-mile California Speedway road course.  (PDT)

The Rolex Series race will be televised live on SPEED Channel on Sunday, June 
8 at 4 pm.  The Grand-Am Cup race will air Saturday, July 5 at 3:30 pm on 
PEE.  (EDT)