GENTILOZZI GRABS 26TH CAREER TRANS-AM VICTORY IN ALBERTSONS TRANS-AM 100
PORTLAND, Ore. (June 19, 2004) ‹ It was a study in déjà vu all over again as Paul Gentilozzi won Saturday¹s Albertsons Trans-Am 100 at Portland International Raceway. Gentilozzi, who started 14th in the No. 3 Jaguar R Performance XKR due to a technical infraction in qualifying, drove from last to first to record his second-straight Motorock Trans-Am Series victory this year. It was also Gentilozzi¹s 26th career victory, tying him with Tommy Kendall for second on the all-time win list, just two victories behind the legendary Mark Donohue. Tomy Drissi (No. 5 AVP, Only in Theaters Jaguar XKR) finished second, ahead of Jorge Diaz, Jr. (No. 8 Puerto Rico Grand Prix Jaguar XKR). Joey Scarallo (No. 06 Toyo Tires/ROH/Group A Autotrend Chevrolet Corvette) recorded his best career finish of fourth. Kendall (No. 11 Jaguar R Performance XKR) gave Jaguar¹s stock-block, fuel-injected, overhead-cam, four-valve AJ-V8 engine its best Series finish. Kendall also set the race¹s fastest race lap on lap seven, a record 1:14.398 minutes (95.277 miles per hour), and also the first for the new engine. ³We picked our way through the field and everyone else was really kind,² said Gentilozzi, who equaled a feat he pulled off in his last victory here, in 1992. Gentilozzi was assessed a similar penalty in that race. ³Early in the race, I knew I had to press Tommy (Kendall). ³I passed him in traffic, but I hit a curb a bit too hard and heard a loud Œbang,¹² added Gentilozzi. ³We broke a front sway bar and the car was ugly after that. Tommy got back past me and we waited in second for our chance.² That chance came when Kendall (No. 11 Jaguar R Performance XKR) fell out of the lead due to a cooling system failure just one lap before the finish of the 51-lap event. ³This victory is bittersweet,² said Gentilozzi. ³We¹re just doing this for fun this year and not running all of the races. Kendall will win some races this year. There¹s no doubt about that.² Drissi, who had earned his first career pole on Friday when Gentilozzi was disqualified, led the first eight laps before falling behind the charging Gentilozzi. ³I was shocked it went green all the way,² said Drissi. ³I think the BFGoodrich Tires were a lot better than I though they would be. I took it a little too easy. I think I have a lot of car left. I was waiting for the yellow that never came. I¹m happy where I finished.² Diaz suffered a wheel failure due to debris on track late in the event. He pitted, took on a new tire, and drove from one lap down to finish third. ³We pitted, and when we saw those two Jaguars (Gentilozzi and Kendall) go past us, we thought our race was over,² said Diaz. ³We came out a lap down and my father kept calling out the lap times. We just kept gaining position by position and we¹re proud of our effort. ³We are dedicating this to my sister Monique, who recently survived cancer,² added a tearful Diaz. ³This trophy is for her.² The caution-free race ran in a record one hour, six minutes and 25.348 seconds at an average speed of 90.709 miles per hour. The Albertsons Trans-Am 100 will air in one-day, tape-delayed basis on HDNet Sunday, June 20, at 11 a.m. PDT (2 p.m. EDT) as the lead in to the Champ Car World Series broadcast. A highlights package from Portland will also air in the popular ³Dangerous Curves² timeslot on Spike TV on Sunday, June 27 at 1:30 p.m. on both the East and West Coasts. Please check local listings for availability and times in other areas. The next race for the Motorock Trans-Am Series is scheduled for Sunday, June 27 at Infineon Raceway as part of the NASCAR Nextel Cup weekend at the Northern California Road Course. PORTLAND, Ore. (June 18, 2004) ‹ Post-race notebook for the Albertsons Trans-Am 100 at Portland International Raceway. * Tommy Kendall (No. 11 Jaguar R Performance XKR) and Paul Gentilozzi (No. 3 Jaguar R Performance XKR) were forced to charge from the back of the field during Saturday¹s Albertsons 100 due to separate technical difficulties. Gentilozzi¹s No. 3 Jaguar R Performance XKR was disqualified after timing first in qualifying due to a technical infraction, while Kendall¹s team elected to make an engine change after qualifying. Interestingly, both were at the front of the field just 10laps into the 51-lap race. * Tomy Drissi¹s Rocketsports squad had its hands full as well this weekend, as it had to change a clutch just prior to qualifying. They worked on the car for much of the session on pit road before sending Drissi out to earn the pole, his first in Trans-Am competition, in the No. 5 Alien Vs. Predator, Only in Theaters Jaguar XKR. * Brandon Davis and his father, Mike, celebrated Father¹s Day weekend Saturday by competing together in the Albertsons Trans-Am 100. The elder Davis finished 14th after a mechanical failure in his No. 11 ACS Express Racing Ford Mustang, while youth ruled when the younger Davis finished 11th in the No. 99 SpyOptic/ACS Express Ford Mustang. Interestingly, it was the younger Davis¹ Trans-Am debut. * 2002 Trans-Am Champion Boris Said, who usually drives for Davis, is acting as Brandon Davis¹ driving coach. ³Boris has been working with him, teaching him how to drive and how to do the setup,²said M. Davis. ³They¹ve run in the same car and he¹s right there with Boris. Boris has 30 years experience, so Brandon has a lot of catching up to do. They antagonize the hell out of each other.² * Other father and son duos in attendance at Portland included: Max (No. 83 Hypermax Chevrolet Corvette) and J.A. Lagod, John (no. 86 MAP Quality Engineering Ford Mustang) and Gary Baucom, and Paul Gentilozzi and his two sons Tony and John. * While the Davis¹ plan to spend Father¹s Day withfamily, the rest have work to do, and will stay here to work on their cars prior to the next Trans-Am race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., June 27. ###