Orbit Racing - Daytona race

top-five

Orbit Racing just missed a spot on the GT podium for the Rolex Sports Car 
Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Joe and Jay Policastro combined 
with Mike Fitzgerald for a fifth-place finish in the No. 44 Classic Industries 
Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Their podium hopes disappeared as caution periods wreaked 
havoc with the team's strategy.

Fitzgerald started second on the GT grid, after qualifying in one minute 
55.659 seconds on the 3.56-mile infield road course. He immediately took the class 
lead and held it for most of his stint. He dropped back to second before 
handing off to Joe Policastro after 49 minutes of the two-hour 45-minute race. Joe 
Policastro lost a position before his son Jay took the wheel at 1h38. He held 
third, but was passed on a late-race restart and had to settle for fifth.

Mike Fitzgerald

"The whole Orbit team did a great job, but we had a little bad luck at the 
end in a five-lap shootout. But it was a good effort. There were no mistakes, 
everybody drove real well and the crew did a great job."

Jay Policastro

"We started off with a great race. I got in and two yellows came out. On the 
second yellow, the 66 and 67 cars pitted for new tires. The last restart 
killed us. I didn't get a good launch and, combined with the new tires, they just 
got me on the restart."

Joe Policastro

"It was a good hard race. We tried our best, but we got caught in a late 
caution that put us back a couple of spots. We just ran out of laps. But the crew 
did a flawless job, and it was one of the better races we drove."

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Sylvia Proudfoot
spur07@cs.com
403 287 3945