Aasco Motorsports Announces 2005 Rolex Series Schedule For Long, Flanagan

Aasco Motorsports Announces 2005 Rolex Series Schedule For Long,
Flanagan

 

ANAHEIM, Calif., March 28, 2005 - Motorsports legend Dennis Aase's Aasco
Motorsports will make its Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series return
at California Speedway on April 3rd. The Fontana, California-round will
be the first of six GT class races in which Aasco will field the No. 26
New Century Mortgage Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry for Porsche factory
driver Patrick Long (Las Vegas, Nev.) and three-time Rolex Series
competitor Pat Flanagan (Aliso Viejo, Calif.). 

 

After the team's '05 debut in the Grand American 400 at California
Speedway, the white, green and gold New Century machine will enter the
U.S. Sports Car Invitational at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 1st.
The two California rounds will be followed by the Paul Revere 250 at
Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on June 30th, the Watkins Glen
(NY) 200 on August 12th and the Phoenix (Ariz.) 250 September 10-11th.
The Irish driving duo of Flanagan and Long will close their 2005 season
at the VIR 400 on the picturesque (Alton) Virginia International Raceway
on October 9. 

 

Long, 23, is considered to have one of the sport's brightest futures. As
the sole American on the Porsche factory team, the California-native has
three career Rolex Series starts. He opened 2005 with a 13th place GT
class finish at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and ran fifth in the race in GT
class in 2004. Though young, Long's impressive career includes a GT
class victory in the 2004 24 Hours of Le Mans and the GT2 class title at
the 2005 12 Hours of Sebring earlier this month. He also holds one
international and four national karting titles. 

 

Flanagan, president of New Century Mortgage, comes to Aasco Motorsports
as a lifelong racer. After leaving the sport to run several highly
successful businesses, Flanagan returned to the driver's seat at the
Skip Barber Racing School driving open wheel, formula cars before moving
to sports cars in Porsche club competition. 2004 marked his first
professional races with one GT class start, finishing fifth at
California Speedway, and one SGS class start at the Rolex 24. He also
joined Long in the field of the United States Grand Prix Porsche
Supercup round. Flanagan opened the 2005 season at Daytona driving a
Porsche GT3 Cup car finishing eighth in the newly re-configured GT
class. 

 

Aasco Motorsports has been a regular in the Rolex Series since 1999.
They competed in four SGS class events in 2004 winning the class at
Homestead-Miami Speedway. They also took a class pole position and
second place at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). 

 

New Century Financial Corporation is a real estate investment trust and
the country's second largest non-prime mortgage finance company. Founded
in 1995, the Irvine, Calif. company is traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the ticker, NEW. New Century operates in 29 states with
approximately 5,000 employees. The No. 26 will be joined on-track by the
No. 02 New Century-backed Daytona Prototype.

 

Quotes:

Dennis Aase, team owner: "I think, realistically, with the level of
competition in the Rolex Series, I am sure we will run in the top-three
several times and I'm sure we'll have a pole or two. The car is the best
thing we can put together here. It is a 2004 car that we have brought-up
to the current specifications. We have run the car in testing and it
works really well. The drivers are really happy with it. It is an
abbreviated year for us and that allows me the opportunity to make sure
our presentation is 100 percent at every race. With the caliber of car
and a Porsche factory driver on the team, we are looking forward to this
season. We are concentrating very hard on this program. This is what
Aasco will be hanging its hat on this year."

 

Pat Flanagan, driver: "I am thrilled to be part of this effort. With a
co-driver who might be the fastest Porsche driver on the planet and a
car prepared by Dennis and the Aasco team, I'm looking forward to trying
to fight our way onto a podium or two."

 

Patrick Long, driver: "This is exciting! When Pat Flanagan approached me
about this drive I took his offer very seriously. I know how this guy
does business at and away from the track; successfully. I have a great
respect for the GT3 Cup car. After racing them in the Supercup and
Carrera Cups across the world, I always look forward to jumping back in
them. Aasco prepares some of the best race cars out there and I look
forward to working with Dennis and his great group of guys. All and all,
I know we are going to have a great time, but fun isn't the only aim
here. We're coming out to win races and I believe we can accomplish just
that!"