Bill Auberlen - Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Homestead win

Miami March 24, 2007; Bill Auberlen charged from the back of the field to win the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday. Auberlen, of Redondo Beach, Calif., teamed with Matthew Alhadeff of Los Angeles for the win.

Alhadeff qualified the No. 05 Sigalsport BMW-powered Riley Mk XI 15th on the 20-car Daytona Prototype grid with a lap of one minute 16.640 seconds on the 2.3-mile combined oval and infield road course. He drove the first stint, handing off to Auberlen after 32 minutes of the two-hour 30-minute race. Auberlen steadily worked through the field, took the race lead at 2h16 and held it to the checkered flag.

"We knew all weekend long our car was pretty good. it was just a matter of biding my time," he said. "It was a rough run coming up through the groove, but once I got to the front, it was really fun.

"Thanks to the Sigalsport team, the crew, my engineer who works very hard on this car and the Alhadeff family for putting me in it. it's a very big breakthrough for us. I always said once you find your way to victory lane, it's a lot easier to find your way there again. I hope that's the case. This is just one good thing for the season, with many to come."