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GRAND AM (VIRGINIA) - Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Rolex Sports Car Series VIR Advance


PHOTO (select to view enlarged photo)

No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation

TEAMS: In their season debut with CGRFS, Rob Finlay and Michael Valiante in the No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation Lexus-Riley join back-to-back Rolex 24 At Daytona Champions TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No.01 TELMEX Lexus-Riley.

VENUE: Virginia International Raceway this Sunday, April 29th (1:00pm ET), on the 3.27-mile natural terrain road course in Alton, Virginia – Round 4 of the 14-race Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series season.

AIR DATE: April 29th, 1:00 pm ET (LIVE) on SPEED Channel.

LAST RACE: Homestead-Miami Speedway, Fla. St. 12 Fn. 7 NEXT RACE: May 20th, U.S. Sports Car Invitational, Monterey, Ca. (2006, St. 8 Fn. 8)

TEAM POINTS: No.19 Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential/Make-A-Wish Foundation Lexus-Riley, 16 points (11th, -33) DRIVER POINTS: Rob Finlay, 60 points (12th, -33); Michael Valiante, 60 points (12th, -33)

EXHAUST NOTES: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates unveiled plans two weeks ago to expand their Rolex Grand American Sports Car Series program to two Daytona Prototype entries for the rest of the 2007 season. The team reached an agreement with Finlay Motorsports to operate the #19 Z-Line Designs, Mission Residential, Make-A-Wish Daytona Prototype under the CGRFS umbrella. The #19 Daytona Prototype also makes the switch to both a Lexus powered engine and a Riley chassis.

VIRGINIA HISTORY AND MORE: Finlay and Valiante are no strangers to success at VIR, having posted a podium finish in the Rolex Series first ever qualifying event back in 2006. Enjoying their best starting grid spot ever as a team, they went on to achieve a Top-10 finish the next day in one of the most exciting races in Rolex Series history. Overall Finlay and Valiante have nine top-10 finishes, including two top-5’s in the DP Series, and finished a respectable seventh overall in their first season as teammates in the Grand American Cup Series.