Gurney's Surprise Poem a Highlight of Season-Ending Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Awards Banquet

DALLAS, TX. September 29, 2008 — The annual season-ending Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Awards Banquet always has a few surprises and this year's celebration, which was held Monday, September 22 at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, saw none other than GAINSCO's own Alex Gurney nearly steal the show when he entertained the crowd of more than 500 guests with an original poem.

On stage to accept second-place Daytona Prototype Team and Driver Awards with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team owner Bob Stallings and teammate Jon Fogarty, Gurney surprised the house when he read a poem that he wrote for the occasion. Gurney's "'Twas the Night Before the Rolex" followed the same the meter of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," but the subject matter was decidedly different from the holiday classic.

All in good fun, Gurney took friendly jabs at Rolex Series Competitors and Grand-Am Officials, and even some of his own GAINSCO team's personnel. The poem proved to be one of the highlights of the evening as well as great end-of-the-year stress relief after a full season of racing. Gurney, with some help from Fogarty, also cut the last word of the poem and instead opted to congratulate TELMEX/Chip Ganassi Racing and drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas on a great season one final time.

You can view Gurney's on-stage reading of "'Twas The Night Before The Rolex" at www.GAINSCOracing.com and the text follows.

'Twas the Night Before the Rolex

'Twas the night before the Rolex

And all through the pits

The mechanics were plodding along

Far away from the glamour and glitz

The GAINSCO season started with such promise

But our bad luck became so chronic

There was no stopping our engineer Kyle Brannan

From grabbing yet another gin and tonic

We complained about engine rules

But got no love from the tower

Don't you know all the engines are the same?

And by the same, I mean plus or minus 40 horsepower

Leading in Virginia, in Daytona,

The Glen, Barber, Montreal and the rest

First we would need to finish

To prove we were truly the best

'Give it everything you have, Gurney'

I will, that you will not dispute,

So long as you remember

To plug in my cool suit

That New Jersey track is fantastic

But that new chicane is taking its toll

That's not really a chicane

That's just Eric Van de Poele

Uh-oh, on track the 01 hits the 23

There's another race incident to solve

Mark Raffauf jumps from his feet and says,

'Are you sure the 99 wasn't involved?'

It's the 58 out in front

But on the broadcast it's Leigh Diffey

I liked their chances before

But now they seem kind of 'iffy'

The interviews were classic this year

We had Scott's 'Hi to my family at home' ballad

And Joey Hand talking about mini-burgers

And a fresh garden salad

Out there somewhere in his Newell,

Mr. France smiles with pride

He's created a monster of a series

And for the fans, one hell of a ride

And so we say congratulations to Pruett and Rojas

From these two drivers with 'just no class'

Don't rest on your laurels,

Next year we're gonna kick your...

Good night everybody and congratulations again to the Ganassi guys!