Johnson, Ludwig "Big Dogs" in KONI Challenge Grand Sport Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Winning pair makes no bones about it as they share in Porsche's fourth KONI victory at track

HOMESTEAD, Fla. March 15, 2009: Just when one thought it couldn't get any closer than Saturday's Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner (ST) race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Billy Johnson and Andy Lally nearly did so in Sunday's Grand Sport (GS) race, the second of two KONI Challenge races in the Grand-Am Fan Appreciation Weekend.

Johnson and co-driver Peter Ludwig's No. 18 Motorsport Technology Group Porsche 997 edged Lally and John Potter's No. 41 TRG Porsche 997 by only 0.133 seconds - compared to Saturday's 0.129-second victory by Randy Pobst and Christian Miller - to give Porsche a 1-2 sweep and Johnson's first career GS victory. For Ludwig and Motorsport Technology Group, it was both driver and team's second career victories.

The San Clemente, Calif., native Johnson, who split his time in 2008 running for MTG and Rehagen Racing, put together a nine-second advantage after Lally pitted on Lap 79, with just under 30 minutes remaining in the 92-lap, two-and-a-half hour race. Without any caution periods thereafter, it was up to Lally and his fresher Hoosier tires to gain on Johnson, who had pitted with 62 minutes left in the race.

Lally cut into Johnson's lead over the following 15 laps, but it was wasn't until the final four laps that Lally really started making it close. With four laps remaining, the gap was 4.1 seconds. On the next lap, Lally was 3.05 seconds behind, and only 1.9 seconds behind with two laps to go. At the white flag, the advantage was down to 1.1 seconds, and by then, it was up to Lally to drive it the deepest he had all weekend.

He nearly accomplished the feat. Around the 2.3-mile, 11-turn track, Lally shaved off tenths of a second, and by the backstretch was only three car lengths in arrears. As the duo inched around the Turns 10 and 11 banking, Lally drafted Johnson nose-to-tail before making a final move.

Lally pulled out from the draft and tried to drive alongside Johnson, but came up 0.133 seconds short, making the finish the third closest in KONI Challenge history. Saturday's race, which was only four thousandths fastest than Sunday's, was 0.129 seconds. Combined, the two races offered margins of victories of 0.262 seconds.

For Johnson, Ludwig and the entire Motorsport Technology Group, the victory was an added benefit. The team was sponsored by Eukanuba and Morris Animal Foundation, which were two of the weekend's biggest sponsors. Additionally, MTG's team owner, Steve Marcus, was a major force in attracting the race weekend's Grand Marshal, Deuce, a K-9 from the Glades County (Fla.) Sheriff's Department. Marcus is a major promoter of canine health and research.

Overall, Johnson - the new KONI Challenge GS point leader by three points (63-60) over podium runner Ken Wilden - led a race-high 38 laps, including the final 19, while Ludwig led 10 laps. Ludwig qualified the No. 18 Porsche 997 second on the grid, and took control when polesitter Matt Bell's No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 began smoking on the fourth lap.

Lally totaled 12 laps out front, pitting on Lap 79. He took control from Potter during the race's first pit top, and was aiming to give TRG its first KONI Challenge victory since last August's race at Iowa Speedway. Lally was one of several Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 regulars entered during the weekend.

Another of those regulars, Ozz Negri, rounded out the podium with Wilden in the No. 59 Rehagen Racing Ford Mustang GT. It was the team's third straight podium finish and second straight third-place result, after Wilden and team principal Dean Martin finished third in the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway. Negri, who led 19 laps, was also the race's top finishing driver from South Florida.

Finishing fourth were James Gue and Bret Seafuse, drivers of the No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT. Despite an engine change following Friday's qualifications, the team improved a race-high 19 positions from a 23rd-place starting position. Gue led 11 laps, taking the point when Johnson pitted for the final time.

Rounding out the top five were Glenn Bocchino and Todd Lamb in the No. 32 Kinetic Motorsports Cybernation/Cobalt Friction BMW M3. Lamb spent a majority of his stint in the top five.

As superior a day as it was for Lally and Negri, it was completely opposite for another Rolex Series regular, Darren Law. During Sunday's warm-up, Law - driving the No. 8 Maxwell Paper Racing Porsche 997 - ran into the stalled No. 80 Kinetic Motorsport BMW M3. Both cars sustained structural damage, and neither car started the race.

Only one caution, for the stalled No. 91 Automatic Racing Sparco/Imported Car Store BMW M3, for two laps slowed the average speed to 89.762 mph.

The next event for the KONI Sports Car Challenge is May 2 at Thunderbolt Raceway at New Jersey Motorsports Park.