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Cayman Interseries - Series Resumes This Weekend


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ELKHART LAKE, May 18, 2012: The Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship returns to Elkhart Lake, May 18 – 20, for the Road America Spring Vintage Weekend where a solid entry of Caymans from three different race shops will do battle on the legendary 4.048-mile road course.

The Road America race is the inaugural event of the 2012 Pirelli Triple Crown Championship which also includes this year’s Cayman races at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) and Sebring International Raceway. Among the prizes for the winner of this exclusive “championship within a championship” will be a VIP trip for two to the 2012 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, November 16 – 18, at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, courtesy of Pirelli Tire North America and Napleton Porsche of Westmont.

Pirelli Cayman Interseries race cars from Porsche Napleton Racing (PNR), Chris Smith Racing (CSR) and RaceLink are all fielding entries that are more than capable of winning in the mix of sprint and endurance races on the weekend’s schedule.

Bob Schneider, in his white No. 40 Cayman S modeled after the famous Martini & Rossi “Baby” Porsche 935, podiumed in both sprint races at the Mitty. Schneider is teammates with Chuck Smithee and both race Caymans prepared by Chris Smith Racing, one of the premier race shops in the Southeast located near Road Atlanta. The Mitty was the first Cayman Interseries race weekend for CSR and the team had at least one competitor on the podium in every race.

Smithee also had a strong weekend with CSR at Road Atlanta in his white No. 25 Cayman S that pays tribute to the Le Mans-winning Mobil 1 Porsche GT-1, finishing third in both Sunday races.

Bill Riddell is a multiple race winner and champion in Cayman Interseries competition racing under the banner of his own Jacksonville, Florida-based Racelink shop. Riddell competes in his green and white striped No. 80 Cayman S themed after a David Piper Racing Porsche 917K.

Chicago-based PNR is showing up in full force at Road America with a lineup of veteran Cayman competitors and some new-for-2012 drivers. One PNR driver who has already scored multiple wins this season is Ron Rashinski, who earned back-to-back sportsman class races at the season-opening race weekend at Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR). Rashinski races his popular blue and yellow No. 6 Cayman S that pays tribute to the mighty Sunoco/Penske Racing Porsche 917-30.

Another experienced driver from PNR is Wayne Nykyforchyn who drives his No. 11 white and red Cayman S that runs the livery of a Marlboro/Joest Racing Porsche 956. He picked up a sportsman division podium on Sunday at Road Atlanta and should be in the hunt again at Road America.

Ed Napleton will be making his first Cayman Interseries start at Road America but has been one of the most improved drivers in the series since debuting near the end of last season. Napleton races a special No. 1 Cayman S that features a unique carbon-fiber gray “prototype” livery.

Chris Gleason made his Cayman Interseries debut at the Palm Beach opener and returns for his second start of the year along with his son Kevin Gleason. Both drivers have winning experience in GRAND-AM Road Racing competition and Kevin Gleason put that to good use with a victory in his very first Cayman Interseries race start at Palm Beach in a featured Friday night enduro. The Gleasons will be sharing a PNR-prepared red and white No. 14 Cayman S that pays tribute to a Richard Lloyd Racing Canon Porsche 956.

David Gronke is making his first Cayman Interseries race start at Road America since last October’s Rennsport Reunion. He will once again be at the wheel of the No. 8 white and light-blue striped Cayman S modeled after a Blaupunkt/Joest Racing Porsche 962.

Two notables not competing this weekend include two-time reigning Cayman Interseries Champion Lee Davis and his friendly main rival Mark Sandridge. The traditional Cayman Interseries points structure allows for each competitor to have a “throw out” weekend and Davis and Sandridge both plan to return this summer for the balance of the season.