Press Release
SCCA Report and Results from Trans-Am Season Finale--Reno, 09/22/96
09/24/96
FELLOWS TAKES TRANS-AM FINALE ON STREETS OF RENO; KENDALL DRIVERS' CHAMPION
RENO, Nev. (September 22, 1996) -- Driving the #3 Sunoco/AER Ma
Chevrolet Camaro, Ron Fellows scored the 1996 Trans-Am Championship
season finale win on the streets of Reno, recording his fourth win of
the year at the Reno Grand Prix at the Reno Hilton, Presented by IGT
Megabucks.
Fellows' teammate Jamie Galles, in the #2 ICI/Glidden Camaro, finished
second and Tom Gloy, making his first Trans-Am start since 1991,
finished third in the #4 Gloy Racing Ford Mustang Cobra.
"Horsepower means nothing when the track is slippery," said
Fellows. "We (AER Racing) have a real handle street set-ups--I owe
this win to all of my crew for the outstanding work they've put in
here and all year."
Finishing fourth was Tom Kendall, who earned his third Trans-Am
Drivers' Championship crown to become the second driver to win three
Trans-Am Drives' titles, tying Mark Donohue.
Kendall spent most of the race in 11th after being stopped on course
on lap 26, trapped behind the cars of Gloy and Greg Pickett, who came
together in turn seven. Kendall came on strong in the race's final
laps, charging from eighth to fourth in the final seven laps.
"I don't know if it's because this is my most recent championship that
makes it the sweetest or having had to overcome the adversity of the
first couple of races this year," said Kendall. "I would have liked to
partake in the great action of this race, but I was looking for the
championship."
Finishing second in the championship was Dorsey Schroeder, who saw his
title hopes fade as he suffered an engine failure while trailing
leader Fellows on lap 68 of the 75-lap, 95.25-mile race. Schroeder,
driving the #12 Raybestos Ford Mustang Cobra, ended his day in 16th,
good enough to earn 12 points for the weekend and win a $7,500 bonus
for the Harrah's Road to Reno Triple Crown.
Boris Said, driving the #14 Lion's Pride Mustang Cobra, qualified
fifth to start first and then led the first 16 laps before being spun
by Brian Simo, in the #22 Valvoline Mustang Cobra. Simo then led the
next 12 laps before being penalized, putting him behind Said in sixth
while the field was under the third of five full-course cautions, none
of which resulted in serious injury.
Simo's penalty put Schroeder in first, a lead he held until Fellows
made it by on lap 36. Schroeder remained nose-to-tail in second behind
Fellows for the next 31 laps until he coasted to a stop between turns
six and seven on the 1.27-mile, 11-turn circuit.
Finishing a career-best fifth was Dino Crescentini, in the #93
Autospecialty Camaro. Crescentini was later disqualified in post-race
technical inspection and as a result fifth went to Leighton Reese, in
the #06 Phillips 66 Pontiac Grand Prix, who earned both the Raybestos
Rising Star of the Race Award and the DynoMax Turn On The Power Award
for his effort. R.J. Valentine, in the #7 Pennzoil Camaro, finished
11th from his 26th-place start to earn the OPTIMA Batteries Quick
Charger Award for improving 14 positions.
Fellows, of Toronto, Ontario, Can., finished the season with 284
points to secure third-place in the Drivers' Championship, followed by
Galles, 274; Scott Sharp, 263; Boris Said, 245; Brian Simo, 243; Greg
Pickett, 240; Bill Saunders, 230; and Jon Gooding, 213.
In the Trans-Am Manufacturers' Championship, Ford finishes the season
with 108, five points ahead of Chevrolet.
RENO, Nev. -- Results from Sunday's 75-lap, 95.25-mile Trans-Am
Championship Reno Grand Prix at the Reno Hilton, Presented by IGT
Megabucks, with finishing position, starting position in parentheses,
driver, hometown, car, laps and reason out.
1, (7), Ron Fellows, Toronto, Ontario, Can., Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
2, (11), Jamie Galles, Albuquerque, N.M., Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
3, (6), Tom Gloy, Crystal Bay, Nev., Ford Mustang Cobra, 75.
4, (5), Tom Kendall, Apopka, Fla., Ford Mustang Cobra, 75.
5, (15), Leighton Reese, Minnetonka, Minn., Pontiac Grand Prix, 75.
6, (9), Scott Sharp, Danville, Calif, Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
7, (17), Steve Hodge, Hillsboro, Ore., Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
8, (16), John W. Miller IV, Johnson City, Tenn., Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
9, (1), Boris Said III, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 75.
10, (24), Kenny Bupp, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., Chevrolet Camaro, 74.
11, (26), R.J. Valentine, Hingham, Mass., Chevrolet Camaro, 74.
12, (22), Ray Kong, San Jose, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 74.
13, (18), Bob Ruman, Munroe Falls, Ohio, Chevrolet Camaro, 73.
14, (13), Bill Saunders, Dallas, Texas, Chevrolet Camaro, 71.
15, (23), Larry Newman, Sherwood, Ore., Chevrolet Camaro, 71.
16, (3), Dorsey Schroeder, Osage Beach, Mo., Ford Mustang Cobra, 67, Mech.
17, (14), Max Lagod, Barrington, Ill., Chevrolet Camaro, 59, Diff.
18, (25), Jim Maguire, Glendale, Ariz., Chevrolet Camaro, 54.
19, (21), Rick Lee, Incline Village, Nev., Ford Mustang Cobra, 53, Mech.
20, (8), Greg Pickett, Alamo, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 47, Crash.
21, (12), Jon Gooding, Longwood, Fla., Ford Mustang Cobra, 43, Over Heat.
22, (19), Don Sak, West Bloomfield, Mich, Olds Cutlass, 37, Mech.
23, (2), Brian Simo, Carlsbad, Calif., Ford Mustang Cobra, 31, Mech.
24, (4), Paul Gentilozzi, Lansing, Mich., Chevrolet Camaro, 23, Diff.
25, (20), Bruce Nesbitt, Chicago, Ill., Ford Mustang Cobra, 1, Mech.
DISQ., (10), Dino Crescentini, Brentwood, Calif., Chevrolet Camaro, 75.
Time of race: 1 hours, 30 minutes, 32.464 seconds.
Average speed: 63.120 miles-per-hour
Margin of victory: 2.0820 seconds
Fastest race lap: Brian Simo, 1:00.435 (75.651 mph)
Lap leaders: laps 1-16 #14 Said
laps 17-28 #22 Simo
laps 29-35 #12 Schroeder
laps 36-75 # 3 Fellows