Car no. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley de Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty again gained in the Series Grand-A.m. Rolex Sports Car presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and it took the lead of the record of victories in one season of Daytona Prototypes with five triumphs. Dupla was winning with an advantage of 6,033 seconds, in the competition of this Sunday in Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant, disputed in the Barber Motorsports Park.

Podio 2007 in the Barber Motorsports Park

Gurney obtained the fifth triumph of escudería but the final margin of the victory is not good indicator of the fight that was developed in the track of 2,3 miles and 16 curves. Gurney passed last the 20 minutes of race with the stuffed rear view mirrors with the car of Colin Braun, the no. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley. Nevertheless, Gurney could maintain remote the young person of 18 years of age and happen in the first place in front of the flag to pictures.
Fogarty began the race from pole and during the first part of the competition Ruby Tuesday Porsche Crawford was separating of the 23 no. Alex Job Racing de Patrick Long. A collision between four vehicles - in the later part of the squad at the beginning of the event he left pieces of cars in the track and therefore it appeared the first yellow flag of the day (returned 11), which precipitated the shutdowns in pits and many equipment was useful to make the change of pilots, prescribed before the first 45 minutes of race. Car no. 99 took the opportunity and realized the change of pilot and so the day of Fogarty to the steering wheel, arrived at its aim.
“We were very conscious from where it was car (no.) 01 (with the leader of the championship, Scott Pruett) throughout the time”, Fogarty said. “That played a part in our decision making. We try abrir that advantage and that allowed us to make the change of pilot we did when it. It surprised a little to me. It did not feel that we were running. Definitively it was the early part (of the race) to make the decision that we took. Between our last session of practice and the race, the track changed a little. Luckyly everything left well in pits and I am contented of which we have been able to add points with respect to the leader”.

Fogarty/Gurney leads to the car of Braun/Jonsson

Gurney returned to the race in fifth place, advanced to Hurley Haywood (no. 59 Waxes Porsche Riley) remaining with the fourth place and inheriting the third party when Christian Fittipaldi did I spin a top with the 39 no. Cheever Racing Crown Royal Special Reserve Pontiac Fabcar in the last one curves returns later. After persecuting to the no. 58 Red Bull Waxes Porsche Riley de Darren Law looking for the second place - something that obtained in return 22 - Gurney put its glance in the leader, the coequipero of Braun, NIC Jönsson, that was 3,031 seconds ahead.
While Gurney continued climbing, car no. 19 Ganassi Chip with Felix Sabates Racing Z-Line Designs/Mission Residential Lexus Riley de Michael Valiante left track due to the breakage of the axis. This caused the second yellow flag of the race and so all the participants entered to pits for their last programmed shutdown. Whereas some equipment made change of pilots - including no. 75-, and no. 99 took advantage of the early change retaking the leadership.
Gurney led from return 47 and returned to be distanced of Braun to the 66 when there was another period under yellow flag due to the car of Marc Goossens (91 no. Riley-Matthews Motorsports Pontiac Riley). This caused that the cars approached and allowed that Braun delivered a new attack.
“Today we made all good”, said Gurney. “Jon obtained pole and led during its turn, made a fast shutdown in pits and all along we were playing with the fuel. Somebody was all along in the radio with me what was really hard because Colin never left me. By the others, it was a great day”.
The victory leaves to the equipment in the third place of the championship of the Rolex Series and narrows the distance to 13 points with respect to the leader, Scott Pruett that finished in fifth position. Max Angelelli (no. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley) finished third party and it stays to 11 points of Pruett.
The fuel played an important role in the persecution between Braun and Gurney, since the last shutdown allowed Braun to go thorough by awhile. But Braun remained without fuel in the last curve of the race and crossed the goal in the second position.

Braun/Jonsson de Krohn Racing

“Fodder that our equipment did a great east work weekend”, said Braun. “I really did not have opportunity to happen to Alex; he was fast all along. My plan was to be close and soon to five or six returns perhaps beginning to run because it was lowering the speed in means of his turn. I suppose that I did not do so good work as it had conserving the fuel; I began to remain without fuel when they were three returns of race. From only I wanted there to make sure that there was sufficient fuel until the end”.
With Krohn Racing in search of its first triumph in 2007, the equipment decided to change of strategy. For the first time in the season, the Brauns and Jönsson ran together in a track, Barber Motorsports Park, in whom Braun gained the past season.
“We thought that we had to modify it a little”, Jönsson with respect to the change of pilot of this weekend said. “Obvious one feels fantastic for my because I could lead the race by many returns today, and that is very good. The equipment did a work incredible completing again the car. We were fast all the weekend, as Colin said, but simply could not do it in the race. You already know, in spite of that we sat down in podio, which is huge, and added some points. We hope to go to Montreal in a pair of weeks and to obtain a triumph there”.
Braun also thought that this she could be the weekend of the victory for his triumph.
“NIC did a really good work in its turn, and I suppose that I feel a little disappointed”, Braun said. “We had a fast car all the weekend and wanted to gain a victory for the boys. They have been working really hard. But this is definitively an improvement. NIC did a good work and we hoped to be able to win in Montreal, and to obtain a good result”.
To about 40 seconds behind the leader, the battle was developed between Angelelli, Donohue and Pruett, that fought by the third position.

Taylor/Angelelli/Gidley de SunTrust Racing in grilla

Angelelli maintained remote immediately to both runners, finishing third and thanks to the heat being transported to an ambulance they took where it to the medical center of the track to treat it by dehydration. Angelelli recovered quickly and soon it began to joke with the doctors.
“I cannot believe it”, said Angelelli soon, to the given being of discharge. “I do not know I did how it. But definitively it was as an evil dream. I cannot be connected still now. My head is “confused”. Thanks to God we have one week free”.
Gidley memo, that ran the first seven races of the season with another Daytona Prototype before being united to the equipment of east Angelelli weekend, practiced very little and even so it classified quarter. Thinking about all the panorama of the championship for Angelelli, Gidley followed in front of the coequipero of Pruett, Red Memo and carried out an early change of pilot. The strategy gave result and Angelelli left pits thirdly.
“Definitively the plan was to try to put to us in front of (no.) the 01”, said Gidley. “To do it at the outset it was important because we could make a change of pilot, and that would impel to us - and thus was to the third place. He was hard to seat to me (in pits) and to watch. But it was an incredible strategy and a great work from Max. I have been a species of leader in the equipment in which I have competed years in the last. It is very good for being in the situation to work with Max and the boys who have as much experience”.

Donohue/Law conquered the fourth final position

Donohue and its coequipero, Darren Law, also realized very good turns to the steering wheel in the 58 no. Red Bull/Waxes Racing Porsche Riley, obtaining the ninth consecutive result between the 10 first, when crossing the goal in fourth position. Both pilots ran all evening between the five first and in fact Donohue was stuck to the Pontiac de Angelelli in the last returns of the race.
Pruett and Rojas hardly finished in the fifth square a weekend after winning in the Iowa Speedway. Pruett, although this time they could not equal the power of the leaders.
The Daytona Prototypes and the GT of the Rolex Series will return to the action the 3 of August, in the circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This will be the first race of the category in the temporary circuit of 2,708 miles and 15 curves.