Backstretch Motorsports

Season Finale Crowns 2008 Grand-Am Class Champions

TOOELE, Utah (Sept. 20, 2008) - Raphael Matos bookended the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season. After winning the GT class in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona back in January, Matos made his return to the series by winning in his first Daytona Prototype start.

Matos joined regular drivers Ian James and John Pew to give the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley its first Rolex Series victory in the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels. The team became the third first-time Daytona Prototype winner in three races at Miller Motorsports Park.

[read more...]

By J.J. O’Malley

TOOELE, Utah (Sept. 19, 2008) - Ricardo Zonta saved his best for last Friday at Miller Motorsports Park, running a lap of 2:35.664 (103.747 mph) to capture the pole for Saturday’s SunRichGourmet.com 1000 presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels, the final event of the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

It was the first career pole for Zonta, a former Formula One regular, and also the first time the Lola chassis captured a pole in Daytona Prototype competition. Zonta will co-drive the No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola with Nic Jonsson in search of his first career Rolex Series victory.

[read more...]

Sonoma, Calif., August 23, 2008 – The No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Daytona Prototype (DP) driven by Michael Valiante and Max Angelelli won round 12 of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at Infineon Raceway today. The No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac of Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney came home in second giving Pontiac a one-two finish.

The 2.47-mile, 12-turn Infineon road course proved to be the perfect location for the SunTrust team’s first win of the season. Michael Valiante started the race from pole position, which he inherited late last night when the original pole sitter was sent to the back following the post qualifying technical inspection. Valiante led every lap of his stint and then turned the car over to Angelelli. He reassumed the lead on lap 45 with a competitive pass on the leader and was never headed since then. The team lead every lap of the 102 circuit event except 22.

[read more...]

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Ready for Late-Season Rally and a Return to Winning Ways in Friday’s Crown Royal 200 at The Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 6, 2008) — Undeterred by an uncanny run of bad luck and equally determined to end the 2008 season on a high note, defending Crown Royal 200 race winners and reigning Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Champions GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, and drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, return to Watkins Glen International this Friday ready to mount a late-season rally in the final four races of the year.

The Crown Royal 200 sprint is scheduled for 82 laps with a two-hour time limit and joins last week’s Montreal 200 as one of the two shortest races of the season. The green flag is scheduled to drop at 6:30 p.m. ET and the race, which will be run on 8-8-08, is appropriately schedule to air on SPEED in same-day coverage at 8 p.m. ET.

[read more...]

Leads, Ala., July 19, 2008 – The SunTrust Pontiac Daytona Prototype (DP) will start from the pole for tomorrow’s running of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

The heat is proving to be a factor for all of the teams this weekend. With temperatures averaging in the mid-90s it is playing havoc with the track and the cars. With times declining in the afternoon heat the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara driven by Michael Valiante took the pole for tomorrow’s race with a time of 1:20.521. Valiante is joined in the 10 with co-driver Max Angelelli. The 2005 series champions are trying to make a late season run at the points standings. They have had a difficult season to date which has included on the track contact as well as a hauler fire which destroyed their first Dallara

[read more...]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Hot on the heels of their first 2008 victory two weeks ago, reigning Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Champions Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing will be looking for consecutive victories in both the Rolex Series and the Brumos Porsche 250 when the second half of the 2008 season begins Thursday night under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.

[read more...]

In the GT class of the Grand-Am Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, one team has been consistently up front finishing on the podium five times in the last six races. And in the three races since the Rum Bum 250 race at Laguna Seca, the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports BryanMark Financial Pontiac GXP.R has collected 94 team and driver championship points, 9 more than any other team during the same period.

Drivers Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell are currently third in the driver’s championship standings, just a single point out of second place and 32 points behind the leaders. The Stevenson Team holds the same position, and same point’s variance, in the Team Championship standings.

[read more...]

Koretsky Picks Richie Stevens to Drive Nitro Fish Pontiac GXP

After deliberating for more than a week, Kenny Koretsky decided Tuesday to put Richie Stevens in the seat of his Nitro Fish/Indicom Electric Pro Stock Pontiac GXP for this weekend’s Summit Racing Equipment Nationals in Norwalk,
Ohio.

“It’s no secret I’ve been thinking about doing something like this since my crash at Topeka (May 31),” said the fan friendly Koretsky. “Well, now it’s official. Richie was in Joliet (Ill.) testing with Eddie (Guarnaccia, team crew chief) and getting comfortable in the car. If everything goes well – and it should – Richie will be racing at Norwalk.”

[read more...]

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – After nearly 15 years since his last No. 1 qualifier, Funny Car driver Jim Head raced to the provisional top spot Friday at the place he last collected his No. 1 qualifier, the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals.

Larry Dixon, Greg Anderson and Chris Rivas were also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the 11th of 24 events on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series.

[read more...]

WATKINS GLEN, NY (June 7, 2008) – Scott Pruett took the lead with 45 minutes remaining and was never headed as he and Memo Rojas drove the #01 Telmex Lexus to 3.033-second victory in today’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen Rolex Sports Car Series race at Watkins Glen International.

The win is the fourth in six races for the Ganassi/Lexus team and gives both the drivers and the team a 36-point championship lead heading into the midway point of the season at Mid-Ohio. In addition, Lexus continued its domination of endurance racing with its fifth win in the last eight Grand-Am endurance events and now holds a 15-point lead in the manufacturer’s championship.

[read more...]