Daytona II: Dunlap race recap

Tire strategies key for Daytona SRP II and GT winners.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2002) - Rand Racing had two cars and used two different tire strategies en route to winning the SRP II class victory in the Jani King 250 for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series at Daytona Beach International Speedway.

Dunlop is the sole tire provider for the SRP II and GT classes in the Rolex Series.

The Rand team's car driven by Jerry Nadeau and Anthony Lazzaro won the SRP II class at Daytona. The Scuderia Ferrari of Washington entry, driven by Cort Wagner and Bill Auberlen, won the GT class.

"The Dunlop tires we have now have been really good," Lazzaro said.

The SRP II class leader in points this season, the Rand team went into the 250-mile chase around the 3.56-mile road course confident in its Dunlop tires. That confidence spawned the two tire-related plans.

The Rand car driven by Series leader Terry Borcheller and Niclas Jonsson did not change tires when it stopped just short of the midway point in the race, saving time in the pits.

The Rand car raced by NASCAR Winston Cup regular Nadeau and Lazzaro got new Dunlops when it was presented on pit road.

"We decided that we were not going to take (a new set of) tires (on the first pit stop) because we had a very well balanced car," Jonsson said. "The (other team) car decided to take tires and go for it."

Mechanical woes slowed the Borcheller/Jonsson car and the pair finished third in class. Darren Law, Andy Lally and Armando Trentini finished second in the class.

The SRP II victory was the seventh straight class victory for the Rand team.

Auberlen said his team changed tires when the car pitted, saying a fresh set of Dunlops helped the car's handling.

Joao Barbosa and Thierry Perrier finished second in the GT scoring and Kevin Buckler and Michael Schrom took third.

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