Daytona Test: AASCO Motorsports day two notes

AASCO Porsche Leaves Daytona Testing With Top Speed

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., January 4, 2003 - After setting the top speed in the new SGS class for the first two days of open testing for the 42nd Annual Rolex 24 of Daytona (International Speedway), AASCO Motorsports has chosen to forego the final day of testing and return its three Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars to the team's Anaheim, Calif. race shop. The No.16 entry of Long Beach, California's Craig Stanton and Cumming, Georgia's David Murry upped the ante in their quest to be the top SGS entry in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series with a time of one minute, 57.074 seconds (109.469 mph). The time, the fastest of the weekend to date, betters the previous best mark of the class, also set by the No. 16 in Saturday's testing at the 3.56 mile road course, of 1:57.217. Saturday's time was set by Murry, today's quick lap by Stanton, demonstrating the strong partnership of the driving duo. The No.17 car of Joe Kunz and Mark Webber set the second fastest time of the morning's session with a time of 1:59.154 and was then parked for the remainder of the day. The No.96, a 2003 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, of Gary Becker, Derek Clark and Pat Flanagan ran in both sessions of the day rotating Becker, Clark, Flanagan, Kunz and Webber on its way to a time of 2:06.542. Feeling that the team had exceeded its goals for the weekend, Dennis Aase, team owner and manager, made the call to skip the final day of testing and return home to focus on preparations for the Rolex 24 which kicks off the 2004 Grand American Rolex Series' season on January 31.

Dennis Aase, team owner/team manager: "The kind of good luck we've had here might be the kiss of death. Everything from tech inspection on the first day to the last session we ran has gone to plan, or even better than we had planned. It's a credit to everyone involved with this team that we are so well prepared and are leaving here with the fastest car for the weekend. I can't wait to get back here for the race."

Craig Stanton, No. 16: "I feel very optimistic. There are a lot of good teams out there and I think it will come down to the last hour. The team that shows up for that last hour with everything in place will be the winner. I'm not saying we will be that team but I am saying I have never been in a better position to be that team here at the Rolex. We have a great head start on coming back here at the end of the month and doing well. Everyone is working perfectly together and the Porsches are performing like you know a Porsche is going to perform: flawlessly. I really have to thank AASCO Motorsports and Porsche for putting me in the best position of my career to win the Rolex 24."

Mark Webber, No. 17: "I'm honored to be associated with this group of people. I can't believe how fun racing can be when you are with the right people. The fact that we're leaving Sunday afternoon says everything about this team and what Dennis (Aase) has assembled here. I have never driven such a well prepared car. I want to thank AASCO Motorsports and Porsche for building such a great car!"

For more on AASCO Motorsports and Craig Stanton, please visit www.CraigStanton.com. For more on David Murry, please visit www.DavidMurry.com .

-dhc/tm-