Fontana: Synergy Racing preview

Synergy Racing Four-Car Lineup Seeks Success at California Speedway this Weekend

FONTANA, Calif. (March 31, 2005) -- Synergy Racing was slated to take to the track today at California Speedway for testing prior to this weekend's Ferrari Maserati 400 event featuring both the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Series. However, Synergy's four-car lineup will have to wait until Friday's practice sessions to get on track. Speedway officials cancelled today's testing when Santa Ana winds gusting up to 50 mph blew into the region, making racing on the banking treacherous.

Southern California is like a second home for Synergy Racing, with five of the team's seven drivers having ties to the area. Rx.com No. 81 BMW Doran Daytona Prototype drivers Burt and Brian Frisselle were both born in Los Angeles and still have several family members residing in the area.

Synergy's Craig Stanton lives in nearby Long Beach. After a fourth-place finish in Miami with co-driver David Murry, of Atlanta, Ga., the drivers of the No. 80 Porsche GT3 Cup are primed for a spot in victory lane on Sunday.

"The Synergy team has been doing a lot of homework, so we have a really good setup for this race," said Stanton. "Our first race at Homestead went even better than we hoped, so that gives us a lot of confidence going into this race at Fontana."

Murry will also partner with Mae Van Wijk, of Houston, Texas, in the team's No. 81 Porsche, sponsored by pipeservicestt.com and autobysite.com. After an impressive eighth-place finish in Miami, the pair looks to give Van Wijk, the series' youngest female driver, her first-ever podium finish.

Before Synergy's three Rolex Series entries take the green flag on Sunday afternoon, Orange County residents Brent Martini, of Laguna Beach, and Kelly Collins, of Newport Beach, will pilot the team's No. 81 Porsche 997 in Saturday's Grand-Am Cup Series race. Synergy gave the newly released Porsche 997 its racing debut at the season opener in Daytona in February. Since then, the team has continued to develop the car and work out new car gremlins.

"Eventually this will be a winning car, it just still needs a lot of development," explained Collins. "Developing a new car is always a challenge, and the guys at Synergy are always up for a challenge."

Martini has experienced the pleasure of winning in front of the hometown crowd before, winning the Rolex Series GT class at California Speedway in 2003, but this weekend he takes a more realistic approach to his goals.

"The Porsche 997 has been at a disadvantage to the Mustangs and Porsche 996s at the last two races in regards to horsepower, weight and other factors," remarked Martini. "We are really looking forward to breaking into the top 10 this weekend. A top-five finish would feel like a victory for us."

Official racing activities are scheduled to get underway on Friday at California Speedway with practice for both the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Series. Qualifying for both series will take place on Saturday, with the 200-mile, 71-lap Grand-Am Cup race getting underway at 2:45 p.m. PST. The green flag will fall on the Ferrari Maserati 400 featuring the Rolex Series on Sunday at 1 p.m. PDT.

For additional information on the Ferrari Maserati 400 event weekend, including ticket information, visit www.californiaspeedway.com. Live timing and scoring of all on-track activities is available throughout the weekend on www.grandamerican.com.

About Synergy Racing
Team owners Cole Scrogham and Danny and Steve Marshall introduced Synergy Racing in December 2004. Based at Virginia International Raceway, Synergy Racing is an evolution of G&W Motorsports, which had catered to Porsche racing since 1996 and became the most successful team in the Rolex Sports Car Series with four championships, 15 class wins and more than 50 podium finishes. The team underwent a major transformation that included a name and logo change, as well as a complete restructuring into a customer-based championship racing business, which concentrates on the needs of the customer rather than the desires of the team. For more information on Synergy Racing, visit www.synergyracing.com.

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