Homestead-Miami: Winning teams lead line up

Nextel 250 Hosts All-Star Lineup With Four 2002 Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 25, 2002) -- After kicking off the 2002 racing season by winning the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona, four class-winning teams will travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway for this weekend's Rolex Sports Car Series Nextel 250, part of the 20th Anniversary Grand Prix of Miami. Overall winner Doran Lista Racing leads the all-star lineup that includes class winners Rand Racing, The Racer's Group and Flis Motorsports.

The Lista #27 Judd-powered Dallara that captured the checkered flag in Daytona only weeks ago will return to Florida in hopes of building an overall winning streak. Two-time Rolex 24 winners Didier Theys, of Phoenix, and Mauro Baldi, of Monaco, will race the Lista Dallara in the SportsRacing Prototype class.

Leading the SportsRacing Prototype II class will be the Rand Racing #8 Nissan-engined Lola. The Rand Racing Lola captured the SRPII class victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, in addition to finishing third overall, making it the first SRPII to ever finish on the Rolex 24's overall podium. Terry Borcheller, of Phoenix, and Anthony Lazzaro, of Hickory, N.C., will pilot the Rand Racing Lola in the 250-mile event. Lazzaro, a two-time class winner at the Rolex 24, will also be behind the wheel of an Indy car this weekend, driving the #99 Sam Schmidt Motorsports Racing Special.

The Racer's Group, winner of the Rolex 24 GT class, will take the next step in its quest for a championship by racing in the Nextel 250. Team owner and driver Kevin Buckler, of Sonoma, Calif., will run the Suncoast Porsche/ThaList.com/Rennlist.com #66 Porsche GT3 R. The #66 Porsche won the GT class at the Rolex 24 with an impressive seventh-place finish overall.

Flis Motorsports will travel to Homestead-Miami Speedway not only looking for its second American GT win of the season, but also defending its 2001 Nextel 250 victory. The Indicom Auto Group/Microflexinc.com/Goodyear #09 Corvette kicked off a five-race winning streak when it won the AGT class at last year's Nextel 250. After winning their class at the Rolex 24, drivers Doug Goad, of Farmington Hills, Mich., and Craig Conway, of Edgewater, Fla., will try to build another winning streak with a victory in Homestead.

Several past Rolex 24 At Daytona winners will also be racing in the Nextel 250 this weekend. James Weaver will be in the Thetford/Norcold #16 Judd-powered Crawford of the Dyson Racing Team. Weaver was part of the overall winning team at the 1997 Rolex 24, as well as the 2000 SRP winning team. Cort Wagner and Bill Auberlen will team up in the Ferrari of Washington #33 Ferrari 360GT. Auberlen won the GT3 class at the 1998 Rolex 24, while his teammate was in the class-winning car the following year.

Rob Morgan, who won the 1996 GT1 class at Daytona, is slated to race in the Computer Associates #46 Corvette of Morgan Dollar Motorsports this weekend. Four-time class winner Dick Greer will also race in his Wendy's #82 Corvette. Greer won the GT3 class at Daytona three years in a row - 1991 to 1993 - and picked up the American GT win in 2001.

Tickets are available for the Nextel 250, part of 20th Anniversary Grand Prix of Miami, on the Homestead-Miami Speedway website at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com. They may also be purchased by calling 305-230-RACE or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet.

Additional information about the Rolex Sports Car Series is available online at www.grand-am.com.

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