SCC: G&W Motorsports preview

G&W Motorsports Brings Four-Car Lineup to Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio (August 5, 2004) -- G&W Motorsports has a four-car lineup on hand for this weekend's EMCO Gears Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Virginia-based team will campaign three cars, one in each class, in Saturday's Rolex Sports Car Series race, as well as a fourth entry in Sunday's Grand-Am Cup event.

After being struck with bad luck at the last three events, Rx.com No. 81 BMW Doran JE4 drivers Cort Wagner (Los Angles, Calif.) and Brent Martini (Laguna Beach, Calif.) hope to finally make it to the top step of the podium this weekend.

Following podium finishes in Miami and Phoenix earlier this season, the team was at the top of the Daytona Prototype point standings. However, engine failure during an early practice session at Mont-Tremblant kept the No. 81 car in the garage until the green flag fell. The team managed to put together a respectable seventh-place finish despite the lack of practice, but lost its points lead to Chip Ganassi Racing.

The Rx.com Daytona Prototype was in the final stages of a great run in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen when an ailing alternator took the team out of the race. Trouble befell the team again in Daytona when contact with the Bell Motorsports No. 54 Pontiac Doran resulted in severe damage.

The team took advantage of the month-long break between races to put in some extra testing at Virginia International Raceway and Barber Motorsports Park. The car ran flawlessly during the tests, and Martini, who missed the first portion of the season due to shoulder surgery, was able to gain some valuable seat time that improved his comfort level in the Rx.com car.

In the Super Grand Sport (SGS) class, Mae Van Wijk (Kingwood, Texas) will by joined by Steve Marshall (Blacksburg, Va.) at the wheel of the No. 86 Porsche sponsored by Pipeservicestt.com and Autobysite.com. Van Wijk, the only female car owner in the Rolex Series, has enjoyed much success during the last few races, securing her career best finish of fifth at Mont-Tremblant and then topping it a few weeks later with a fourth-place SGS finish in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.

This weekend, Van Wijk and Marshall will be looking to continue improving by putting the No. 86 Porsche on the SGS podium at Mid-Ohio.

G&W Motorsports' No. 77 Porsche, sponsored by NETTS and Louis Boston, will be making only its second appearance of the season at the EMCO Gears Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic. Drivers Mark Greenberg (Boston, Mass.) and Spencer Pumpelly (Mason Neck, Va.) scored a fifth-place finish in the GT class at Mont-Tremblant.

Joe Fox (Charlotte, N.C.) will carry the G&W Motorsports banner in the Grand-Am Cup Series event on Sunday racing the No. 81 Porsche sponsored by W&T Offshore and Brooke. The No. 81 has two top-10 finishes this season, including a podium appearance in Miami, and the team hopes to add to its success during Sunday's 250-mile race.

The EMCO Gears Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic is the first of two back-to-back events for the Rolex Sports Car Series. Rolex Series qualifying at Mid-Ohio will be held on Friday afternoon, and the race will get underway on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Grand-Am Cup Series qualifying will be held on Saturday afternoon and the race will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday. For more information on the EMCO Gears Mid-Ohio Road Racing Classic, visit www.grandamerican.com or www.midohio.com.

The Rolex Series will travel east to Watkins Glen International immediately following this weekend's race, joining the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event weekend. The Rolex Series will run the Sahlen's 200 on Friday evening after Nextel Cup qualifying. Tickets for the event are on sale online at www.theglen.com.

G&W Motorsports, based outside of Danville, Va., at Virginia International Raceway, is the most successful team in the Rolex Sports Car Series, capturing the inaugural GT championship in 2000, both the GT and GTS championships in 2001 and the SRP II championship in 2003. G&W Motorsports is the only team to compete in every Rolex Series race since the series' inception, accumulating 15 class wins and 45 podium finishes in class. For additional information on G&W Motorsports, visit www.gandwmotorsports.com.

More information on the Rolex Sports Car Series is available at www.grandamerican.com.

-g&w-