SCC: Homestead: Pre-race notes

Grand-Am Cup 250 Weekend Fast Facts

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 26, 2004) - The Grand-Am Cup Series will make its first trip to the newly reconfigured Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend for round two of the 2004 season, the Grand-Am Cup 250. More than 50 cars from the Grand Sport and Sport Touring classes will take to the 2.3-mile road course in the 250-mile race.

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2003 Winners Looking to Defend Victories

Six of the class winners from last year's Grand-Am Cup Series race in Miami will be back to defend their victories this weekend. Last season, the Series ran a four-class format and winners from each class-winning cars are back this year and looking to repeat.

Michael Levitas and Randy Pobst teamed to take overall honors in the event last year at the wheel of the No. 18 Porsche. Both drivers are back to defend their title, but this time in different race cars. Pobst will team with Blake Rosser in the Istook/Aines Motorsport Group No. 4 Audi S4, while Levitas will partner with George Smith in the Race Prep Motorsports No. 18 Porsche 996.

David Brown and Jeff Lapcevich won the Grand Sport II class last season in the No. 30 Mustang Cobra R. The pair are back and looking to win in a Mustang again, but this time on different teams. Brown will co-drive the Frederick Motorsports No. 15 Mustang Cobra with Cory Rudl, and Lapcevich will be with John Shreiner in the Shreiner Racing No. 30 Mustang Cobra, both racing for the overall win in the Grand Sport class.

Ian James and Tim Gaffney were the winners of the Sport Touring I class last year in the No. 2 Lexus IS300. This weekend, James will team up with Chuck Goldsborough in the Team Lexus No. 2 IS300 in the Sport Touring class.

Bill Fenton and Bob Beede topped the Sport Touring II class in 2003 with the No. 27 Acura Integra LS. Beede will be back in Bill Fenton Motorsports' No. 27 entry this weekend, now racing an Acura RSX-S in the Sport Touring class. Beede will partner with Eric Curran in his quest for another win in Miami.

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South Florida Home To Many Drivers and Teams

There will be an extra large cheering section in the stands this weekend for eight Grand-Am Cup Series drivers who call South Florida home. SpeedSource, based in Sunrise, boast the largest contingent of local drivers with six of its eight drivers living in South Florida.

Local drivers competing in this weekend's Grand-Am Cup 250 include:
* Marcello Abello, Fort Lauderdale, SpeedSource No. 66 Mazda RX-8
* Henry Gilbert, Miramar, North Shore Racing No. 63 Porsche 996
* David Haskell, Plantation, SpeedSource No. 70 Mazda RX-8
* Shane Lewis, Jupiter, Nuzzo Motorsports No. 20 Mini Cooper S
* Scott Schlesinger, Golden Beach, SpeedSource No. 68 Mazda RX-8
* Sylvain Tremblay, Coral Springs, SpeedSource No. 70 Mazda RX-8
* David Tuaty, Miami, SpeedSource No. 68 Mazda RX-8
* Rich Walker, Wellington, SpeedSource No. 67 Mazda RX-8

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Cadillac CTS-V To Make Grand-Am Cup Debut In Miami

Two of the three all-new Cadillac CTS-V race cars built by Powell Motorsport that will compete in the 2004 Grand-Am Cup Series will debut this weekend in the Grand-Am Cup 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The 400-horsepower, LS6 V-8 powered Cadillacs, available to the public only since January, will race in Grand-Am Cup's premier Grand Sport division. The Cadillacs will make their debut in Sunday's Grand-Am Cup 250, featuring both the Grand Sport and Sport Touring classes on Homestead-Miami Speedway's 2.3-mile road course.

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More Than 50 of the Hottest Production Cars On Tap for Grand-Am Cup 250

This weekend's Grand-Am Cup 250 will feature more than 50 of today's hottest import and domestic production cars straight off the showroom floor. With only minimal racing modifications to enhance performance and safety, these race cars are developed directly from the very same streetcars that many race fans will most likely drive to the track. The Grand-Am Cup 250 will highlight two classes of cars with teams racing for top honors both overall and in their respective class.

The Grand Sport class will feature cars like the Porsche 996, BMW M3, Audi S4, Nissan 350Z, Acura NSX, Mustang Cobra SVT, Pontiac Firebird, Saleen Mustang and brand new Cadillac CTS-V. The Sport Touring class includes cars like the Mazda RX-8 and 6, Lexus IS300, Nissan Sentra SE-R, Toyota Supra, Acura RSX-S, Mini Cooper S and Dodge Neon SRT4.

********************** <pre> Weekend Schedule of Events

Saturday, March 26 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Practice - Grand-Am Cup Series 10:00 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. Practice - BMW Club 11:00 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Practice - Grand-Am Cup Series 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Practice - BMW Club 2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Practice - Grand-Am Cup Series 3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Practice - BMW Club 4:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. Qualifying - Grand-Am Cup ST 4:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Qualifying - Grand-Am Cup GS

Sunday, March 27 9:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. Practice - BMW Club 9:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Practice - Grand-Am Cup 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. Practice - BMW Club 12:30 p.m. START - Grand-Am Cup 250 (250-miles/109-laps/3-hour time limit)

********************** </pre> Event Websites

Zippo Live Timing & Scoring is available for all practice and qualifying sessions and races at www.grandamerican.com. Race notes, driver quotes and photo galleries are also available daily.

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Ticket Information

Tickets to the Grand-Am Cup 250 will be available at the gate. Single race-day tickets are $10 and two-day passes are $15.

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