SCC: Lime Rock: BGB Motorsports race report

BGB PORSCHES FINISH IN THE TOP TEN DURING MEMORIAL DAY EVENT AT LIME ROCK PARK

BGB Motorsports teammates Stewart Tetreault and Guy Cosmo finished 6th, as the highest placing Porsche during Saturday's 220 mile Lime Rock Park Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series race with teammates Steve Jenkins and Jean-Francois Dumoulin finishing in 9th. The potential for three Porsches in the top-10 was there, but those hopes were dashed for teammates Keith Carroll and Duncan Ende when their run was derailed by an impatient competitor during the first hour of the race. The #23 Cayman S was sent behind the wall for repairs and came out shortly thereafter. Following the first round of pit stops for all three cars, the trio of BGB Porsches ran nose to tail for the remainder of the race as Cosmo, Dumoulin and Ende all put together strong runs to lock up a solid finish for all three cars. While #23 and #38 Porsche Caymans have had their ups and downs in the 2010 Team Championship points standings, the #83 PerformanceDrink.com Porsche 997 moves up two more spots to occupy the 6th place in the Championship, as teams put the first half of the 2010 season behind them and move forward for the final 5 races of the year. Team Manager John Tecce had more to add:

"We were all looking forward to this event as it's close to home for some of us. We had this race won in 2008 but an issue with the timing and scoring system robbed us of it and we felt we had unfinished business here. We're really proud of all of our drivers; it's unfortunate that the #23 was taken out because we had the potential to put 3 cars in the top 10 for this event. We'll move on and look to redeem ourselves at Watkins Glen. While we did not attend the 2009 event at the Glen last year, we did win it in 2008 and we're going to look to repeat that feat if at all possible."

Saturday's race was underway just after 3:00pm. The threat of rain loomed over the picturesque 1.5 mile Lime Rock Park facility, as the hill above turn 3 was packed with spectators about to get their money's worth. Steve Jenkins, driver of the #38 BRM Watches/Laps.com Cayman qualified 13th, with teammate Keith Carroll in the #23 Racer's Roast Cayman behind him in 17th. Both BGB teammates Keith Carroll and Stewart Tetreault improved their season- best qualifying positions; Tetreault started his Porsche 997 in 26th place. While Tetreault got tangled up in some door banging early on before settling into a groove, BGB Cayman teammates Jenkins and Carroll paired up and ran some of the fastest laps of the race during the first 20 minutes of competition. Keeping clean and moving up through the field, both drivers experienced their best stints of the year thus far.

Around the one hour mark the skies began to open up and rain began to fall, but never enough to bring teams in for rain tires. Pit stops and driver changes were executed first for Guy Cosmo and his Porsche 997, as the Long Island native resumed racing, following the race's first of only two caution periods. At the 1 hour mark another full course caution came out immediately after the contact with the #23 of Keith Carroll and another BMW competitor, and while that car went behind the wall, the BGB crew revised operations on the fly and serviced the two remaining Porsches. Standing in for Craig Stanton, Jean Francois Dumoulin resumed the race in the #38 Porsche Cayman. Despite not having much time in the car prior to the race, the veteran Porsche pilot got acclimated quickly and was on pace shortly thereafter. Teammate Duncan Ende returned to competition after repairs were made to the #23, and all 3 teammates drove the BGB Porsche train, moving up one spot at a time. With one remaining fuel stop required for all competitors, final stops were made with 30 minutes to go in the 2.5 hour race. Without a final caution period to bunch things up, all 3 BGB cars had to settle with what they had accomplished.

With the level of competition this year, BGB's performance at Lime Rock has the team feeling positive as they head to Watkins Glen International Raceway today.

-source: bgb motorsports