SCC: Mid-Ohio: RSR Motorsports preview

RSR Motorsports Ready for the Curves of Mid-Ohio

LEXINGTON, Ohio--RSR Motorsports heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course next weekend for round seven of the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series, and the RSR drivers are ready to tackle the tight corners that the 2.258-mile track offers.

Mid-Ohio has proven to be a great venue for RSR Motorsports' stable of MINI Cooper S race cars. In 2008, the team earned the Street Tuner class pole at the historic track.

"I know the MINIs are very good at Mid-Ohio," says VJ Mirzayan, who will co-drive the No. 197 RSR Motorsports MINI with Sarah Cattaneo. Mirzayan has plenty of experience at Mid-Ohio, including driving an RSR MINI there last year. "The tight track suits the short wheelbase. Handing is everything at Mid-Ohio, so it will be crucial to have an excellent setup."

The ideal setup shouldn't be a problem for the RSR crew, as demonstrated by the prowess of the No. 197 MINI during last weekend's race at Watkins Glen. "RSR and Cruise America gave us a really strong car. It couldn't have handled any better than it did," says Cattaneo. Unfortunately, a transmission problem dropped Mirzayan and Cattaneo out of the running for a top-five finish at Watkins Glen.

Mark Congleton will rejoin RSR Motorsports at Mid-Ohio, driving with BJ Zacharias in the No. 196 RSR Motorsports MINI sponsored by CaseTech. Congleton met RSR team owner Randall Smalley when they were competitors in the Spec MINI series in Arizona. When Smalley founded RSR Motorsports, the two drivers became teammates.

A clutch issue took the No. 196 MINI out of contention at Watkins Glen, so Congleton knows how important it is to see the checkered flag at Mid-Ohio. "MINIs have historically been quick at Mid-Ohio, and right now RSR is focused on getting a strong finish," says Congleton. "The track will be busy with both classes on track, and passing is tough at Mid-Ohio. We'll be looking for reliability and a top finish."

Smalley will be behind the wheel of the No. 198 RSR Motorsports MINI along with Owen Trinkler, who earned the pole and led much of the race at Mid-Ohio in 2008. "Mid-Ohio's twisty back side is well suited to the MINIs," says Trinkler. "Madness and Thunder Valley are some of my favorite sections of the track, and those are the areas where our cars can really make up some time."

The three RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S entries will take to the curves of Mid-Ohio on Sunday, June 19 at 1:15 p.m. for the 2.5-hour GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race. The race will be broadcast on SPEED on Saturday, June 26 at 1:00 p.m.

-source: rsr