SCC: Mid-Ohio: Subaru Road Racing Team preview

Subaru Road Racing Team Eager for Mid-Ohio Return
- Team has won twice at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course -

Phoenixville, PA. -- June 16, 2010 -- Subaru Road Racing Team (SRRT) drivers Andrew Aquilante and Bret Spaude are looking forward to an upswing in the team's fortune as the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series races this Saturday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, site of two of the team's past wins (2007, 2008).

The 2 1/2-hour race on the 2.258-mile circuit near Lexington, Ohio, is round seven of 10 in the season, and will take the green flag at 1:15pm.

Driving a Grand Sports class 2010 Subaru Impreza WRX STI race-prepared and tuned by Phoenix Performance of Phoenixville, Pa., co-drivers Andrew Aquilante of Phoenixville, and Bret Spaude, of Bushnell, Fla., have logged a season's best fifth place at Lime Rock, Conn. Both drivers are looking to capitalize on the continual car development that has been the focus of the team this year.

"I raced at Mid-Ohio a half dozen times in my karting career," Spaude said. "I've done a lot of WKA Grand Nationals here and won three or four of them." Spaude has also won an SCCA National Championship in a car built by Phoenix Performance.

"We know it'll be a challenge on the front stretch and the back straight at Mid-Ohio," said AJ Aquilante, of Chester Springs, Pa. "But I feel the 'esses' plus 'Thunder Valley' and all the way back to the starting line, we have the pace over anybody because of Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system."

Aquilante added, "Our team's 2007 and 2008 wins at Mid-Ohio with our third place in last year's Street Tuner class race, show the Subaru Road Racing Team can win."

The Subaru Road Racing Team's two wins at Mid-Ohio were partially attributable to tactical pit stop timing along with rain showers at times during both races, proving a sizable advantage with the benefit of having the Subaru symmetrical AWD system.

"If there was a nice summer thunderstorm about halfway through the race Saturday, just enough to make the track wet but not bother the fans, it wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to us," Andrew Aquilante said, in a playfully wicked tone of voice.

"Barring any mishaps, and on a track where we're right at home, we can focus on refining our race strategy and leveraging our efforts in car development," said Joe Aquilante.

Added James Han, motorsports marketing manager for Subaru of America, Inc., "Mid-Ohio really rewards a well-balanced car and poses a challenging drive. That said, we have proven the team management is adept at timing strategic pit stops. Adding our core Subaru technologies, which include the Subaru symmetrical AWD system and boxer engine, we should be in good position come the end of the race."

The race will be televised by SPEED TV to air June 26 at 1pm.

-source: srrt