SCC: Virginia (VIR) II: Grand Sport 250 race summary

G&W Motorsports takes first win of season at home.

ALTON, Va. (August 31, 2002) -- G&W Motorsports will celebrate its first victory of the season tonight at home. The team based at Virginia International Raceway watched Brent Martini and Cort Wagner pilot its #81 Porsche GT3 Cup to Victory Lane on its home track following their win in the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series Grand Sport 250.

Martini started the race behind the wheel of the #81 Porsche in the rain. He opted not to use windshield wipers, saying that the Rain-X the team had applied to the windshield worked perfectly even in the mud. After running in the top three throughout the race, Martini advanced into the lead when the leaders came into the pits for fuel and driver changes. However, the #81 Porsche carried on and built up more than a minute lead before ducking into the pits to put Wagner behind the wheel.

Wagner held the lead upon returning to the track, but the points-leading #76 Porsche of Doncaster Racing quickly began dropping its lap times in an effort to regain the lead it held earlier. However for every 'fast' lap turned by Richard Spenard in the Doncaster Porsche, Wagner matched it in the G&W machine. Finally Spenard admitted to himself that he could not catch the leader and backed off the pace to ensure he slippery conditions would not send him off track and off the podium.

It looked as though G&W Motorsports' second Porsche - the #01 car of Danny Marshall and Darren Law - would also have a shot at the overall podium. Law was also setting amazingly fast laps in the rainy conditions in an effort to overtake the third-place #11 Corvette of Powell Motorsports. However, the #01 Porsche was forced into the pits in the closing laps for a splash of gas, ending any hopes of place both G&W cars on the podium.

Istook/Aines Motorsports Group also captured its first victory of the season tonight, taking the victory in the GS II class. Team owner Don Istook started the #04 Audi S4 at the front of the class and Colombian driver Alejandro Lince carried it to the checkered flag.

The duo held a comfortable lead of more than a minute over its nearest rival in the class - the #73 Acura NSX of Theetge Motorsports. Pegasus Racing finished one-lap down to the class leader in third place with its #97 Firebird.

The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will travel next to Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant in Quebec, Canada on September 13-15. For additional information and tickets to the race, go to www.lecircuit.com. More information on the Grand-Am Cup Series is available online at www.grandamcup.com