Watkins Glen II: Farnbacher Loles Racing preview

A third car and new drivers for Farnbacher Loles at Watkins Glen

Farnbacher Loles Racing brings their championship lead and some new faces to Watkins Glen International Raceway as the Grand-Am Rolex series takes to the short course at the upstate New York track for the Crown Royal 200 at The Glen. Philadelphia's John Tancredi makes his Grand-Am debut in the #84 Farnbacher Loles/Tancredi Racing Porsche GT3 Cup that he will co-drive with two-time Rolex 24 winner Jim Pace of Ridgeland, Miss. The #84 will be carrying the logo of the Children's Tumor Foundation, continuing an association with Farnbacher Loles that goes back to the 2006 racing season.

Eric Lux of Jacksonville, FL welcomes a new co-driver for the weekend; 21-year old Porsche Junior Team driver Marco Holzer of Germany in the #86 Farnbacher Loles/Wheel Enhancement/Shark Energy Drink Porsche GT3 Cup. Meanwhile the driving duo of Leh Keen of Charleston, SC and Dirk Werner of Kissenbruck, Germany seek to stay in front in pursuit of the season championship in the #87 Farnbacher Loles/Shock Doctor Porsche.

Coming two months after the team's thrilling double podium in the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen, this second of two Watkins Glen Grand-Am races features a couple of changes for the teams. The race will be held on the short course, which Grand-Am will share with the Nascar Sprint Cup Series for the weekend, but with a unique starting time: Friday night at 6:30 pm. The late day sun and fading light coupled with the different track layout, should give the race a very different feel from the six-hour event.

While the cars are similarly prepared, Farnbacher Loles' three Porsches might utilize different strategies in the race. Team principal Gregory Loles illustrated the unique goals of the three crews. "Obviously at this point in the season, Leh and Dirk have to be a bit more cautious, since they are the points leaders. Winning is not as important as getting points for them. But, Eric knows that his luck is due to turn and he is still seeking his first win of the season. He has the speed and Marco is a very capable co-driver. So this could be a good opportunity for him to grab that top spot on the podium. John Tancredi has been very quick in testing with us and in his previous racing experiences. While he'll need to get a few Grand-Am race laps under his belt initially, we expect him to be right up there with the front-runners before long. All-in-all, we are really looking forward to the race."

-credit: flr