GT3: Sebring weekend summary

BOB FAIETA AND MELANIE SNOW SWEEP SEBRING

SEBRING, Fla. March 20 -- Bob Faieta, Tujunga, Calif., started 2009 where he left off 2008 dominating the first two rounds of the Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama. Faieta won from the pole at the Mobil1 12 Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida. Melanie Snow, Pleasant Grove, Utah, mirrored Faieta's performance finishing first in the Gold Cup both races.

Snow started an amazing run of top three finishes at Sebring last year, but never finished on the top step of the podium. Her goal coming into 2009 was to win at least one race.

"It's been a really good weekend for me here at Sebring," Snow said. "To get the pole and wins was really exciting. I'm so happy."

Series new comer Mitch Pagerey, Deerfield Beach, Fla., made an impressive run in round one, starting last and working his way to ninth place overall, seventh in the Platinum Cup. Pagerey, who started fourth in round two, had his work cut out for him racing against series veterans Martin Snow, Pleasant Grove, Utah, and Ross Smith, Dallas, Texas.

"They are good drivers. It's hard to get around them," Pagerey said. "You have to take chances. I was a little patient. Martin got a little loose and I made the pass stick the second time."

In round one Martin Snow finished second, followed by Galen Bieker, Burbank, Calif., in the Platinum Cup, the class for 2008 and 2009 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. Snow finished third behind Faieta and Pagerey in round two.

In the Gold Cup, the class for 2005-2007 cars, Jay Policastro, Latrobe, Penn., finished second in round one followed by Lloyd Hawkins, New Orleans, La. Hawkins repeated his third place performance in round two, Ben McCrakin, Corpus Christi, Texas, was second.

Yokohama presented a Hard Charger award to the driver advancing the most positions during each of the two rounds. Ludovico Manfredi, London, England, drove from 28th to 21st in round one. Patrick Flanagan, Laguna Niguel, Calif., advanced seven positions taking the Yokohama Hard Charger award in round two. Faieta and Melanie Snow were awarded the BBS Pole Award for both rounds.

The TV show featuring rounds one and two at Sebring will air on SpeedTV April 11th at 2:00 a.m. Rounds three and four of the 2009 Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama will take place May 16 at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah.

The Patron GT3 Challenge by Yokohama features semi-professional drivers racing head to head in Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars -- one of the world's most successful race cars - with sealed motors and transmissions. The latest purpose-built race cars have sealed 420 h.p. engines and six-speed sequential transmissions, providing for close racing where the driver's talents are exemplified.

-credit: imsa