Watkins winners report

1 June, 1997

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 1, 1997) -- The team of Butch Leitzinger of State College, Penn., James Weaver of England, and Elliott Forbes-Robinson of Sherrills Ford, N.C. drove the #16 Goodyear/Hella/Bosch/HP Autotech Ford R&S MK III to the Exxon World SportsCar Championship and overall victory in Sunday's First Union Six Hours of The Glen. The trio withstood the challenge of the Ferrari 333SP driven by Rob Morgan of Conway, Ark. and Eliseo Salazar of Chile, to win the race by one minute, twenty seconds. The top two finishers completed 140 laps around the 3.54-mile Watkins Glen International circuit. Jon Field and Oliver Kuttner drove the #28 Intersport Racing Oldsmobile Spice to an impressive third place finish in Exxon World SportsCars. The race started one-hour late due to a heavy fog over the circuit, and was run under intermittent -- but light -- rain. The #30 MOMO/Yokohama Ferrari, driven by Andrea Montermini and Antonio Hermann lead 55 laps, including the first 45, before Montermini dropped out with a mechanical problem while chasing James Weaver in the Ford. The six-hour endurance race also featured the Exxon Supreme GT Series presented by Virgin Interactive. The team of Doc Bundy, Andy Wallace and David Brabham drove the Ford Panoz GTR1 to victory in the GTS-1 class. It was the second consecutive win for Bundy, Wallace and the Panoz, which took the lead late in the race from the #91 Rock Valley Oil and Chemical Chevrolet Camaro of Roger Schramm and Stu Hayner. In GTS-2 competition, Franz Konrad of Germany, Michelle Ligonnet of France and Nick Ham of Evergreen, Colo. drove a Porsche 911 Turbo to the win over the #99 Quebecor Printing Porsche 911 of Larry Schumacher and John O'Steen. The GTS-3 win went to the #77 Mattco/Alco Capital Group BMW M3 driven by Pete Halsmer Matthew Cohen and John Morton. The #77 BMW was challenged throughout the race by the #39 Carolina Turkey Porsche 911 of Jim Mathews and David Murry and the #7 Red Bull/Fina BMW M3 of Dieter Quester and Marc Duez.