Sonoma Sunday press notes 45-79

Press Notes: 45-79, Sunday

13 July, 1997

45. GOOD MORNING. Today's weather is cool and cloudy although rain isn't in the forecast. The weather is expected to turn sunny as the day progresses. There are three SportsCar races on the schedule today. At 10:24 a.m., the 40-minute Black Magic Pro Series race starts. At noon, the Exxon World SportsCars take to the track for the two-hour Toshiba Copiers*Fax California Grand Prix.

46. The Exxon Supreme GT Series Presented by Virgin Interactive for GTS-1, GTS-2 and GTS-3 cars make their debut on FOX Sports television today at 3 p.m.. The race is 1 hour, 45 minutes.

47. The next event for SportsCar is at Mosport Park, just outside Toronto on Labor Day Weekend. Open practice will take place Thursday, Aug. 28, with qualifying and racing taking place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The weekend activities will also include a major entertainment show, details of which will be announced shortly.

48. GREEN FLAG drops at 8:35 a.m. for a 15-minute warmup for Exxon World SportsCars race. Everyone got through the session with no incidents...CHECKERED FLAG drops to end warmup session at 8:50 a.m.

49. The #16 Ford R&S MK III of Andy Wallace/James Weaver has been moved down to the 17th starting position for the Toshiba Copiers*Fax California Grand Prix WSC race because the team changed an engine after Saturday's final qualifying session.

50. GREEN FLAG drops at 9 a.m. to start a 15-minute warmup for Exxon Supreme GT Presented by Virgin Interactive cars... All the cars get through the session without incident...CHECKERED FLAG drops to end the session at 9:15 a.m.

51. DRIVER CHANGES for the Exxon Supreme GT Presented by Virgin Interactive: Rick Sutherland will start the GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro instead of Scott Killips and Dieter Quester will start the GTS-3 BMW M3, not Marc Duez....the #53 GTS-2 Porsche 911 of Melanie Snow won't start due to an accident in Friday's practice...the #76 GTS-3 Porsche 911 of Jorge Trejos/Tim Moser has also been scratched.

52. GREEN FLAG drops at 10:24 a.m. for 40-minute Black Magic 40-minute race for World Sports Racers...all 23 cars started...Mike Anderson leads points standings with 67...#21 Jerry Gillis spins in Turn #7, continues, drops to last place from fifth spot on starting grid...top five after 3 laps are #10, #83, #67, #42, #01...first three cars nose to tail through lap #4...less than 1 second differential among top three...#7 pulls off into infield area across from pits, parks car, out of car, no apparent damage...#10 car starting to pull away on lap #7, taking one-second lead...#67 also dropping backing back slightly...top three still nose to tail after 9 laps...front cars lapping slower cars by 10-lap point...Top five at halfway point: #10, #83, #67, #42, #01...lap #12, Tenney slows, dropping off pace, slowing on track, the pulls off at Turn #3 with clutch problems...#83 Mike Davies takes over the lead...#83 Davies pulling away from #67 Pilve car, taking 1.546-second lead on lap 14...#42 Anderson moves into third place.

53. At the 25-minute mark of Black Magic Pro Series, top five are #83, #67, #42, #01, #8, 15 laps completed...#03 receives stop-and-go penalty for pit lane violation on lap #17...#67 caught behind slower car, giving Davies chance to pull away at 30-minute mark...differential is almost 5 seconds...#6 moves up to sixth place...#42 Anderson starting to overtake second-place #67 Pilve...Pilve drops off pace on lap #19, moving #42 Anderson up to second...#67 pulls off by Goodyear bridge...#34 off course, hits tire wall hard head-on, heavy front end damage at Turn #7...#83 Davies has comfortable lead over #42 Anderson...#01 Meucci takes over third place.

54. CHECKERED FLAG drops to end Black Magic race with #83 Mike Davies winning, followed by #42 Mike Anderson, #01 Mark Meucci, #8 Scott Gafforini and #6 Bob Rockwood...Gafforini had started 12th....pole-sitter #10 David Tenney completed 12 laps...

56. DRIVER QUOTES: Mike Davies, winner (last year's champion): "We've really been having problems this year. We've been on the pole three of four races this year but until today we've been winless. It's just been a matter of poor luck. I was quicker in the slow places than Tenney but I still had to keep Pilve at bay. I'm only eight points out of the lead now and we came from 25 points down last year so I'm confident we can retain the championship.

57. GREEN FLAG drops to start the Exxon WSC event...#40 spins in Turn 11 on the start, drops to last...#30 off track, way up into the grass, driver out, fire in car & grass...#8 makes pass to take lead out of Turn #11 on lap #1...#27 pits on lap 1 for tires on lap #1...#40 10-second pit stop for fire bottle violation...FULL COURSE CAUTION while workers remove #30 MOMO Ferrari 333SP from embankment on outside of Turn #1.

58. GREEN FLAG drops to restart race on lap #7...#8 with Johnny O'Connell driving pulls away on green...#20, Elliott Forbes-Robinson (EFR) making move on the #3, takes over second place...#88 (Ross Bentley) fourth...#51 stops on course at Turn #7 on lap #8 with gearbox problems, going to attempt to get back to pits...leader #8, loses power in front of pits, rolls off track at end of the pits with throttle cable problems, O'Connell out...lead goes to #20 EFR...FULL COURSE CAUTION on lap #10 while #8 towed to pits...#95 pits, fuel only...#63 pits, fuel only...#28 pits, fuel only...#3 pits, driver change Velez in, Dibos out, tires...#40 pits, engine problems...#43 pits, fuel and tires...#19 off course, broken rear axle at Turn #1...

59. GREEN FLAG drops to restart race on lap #12 with #20 in lead, followed by #1, #4, #88, #16, #2, #27, #33...#16 with Wallace driving, up to fifth from 17th at start...half-second differential from first to second...leader's best lap is 1:28.0889/102.987 m.p.h....#1, Taylor driving, pushing EFR hard all the way round...#60 pits, driver change Ferguson in/Kopf out, tires, fuel.

60. FULL COURSE CAUTION on lap #19, no reason given...GREEN FLAG restarts...#16 pits, driver change from Wallace to Weaver, fuel, tires...#1 car stops on straight near pit entrance brings out FULL COURSE CAUTION, towed back to pits...#27 pits, Theys in, Lienhard out, fuel, tires...#2 pits while pits closed, Nelson in, Dollahite out, fuels, tire...#1 restarted, driver change to van de Poele, fuels, tires...#27 pits again, working on engine...#2 car adds harder compound tires to try to last rest of race...#2 assessed 1-lap penalty for pitting while pits closed...#1 car changes ignition box, car fires, returns to track on leader's lap #22.

61. GREEN FLAG restarts the race on lap #23...#2 off course at Turn #3 top of hill, no damage, back on track...#88 pits, fuel, tires, driver change to Jones, fuel, tires...#8 back to pits from behind wall at 55-minute mark, throttle cable repaired, Camferdam in car, tires, fuel, back out...#20 still hasn't pitted...#3 (Velez) passes #4 to take second place on lap #26 at 57-minute mark...#40 goes behind the wall at one-hour mark...#33 off course at entrance to Turn #3, small fire, driver (Lewis) out of car, OK, broken gearbox, retires...#28 pits with sticking accelerator at 1:02 mark.

62. #16 car is fastest on course at 1:05 mark with lap time of 1:27.990/103.103 m.p.h....#4 pits, driver change from Pace to Jochamowitz, fuel, tires...#20 pits, Leitzinger replaces EFR, fuel tires...back out on lap #33...#19 repairs CV, Montgomery in car...52 minutes to go...

63. #16 takes over lead on lap #35 with 50 minutes left...#4 changes to harder compound Pirelli tires on front of Oldsmobile R&S MK III. Pace tells crews track is a bit slippery...#8 spins in Turn #11, returns...#43 pits, Salazar in, Morgan out, fuel, tires, wing adjustment...#60 pits, fuel only, no driver change...#63 pits, Downing in, Ktaz out, fuel, tires...#19 returns to race with 40 minutes left...#3 pits, tires, fuel only, change tire pressure on front tires, drops to fifth...#95 pits, fuel, tires, Volk in....#28 pits, Sellers in, tire, fuel.

64. LEADER pit s on lap #44 with 37 minutes left, fuel, tires, Weaver stays in...#8 pits, O'Connell back in, fuel, tires...#19 retires on lap #47...#27 pits, gas, fuel...#43 crew tells Salazar to turn up power, lots of fuel left with 40 minutes left...#1 pits, Taylor in, fuel, tires, right front gets harder compound, left front had gone to harder in last pit stop...#95 spins in pit straight, returns...#2 pits, Dollahite back in car, tire, fuel with 25 minutes left, car was running on reserve tank.

65. #16 starting to close gap on leader with 23 minutes left, differential less than 5 seconds...#3 is third, 20 seconds back...difference between first and second is less than four seconds.

66. #20 pits on lap #58 with 15 minutes to go, splash of fuel only, stalls car leaving pits, drops to third...#16 OK to end of race...21.3-second differential between first and second...#3 estimates it can go to the end without stop...#95 off in Turn #1 on lap #56...#51 pits, driver change to Ronson, no fuel, tires...#60 spins on pit straight, returns.

67. #20 takes over second place on lap #62, using slower traffic in Trun 39 to box in #3...#4 pits with less than 10 minutes left, fuel only...20-second difference between first and second...real battle is for second/third...#95, working on shift linkage.

68. CHECKERED FLAG drops to end the Exxon WSC race. The top five are #16, #20, #3, #43, #4...Leitzinger and Weaver are tied for second place in points standings as a result of Sears Point race...Elliott Forbes-Robinson continues to lead series...The time of the race was 2 hours, 1 minute, 10.721 seconds...winning speed is 86.094 for 69 laps/173.88 miles...margin of victory was 9.432 seconds, average speed is 86.094 m.p.h.

69. GREEN FLAG drops to start the 1 hour, 45-minute Exxon Supreme GT Series Presented by Virgin Interactive cars at 3:10 p.m...two pace laps...this race marks the SportsCar debut on Fox Sports television. The race is being shown live...clean start, everyone completes lap #1 with no incidents...#66 GTS-1 Ford Panoz (Bundy), opens large lead on second-place #91 GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro (Schramm) and #27 GTS-1 Ford Mustang Cobra of Jason Priestley...#6 GTS-3 BMW M3 (Quiros) spins in pit straight at the end of his first lap, stalls, across the track, driver's right at exit to pits, driver opens hood, works on car, bringing out FULL COURSE CAUTION...Quiros gets car going again, rejoins race.

70. GREEN FLAG drops on lap #7 to restart race...yellow was out for 10 minutes...#6 damaged mass air flow sensor in spin, causing stalling...#6 pits on lap #8...#09 spins in Turn #9 after making contact with #10 GTS-3 BMW M3, back on course, smoking heavily...#6 rejoins race...#39 makes contact with #6, bringing out FULL COURSE CAUTION...#27 and #91 make contact at entrance to Turn #2, #27, left front damage, stays out...#91 pits, taped up left front, tires, fuel...#7 left front tie-rod problem after contact with #91...#6 left front damage...#3 pits, fuel only.

71. #10 GTS-3 BMW M3 pits, Said out, Auberlen in, tires, fuel...#91 GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro still in pits, working on left front body repair...#27 pits, crew working on driver's side door, fuel, tires...#97 pits, Collins in, fuel, tires...many pit stops occurring under yellow as race passes 25-minute mark, facilitating driver changes to go the distance...#01 GTS-1 pits, driver change to Pilgrim, tires, fuel.

72. DRIVER QUOTE: #10, Said: "We gambled on making driver change early, so that when everyone else stops, we'll already have made the change and we will be able to take over the lead."

73. #61 pits, Ham in, tires, fuel...#99 pits, Schumacher in, fuel, tires...#77 pits, Halsmer in, tires, fuel...#27 pits, fuel, fixing body damage, Priestley still in car...#68, Buckler in, fuel, tires...#91 a long time in pits, Hayner will take over when it rejoins race...#99 pits to get driver's water bottle.

74. GREEN FLAG drops to restart the race on lap #15...ran under yellow for 14 minutes.

75. At the 35-minute mark, the overall leaders are #66 GTS-1, #56 GTS-2, #96 GTS-1, #00 GTS-1, #22 GTS-2...top GTS-3 car is #41 Porsche 911 of Cort Wagner...#66 GTS-1 Ford Panoz has comfortable 33.7 second lead on #56 GTS-2 Porsche 911 of Martin Snow on lap #21...Bundy extending lead over Snow on every lap...#28 pits, Murry in, moving from the #39 car, tires, fuel...#96 pits, Sutherland in, fuel, tires...#11 pits, fuel only...#12 pits, Morton in, fuel...

76. At the 50-minute mark, #66 GTS-1 Ford Panoz (Bundy) very comfortable lead of 44 seconds...crew preparing for pit stop on lap #30, Bundy out, Wallace in, fuel, tires and back out back out still in second place...crew member gets gas in eye during refuelling...45 minutes remaining.

77. #91 GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro takes over the lead while #66 in pits...#71 in pits goes behind wall to refuel at pumps, fixes loose muffler, returns...#3 pits, Kirberg in, tires, fuel...#22 pits, fuel, tires...#66 GTS-1 ford Panoz not able to make up much time on leader GTS-1 Chevrolet Camaro, still 27 seconds back...#7 pits, Duez in, fuel, tires...#56 pits, Aase in, fuel, tires...#27 pits, Maxwell in, Priestley out, tires, fuel at 1:08:50 mark...#72 pits, fuel only...#69 pits, Gamroth in, fuel, tires..#11 pits, Sanchez in, tires, fuel...#00 pits, Lee in, tires, fuel.

78. #41 pits, GTS-3 pits, Cervelli in, fuel, tires..,#6 pits, Hill in, tires, fuel...#69 off at runoff road to drag strip at Turn #9, stuck in gravel pit, Gamroth driving...reports losing brakes...#66 cuts differential to 21 seconds, taking about 2-3 seconds off lead each lap, driver's radio not working, resorting to using pit boards...#6 pits again, mass air flow sensor removed, back out.

79. On lap #44, Wallace has cut the lead to 16 seconds on #91 Hayner Chevrolet Camaro...#96 pits, Killips back in, tire, fuel.

80. LEADER pits, fuel, tires only, giving #66 GTS-1 Ford Panoz first place, 36-second pit stop, holds second over #10 GTS-3 BMW M3 of Auberlen...lead is 49 seconds from first to second with 17 minutes left, third place is almost a lap down...#72 back in pits, broken shift linkage, crew repairs so new driver, Gray can go back out with third gear only to finish race...#01 pits on lap #49, tires, fuel, Pilgrim stays in, lapped by leaders and drops to eighth overall, leaving just two cars on lead lap.

81. CHECKERED FLAG drops to end the Exxon Supreme GT Series Presented by Virgin Interactie event. Class winners are: GTS-1: #66 Bundy/Wallace Ford Panoz, #91 Schramm/Hayner Chevrolet Camaro, #01 Rohr/Pilgrim Porsche 911 Turbo. GTS-2 #61 Konrad/Ham Porsche 911 Turbo, #97 Collins/Pace Porsche 911 Turbo, #99 Schumacher/O'Steen Porsche 911 Turbo. GTS-3: #10 Auberlen/Said BMW M3, #77 Cohen/Halsmer BMW M3, #Porsche 911, #68 Buckler/Lewis Porsche 911.

82. The time of the race was 1 hour, 46 minutes, 3.661 seconds...the winning speed was 84.110 m.p.h. for 59 laps/148.68 miles...the margin of victory was 37.747 seconds...GTS-1 winning speed was 84.110 m.p.h., GTS-2 winning time 81.762 m.p.h. and GTS-3 winning speed was 81.910 m.p.h....all three Class winners broke existing trck record for fastest race lap.