GRAND-AM Hot Pass: Barber
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It's time to go GRAND-AM racing at beautiful Barber Motorsports Park. The Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge return to what's been called a "country club for cars" for this weekend's running of the Porsche 250 and Barber 200.
Check back regularly for updates throughout the weekend.
Baldwin Adds Mercedes-Benz to Life List (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
It's not often that veteran Jack Baldwin has the opportunity to drive a new type of race car. That's why he jumped at the opportunity to help FRESCH Motorsports by running a few evaluation laps in the team's No. 22 sporTmap/www.ageingwell.com Mercedes-Benz C300.
Baldwin raced sports cars since the mid-1980s, winning championships in both the IMSA Camel GT and SCCA Trans-Am. He competed in the 1993 and 1994 editions of the International Race of Champions, finishing second at Talladega both years.
"I was pleasantly surprised," Baldwin said. "The car drives surprisingly well and handles well. The team did a nice job getting it here. It's nice to have Mercedes in the series, but that's easier said than done - they've done a lot of work and have more yet to do on the car. It was pretty cool to add Mercedes to the list of cars that I've driven."
Team driver Jarett Freeman Jr. got to add Barber to his growing list of race tracks this weekend.
"This track is difficult to learn, but the elevation changes are fun to drive," Freeman said. "It reminds me a little of Infineon Raceway, but it's a little more difficult."
Roush Performance to Honor Fallen Serviceman (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
Roush Performance is honoring the memory of SPC Chris Stark - cousin of driver Billy Johnson - who recently lost his life in action in Afghanistan when his Humvee was hit by an enemy bomb. The No. 61 Mustang driven by Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. - along with the four Freedom Autosport Mazdas - will carry stickers in honor of the fallen vet.
RSR Motorsports Rolling the Dice (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
Wanting to make a fast car even quicker, RSR Motorsports decided to gamble with the setup of its No. 198 Cruise America/Thor Motorcoach/Mini USA Mini Cooper S driven by Owen Trinkler and Sarah Cattaneo for Friday morning's practice.
After the session was checkered after only a few laps, the team will have to wait until qualifying to learn if the changes worked.
"This is our home track, and it's a huge race for us," Trinkler said. "We were pretty quick yesterday but wanted to be faster, so we made a few changes. I didn't get enough time in our Friday practice to learn if the changes worked, so now we're counting on Sarah's feedback from qualifying."
Baas Looks for Help in the Pits to Extend Winning Streak (Updated Thursday at 4:15 p.m.)
Ian Baas is looking for a little help from GRAND-AM's only Alabama-based team as he looks to continue a three-race Continental Tire Challenge Street Tuner winning streak this weekend.
"It's going to be tough, for sure," said Baas, who ended 2010 with a victory at Miller Motorsports Park and opened the new year by winning at Daytona international Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. "We lost a pound of boost on a competition adjustment, and that hurts us a little. I'm going to lean our team this weekend to pull off good pit stops and race strategy. Those have always been strong points for APR Motorsport."
Baas will co-drive the No. 171 VW DriverGear/APR Tuned Volkswagen GTI with Ryan Ellis.
"Right now, we've got a solid top-10 car," Baas said. "We've got a very consistent chassis. I'm hoping we can make the right calls and pull off a top-five finish. Most importantly, we've got to stay ahead of the teams we're fighting for the championship."
Kinetic Kia has Come a Long Way in One Year (Updated Thursday at 4:15 p.m.)
Nic Jonsson looks back to last year's Barber 200, when his Kinetic Motorsports' new Kia Forte Koup had its first competitive race with an eighth-place finish.
This weekend, he's hoping to see the Kia make its first visit to the top of the podium. Many of his friends and backers will be watching.
Jonsson will co-drive the No. 10 Infinity Audio/Kia Motors America Kia Forte Koup with Michael Galati. The team is based on Atlanta, while the Kia plant is in West Point, Ga., about two and a half hours away.
"We tested here two weeks ago, and it was very valuable for this weekend," Jonsson said. "Barber should suit our Kia
Forte Koup better than the first two tracks this season. Our car has been completely transformed from last year, when we raced the Kia for the first time. Barber was the first weekend where we felt somewhat competitive, and we've been plugging away since then."
Jonsson's goal for 2011 was a podium finished. He and Andy Lally achieved that goal by placing second at Daytona. New co-driver Mike Galati co-drove to a seventh-place finish at Homestead, moving Jonsson to second in the standings.
"Now that we've scored our first podium, we'd love to achieve that first win," Jonsson said. "Maybe here, but we're facing some very tough competition."
Go Gators: Gurney On The Hunt At Barber (Updated Thursday at 3 p.m.)
Alex Gurney is hoping to spot a few Alligators this weekend during his visit to Barber Motorsports Park - at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
George Barber's extensive collection includes a pair of motorcycles built by Gurney's dad - American racing legend
Dan Gurney.
The collection contains one of 36 limited-edition 2002 handcrafted Grand Prix Alligators (A-6), along with prototype A-3 which the 1962 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner presented to Barber.
A life-long fan of two- and four-wheel competition, Dan Gurney, launched Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycles Inc. as a side to his successful race car business, All American Racers. His son, the two-time Daytona Prototype champion, helped him along the way, always eager to do some testing.
"In fact, I did some riding on Sunday," Gurney said.
The elder Gurney borrowed a few ideas from his Eagle race cars for the Alligator concept.
"You sit down on the bike," Alex Gurney said. "Like in a race car, having a lower center of gravity makes it a lot more stable. It's easier to ride fast, and it launches off very quickly without having to worry about doing wheelies. Also, it's good under braking."
Why the name Alligator? It's low and long - like the reptile. The clincher for Dan Gurney was that the alligator is only found in America - fitting in well with his All-American team.
Gidley Set to Double Up on Land and Water (Updated Thursday at 2 p.m.)
Racing in the Porsche 250 is one of two events Memo Gidley has planned for this weekend. After racing on land at Barber Motorsports Park, he's set to hustle back to California to race a Jet Ski.
After taking the checkered flag in Saturday's Porsche 250, Gidley will drive to Atlanta to catch the last flight out.
"After taking the red eye, I'll be back at 1 a.m. in California," Gidley said. "Then I'll be home at 2 a.m., loaded up by three and leave at 5 for the first Jet Ski race of the season."
Gidley finished second last year in the 850cc Expert stand-up division of the DJSA Outlaw Jet Ski series.
Prior to coming to Birmingham, Gidley visited the Team Sahlen shops in Ohio for the first time - and was very impressed with what he saw.
"It was very inspirational to see how the Nonnamakers got to where they are," Gidley said. "They've been very successful with their Subway franchises, and they are building their racing team along the lines of their other businesses. They want to be seen as one of the top teams in the Rolex Series, and want to be winning races. Seeing the shop and working with the team, I feel they are investing in the right things to make that happen."
Racing 'The Fun Part' for Tallman, Kozarov (Updated Thursday at 12:15 p.m.)
Lara Tallman and Vesko Kozarov already have plenty of seat time this weekend before they've even turned a wheel of practice in the No. 67 XS Energy Sports/Skullcandy Honda Civic Si. The pair took turns driving the CA Sport hauler from Salt Lake City to Birmingham - a 28-hour drive.
"Driving the race car is the fun part," Tallman said. "Vesko is the engineer and mechanic, while I do many of the chores including cooking and clean up."
The pair began the 28-hour drive on Sunday. They came in early so that Tallman could visit the Birmingham chapter of Girls Inc.
"They have 82 girls in the program and have a very impressive facility," Tallman said. "They have everything from a kitchen for basic life skills to a dedicated science classroom. I hope to visit other local Girls Inc. chapters throughout the season."
Points Leader Stanton Stepping Up Game (Updated Thursday at 11:10 a.m.)
The Magnus Racing team has a little extra spring in their step as they prepare for Saturday's Porsche 250. They lead the GT point standings - and plan to stay there.
Regular drivers Craig Stanton and John Potter finished fourth in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, and then gave Magnus the first podium finish in its two-year history by placing third in the Grand Prix of Miami.
"We're off to a great start, and that forces me to step up my game," Stanton said. "The group has really gelled together. We're doing a lot of events, and when we come to the track, everyone knows their job and goes right to work."
Away from the track, Stanton's work schedule includes at least two to three hours. He tries to do a triathon of workouts, varying his routine to include running, biking, weight circuit training, rowing and kayaking.
"I really like this track," Stanton said. "I feel our guys wil lhave a real good strategy for the race."
Check back regularly for updates throughout the weekend.
Baldwin Adds Mercedes-Benz to Life List (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
It's not often that veteran Jack Baldwin has the opportunity to drive a new type of race car. That's why he jumped at the opportunity to help FRESCH Motorsports by running a few evaluation laps in the team's No. 22 sporTmap/www.ageingwell.com Mercedes-Benz C300.
Baldwin raced sports cars since the mid-1980s, winning championships in both the IMSA Camel GT and SCCA Trans-Am. He competed in the 1993 and 1994 editions of the International Race of Champions, finishing second at Talladega both years.
"I was pleasantly surprised," Baldwin said. "The car drives surprisingly well and handles well. The team did a nice job getting it here. It's nice to have Mercedes in the series, but that's easier said than done - they've done a lot of work and have more yet to do on the car. It was pretty cool to add Mercedes to the list of cars that I've driven."
Team driver Jarett Freeman Jr. got to add Barber to his growing list of race tracks this weekend.
"This track is difficult to learn, but the elevation changes are fun to drive," Freeman said. "It reminds me a little of Infineon Raceway, but it's a little more difficult."
Roush Performance to Honor Fallen Serviceman (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
Roush Performance is honoring the memory of SPC Chris Stark - cousin of driver Billy Johnson - who recently lost his life in action in Afghanistan when his Humvee was hit by an enemy bomb. The No. 61 Mustang driven by Johnson and Jack Roush Jr. - along with the four Freedom Autosport Mazdas - will carry stickers in honor of the fallen vet.
RSR Motorsports Rolling the Dice (Updated Friday at 9 a.m.)
Wanting to make a fast car even quicker, RSR Motorsports decided to gamble with the setup of its No. 198 Cruise America/Thor Motorcoach/Mini USA Mini Cooper S driven by Owen Trinkler and Sarah Cattaneo for Friday morning's practice.
After the session was checkered after only a few laps, the team will have to wait until qualifying to learn if the changes worked.
"This is our home track, and it's a huge race for us," Trinkler said. "We were pretty quick yesterday but wanted to be faster, so we made a few changes. I didn't get enough time in our Friday practice to learn if the changes worked, so now we're counting on Sarah's feedback from qualifying."
Baas Looks for Help in the Pits to Extend Winning Streak (Updated Thursday at 4:15 p.m.)
Ian Baas is looking for a little help from GRAND-AM's only Alabama-based team as he looks to continue a three-race Continental Tire Challenge Street Tuner winning streak this weekend.
"It's going to be tough, for sure," said Baas, who ended 2010 with a victory at Miller Motorsports Park and opened the new year by winning at Daytona international Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. "We lost a pound of boost on a competition adjustment, and that hurts us a little. I'm going to lean our team this weekend to pull off good pit stops and race strategy. Those have always been strong points for APR Motorsport."
Baas will co-drive the No. 171 VW DriverGear/APR Tuned Volkswagen GTI with Ryan Ellis.
"Right now, we've got a solid top-10 car," Baas said. "We've got a very consistent chassis. I'm hoping we can make the right calls and pull off a top-five finish. Most importantly, we've got to stay ahead of the teams we're fighting for the championship."
Kinetic Kia has Come a Long Way in One Year (Updated Thursday at 4:15 p.m.)
Nic Jonsson looks back to last year's Barber 200, when his Kinetic Motorsports' new Kia Forte Koup had its first competitive race with an eighth-place finish.
This weekend, he's hoping to see the Kia make its first visit to the top of the podium. Many of his friends and backers will be watching.
Jonsson will co-drive the No. 10 Infinity Audio/Kia Motors America Kia Forte Koup with Michael Galati. The team is based on Atlanta, while the Kia plant is in West Point, Ga., about two and a half hours away.
"We tested here two weeks ago, and it was very valuable for this weekend," Jonsson said. "Barber should suit our Kia
Forte Koup better than the first two tracks this season. Our car has been completely transformed from last year, when we raced the Kia for the first time. Barber was the first weekend where we felt somewhat competitive, and we've been plugging away since then."
Jonsson's goal for 2011 was a podium finished. He and Andy Lally achieved that goal by placing second at Daytona. New co-driver Mike Galati co-drove to a seventh-place finish at Homestead, moving Jonsson to second in the standings.
"Now that we've scored our first podium, we'd love to achieve that first win," Jonsson said. "Maybe here, but we're facing some very tough competition."
Go Gators: Gurney On The Hunt At Barber (Updated Thursday at 3 p.m.)
Alex Gurney is hoping to spot a few Alligators this weekend during his visit to Barber Motorsports Park - at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum.
George Barber's extensive collection includes a pair of motorcycles built by Gurney's dad - American racing legend
Dan Gurney.
The collection contains one of 36 limited-edition 2002 handcrafted Grand Prix Alligators (A-6), along with prototype A-3 which the 1962 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner presented to Barber.
A life-long fan of two- and four-wheel competition, Dan Gurney, launched Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycles Inc. as a side to his successful race car business, All American Racers. His son, the two-time Daytona Prototype champion, helped him along the way, always eager to do some testing.
"In fact, I did some riding on Sunday," Gurney said.
The elder Gurney borrowed a few ideas from his Eagle race cars for the Alligator concept.
"You sit down on the bike," Alex Gurney said. "Like in a race car, having a lower center of gravity makes it a lot more stable. It's easier to ride fast, and it launches off very quickly without having to worry about doing wheelies. Also, it's good under braking."
Why the name Alligator? It's low and long - like the reptile. The clincher for Dan Gurney was that the alligator is only found in America - fitting in well with his All-American team.
Gidley Set to Double Up on Land and Water (Updated Thursday at 2 p.m.)
Racing in the Porsche 250 is one of two events Memo Gidley has planned for this weekend. After racing on land at Barber Motorsports Park, he's set to hustle back to California to race a Jet Ski.
After taking the checkered flag in Saturday's Porsche 250, Gidley will drive to Atlanta to catch the last flight out.
"After taking the red eye, I'll be back at 1 a.m. in California," Gidley said. "Then I'll be home at 2 a.m., loaded up by three and leave at 5 for the first Jet Ski race of the season."
Gidley finished second last year in the 850cc Expert stand-up division of the DJSA Outlaw Jet Ski series.
Prior to coming to Birmingham, Gidley visited the Team Sahlen shops in Ohio for the first time - and was very impressed with what he saw.
"It was very inspirational to see how the Nonnamakers got to where they are," Gidley said. "They've been very successful with their Subway franchises, and they are building their racing team along the lines of their other businesses. They want to be seen as one of the top teams in the Rolex Series, and want to be winning races. Seeing the shop and working with the team, I feel they are investing in the right things to make that happen."
Racing 'The Fun Part' for Tallman, Kozarov (Updated Thursday at 12:15 p.m.)
Lara Tallman and Vesko Kozarov already have plenty of seat time this weekend before they've even turned a wheel of practice in the No. 67 XS Energy Sports/Skullcandy Honda Civic Si. The pair took turns driving the CA Sport hauler from Salt Lake City to Birmingham - a 28-hour drive.
"Driving the race car is the fun part," Tallman said. "Vesko is the engineer and mechanic, while I do many of the chores including cooking and clean up."
The pair began the 28-hour drive on Sunday. They came in early so that Tallman could visit the Birmingham chapter of Girls Inc.
"They have 82 girls in the program and have a very impressive facility," Tallman said. "They have everything from a kitchen for basic life skills to a dedicated science classroom. I hope to visit other local Girls Inc. chapters throughout the season."
Points Leader Stanton Stepping Up Game (Updated Thursday at 11:10 a.m.)
The Magnus Racing team has a little extra spring in their step as they prepare for Saturday's Porsche 250. They lead the GT point standings - and plan to stay there.
Regular drivers Craig Stanton and John Potter finished fourth in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, and then gave Magnus the first podium finish in its two-year history by placing third in the Grand Prix of Miami.
"We're off to a great start, and that forces me to step up my game," Stanton said. "The group has really gelled together. We're doing a lot of events, and when we come to the track, everyone knows their job and goes right to work."
Away from the track, Stanton's work schedule includes at least two to three hours. He tries to do a triathon of workouts, varying his routine to include running, biking, weight circuit training, rowing and kayaking.
"I really like this track," Stanton said. "I feel our guys wil lhave a real good strategy for the race."