All-American Lineup For The Rolex 24 At Daytona By GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing

Alex Gurney And Jon Fogarty

The one team that can truly boast of an all-American connection at the Rolex 24 At Daytona would be GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing. The team not only has an all-American driver lineup but also boasts of an all-American crew. Even the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevy Riley, that the team has been racing in for the past five consecutive years, is a U.S. made Riley XX powered by an engine straight out of Detroit, which is a Chevrolet version of GM’s celebrated small-block V8. Equipped with a starry lineup and an all-American crew, drivers, car and engine, all that is left to see is that whether GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing can create history by being the first 100% American team to claim victory in the event that can be traced back to 1962.

The enviable all-star lineup at GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing includes Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser. All the drivers have an excellent track record behind them and bring with them versatility as well as experience to the team. While the duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty has proved their mettle by twice becoming the reigning champions at the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, Jimmie Johnson will be bringing to the team his experience of winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship for a record four times. Even Jimmy Vasser will be joining the team for a third year in a row and will be bringing his expertise of being a former CART Champ Car World Series titlist. GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing can also very well claim to be the only returning all-American as well as all-champion lineup that has entered to compete in the top-tier Daytona Prototype division.

No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevy Riley

The all-star lineup that presently represents the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team on the Daytona International Speedway tracks made its debut in the year 2008 and claimed a second-place finish at the event. This year the team has plans to make the time off the tracks as entertaining as it is on the tracks. GAINSCO Auto Insurance announced its plans to entertain about 85 agent partners, VIPs and award-winning employees at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. One of the highlights of the event would be a Friday night dinner hosted by the team wherein Bob Stallings, the team owner, and the four drivers would meet and greet the guests. The second highlight of the evening would be when the GAINSCO drivers would demonstrate their skills and talent on the fast-gaining-popularity iRacing.com simulator that features the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Daytona Prototype. The team was introduced to the online racing simulation offered by iRacing through Alex Gurney. The online racing simulation is an exact replica of the No. 99 GAINSCO car as well as the Daytona tracks. For NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson the Daytona tracks offer the real deal as he stated that the challenge of the Rolex 24 At Daytona is what keeps getting him back. He also added that it was a challenge for him to come out of his comfort zone and learn the car, the braking zones and turning points amongst others.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on January 30th, 2010 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series; GAINSCO Grabs Title, Patrick Dempsey Media Attention

No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley The ever rising popularity of Grand Am Rolex racing received a big boast with the 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series as it brought forth newer champions in terms of team and drivers, and added lot of glamour to it all as well. It was the year that had its own share of highlights with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing grabbing the title with two of the best of the drivers in the motorsports world Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty sharing the title, and Patrick Dempsey one of the very popular Hollywood actors making his Grand Am Rolex Series debut. In fact the 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series had everything in it, unimaginable competition among cars, teams, drivers; twists and turns of motorsports world; unexpected wins and expected wins; and strengthening of a relationship that has been evolving between Rolex and Grand Am Racing Association.

Rolex, the world’s number one maker of luxury watches and Grand Am Racing Association, the flag bearer of world of motorsports, have formed a relationship to create a perfect platform for the best racers from all over the world to come and race alongside the very best in some of the most difficult and challenging race courses in the world. The 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series demonstrated exactly what this partnership was formed to ensure at the very first place.

The 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series had more to it than most of seasons gone by and for many more to come. No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley had the honor of enjoying the services of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty whereas other teams also had some of the best race drivers driving their Daytona Prototypes for one of most prestigious racing tournaments in the world. No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates was one of the strongest teams with drivers like Scott Pruett and Salvador Duran who were assisted by Juan Pablo Montoya, the future Indy Car and Formula One winner.

Patrick Dempsey Ryan Dalziel, Darren Manning, Patrick Carpentier and Milka Duno joined hands for the No.11 CITGO/SAMAX Pontiac Riley team and faced stiff competition from the No.10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley team which had champion racers like Max Angelelli, Jan Magnussen and Wayne Taylor. Then there was Luggage Express which had Bill Auberlen and Mat At Alhadeff, and Alex Rob’s Ruby Tuesday which had great drivers like Jorg Bergmesiter and Pat Long. The lineup was as strong as it could have been and the end result was fiercely and closely fought races for Daytona Prototype championship as well as the GT crown.

The most important of all 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona was so closely fought that the end result was the third closest in the history of the race, till that time. With everyone trying hard the race was finally won by Scott Pruett driving for No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates. The last race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park was also memorable for two reasons, first the championship was decided there and Patrick Dempsey made his Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series debut. The season ended on a high note with Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty deservingly sharing the title and fans of Rolex Racing hoping to have a greater racing season the next year.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on December 28th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Winners Alex Gurney And Joe Fogarty Named To AARWBA Team

Alex Gurney

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series’ star performers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty have added yet another feather to their cap by being named to the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association. The two time Daytona Prototype Championship winners will now be part of a 7 driver All America team. The drivers for the AARWBA team are selected each year from Open Wheel, Stock Car, Sports Car, Drag Racing, Short Track, Touring Series at Large Championship categories.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, who have displayed immense talent on the tracks in the 2009 season of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, were chosen by America’s motorsports press for first team honors the second time. The drivers of the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Daytona Prototype have not only received the first team honors in the road racing category for the second time in three years but have also made it to the team for the third consecutive year. In the year 2007 they made it to the team for winning their first Daytona Prototype title and then in 2008 when they stood second in the championship.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty will be joined by Dario Franchitti in the Open Wheel category as well as by Mark Martin in the Stock Car category. Also joining them in the Drag Racing category will be Tony Schumacher. Donny Schatz will be part of the team from the Short Track category and J.R. Hildebrand will be representing the Touring Series at Large Championship category. The second team will consist of race car drivers like David Brabham, Scott Sharp, Helio Castroneves, Jimmie Johnson, Parker Kligerman, Frank Manza, Joey Saldana and Ashley Force Hood.

Jon Fogarty

The duo is also eligible for the 40th Jerry Titus Driver of the Year Award. The Jerry Titus Memorial Award is presented each year to those drivers of the AARWBA Team who manage to collect the most votes regardless of the category they race for. A banquet is held each year to honor the drivers of the AARWBA team. This year the banquet has been scheduled for the 16th of January in Brownsburg, Indiana. The American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association has grown to include more than 400 members from the United States, Canada as well as Europe since it was founded in 1955. AARWBA is the oldest and largest organization that is devoted to the coverage of auto racing.

The AARWBA shares the same passion of recognizing excellence as Rolex. Rolex has been supportive of sports events since the past three decades. With its constant support of sports Rolex wishes to promote human excellence and push sportspersons to give the best performances of their life at each competition. It has not only shown its support by sponsoring events throughout but by also developing watches that cater to the specific needs of sports enthusiasts. The Rolex Cosmograph Daytona and the Rolex Yacht Master are some of the examples of watches that have been manufactured by Rolex by bearing the spirit of sports in mind like sports car racing and sailing respectively. Rolex shares its support with a wide variety of sports like eventing, sailing, golf and tennis.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on December 3rd, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing Basking In The Glory Of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Win

Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing

One of the top of the pyramid motorsports events in the world that has been enthralling the adventure sports enthusiasts for a decade now Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series is undoubtedly the number one racing event in the world especially in terms of competition, technology and popularity. Organized by the Grand-Am Racing Association and started in 1999 the hugely successful car racing tournament has the honor of having the name of number one watch maker of luxury watches in the world Rolex as part of its very title. Rolex which thrives on its philosophy of promoting brilliance through the countless platforms it offers as a result of the sponsorships it ensures for various events adds incomparable value to those events. The coming together of the house of Rolex and the king of motorsports Grand-Am Racing Association was the major step in the overall promotion of the spirit of human endurance and dreaming big, aspiring to realize those very dreams and finally realizing them.

That winning the Rolex promoted event was the most cherished dream for many has been a fact known to all and with this year’s Grand-Am Rolex winner how important such a win is has been reinforced quite forcefully. The 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series was the battleground for the best cars, driven by the best drivers and supported by best car crews. Starting off at the start of the year itself and culminating earlier this month, the entire season was the perfect embodiment of the high competition, tireless efforts and unexpected results. Every race driver and team was trying and hoping to be crowned the overall championship winner but the crown eventually deservingly went to the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team. The team was one of the most competitive and consistent throughout the 2009 season but still had to wait till the last race and had to fight it out till the last laps of the last race to emerge as the winner.

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series win was Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team’s second after 2007 and winning the team as well as driver championship was even sweeter for the team considering it won it after great performance at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, a place where the team has struggled in the past to come out with good performances. The duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won in the Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype driving it to outrace others handsomely. The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has been celebrating the win by displaying the exact replica of the car across various venues. After having already visited quite a few places the show car shall be making the next stop at the 42nd annual Mountain Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Gainsco Auto Insurance had started its award-winning show car program in the year 2007 and continues for more than 200 days every year. This year the enthusiasm among the team and its fans has risen higher considering Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has won the prestigious 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series championship and is going to bask in the glory of the win for a long time to come.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 26th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Jon Fogarty And Alex Gurney Win Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney 2007

Saturday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season-ending Grand Prix of Miami ended in a delightful win by Joao Barbosa and Hurley Haywood while Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney drove home the winning title. They only needed a top-four finish to ensure their title win and that is exactly what they got when they indeed finished fourth to capture their second Daytona Prototype championship since 2007. Though the team had scored a series-high four victories this season, they had never finished better than a sixth in three previous outings at the 2.3-mile, 11-turn Homestead-Miami Speedway road course layout and so grabbing the winning title definitely proved to be all the more rewarding.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty really had to fight harder this year to regain their past glory of having won seven races during their 2007 championship run. The second Daytona Prototype championship for Fogarty and Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley was pretty challenging because of the heat. They still managed to finish six points ahead (337-331) of Pruett and Memo Rojas, who finished second in the No. 01 TELMEX Lexus Riley. Brian Frisselle and Max Angelelli, who had proved to be tough competitors, entered the race second in the standings but finished seventh in the No. 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara. However, they still finished the year third in the championship with 325 points.

The brilliance that the racers displayed was exactly what Rolex stands for and promotes. Since its association with several sporting events Rolex has been recognizing and providing a platform for the world’s sporting talent. With its aim of promoting human brilliance Rolex associates with events that really bring out the best in an individual. The world-class events that it sponsors not only bring forth world talent but also help polish them and give them the required finesse to emerge as winners in their respective categories. Jon Fogarty won his fifth consecutive pole and went on to win six of the seven races in Friday’s qualifier. He managed to lead twice for 45 of the 100 laps. Alex Gurney took over and ran in position to take the title throughout his run.

No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley

Mark Patterson and Ozz Negri teamed to finish third in the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley. It was their first podium and eighth top-10 finish of the season. The finish unofficially gave Mark Patterson the honor of becoming the first two-time recipient of the Jim Trueman Award as the top gentleman driver in the division. Following a multi-car spin on a restart with six minutes remaining when Jared Beyer was turned around in front of a pack of cars that eliminated him while damaging many of the GT contenders, the race ended cautiously. That gave the Acxiom GT victory to Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Team Drinkin’ Mate Pontiac GXP.R, while Leh Keen and Dirk Werner captured the championship with a third-place finish.

Saturday marked an exciting close to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series that not only promised to be eventful but also showcased racing talent from all over the world.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 12th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

GAINSCO/Bob Stalling Racing Looking For Grand-Am Rolex Championship

GAINSCO/Bob Stalling Racing

As racing teams and drivers gather at the Homestead-Miami Speedway for the last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series points’ leader Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team would be hoping to make it their second title in three years. Rolex which has been at the forefront of sponsoring various events that attract people with a passion to try the unthinkable and achieve impossible looking dreams is an integral part of the world of motorsports and is the title sponsor of the famous Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series witnessed from the very start of the year a healthy competition among the race drivers and their teams to win races, points and eventually the championship. The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team started off well, lost way in between and finally made remarkable comeback towards the end of the championship season to be the points’ leader entering the last race of the championship.

The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team consists of the dynamic duo of race drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty who will not only be trying to win the Rolex championship but would also be achieving a landmark of their own as Homestead-Miami Speedway would be their 50th race as teammates. If they can continue with their rediscovered form in the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season then they will be able to grab their second Rolex Daytona Prototype title in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series within three years.

The last race of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series would be the 12th race of the season and would be taking place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in the state of Miami this weekend. The Homestead-Miami Speedway is a 2.3 mile long race course and consists of 11 turns to make it an interesting track to race on. The much awaited final race is to be held on Saturday, the 10th of October, 2009 and would be watched all around the world by the fans of motorsports with everyone hoping that it would be his or her team which will win the race and also the championship.

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

The Homestead-Miami Speedway would form an ideal place for the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team, Alex Gurney and Bob Stalling, the team owner, to get their hands on another Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship. Bob Stalling and Alex Gurney in fact share a long lasting relationship which precedes even the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team. The team was formed not very long ago with 2005 be its debut season in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series with the duo of Bob Stalling and Alex Gurney driving down the race course at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in May, 2005. Later on Jon Fogarty became a part of team with he along with Alex Gurney going on to win the Rolex Daytona Prototype championship in 2007. The duo has looked pretty strong throughout but whether they’ll be able to win another Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship would only become clear at the end of the present weekend at the Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 8th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Championship, Can No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Do It?

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Championship

Rolex has been involved with promoting human brilliance through its many endeavors by promoting multiple events spread across different domains and held all over the world. Every event that Rolex is involved in promoting as a sponsor has become an icon in its own way. Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series is one of those events and is the most loved championship in the world of motorsports. Held throughout the year in different courses which are spread across the length and breadth of USA, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series attracts some of the best race drivers in the world. Daytona Prototype championship is an essential part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and is the favorite hunting ground of some of the most hardworking teams in the world of motorsports. Beginning in the month of February the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series would be making its last stop in the state of Florida next weekend. With just one race left the current leader No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team would be entering the last race as the most likely winner of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. But speculations are ripe as to whether the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team can actually end the year as the winner of 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series’ Daytona Prototype championship. The reason for that is their not so supportive history at the racing venue for the last race of the season.

As the race drivers and their teams gather for the last race of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the famous Homestead-Miami Speedway racing fans are hoping for a great racing weekend starting on 10th October, 2009. For the fans of the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team though the hopes and expectations are very high but skepticism is high too. The reason for that is not so favorable results in past at the racing venue in Florida for the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team.

No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing

The No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team consists of Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney with both the race drivers having a long association with the team. The driver duo has already enjoyed various successes together and has already won the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series once. In the year 2007 the duo riding for the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team could only manage to finish 11th at the Homestead-Miami Speedway but because of their impressive performances throughout the year still managed to lift the trophy. Last year in 2008 they did manage to improve on their 2007 performance to finish sixth but could not win the championship. This year they have won few races so far and have been quite impressive in others too but they’ll be entering the Homestead-Miami Speedway with a lead of only eight points. Going by their track record at the speedway and the preparation of other teams the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley team would really have to come up with their best efforts over the weekend to score a very high rank at the checkered flag in order to ensure they can get their hands on the Daytona Prototype Championship trophy.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on October 4th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Jon Fogarty Makes Grand-Am Rolex History At Miller Motorsports Park

Jon Fogarty

The race weekend at Miller Motorsports Park turned out to be one of the most memorable ones for the experienced driver Jon Fogarty. He has been at the forefront of records when it comes to racing down the racing tracks during qualifying. He has done it in past and he did it again at Tooele Valley with the main difference being the fact that his pole at the Miller Motorsports Park was his 13th which took him straight into the record books of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Jon Fogarty was driving the No.99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley when he raced to become the driver with all-time maximum Daytona Prototype pole position wins coinciding with his 13th pole win at the Miller Motorsports Park. And that was not all. The Utah 250 also witnessed a series-high fifth pole by a single driver in the same season of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

As the things unfolded at the Miller Motorsports Park it became quite apparent that the day and perhaps even the whole weekend belonged to the Jon Fogarty and his team No.99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley. The race track at Miller Motorsports Park is one of the most challenging racing tracks in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and to perform well there is every driver’s dream and to grab a pole there is really amazing. But when it comes to winning the pole no one can match what Jon Fogarty can do and he quite clearly demonstrated at that the last weekend’s race.

Driving down the 4.486 mile long road course at the Miller Motorsports Park Jon Fogarty was able to come out on top in each of the three laps in the qualifying session which lasted only 15 minutes. With fastest time on each of those laps his final time that officially got him the pole was 2:35.737 and his average speed for the lap was an impressive 103.697 mph. This being his 5th pole of the season now whether he gets another pole at the last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009 would not make any difference to the extent that he’ll in any case end the season as the Daytona Prototype pole-leader.

Grand-Am Rolex

The other four poles which Jon Fogarty won this year were more or less confined to the second half of the season. His first pole of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009 came in June at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. He added to his tally of Daytona Prototype poles with three more poles; one each at Barber Motorsports Park, Watkins Glen International and then at Montreal.

Jon Fogarty had made his Rolex Series debut in the year 2005 and in the Rolex 24 he ended with at 13th pace in the GT class. After a great 2006 season he teamed with Alex Gurney and won seven races and was named in the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association’s All-American First Team. In last season of 2008 Jon Fogarty had managed to finish second and was voted into the prestigious 35th Anniversary Atlantic Championship All-Star Team.

With such achievements Jon Fogarty is sure to increase his number of pole wins as well race wins in the time to come.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 22nd, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Gainsco Team Wins Penultimate Grand-Am Rolex Race

Gainsco TeamA race weekend which had shown a lot of promise with high level of competition anticipated turned out to be a great race for the Gainsco team. Miller Motorsports Park played a perfect host to the penultimate race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009. The entire season has been a rollercoaster ride for the teams trying their best to come out at top with many tasting success but none in a situation where they could take any chances with even a single race. The way the teams raced at the weekend clearly demonstrated the hard work everyone has been undergoing but there could have been only one winner and that honor went to the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Pontiac team.

Driven by the duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty the Gainsco team managed to come out at top for the fourth time in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series 2009. With this win they now have a very real chance for a shot at the championship at the last race to be held in the month of October. For Alex Gurney the coveted win in the Daytona Prototype Class at the Utah 250 was sweeter considering his wife had given birth to their second child only 72 hours ago.

The race was held at the prestigious and difficult Miller Motorsports Park and from the beginning was going to be a challenge for every team and every driver. But those who had come prepared for the rigors of the track had a field day. The duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty did remarkably well to lead the race for most of the time. In a race spread over 56 laps the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Pontiac was leading the cars in 42 of those.

Miller Motorsports ParkThe Miller Motorsports Park is a difficult and very tiresome track with 4.5 mile long laps that are made more difficult with good 24 turns which test the drivers and their cars thoroughly. The race on the weekend was completed in two hours and 45 minutes with the hard fought competition being well represented by the fact that the top five teams were separated by mere 1.309 seconds and the difference in time taken by the top team and the team coming 10th was only 3.029 seconds.

Alex Gurney led his team to a great victory with a good 1.264 second lead over the team that came second, the Ford Dallara. The duo of Max Angelelli and Brian Friselle in the Ford Dallara team gave a real competition to the Gaisnco team but could not overtake them in the end when it would have really mattered. Lexus Riley was the third team to cross the checkered flag at the Miller Motorsports Park to complete the line up for the podium. The team had driver duo of Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas to keep them among the top teams.

Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty now have a total of 309 points in Grand-Am Rolex Daytona Prototype team and driver championships. The last race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series in October is going to be the final test of whether the Gainsco team can lift the championship or not.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 21st, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Leading Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is going to enter the penultimate race of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series at the Miller Motorsports Park with a lot of confidence, in fact in a far better position than the rest of the competitors. For the second time in the last three years Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is entering the racing weekend at the Miller Motorsports Park as Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype Championship leaders.

After a very successful year the No 99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Pontiac Riley and drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty topped the points table after a great race at the Montreal 200. At the Montreal 200 the team did remarkably well to come at the third place which pulled them to the top of point table for the Grand-Am Rolex Series Daytona Prototype Team as well the Driver standing. Entering this weekend the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing now has good 274 points and is comfortably ahead of the rest of the teams. The nearest rival is the team of Max Angelelli and Brian Frosselle who did really well at the Montreal 200. There are two teams tied at the second place and are a good five points behind the leaders and have a lot of catching up to do. One of the teams, No 10 SunTrust Ford Dallara would be going all out to come up with maximum points possible to get a shot at the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship.

No 01 Telemex/Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley is the second placed team in the points table. The team is also good with drivers Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas looking quite dangerous with their good preparation and great results throughout the year. With the kind of competition that exsists it is not going to be easy for any one.

Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing driver Alex Gurney has been with the team since its very inception. He has the honor of being the only driver who has been driving for Gainsco at every race of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series ever since the team entered the championship in the year 2005. He along with the other driver Joe Fogarty has an amazing season the year before last. They drove like champions throughout the 2007 season to emerge champions in the end. They ended up grabbing the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Team Championship as well Drivers Championship.

Miller Motorsports Park

Even 2008 was a good year at Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for the team. Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing was runners-up at the end of the season and was able to demonstrate that it’s a great team to watch out for. They were able to score good six top-three finishes which was more than any other team. They won in all kinds of weathers to prove that the team had more strengths than any other team. In fact in the year that they were not the champions they surely raced like champions.

With such great legacy and immense talent in the team drivers it is not surprising that in the penultimate race Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing is expected to outrace others at the Miller Motorsports Park.

Posted by Vanessa Puzio on September 18th, 2009 and filed under Rolex Culture, Rolex Events | No Comments »