As this weekend's Sahlen's Six Hoursof The Glen falls on Father's Day (June 20, SPEED Channel - 11 a.m. ET, Part 1, 3 p.m. ET, Part 2), the race will have special significance for several drivers in the field, as they will be sharing their cars with their fathers or sons.
ORISON-Planet Earth Motorsports will have three sets of fathers and sonspiloting its Super Grand Sport (SGS) cars at The Glen. The No. 41 PorscheGT3 Cup will be co-driven by Joe Nonnamaker and his sons Wayne and Will,while the team's No. 42 Porsche GT3 Cup will see Sam Shanaman sharingdriving duties with his son, Brett, as well as Wayne Nonnamaker. BrothersTom and Steve Shelton will be driving the team's No. 43 Porsche GT3 Cupalong with Steve's son, Steve Jr.
"Our team has always been about family, and to have three differentfather/son combinations in three different cars is quite extraordinary," JoeNonnamaker said.
"It has always been a dream of mine to get to race with my dad and uncle inthe same event," added Steve Shelton Jr. "The opportunity to drive theORISON-Planet Earth Motorsports Porsche at the Watkins Glen six hour was theperfect fit. The Porsche GT3 Cup will be new to all of us, but I am surewith some track time, we will get the hang of it."
The father/son combinations do not end with the No. 41-43 ORISON-PlanetEarth Motorsports cars. In fact, cars numbered 41 through 44 on the entrylist will all feature father and son teams, as the No. 44 Orbit RacingPorsche GT3 RS in the GT category will have Joe Policastro and his son, Jay,at the controls along with Mike Fitzgerald. Not to be outdone by GT and SGS,the Daytona Prototype category will also have a father and son team with JoePruskowski and his son, Justin, sharing the cockpit of the No. 5 EssexRacing Ford Multimatic alongside Canadian driver Ross Bentley.
It would undoubtedly be a special and emotional day for the drivers shouldthey find their way to victory lane in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY GETS SAFER
Daytona International Speedway officials announced recently thatinstallation of the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barriers isunderway at the "World Center of Racing," and that the installation would becomplete in time for the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Paul Revere250 on July 1 and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Pepsi 400 on July 3. Daytona becomesthe fourth facility that hosts Grand American events to use the SAFERbarrier, joining Homestead-Miami Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway andCalifornia Speedway. "The safety of our competitors and fans is a toppriority at Daytona International Speedway," said Speedway president RobinBraig. "We look forward to working with NASCAR, Dr. Dean Sicking and theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln as they enhance the safety features at the'World Center of Racing.'" The SAFER barrier will run continuously for 3,050feet from the entrance to Turn 1 through the exit of Turn 2, and 3,050 feetfrom the entrance to Turn 3 through the exit of Turn 4. The SAFER walltechnology consists of rectangular steel tubing backed by foam blocks thatis installed in front of the track's cement walls. Developed by scientistsat the University of Nebraska's Midwest Roadside Safety Facility - led byDr. Dean Sicking - the SAFER project began in the fall of 2000, and wasfirst utilized at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It remains an ongoingsafety initiative among NASCAR, the Indy Racing League, Dr. Sicking and theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln.
WATKINS GLEN'S LONGEST PARTNER RENEWS FOR TWO MORE YEARSWatkins Glen International - which hosts this weekend's Sahlen's Six Hoursof The Glen and the theglen.com 200 on August 12-13 - announced that it hasrenewed its association with ConocoPhillips Company's Kendall Motor Oilbrand through 2005. Kendall Motor Oil is the longest-running marketingpartner of Watkins Glen International and the brand of lubricants willmaintain its position as "Official Motor Oil of The Glen." Kendall Motor Oil's association with Watkins Glen International dates to 1957, just threeyears after racing began in village streets. "We are very pleased thatKendall Motor Oil will be continuing its marketing relationship with TheGlen," said track president Craig Rust. "Having a world class brand likeKendall involved with The Glen for so many years says a lot about theenduring marketing value of a relationship with auto racing and ourfacility."
SAID DOUBLES DOWN FOR WATKINS GLENBoris Said has added his name to the list of drivers who will compete inboth the Rolex Series Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen on Sunday and the TheGlen 250 Grand-Am Cup race at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, asPerformance Nissan Racing has announced that Said will "pinch hit" for BlakeRosser - who is nursing a wrist injury - in the No. 23 Nissan 350Z. The teamannounced that Rosser would drive "as much as his wrist allows" beforehanding off the bulk of the driving duties to Said and another Rolex Seriescrossover competitor, Kelly Collins. Said leads the Rolex Series GT driverstandings and will share the No. 21 Performance Technology Group BMW M3 withBill Auberlen in Sunday's Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen.
WAGNER KEEPS HIS EYES ON THE PRIZENo. 81 G&W Motorsports BMW Doran co-driver Cort Wagner may be a rookie inDaytona Prototype competition, but he has enjoyed considerable success inother Rolex Sports Car Series classes and is focused on adding a DaytonaPrototype title to his resume this year. With just two points separating himand co-driver Kelly Collins from the championship-leading No. 01 CompUSAChip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley driving tandem of Scott Pruett and MaxPapis, Collins knows the championship is well within range with seven of 12races still remaining - despite the fact that engine trouble leading up toRound 4 at Mont-Tremblant robbed him and Collins of precious track time inpractice and qualifying. "As can be seen by the numbers, the DaytonaPrototypes are truly a success, and I am proud to be a part of it, much lessin the hunt for the championship," said Wagner, who led the points withCollins following a podium result in Round 3 at Phoenix. "Throughconsistency and being well-prepared, the Rx.com G&W Motorsports team allowedKelly and I to take the points lead in Phoenix. And when faced withadversity at Mont-Tremblant, the team soldiered through and kept us withintwo points of the new leaders."
QUICK TAKESAs part of the pre-event promotion for this weekend's Sahlen's Six Hours ofthe Glen, Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondsonspoke last week at the monthly meeting of the Madison Avenue Sports CarDriving and Chowder Society at Sardi's Restaurant in New York City.Edmondson's presentation focused on the emergence and development of theDaytona Prototype category and included a pair of action videos recappingthe 2004 Rolex Series season to date. The upcoming Mid-Ohio Road RacingClassic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (August 8) received a similarpromotional boost yesterday during the track's annual season kick-off pressconference. Team owner Michael Shank was in attendance along with his No. 6Lexus Doran and was the focus of several television news media outletson-hand from Shank's hometown of nearby Columbus, Ohio. The SFoW Maseratiteam, 2002 and 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series GT Champions, will return theirFerrari 360 GT to competition at this weekend's Sahlen's Six Hours of TheGlen. The Ferrari was last raced in the 2003 season when Brent Martini andCort Wagner took the Ferrari to the title. Three Ferrari Challengeveterans - Kurt Buchwald, Jim Kenton and Jeff Segal - will drive the 360 GTthis weekend. The entry will support the SFoW team's Maserati Trofeo LightGT, their contender for the 2004 Rolex GT championship that hit the podiumone race ago at Mont-Tremblant with Emil Assentato, Joao Barbosa and SteveEarle driving.
