Pontiac Wins

GAINSCO was propelled to the champions table at the banquet in Las Vegas on the strength of seven wins.  The Texas team also posted a record setting 10 pole positions, with nine of those coming in succession.  Another impressive statistic had the driving duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty starting from the front row, either on pole or from the second spot, for all fourteen rounds of the Rolex Series DP season. 
 
“I can’t point to a single thing that made our season great,” Fogarty said.  “It is never just one thing.  We basically have a great core of guys on the team.  They are intelligent and very serious competitors.  The team is very trim, no fat.  That makes us able to react and come up with solutions very quickly and move forward.  Alex and I have very similar driving styles and the way Bob has structured things with Alex and I, there is really no inter-team competition.  We are comfortable in our positions within the team and that makes our jobs a lot simple, and gets results.  We are excited and concerned with the new chassis update for 2008.  I think we can make what we get go as quick as anyone.  We should have an advantage with our proven package going into next year.  I think we have an excellent shot at repeating.  We did some things this year that made it difficult on ourselves for the championship, but it worked out in the end.”
 “Our secret, I think, was that we didn’t really have a significant weakness in any area,” Gurney said.   “We had depth across the board and I think this in the end is what wins races.  Jon and I have been racing against each other and have been friends since we started our careers about 10 years ago. We are both in a similar place in our lives, family wise and career wise, so we relate to each other. Most importantly, our driving styles are very similar so we end up never having to compromise the setup of the car.  We expect to have continuity next year and I think we all continue to learn and get stronger as a team.  I think we will be tougher in '08 and we're very much looking forward to learning the nuances of the new tires and aero.”
Bob Stallings, GAINSCO team owner, is celebrating the success of his team and has an eye on the challenges facing his team and their ability to repeat in 2008.
 
“The single most important ingredient to our success in 2007 was the individual and collective determination of The GAINSCO Boys to be the very best possible team in Grand-Am, at every race,” Stallings said.  “We didn’t always accomplish the mission, but we tried. It required individual commitment and responsibility from each member of the team to be the very best at their particular job when compared to the teams we were up against. It sounds simple, but most things in life are simple to describe and difficult to accomplish.
 
 Alex and Jon were the best driver combination for several reasons. Both drivers are committed to excellence in their craft. Both drivers are highly competent in finding the limit of the car they are driving. Both drivers are sufficiently aware of vehicle dynamics to communicate to Kyle, our engineer, what the car needs in order to go faster. Finally, each driver was committed to the individual success of the other in order to accomplish our mission. In other words, they helped each other become better, selflessly. They are still competitive, but they understand that we can’t be the best, without each of them being successful.
 
2008 will be a very challenging year because it will start off as a year of extreme uncertainty. Everyone will return with a chassis remarkably different than the one they raced last year. Can Grand-Am manage this uncertainty equitably? Every engine manufacturer will return with a different engine capability, with the possible exception of GM. Can Grand-Am manage this uncertainty equitably?  The performance bar was raised by the 99 car in 2007. A couple of teams will rely on the excuse that the 99 car used voodoo or trickery to achieve victory.  How else can they explain their short comings. Unfortunately for us, most of the teams we are up against next year are smart and very capable competitors. I expect more than a few of them to mount a campaign to kick our royal butts next year. Can Bob Stallings Racing manage all of this uncertainty? I believe we can. We intend to repeat.”
 
Wayne Taylor Racing’s SunTrust team finished third in the DP standings based on their two wins at Virginia International Raceway and Montreal.  SunTrust drivers Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen also had one pole position on the season.  The team that was assembled late in 2006 by Taylor and Angelelli were fixtures at the front of the field the entire season.
 
“We absolutely had the goal to win the championship this year, we were very clear on that as a team,” Taylor said. “Clearly the GAINSCO guys got everything correct and won the championship.  We had a lot of little things happen like the two drive-thrus at Watkins Glen that cost us points.  We would have been in different position going into Miller. Also our disappointing finish at Laguna when Max went off, that was also costly.  Everything has to go exactly right.  The series has gotten so competitive that you cannot make any mistakes.  You have to be pretty near perfect.  The biggest challenge going into 2008 will be us running a new chassis.  We will run the Riley at Daytona and then convert over to Dallara at Homestead.  We are fortunate to have good partners with Toshiba, SunTrust and Pontiac.  We will also have a permanent second driver with Max.”
 
In GT Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins fought back in the last race of the season to finish second in the drivers standings in their No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R.  The duo combined for six poles and two GT race wins, including the last race at Miller Motorsport Park.  Teammates Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. logged the first win for the new GXP.R at Lime Rock Park in late May.  The pair ended the season fifth in the GT point standings.  Leighton Reese’s Banner Racing finished second in the GT team standings.  For Reese and his Banner team it was a very competitive first year running the Rolex Series full-time.
 
“It was an extremely tough championship,” Reese said.  “Some well organized teams and some manufacturer help made it a very strong GT season.  My guys and my sponsors really stepped it up this year.  We were able to put together three wins and six poles.  We slipped up a couple of times.  We had some smaller issues over the course of the season with new car blues as well as some driver issues.  Total them up and we could have won the championship if we eliminated any one of those.  We are looking forward to 2008 with our major sponsors coming back.  Highlights for us for ’07 are of course our first win for the GXP.R at Lime Rock and then Kelly and Paul adding two more at Barber and Miller.  We gave it 110%, but next year it will take 120%.”
 
“All of the Pontiac powered teams that competed had a hand in us winning the DP manufacturers title,” said Steve Wesoloski, GM Racing road racing manager.  “GAINSCO had an incredible year and was able to pull off the championship right down to the last couple of laps at the finale in Utah.  SunTrust was once again one of the team’s to beat each race.  Wayne Taylor assembled a solid team and was right there in the hunt at the end as well.  In GT, Banner Racing was new to running the series full time, but was able to get up to speed quickly with the new GXP.R racers and make a legitimate run at the championship.  With a combined pole position total in DP and GT of 19 and total win count of 13 it was a very good year for Pontiac in Grand-Am in 2007.”
 
·         GAINSCO wins Daytona Prototype, team and drivers championship
·         GAINSCO Pontiac has seven wins this season
·         GAINSCO Pontiac has 10 pole positions, nine in a row
·         GAINSCO Pontiac has started on pole or the front row every race
·         SunTrust Pontiac driver Max Angelelli finished third in championship
·         SunTrust Pontiac two wins on the season
·         Pontiac won 10 DP races in 2007
·         Pontiac 13 for 14 DP pole positions for the year
·         Pontiac DP poles, Magnussen 1, Braun 2, Gurney 2, Fogarty 8
·         Pontiac won DP manufacturers, drivers and team titles in 2007
·         Tracy Krohn receives Jim Trueman Award
·         Pontiac won three GT races
·         Pontiac six poles in GT
·         Edwards and Collins finished second in GT points
 
Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona
No. 99 GAINSCO on pole
CITGO SAMAX finishes second
Banner Racing No. 07 second in GT
The No. 07 Pontiac GXP.R of Paul Edwards, Kelly Collins and Andy Pilgrim finished second in GT in the season opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.   
 
The Pontiac trio persevered through the rain, cold and returning sunshine to bring the brand new Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R GT car home in second place.  The only flaw of the 24-hour race was that the windshield wiper did not work the entire race.  The companion GXP.R driven by Leighton Reese, Tim Lewis Jr. and Johnny O’Connell also ran a strong race bringing their Pontiac to the line in fourth.
 
The dark horse of the DP race was Peter Baron’s No. 11 CITGO/SAMAX Pontiac Riley driven by Milka Duno, Patrick Carpentier, Darren Manning and Ryan Dalziel.  The Florida-based team took a measured approach to the race and ran undaunted the entire 24-hours and finished second in the biggest race of the season.  For Milka Duno, she won the distinction of being the highest finishing female in the 45-year history of the 24-hour.
 
Wayne Taylor’s SunTrust Racing staged an amazing comeback when they went down 21 laps in the early going with a clutch failure at the four-hour mark.  The team rebounded from the deficit to lead the race again Sunday morning, but a small brake issue set them back once more forcing them to settle for the last step on the podium.
 
Mexico City
Krohn Racing pole
GAINSCO wins
Banner Racing No. 07 tenth
The GAINSCO Pontiac Riley team posted their first DP victory at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.  Jon Fogarty and his No. 99 teammate Alex Gurney drove a hard race chasing the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley all day to finally pass for the lead for good with two laps remaining.  The duo swapped the lead with the Krohn car three times in the final 13 laps to claim their first DP victory. 
 
In GT, contact was the rule of the day for the Banner Racing GXP.R drivers.  On lap 14 teammates Kelly Collins and Leighton Reese came together in turn one, sending Collins into the grass and Reese carrying on with heavy front damage.  At the finish the No. 07 of Collins and Paul Edwards finished 10th, with Reese and co-driver Tim Lewis coming to the line 14th  in their No. 06 GXP.R. 
 
Homestead
SunTrust pole
SunTrust second
Banner Racing No. 07 seventh
The SunTrust Pontiac Riley DP finished second at the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins held on to finish seventh in their No. 07 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R in GT.
 
Jan Magnussen started the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac from pole position, the third pole for Pontiac in as many races.  The Dane turned the car over to teammate Max Angelleli early in the race so the Italian could maximize track time for the finish.  Angelleli was able to lead much of the race, but seven caution periods and differing tire strategies kept him from the top step of the podium.
 
The No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R driven by Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards dealt with contact all race.  Collins was moved off line several times by other GT competitors.  Despite the contact and a track that is tough on tries, Edwards was able to finish out the race with a seventh place finish.
 
Virginia International Raceway
Krohn Racing pole
SunTrust wins
Banner Racing No. 07 third
Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen raced their No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley DP to the team’s first win of the season in round four at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) today.  The 10 car was followed closely to the finish line by the No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac.
 
Jan Magnussen started the SunTrust Pontiac from the third row after a difficult series of practice sessions.  The crew of the 10 car made the changes necessary to the Pontiac powered Riley creating the car to beat at VIR this afternoon.  After the second round of pit stops, Max Angelelli took over the lead on lap 53 and never looked back, winning by a three-second margin.
 
Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards drove the No. 07 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R to a third place finish at VIR.  In the team car, Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis finished 12th with the Racers Edge No. 30 GXP.R coming home in 17th.
 
Collins started the No. 07 Banner GXP.R from the third row following his fifth place qualifying effort earlier in the day.  Thirteen laps into the race, the Californian went off at the exit of turn fourteen and took a trip down the Virginian country side.  When he recovered Collins was forced to pit, but the excursion resulted in no real damage to the Pontiac.  What first looked like a mishap turned into strategy.  The team returned Collins to the fray on the lead lap and he returned 33 laps later to relinquish the seat to co-driver Paul Edwards.  Edwards was able to finish the race without another pit stop for a podium finish.
 
Laguna Seca Raceway
GAINSCO pole
CITGO SAMAX fifth
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 fourth
The CITGO SAMAX Pontiac Riley DP was the top finisher of the Pontiac competitors today at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  The Florida based team with Patrick Carpentier and Ryan Dalziel behind the wheel finished fifth.
 
Incidents and yellow flags conspired against the Pontiac teams all race.  What looked to be an encouraging start with the No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac and No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac beginning the two-hour-and-thirty-minute race from the front row soon turned sour.  The No. 10 car was shuffled back in the first corner and relegated to fourth.  The No. 99 kept the lead up until the team’s mandatory 45-minute pit stop.  Upon leaving the pits the No. 99, which was the fastest car on the time sheets all weekend, soon developed clutch problems, hampering the speed of drivers Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney.
 
Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards drove the No. 07 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R to a fourth place finish at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.  James Gue and Drew Staveley finished fifth in the No. 30 GXP.R and the No. 06 of Tim Lewis Jr. and Leighton Reese came in 10th.
 
It took only five laps for Paul Edwards to make his way from his fourth place qualifying position to lead the GT race this afternoon.  The Californian took over the front spot and was running comfortable at the front, when the team brought him in on lap 25 for his 45-minute compulsory pit stop.  Kelly Collins jumped behind the wheel on lap 43 and also was able to drive to the front.  With only three laps remaining, Collins was forced to pit for a splash of fuel and surrendered the lead to finish the race in fourth.
 
Lime Rock Park – GT only
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 starts third
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 06 wins
Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. driving the No. 06 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R won the GT Classic at Lime Rock Park.  Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards finished fourth and the Racers Edge GXP.R, driven by Drew Staveley and Mark Pavan, finished fifth. 
 
Kelly Collins, in the No. 07 GXP.R, started from third place on the grid and quickly moved up to second, with teammate Leighton Reese following closely in third.  On lap 33, of the two-hour-and-forty-five minute race, most of the field came in and served their compulsory pit stops that must be taken before the 45-minute mark.  Upon returning to action Kelly Collins was able to take over the lead.  Six laps later Collins suffered a flat tire, pitted for new Hoosier rubber and turned the wheel over to Paul Edwards.  On lap 62, team owner and driver, Leighton Reese took the lead with a strong passing maneuver into turn one.  Completing the laps led count for the new GXP.R GT racers was the No. 30 Racer Edge Pontiac with Drew Staveley behind the wheel when he raced to the point on lap 82.
 
Tim Lewis Jr. jumped in the No. 06 car after cycling through pits stops at three-quarter distance.  The Florida resident proceeded to gap his pursuers by nearly a second a lap, bringing the Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R to the checker for the models first Rolex Series win.
 
Watkins Glen International Raceway – Six Hour
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO win
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 pole
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 third
The Pontiac powered GAINSCO DP of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won the Sahlen’s Six Hours at Watkins Glen International.  The Banner GXP.R of Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards came home third in GT.
 
Gurney started the No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac Riley from pole position, the team’s third on the year and sixth straight for Pontiac.  Gurney passed the driving duties to Fogarty who progressed to cycle through the pit stops and also lead several laps.  The Texas based team was the fastest all weekend, topping the timing charts every time on the track. 
 
Paul Edwards and Kelly Collins in the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R persevered through alternator and penalty problems to finish third in GT.  The Banner GXP.R suffered an electrical problem which was zapping power from the battery.  This caused the crew to change the power cell three times over the race distance sending them down two laps early in the race.  Edwards and Collins were able to come back and place the GXP.R in the hunt for the win, which included overcoming a drive-thru penalty for avoidable contact.  Then with just 20-minutes remaining the third battery change ended their hopes for a win. 
 
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO wins
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 7 third
The No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac Riley DP won the EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
 
The Pontiac powered GAINSCO Riley, once again, started from pole position and won the two-hour-and-forty-five-minute race by over 30-seconds to the next closest competitor at the 2.2-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit.  This makes two in a row and three on the season for the Texas based team.  Jon Fogarty started the race and stretched the lead to 14-seconds up to the mandatory 45-minute pit stops.  Fogarty turned the car over to teammate Alex Gurney who proceeded to build the lead and stretch it to a half-minute by the checker.  The Texas based team was never challenged at the front in the caution free race.
 
The Banner Pontiac GXP.R of Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards finished third today in GT at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.  The duo fought through several issues to come home on third step of the podium.
 
The No. 07 Banner Pontiac led the GT field to the start and an immediate first lap caution had the team making a strategy call to pit the 07.  Collins returned the race in seventh and by lap 19 was running in second and assumed the lead under the third caution period on lap 21.  While warming his tires, Collins noticed front grip problems and then a large chunk of rubber came off of the right front, causing the Californian to mistakenly think his tire was going down.
 
Daytona International Raceway 400
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO wins
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 second
Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney made it three wins in a row for the No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac DP in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona.  In GT, Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards drove the No. 07 Banner GXP.R to a second place finish and took over the GT points lead.  The race was run under threatening skies, 90-degree heat and near 100% humidity.
 
The GAINSCO hot streak keeps going, with wins in the last three races at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and at Daytona.  The duo of Fogarty and Gurney have sat on the pole the last three races and also on the top step of the podium.  The race was not a breeze for the Texas team.  Fogarty maintained the lead early and was saddled with a stop-and-go penalty for avoidable contact, which sent him back some 10 places.
 
Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards were able to lead a lot of laps in the Banner Pontiac GXP.R No. 07.  With just eight to go, Edwards could not hold off the lighter and more powerful Mazda and had to settle for second place.  The high points finish has vaulted Edwards and Collins into the Rolex Series GT points lead.
 
Iowa Speedway
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO third
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 06 second
Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney led the Pontiac charge in their No. 99 GAINSCO DP at the new Iowa Speedway to finish third. 
 
The lead early in the two-and-a-half-hour race was shared by the No. 99. Pontiac and the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac.  Pontiac power led the first 84 laps up until the second caution of the race.  Jan Magnussen in the No. 10 went off course on his in- lap during the yellow.  The Dane went into the grass in turn-four and stalled the motor, by the time he recovered he rejoined the filed one lap down. 
 
During the caution, Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 Pontiac gave up the seat to teammate Alex Gurney.  Approximately 40-laps into his ride, Gurney reported a possible broken header and continued to nurse the Riley DP car to the finish.
 
Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. driving the No. 06 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R finished second this afternoon at the new Iowa Speedway.  The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve GT race was not as kind to their team car No. 07, which did not finish.
 
At the start of the race the Pontiac pair were able to run one-two through the infield until Reese in the 06 was hit in the side by the 87 and spun through the tri-oval grass.  Reese recovered and was relegated to the back of the 15-car field.
 
Collins continued to lead the race right up until turning the wheel over to co-driver Paul Edwards at the 45-minute mark.  The Banner crew were able to get Edwards back out without losing the lead.  On lap 95 while driving around under yellow, Edwards reported problems with the power steering.  He pitted two-laps later and the team replaced the belt which drives the steering pump and the water pump.  The heat and high-bank took its toll on the Pontiac LS2 motor with the loss of the belt, forcing the team to retire the 07 on lap 106.
 
Leighton Reese handed the 06 GXP.R over to co-driver Tim Lewis Jr. an-hour-and-nineteen-minutes into the race.  Lewis proceeded to march through the field.  In the last half-hour he drove the Pontiac to the second step of the podium, with only one-half-second separating him from the eventual winner.
 
Barber Motorsport Park
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO wins
Banner Racing GXP.R No. 07 wins
Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney in the No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac DP continued their juggernaut in the Rolex Series by winning the Porsche 250 At Barber Motorsport Park.  GAINSCO was followed by the No. 75 Krohn Pontiac and third place went to the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac in round 10 of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve.
 
The DP win caps a perfect Pontiac weekend of racing.  Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards won the GT race in their Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R yesterday and Rhys Millen won the Time Attack division at the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with his Red Bull Pontiac Solstice GXP.
 
The GAINSCO team logged their fifth win of the season.  The Texas-based team was hot in the 95-degree heat, winning the two-hour-and-thirty-minute race from the pole position.  Gurney started feeling a little warm when the No. 75 Krohn Pontiac, with 18-year old phenom Colin Braun at the wheel gave him a battle for the win over the last 20-laps.  Braun put his Pontiac-powered Riley in a position to challenge for the lead by a strong first stint by new co-driver Nic Jonsson.  Jonsson was able to lead a handful of laps early on the strength of a fast pit stop by the Krohn Racing crew.
 
Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards posted their first Rolex Series GT victory in the No. 07 Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R at Barber.  Teammates Leighton Reese and Tim Lewis Jr. came home in fourth in the No. 06 Pontiac GXP.R.
 
Collins started the two-hour-and-forty-five minute race from pole position and quickly sped out to a commanding lead before the 45-minute compulsory pit stop.  The Californian then turned the wheel over to Paul Edwards who set fast lap of the race and won by a margin of more than 30-seconds.  
 
Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve – DP only
GAINSCO pole
SunTrust wins
SunTrust racing, with drivers Jan Magnussen and Max Angelelli, won round 11 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Canada. 
 
Joining the SunTrust crew on the podium were Riley-Mathews Pontiac drivers Marc Goosens and Jim Mathews, who finished second.  In third were the GAINSCO Pontiac team with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney.  Rounding out a Pontiac top four were Antonio Garcia and Christian Fittipaldi in their Fabcar Pontiac.
 
The SunTrust Pontiac No. 10 with driver Jan Magnussen started on the front row along side the pole sitting No. 99 car.  Magnussen was able to take over the lead around lap 22 after a strong pit stop.  Later in the race, Angelelli was able to make a pass on the No. 39 Pontiac Fabcar to retake the lead.  The Italian had to fight off two late race yellows, including a restart with two laps to go to secure the team’s second victory of the year.
 
In GT, Kelly Collins started the 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R from the pole position.  Collins was able to lead several laps until early brake and over heating concerns slowed the car.  The team made the necessary adjustments in a series of three pit stops before lap 23.  Despite the pit stops, Edwards was able to make his way back up to third position.  On a crazy last restart, with one lap to go, Edwards spun the car at the exit of the slow second turn in a melee of GT cars, relegating them to eighth place. 
 
Watkins Glen International Raceway – Short Course, DP only
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO wins
The No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac powered DP driven by Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney won the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen.  For the GAINSCO duo it is their sixth win on the season.  In second place was the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac placing driver Max Angelelli in a tie for the championship lead.
 
Starting from the pole position, their ninth on the season and Pontiac’s twelfth, Fogarty and Gurney never looked back.  The No. 99 Pontiac made the two-hour sprint at The Glen look easy.  With 10 laps remaining a caution flag gave their pursuers a chance to close-up, but Gurney was able to hold off the pack to secure the team’s sixth win, tying the all time Grand-Am single season win record.  The two are just four points out of the championship lead.
 
Infineon Raceway – DP only
GAINSCO pole
GAINSCO wins
The No. 99 GAINSCO Pontiac DP driven by Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney won the penultimate Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series race at Infineon Raceway.  The win gives the No. 99 team the overall points lead going into the last race in three weeks.
 
Fogarty started the GAINSCO Pontiac from the pole position and led up to the compulsory pit stop at the 45-minute mark.  On the pit stop, Gurney got in the car and came out of the pits in second place.  On lap 59, a slight error by Gurney had him going off in the carousel.  The excursion through wine country cost the Californian one place.  The strategy by the team on the next pit stop had him in second place after the field cycled through their stops.  The only caution of the race flew with just seven minutes remaining.  On the restart, Gurney passed the 58 car for the lead going into turn three to post the team’s seventh victory of the season.  With the win, Gurney and Fogarty now lead the series championship by just one point with 380. 
 
Miller Motorsport Park
GAINSCO qualifies second
Riley-Matthews wins
Banner Racing No. 07 wins
The GAINSCO Pontiac team with drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship at Miller Motorsport Park in Salt Lake City.  The duo finished the race in eighth place which was enough to take the championship trophy.  The Riley-Mathews Pontiac won the race with the SAMAX Pontiac in second and the Krohn Pontiac in third, making it an all Pontiac DP podium.  In GT, Paul Edwards, Kelly Collins and Andy Pilgrim drove their No. 07 Banner Pontiac GXP.R to the race win.
 
With a single point lead coming into today’s 1000k race, the GAINSCO Pontiac team had luck go their way toward the end of the race.  Alex Gurney took the lead from the green flag and was in a nose-to-tail battle for most of the event with the championship contending 01 Lexus in close pursuit.  The 99 was running in third around lap115 when Fogarty in the 99 got together with the 01 resulting in flat tires to both cars.  Fogarty was able to limp his Pontiac Riley around and keep the body work intact, the crew changed the tire and Gurney got in for the final stint.  The 01 damaged the rear body work and had an extended pit stop.  Both cars returned and were running within a few positions of each other with seven laps to go.  Contact again between the 99 and 01 on lap 132 resulted in the 01 getting a drive-thru penalty ending their championship aspirations with five laps remaining.  The victory gives Pontiac the drivers, team and manufacturers championship in the DP class. 
 
In GT, Paul Edwards started the No. 07 from pole position, the seventh on the season, and never looked back.  The 07 car was never out of the lead all race.  The Banner team performed near perfect service in the pits just adding fuel, tires and fresh driver the entire seven hours. The win put the duo of Collins and Edwards second in the season ending GT points standings.  The pair logged two wins and six pole positions on the season.
 
The 2008 Grand-Am schedule will kick-off with the traditional Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona January 26 – 27.
 
Grand-Am Top Ten Daytona Prototype Final Points Standings:
1. Gurney, Fogarty, Pontiac Riley 408
2. Pruett, Lexus Riley 406
3. Angelelli, Pontiac Riley 395
4. Rojas, Lexus Riley 381
5. Law, Donohue, Porsche Riley 338
6. Braun, Pontiac Riley 338
7. Long, Porsche Crawford 319
8. Patterson, Negri, Lexus Riley  319
9. Papis, Pontiac Riley 307
10. James, Lexus Riley 307
 
Top 10 Grand-Am GT Final Points Standings:
1. Werner, Porsche GT3 375
2. Edwards, Collins, Pontiac GXP.R 365
3. Miller , Porsche GT3 363
4. Valentine, Lally, Porsche GT3 348
5. Lewis Jr., Reese, Pontiac GXP.R 316
6. Tremblay, Mazda RX-8 314
7. Ham, Mazda RX-8 305
8. de Quesada, Porsche GT3 289
9. Dumoulin, Porsche GT3 281
10 Assentato, Mazda RX8 275
 
Grand-Am Manufacturer Final Point Standings:
DP
1. Pontiac 470
2. Lexus 417
3. Porsche 380 
4. BMW 251
5. Ford 169
 
GT
1. Porsche 435
2. Pontiac 390
3. Mazda 364
4. Chevrolet 266
5. Ford 142
6. BMW 51
7. Nissan 42
 
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Tags: Grand-Am