 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 27, 2006) -- Eric Lux started the
No. 44 Rembrandt Charms/GOJO/Hawk Porsche 996 second on the grid for Team
Sahlen, ended his stint at the front of the pack, and watched as teammate
Charles Espenlaub charged to victory in the season-opening Grand-Am Cup 200 at
Daytona International Speedway. Espenlaub held off a field of 88 cars to record
the win.
Craig Stanton who co-drove with Mark Plummer, in the No. 38,
Porsche 996, BGB Motorsports team, passed Espenlaub on a Lap 52 restart, and
the two exchanged the lead numerous times throughout the lap, before Stanton
claimed the position outright. However, Stanton needed a splash of fuel with
only two laps remaining, and on Lap 55 of the 57-lap race, needed to stop for a
splash of fuel, allowing Espenlaub to take the checkered flag first.
Finishing second in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 were
Bill Auberlen and Chris Gleason, who charged from the back of the field to
finish as the runners-up. The No. 96 machine experienced engine troubles during
practice and failed to post a qualifying time, but both Gleason and Auberlen
steadily picked off positions throughout their stints.
ROUSH AND SCHMITT DRIVE HONDA ACCORD TO ST CLASS WIN
With 88 cars on the track, and over half of them in a faster
class, surviving the Grand-Am Cup 200 in the Street Tuner class can be
considered a victory. But for John Schmitt and Dave Roush, taking the class win
in the No. 92 Red Line Oil/HART Honda Accord is much more impressive.
Hugh and Matt Plumb--co-driving the No. 27 Acura RSX-S for
Bill Fenton Motorsports--finished second. Finishing third in the No. 95 Turner
Motorsport BMW 330i were Will Turner and Don Salama.
After a nearly three month break, the Grand-Am Cup Series
will return to action for Round 2 at Virginia International Raceway on the
weekend of April 21-23.
Hoosier Racing Tire is proud to be the sole tire supplier for
the Grand American / Rolex Road Racing Series.
Live coverage throughout the weekend, including live timing
& scoring data and audio webcasts, will be provided on the official web
site of the Grand American Road Racing Association, www.grandamerican.com.
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