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 MONT-TREMBLANT,
QUEBEC, CANADA (May 21, 2005) -- Cold and rainy was the weather conditions at
the start of the 6 Heures du Circuit Mont-Tremblant. After practicing for the
past couple days on Hoosier tires under dry conditions, the wet rainy weather
helped to determine the call for the teams to start the race on Hoosier Wets.
The switch was made Saturday morning to Hoosier Wets before the race began.
Then returning back to slicks a couple hours after the race had begun, and the
track started to dry. The Grand-Am sanctioning body does not allow for an
intermediate tire, it is either a wet or a slick. The Hoosier Wets preformed
very well. At 11:00 am a field of 19 Daytona Prototypes (DP) and 21 Grand
Touring (GT) started Saturdays race, with a host of talented drivers and teams
in hot pursuit of the point race.
Saturday May 21, 2005:
With five of fourteen races in the books, several names appeared at the top of
the chart during a dramatic race. In Saturday's race there were one hundred and
eighty eight laps run, seven car lead changes, five yellow flags for a total of
twenty nine laps under caution. Fastest lap time was 1:30.533 in lap number
175. The fastest lap time helped to put the team of Milka Duno, Andy Wallace
and Jan Lammers in the No. 2 DP, Pontiac Crawford, CITGO-Howard-Boss Motorsport
on the winners podium. They started in position seventeen and work their way up
thru the pack.
Coming in with a close
second Stefan Johansson and Cort Wagner in the No. 02 DP, Lexus Riley, New
Century Mtg/Chip Ganassi w/Sabates team. They started in fourth place and ended
up only 3.843 seconds behind the winners.
Scott Pruett and Luis
Diaz once again managed to get a third place finish out of their No. 01 CompUSA
Chip Ganassi Racing teams, Lexus Riley. It was the team's third pole position
in five races this season. In an interview with Luis "The
Grasshopper" (English translation of "El Chapulin") Diaz, on May
20, 2005 he said, "I think the tires are great. I think the development
that you guys are always doing, it is great. You are always working and coming
with something better, better and better". We discussed with Luis the
testing that we (Hoosier) have done with his own teammate Scott Pruett. Luis
said "That shows the heart
that you guys have to make these tires. The best tires in the racing business.
I can tell you in Mexico there are very many series racing on the Hoosier
Racing Tires. So far in my racing experience I hear very good things about
Hoosier Racing Tires in Mexico and in America".
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 Winning
Saturday's GT race was Ian James, Chris Gleason and Joey Hand in the
No. 22 GT, BMW M3, Prototype Technology Group team. They started in
seventh position of their class and worked their way up thru the pack.
Second place for
the GTs was David Murry, Craig Stanton and Mae Van Wijk in the No. 80
GT, Porsche GT3 Cup, Synergy Racing team. They started in position six
of their class and worked their way up thru the pack.
More Grand-Am /
Rolex information is available on the official site of the Grand
American Road Racing Association www.grandamerican.com.
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