Info: Greg Franz 949.851.4731
gfranz@competentms.com
Potter, Rodriguez and Holden – 2009 Pirelli Drivers Cup USA Champions
Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California – Sunday November 8, 2009.Practice started Friday, November 6, 2009, with the always familiar possibility of light rain this time of year, and of course, the weatherman decided that was going to play a part on our practice day. Over the course of the five scheduled practice sessions, racers began to spend more time on the track when during the last session every driver was on the track and enjoying the challenge that Infineon always gives its drivers.
Brooks Potter (#03) with Aasco Motorsports has lead the Group A (996 GT3 Cup 2000 – 2005) from the first event of the season at Las Vegas. He was under the weather for most of the event, but knew that he had to rise to the occasion to go after the 2009 Championship. He had the 2007 and 2008 Group A Champions, John Trefethen (#18) and Mark Anderson (#29) respectively, in the field and they were ready to keep him honest on the track along with Greg Ross (#77), Matt Ross (#77), and Gary Tolar(#65) with GMG Racing running exhibition class.
Group B (997 GT3 Cup 2006 – 2007) was also ready for some action with Galen Bieker (#69) from Werks II/P7Racing and his teammate Bob Rodriguez (#25) in a battle for the Championship along with Brian Wong(#89) from Aasco Motosports, Steve Goldman (#3), and both Hartley Smith (#06) and Paul Camusi (#71) from The Racers Group.
Group C (997 GT3 Cup 2008 – 2009) had series points leader Brent Holden (#44) from GMG Racing eyeing his championship prize with Galen Bieker and Peter Aronson (#5) from Dragon Speed wanting nothing more than change the outcome in their favor.
Saturday was the setting of Race #9 for the Pirelli Drivers Cup USA racing series, and as expected a beautiful day that only got better. Race # 9 started with Galen Bieker on the pole with Henri Richard (#63) from The Racers Group (running exhibition class) along side of him. The next four racers were at 1:40 and divided by tenths. Brain Wong in a 2006 997 GT3 Cup knows this track from his Sprint car experience but his first time in a Porsche Cup car. There were four or five races going on within the rest of the pack and everyone was demonstrating on the track what they had learned from the coaching of Craig Stanton, Director of Coaching for the Drivers Cup USA racing series.
In Group A, Brooks Potter had to fight the entire race with Trefethen, Anderson, and Ross with John Trefethen taking the checkered flag after the forty minute race. Potter had to settle for a hard fought second with Greg Ross taking the third position on the podium. Group B had Brian Wong as victor with Bob Rodriguez second and Steve Goldman third; with Bob and Steve going side by side in more than one turn during the race. Group C with Galen Bieker had the field covered with Brent Holden taking second and newcomer Peter Aronson third.
Sunday was a warm and sunny day for the racers to take advantage of the last race of the season and everyone wanted a good result to end a hard fought season. Race#10 started with Galen Bieker on the pole again with Henri Richard next to him and the top four cars were in the 1:38 and 1:39’s. Up until the last lap it was Bieker and Wong dueling it out for first overall. At the end Brian was the overall winner of the race and won Group B for the second race in a row with Steve Goldman and Bob Rodriguez trading podium results from the race before. Hartley Smith (#06) and Paul Camusi (#71) had the same finishing positions as Race#9, fourth and fifth respectively.
Group A had a surprise victory for Mark Anderson (#29), who has had some DNF’s due to mechanicals the last couple of races and it was good to see a smiling Mark take his first place trophy; with John Trefethen and Matt Ross (#77) taking second and third while fighting to keep Brooks Potter behind them. Group C saw Bieker win the race but unfortunately lost the Championship in Group B. Galen’s 2007 997 GT3 Cup car was not in play for him this weekend due to mechanical issues and while very successful with his weekend in Race #9 and Race #10 he lost the overall Group B championship for 2009 by 4 points. Brent Holden was steady in this last race and brought home second place.
With attention to the results of the weekend, those racers who managed their results for the entire season deserve special recognition at this time.
The 2009 Pirelli Drivers Cup USA racing series Champions:
Brooks Potter (Group A – 2000-2005 996 GT3 Cup)
Bob Rodriguez (Group B – 2006-2007 997 GT3 Cup)
Brent Holden (Group C – 2008-2009 997 GT3 Cup).
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