Alex Gurney: “We are all very excited to be leading the championship for the first time all season”
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Sep 12, 2007
GAINSCO
The World’s Closest Championship Battle: Will be decided this weekend at Miller. GAINSCO drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty lead both the driver’s championship and the team championship by just one point over veteran Scott Pruett and by three points over Max Angelelli. Winner takes all this weekend at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Vasser’s Back: Jimmy Vasser will return to the cockpit of the #99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance/Bob Stallings Racing/ Pontiac Riley for this weekend’s endurance race. A tradition that started at the 2006 Rolex 24, the GAINSCO team relies on Vasser’s expertise during all races which are six hours or more.
A Piece of History: The GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team and its drivers, Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty have re-written the Rolex Grand American history books this year. They set the single season record for the most pole positions (10) and also the single season record for the most wins (7).
Championship Experience: The GAINSCO team brings plenty of championship experience to the table and they will apply that experience this weekend as they battle for the Rolex title. Jon Fogarty is a two-time Atlantic champion, Jimmy Vasser is the 1996 CART champion, team owner Bob Stallings is the 2004 SCCA Formula Atlantic National Champion, and engineer Kyle Brannan has two Atlantic championships under his belt, as does data acquisition and shock specialist, Eric Crowder.
Lap Leaders: The GAINSCO Boys have led 524 of the 978 laps raced since the U. S. Sports Car Invitational at Laguna Seca in May (53%). They have led every race this year, except at round three in Miami. With ten pole positions and seven victories, their average starting position is first and their average finishing position this season is fourth.
ALEX GURNEY on the final round at Miller: “We are all very excited to be leading the championship for the first time all season. The deciding race will be a little different, It’s a longer race, running somewhere around seven hours, so it does require a little bit of a different approach. We’ve had a lot of sprint races lately but this one requires a little more thought as far as fuel mileage and how we deal with GTs. That being said, we won our first endurance race just a few months ago at Watkins, so we know how to get it done. It has been just an incredible season and I can’t wait to get back out there and hopefully put our final mark on it as champions.”
JON FOGARTY on the final round at Miller: “It’s been and incredible season for sure, and every single person on this team has done a terrific job. It’s great to head into the weekend leading the championship, but it is a long race. We have to be aggressive because we know our competitors will be and we’re just going to try to move through traffic quickly and find a rhythm and a balance. I’ve got two great teammates in Jimmy and Alex and we are going to approach this weekend the same as all of the others, we are going to give it everything we’ve got.”
JIMMY VASSER on the final round at Miller: “I am proud to jump in the championship leading car, that is for sure, but I can’t say I am surprised. Bob is a great leader and he’s put together a very good team. Alex and Jon are at the top of their game, there is no doubt about that. My job is to come in, get up to speed right away and be consistent. I’ve been training hard to be ready for this and I am excited to be part of it.”
