Continuing a run of top finishes that stretches back for nearly a full year, No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley co-drivers Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen took over the 2007 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve Daytona Prototype points lead with their first victory of the season in the VIR 400 at Virginia International Raceway.
Angelelli, the 2005 Daytona Prototype co-champion, took the lead from 2004 Daytona Prototype co-champion Max Papis in Turn 1 with 25 laps remaining and was never seriously challenged over the closing laps en route to a 3.567-second victory over Papis and his No. 75 Krohn Racing Pontiac Riley co-driver Colin Braun. The victory by Angelelli and Magnussen, coupled with an eighth-place performance by No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley teammates Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas, vaulted the No. 10 teammates to an 11-point lead, 127-116, over Pruett with four of 14 races now in the books.
“It’s a fantastic feeling, ” Angelelli said. “We’ve been always good at this track, but this year is different, with so many different people involved. Up until this morning, we had a terrible car, and luckily we turned everything around and had a good race. ”
Angelelli—who led the final 25 laps—and Magnussen combined to lead 27 laps on their way to their first win since last May at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It was the 10th overall victory of Angelelli’s career and the fourth for Magnussen, but it was the first triumph for Wayne Taylor Racing, which formed at the conclusion of the 2006 season. As Magnussen will not compete in the upcoming U. S. Sports Car Invitational Delivered by Luggage Express at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on May 20, Angelelli effectively takes over sole possession of the Daytona Prototype points lead. Angelelli and Magnussen have finished inside the top five in their last 11 races as co-drivers.
“I’d like to say how happy I am for the whole team, ” Magnussen said. “It’s been hard work to set up the team for Wayne and Max, and everybody involved, so to get this win was great. We had a shot at getting a win earlier this year, and have been fighting for it every time, so to get it here was good. I have to say that after yesterday in qualifying I didn’t think we were going to have a race-winning car. We had some problems all through practice and qualifying, which we sorted out during qualifying this morning luckily. The warm-up was great, and in the race we had a great race car. ”
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