Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport And Street Tuner Competitors to Travel North of The U.S
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Daytona Beach, Fla.
Jun 14, 2007
Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) competitors will travel north of the U. S. border this weekend for the first of two Canadian races this season, where championship points leaders from both divisions will look to step onto the top step of the podium for the first time in 2007 at Mosport International Raceway in Bowmanville, Ontario.
Joe Foster, driver of the No. 55 Hyper Sport Supercuts Ford Mustang GT, leads the points by 13 over three drivers holding a second-place tie (136-123). Foster not only will be out to extend his lead, he’ll also be looking to improve on a pair of second-place finishes he’s scored so far this season. But there will be more on the line than just winning and increasing his point margin. Foster is scheduled to be paired with Toronto driver Scott Maxwell, the highest-ranking Canadian in the point standings at seventh. A former series champion, Maxwell has competed in four of the five races this season – all with Foster – and is also looking for his first victory of 2007.
No. 5 Blackforest Motorsports USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang GT co-driver Tom Nastasi, who won the first three GS races of 2007 to lead the point standings, is now 13 points back and one of the three drivers second in points. Nastasi not only wants to return to the points lead, he also wants that fourth win of the season. And Nastasi will seek that triumph with Toronto native David Empringham, the 2003 Daytona Prototype Rolex 24 At Daytona co-champion, who won the last GS race at Mosport in 2005. Empringham has competed only twice in GS competition this season – both times with Nastasi – but also landed the victory in the season opener at Daytona.
Tied with Foster are No. 09 Automatic Racing Fresh >From Florida/Imported Car Store BMW M3 co-drivers Jep Thornton and Jeff Segal, also searching for their first victory of the season. The pair, in one of four Automatic Racing BMWs, has finished in the top-six in four of the five races, with a best finish of third at Iowa Speedway. Automatic Racing scored a pole at Mosport in 2003.
Rounding out the top five in the point standings are No. 37 JBS Motorsports Trumansburg ShurSave Ford Mustang GT drivers James Gue and Bret Seafuse. Like Foster, Segal and Thornton, Gue and Seafuse are also looking for victory number one in 2007 after top-10 finishes in four of the five races, with back-to-back fourth-place finishes at Homestead-Miami Speedway and Iowa. Gue, who co-drove to a third-place finish in 2005 at Mosport, and Seafuse are only 14 points behind Foster for the point lead.
The most recent winners, Chris Gleason and Bill Auberlen, share the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 at Mosport. The pair, running eighth and ninth respectively in points, combined for three podium finishes this season, including a victory at Lime Rock Park last month. Gleason ran at Iowa without Auberlen but finished 28th. The other Turner Motorsport GS team, the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW M3, will see Northeastern U. S. drivers Don Salama and Will Turner behind the wheel. The duo has posted strong runs and two poles this season but bad luck come race time has them with only two top 10s in five starts. They are tied for 10th in points.
While the focus could be squarely on how Maxwell and Empringham perform, other Canadians will seek the accolades of their fellow countrymen this weekend. Nastasi and Empringham’s teammates, No. 4 Blackforest Motorsports USG Sheetrock/Ramset Tools Ford Mustang GT co-drivers Valerie Limoges and Travis Walker, are both Canadian. Limoges, now residing in Florida, lists Montreal as her hometown, while Walker is from Mississauga, Ontario.
Sharing the No. 82 BRG/Group 88 Motorsports Performance Drink/Jetalia Porsche 997 are Trois-Rivieres, Quebec brothers Jean-Francois and Louis-Philippe Dumoulin and Toronto-based driver Michael Vong. Vancouver driver Dave Riddle is scheduled to drive the No. 25 Fiorano/C-MAX Racing Porsche 997 with American Kris Wilson. Fraser Wellon of Mississauga will share the No. 88 Ranger Sports Racing Hop-A-Jet Porsche 996 with Floridian Barry Ellis. Frank Rossi of Kleinburg, Ontario will drive the No. 89 Ranger Sports Racing Hop-A-Jet Porsche 997.
