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Banner Racing
The Pontiac GXP. R contingent is headed from the west coast to the east coast for round six of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve GT Challenge race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut this weekend. The GT only race will be run on Monday, May 28.
Banner Racing stayed an extra day in California to prepare the No. 06 and 07 for the tight 1.54-mile, 8-turn road course. The track layout consists of seven right hand turns and one left. Known as a momentum track, the circuit in Lakeville should favor the GXP. R.
Banner Racing team owner and driver Leighton Reese is looking to rebound from a disappointing Laguna round with a top finish at Lime Rock. Reese’s co-driver Tim Lewis Jr. turned in an inspired drive to have it wasted with a slight pit lane infraction when he nudged a tire exiting his pit box.
“Lime Rock should be our track, ” Reese said. “The GXP. R has a lot of adjustability which allows fine tuning of the suspension, and you can also tune yourself out. I have always done well at Lime Rock in Trans-Am so I like the track. It is all right handers except for one and you pretty much throw away the left hander. We are ready to get the new GXP. R its first win. Lime Rock is as good a place as any to do that. ”
In the team car, the No. 07 Banner GXP. R, piloted by Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards, are motivated to the GXP. R to victory circle. The duo led almost half of the race at Laguna, only to have it slip it away with three laps to go.
“The GTO. R dominated Lime Rock last year, ” Edwards said. “The competition is a lot stiffer this year, but we will be strong there. The new tire will also improve times from last year. Both Lime Rock and Watkins Glen should be really good tracks for us. Our car should be the better handling car there with the bumps and the fast down hill. We need to be careful at Lime Rock, one misstep and you are down a lap. We have the lucky dog rule from NASCAR, maybe we need the green, white, checker finishes like NASCAR as well. ”
The Racers Edge Motorsports team is looking for another top finish. The team from Florida finished fifth last week and is really getting to know the new GXP. R. James Gue and Mark Pavan will Pilot the No. 30 this weekend.
“Lime Rock will be a great track for this car, ” Gue said. “The team is getting more familiar with the car every race and it is showing up in our finishes. We had a good result at Laguna last week and that is a nice momentum track, like Lime Rock. We will need a similar car to what we had last week, great handling and consistent. ”
The GT race from Laguna Seca will be televised, tape delayed, on May 26 on the SPEED Channel starting at 8:00 p. m. EDT.
Round six for the Rolex GT Series will be run next weekend at Lime Rock Park with the race going off on Monday, May 28.
