Angelelli Holds Off Gurney, Wins Porsche 250
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| #10 Chevrolet Corvette DP, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli |
After seven drivers took turns running up front in Saturday’s Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park, Max Angelelli found himself in the lead with 45 minutes remaining in the third race of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.
The veteran never let up, leading the final 33 laps around the 2.3-mile circuit to post his 22nd Daytona Prototype victory in the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP. Co-driver Jordan Taylor, who led five laps during the opening hour, scored his first DP triumph after winning twice in the GT division. It was Wayne Taylor Racing’s first win of 2013.
Angelelli was pressured most of the way by Alex Gurney, who closed the deficit several times in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette DP before running low on fuel in the closing laps.
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| The Angelelli Taylor No. 10 battles the No. 99 of Gurney and Fogarty |
| Brian Cleary |
“From my side, it was kind of easy because I only had to maintain the gap," Angelelli said. “Jordan allowed me to have such an easy race, because he put the car in such a good position ahead of the No. 99."
Angelelli and Taylor averaged a track-record 96.494 mph in the race, slowed by only one early caution due to Turner Motorsport BMW driver Michael Marsal being stuck in a gravel trap.
Gurney and pole-winning co-driver Jon Fogarty followed up their recent victory in Austin, Texas, to close to within two points of DP leaders Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (93-91), with the TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates drivers finishing fourth.
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| Robin Liddell |
| Brian Cleary |
Robin Liddell took Alessandro Balzan to school to win for the 19th time in GT competition in the No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Chevrolet Camaro started from the pole by John Edwards. Liddell beat the Ferrari driver out of the pits after his second and final pit stop, and held him off to win by .733 seconds after the two ran nearly nose-to-tail throughout the final 30 minutes.
Balzan, co-driving the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458, had never driven a lap in dry conditions at Barber before Saturday’s race. The Italian driver said he learned the fastest line around the circuit by following Liddell after he took over from new co-driver Jeff Westphal. Boris Said and Eric Curran finished third in the No. 31 Marsh Racing Chevrolet Corvette.
Dr. Jim Norman took his third consecutive triumph in the new GX class, co-driving with fellow Austin winner Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 38 BGB Porsche Cayman. Both of the new SpeedSource Mazda 6 entries took turns in the lead earlier in the race. Tristan Nunez and Joel Miller finished second in the No. 00 Visit Florida Racing Mazda 6, but finished three laps behind due to a fuel line problem.
GRAND-AM next makes its first visit to Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., for the Rolex Sports Car Series race on Saturday, April 20.
Results (Click to enlarge)
