Starworks Motorsports Exits Laguna Seca with Fourth and Seventh Place Finishes
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda.
- (1888PressRelease) July 14, 2011 - Starworks Motorsports continued to make great strides this past weekend when they visited the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca for the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda. The race was the eighth race of twelve on the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16 Schedule and both the #2 Porsche Riley and #8 Ford Riley were dialed up and ready to go.
The #2 Porsche Riley was driven this weekend by Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel while the #8 Ford Riley would be manned by Mike Forest and Ryan Dalziel. Dalziel would be pulling double duty for the team in the absence of Enzo Potolicchio who normally drives the #2. The plan would be for Dalziel to qualify, start the race, and run about thirty minutes in the #2 before handing the wheel over to Alex Popow who would run the remaining two hours while Dalziel would jump into the #8 car and finish up the event. Both cars were extremely fast throughout the race and with Dalziel in the car; the #8 team would find themselves in second position late in the race. When the checkered flag dropped, the #8 car would finish in fourth while the #2 car would place seventh. It may have been an odd weekend for Starworks Motorsports but everybody came together leading to two Top-10 finishes.
"Pulling the double duty wasn't as bad as it sounds." Explained Dalziel. "I was honored that I was given the opportunity, and in the end it paid off for both teams as we got two Top-10 finishes. Running Laguna Seca is very special, and having the opportunity to gain more seat time here was even better. Both cars were extremely fast and handled well while I was in them. Mike ran fast lap times in the #8 and did a great piece of driving as always. Alex was called on to run a majority of the race in #2 Porsche and he did an excellent job and adjusted very well. Everybody on this Starworks Motorsports Team did a really great job this weekend."
Forest expanded off of his teammate's comments. "Laguna was an exciting race. I think we showed that we are starting to run consistently up front again. There still is a bit to be sorted out, we seemed to be stronger in the cooler morning temperatures but the afternoon heat took a bit away from us. We ran a great strategy and were in position for a podium finish, but the rules have the Ford down a bit on power and we couldn't hang on. Hopefully the series will do something for future teams to be competitive with a Ford."
Popow echoed Forest's comments after the race. "It was a great day for Starworks today. Everybody on the #2 team is still adjusting to the Porsche power, but I think we made excellent strides this weekend. Ryan did a great job starting the car before I was asked to run a little over two hours of the race. It was a new experience for me but one I relish in because the more seat time I get the better. Right now it's all about getting better and learning all the tracks we come to so next year we know what setups and strategies to bring."
Leaving Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the updated Daytona Prototype Team Point Standings show the #8 car in seventh position, and the #2 in tenth position. In the updated Jim Trueman Award Standings, Alex Popow is fourth.
The next race for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is July 24th at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ. This race will be aired LIVE on SPEED Channel at 1pm. All Times Eastern.
Additional information may be obtained at www.starworksmotorsport.com, www.mikeforestracing.com, www.ryanDalziel.com or www.p1groupe.com.
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