Posted (04/27/2006) -
Randy returned to the Rolex GT with TPC racing and Ian Baas for the three hour race at Virginia International Raceway, a beautiful country club track in the South-central part of the state. Our #36 Porsche has tough competition this year, but the team managed a fine third place finish, beating all the other Porsches in the race, including many of the latest 997 model, and some very strong teams.
Young up-and-coming co-driver Ian Baas, part of our Rolex 24 at Daytona team, returned, and put in a pro-level performance, continuing to fulfill his potential. He and Randy continue to develop a great relationship.
This finish is a nice surprise because even our own team felt our last-year model Porsche 911 Cup Car(known as a 996, the new 2006 is a 997 to insiders) was probably no longer competitive. TPC put together a handling setup and a pit stop strategy that overcame the slightly outdated mechanicals. It is a very rewarding finish for the TPC Team and owner Michael Levitas.
Everyone please be sure to write www.Grand-Am.com and ask them for more coverage of the GT class. We are sometimes lost to the DP show.
Randy also drove in the Grand Am Cup race on Saturday, for cars more closely related to street cars, in another Porsche 911. This drive started well, but ended with a wild and dramatic impact into a VIR tire wall when the brakes malfunctioned catastrophically. Randy is fine, thanks to a triple-layered tire wall arrangement that did a fine job of dispersing the force of the high-speed crash. Randy says he's got no one to blame because he knew the car had this potential sudden and random issue, but brimming with confidence, and ever the optimist, figured it wouldn't happen to him.
Next race: Laguna Seca Rolex GT, May 7 at 3PM ET, live on Speed, followed by another Rolex GT in Phoenix, May 13th, on Speed TV May 14 at 3PM. Both will be rebroadcast the Monday after.
Then, a motorcycle charity ride with the Grand American Road Racing Association from Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, to the next race in Phoenix, Arizona. Michael Levitas will accompany Randy on this fun ride for a good cause, along with many others.
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