Michael Shank Racing Concludes 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Series Season with Victory in SunRichGourmet.com 1000

Pruett, Rojas earn driving titles; Collins, Edwards wrap up GT championship with victory

TOOELE, Utah (Sept. 20, 2008) - Raphael Matos bookended the 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season. After winning the GT class in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona back in January, Matos made his return to the series by winning in his first Daytona Prototype start Saturday, the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels at Miller Motorsports Park.

Matos joined regular drivers Ian James and John Pew to give the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley its first Rolex Series victory. The team became the third first-time Daytona Prototype winner in three races at Miller Motorsports Park. Meanwhile, Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas wrapped up the 2008 Daytona Prototype championship with a ninth place finish in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley, joined by Alex Lloyd.

The 137-lap race on the 4.486-mile circuit saw 16 lead changes among 14 drivers and 10 cars, with the event including a mid-race deluge that quickly dissipated. A record nine of the 10 lead-lap finishers led the race. However, Matos pulled away on the restart following the sixth and final caution. He led the final 28 laps - the most in the event - cruising to a 29.398-second margin of victory over the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Dallara of Max Angelelli and Michael Valiante.

"I had a great team - Mike Shank did an amazing job, and John Pew and Ian James did a great job," said Matos, who recently won the 2008 Firestone Indy Lights championship. "The crew had an amazing pit stop, and that's what put us in first position. This is a happy moment for everyone and a great way to finish the season."

Michael Shank Racing scored its first victory at Miller in 2006 when Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson took the team's No. 60 entry to victory. That was their first triumph until the most recent Rolex Series race, when Negri and Patterson brought the No. 60 Ford Riley to victory lane at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

Fogarty and Alex Gurney concluded their season as the reigning series champions in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley with Jimmy Vasser, taking third place to wrap up second in the Daytona Prototype championship. The outgoing titlists won once in 2008.

Joao Barbosa and JC France finished fourth for the fifth time in seven races in the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley, allowing the team to finish third in the final team standings.

Polesitter Ricardo Zonta and Nic Jonsson finished fifth in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Pontiac Lola. In all, 10 cars led the event, including nine of the 10 finishers. Ten cars finished the race on the lead lap.

Pruett and Rojas drove a consistent - but not completely trouble-free - race, finishing ninth in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley. The car spun twice, yet with a season-high six victories, Pruett and Rojas only needed to complete 30 minutes each to share the championship. Pruett drove the first stint from the second starting position, driving an hour-and-a-half before Rojas got in. Alex Lloyd, the 2007 Firestone Indy Lights champion, also earned seat time.

Collins and Edwards claim GT victory; Liddell, Davis hold second in points

Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards scored their second consecutive GT victory at Miller Motorsports Park in the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R, claimed the championship along the way. Edwards took the checkered flag by more than a lap over the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R of Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis, who finished second in the final standings.

Edwards took the lead late in the race and distanced himself enough to make a late splash for fuel without losing the lead. While they led flag-to-flag in this event in 2007, Saturday's race saw 16 lead changes among 11 drivers and four cars. Edwards led a race-high 49 circuits, with Collins leading six laps.

Collins and Edwards have been leading the GT points since April's race in Mexico. Since then, they have struggled with various mechanical issues, allowing both the Stevenson Motorsports team and No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 to enter the finale in striking distance for the title, with the top three teams each winning three events. The Banner Racing victory was its fourth of 2008, giving Collins and Edwards a final margin of nine points.

While the No. 07 team was busy seeing "ones," the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R co-drivers Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell were seeing "twos." The pair finished second in the SunRichGourmet.com 1000, earning their ninth podium finish of the campaign. Earning third in the GT championship were Sylvain Tremblay and Nick Ham of the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8, who finished fifth in the event, joined by David Haskell.

Andy Lally, Patrick Long and Tim George Jr. finished third in the No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3. George wrapped up the season by winning both the MESCO Building for the Future Rookie of the Year and the Bob Akin Award honors. Finishing fourth was the No. 32 PR1 Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R powered by Mike Forest and Patrick Barrett.

Six cautions for 19 laps slowed the race's pace to 90.555 mph.

The Rolex Series season-ending champion banquet will take place Monday in Las Vegas. The next Rolex Series race is the Rolex 24 At Daytona from Jan. 24-25, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway.

- Grand American Road Racing Association