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Press Releases: |
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Pena and Autometrics Motorsports Moves to 2nd in Points Success at Montreal for Colours Inc Autometrics Motorsports Colours Inc Autometrics Motorsports Pleased with Sebring Result Cory Friedman Joins Muehlner Motorsports for 2011 Rolex 24
Ian Baas Joins Autometrics for Watkins Glen 6-Hour WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (June 5, 2008) - Ian Baas, of Noblesville, Ind. has been hired by Autometrics Motorsports for this weekend's Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen race. Racing with Cory Friedman and Mac McGehee in the No. 14 Autometrics/May Papers/Mac Business Products/Team Janica Racing and EP Works Porsche GT3 Cup, Baas brings his many years of Porsche racing success to an already strong and experienced Autometrics team. Baas has over 60 starts in Porsche race cars, competing in series such as Grand-Am, Carrera and SuperCup. Baas, only 25 years old, has many successes in Porsche race cars, including winning the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona in a 996 (with TPC Racing and co-drivers Randy Pobst, Spencer Pumpelly and Michael Levitas) and achieving the highest ever finish and only podium ever for an American driver in the Porsche SuperCup, finishing third at Indianpolis Motor Speedway in 2006. Last season, Baas raced with Farnbacher Loles at select races in the Rolex GT series, when not racing a STaSIS Audi A4 Touring Car in the SPEED World Challenge series. Besides racing for Autometrics, Baas currently co-drives with South African touring car driver Dion von Moltke in the No. 171 APR Motorsport VW GTi in the KONI Challenge Series ST class. "I can't thank Gordon (team owner Gordon Friedman) enough for the opportunity to drive what is undoubtedly one of the best 997's in the series," Baas said about his first race with Autometrics. "Gordon's crew has so much 997 experience and I really look forward to racing with such great guys as Corey and Mac. With the mixed field and the durability testing Watkins circuit, I like our Porsche's chances for a podium, as long as we keep our nose clean." Baas noted "Team Janica is my good luck charm, so it's great they could make it," Baas noted. "They are great and long time sponsors and I hope to give them a good show and hopefully a podium." You can read more about Autometrics and Ian Baas at Autometricsmotorsports.com and Ianbaasracing.com respectively. Team Janica Racing can be reviewed at teamjanicaracing.com.
Autometrics Motorsports #74 Car Completes 2008 Rolex 24 To Place 21st Overall Charleston, SC (January 30, 2008) – The 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway ended on a high note for the Autometrics Motorsports # 74 car but luck was not in favor of the # 14 Mac Papers machine which experienced an unfortunate first lap collision with another GT-class driver and a transmission failure in the 22nd hour of the race. The on and off driving rain was a major hindrance to many drivers but winning it all was the Chip Ganassi # 01 Daytona Prototype finishing with 695 laps The # 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 finishing with 664 laps came away with the GT-class win, 9th overall. The Autometrics Motorsports # 74 GT3 Cup Porsche, driven by David Murry, Joe Safina, Bransen Patch, Derek Skea, and Jim Hamblin, completed 638 laps with a 21st place overall finish, 11th in class. By the end of the race, the #74 car lost its rear bumper and suffered some body damage but the engine held up for the grueling 24 hours. The Autometrics Motorsports # 14 GT3 Cup Porsche, driven by Anthony Lazzaro, Ralf Kelleners, Cory Friedman, and Mac McGehee, completed 524 laps with a 43rd place overall finish, 25th in class. Despite the collision at the beginning of the first lap, the # 14 car transmission failure would prove to be the final nail that prohibited the team from driving all 24 hours. “The weekend was bitter sweet. We were thrilled with the # 74 car, but very disappointed with the # 14,” said Autometrics team owner Gordon Friedman. “Our chances of a podium for the # 14 car were shattered before the first turn. Our driving team and crew persevered throughout the race even though the transmission failure finally put us out.” “All the preparation that goes into a race along with adding professional drivers Lazzaro and Kelleners still does not guarantee a class win or even a trip to the podium,” said Cory Friedman, driver for the #14 Mac Papers machine. The Rolex 24 race weekend experienced record attendance with some estimating three times the number from just last year’s totals. The ever growing popularity of the Grand-Am series is due to the Grand-Am organization’s ability to attract NASCAR drivers such as Jimmy Johnson, Kurt Busch, Juan Pablo Montoya and A.J. Allmendinger and celebrities from the likes of Patrick Dempsey. Grand-Am officials are trying to attract just some of the 75 million NASCAR fan base. Their efforts are clearly paying off as record crowds filled the infield parking areas to capacity.
World Class Drivers Join Autometrics Motorsports for the 2008 Racing Season Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro Set Sights on Daytona’s 2008 Grand-Am Rolex 24 Charleston, SC (December 14, 2008) – Championship drivers Ralf Kelleners and Anthony Lazzaro will head to Daytona for this year’s Rolex 24 hour race to compete with what will be the strongest team assembled by Autometrics Motorsports. Current team drivers Cory Friedman and Mac McGehee will also drive the grueling 3.56 mile course beginning Saturday, January 26 at 1:30 pm and finishing 24 hours later. The team of four will drive the No.14 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car sponsored by Jacksonville, Fla. based Mac Papers Company. Autometrics will also enter the No. 74 Porsche GT3 Cup driven by drivers Derek Skea, Bransen Patch and Jim Hamblin. “We are extremely fortunate and excited to have Anthony and Ralf join our team,” said Gordon Friedman, Autometrics Motorsports Team President. “Their involvement will help take our team to the next level of competition and sponsorship.” Anthony Lazzaro, 44, hails from Canton, Georgia and will be competing in his 12th Rolex 24 race. His professional racing career at Daytona has brought him 10 first place finishes participating in different races. Lazzaro’s best performance in the Rolex 24 was a second place finish in 2003. Lazzaro’s championship success started early in his career with five national championships and three world championships in the World Karting Association circuit. “I look forward to driving with Ralf as our combined experience and passion for the sport will hopefully bring us the winner’s trophy,” said Lazzaro. Ralf Kelleners,39, hails from Dusseldorf, Germany and began racing in America in 1997. He will take the wheel for the fifth time in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The first time resulted in a GT2 class win, fourth overall in 1997. Ralf’s recent success in the Rolex 24 resulted in a 2002 SRPII class win, third overall. Both Lazzaro and Kelleners raced as team mates for race team Risi Competicion from 2002-2004. “I am very pleased to be driving with my former team mate Anthony Lazzaro and Autometrics,” said Kelleners. “Gordon Friedman and his crew are first class professionals who I know will provide a powerful car.” Autometrics Motorsports is a professional road racing team located in Charleston, SC that competes successfully in the prestigious Grand-Am Rolex Series and Koni Challenge Series. The team led by driver Cory Friedman, finished 3rd in the over-all GT point standings for the 2005 season. Autometrics Motorsports has become a strong competitor in a number of series and continues to thrive with the support of key team sponsors including Mac Papers, BL Patch and Churchill Transport. Autometrics Motorsports has won races in the Grand American Rolex Series, the Koni Challenge Series, the Porsche Club of America and other series using a wide variety of Porsches from the venerable 962 and RSR to the contemporary 997 GT3 Cup. In addition to their in-house team, Gordon, Adam and Cory Friedman build, engineer and campaign cars for private individuals. With nearly twenty years of experience, they are one of the premier Porsche race-prep facilities in the country. For more information visit autometricsmotorsports.com
PowerHaus Works with Autometrics Motorsports for the 2007 Racing Season DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 1, 2007) -- As fans everywhere prepare for another exciting racing season, PowerHaus has geared up to expand into the professional racing market, starting with a new sponsorship agreement with Autometrics Motorsports, a Grand American series team running in the GT class. For the remainder of the 2007 season, PowerHaus will work with Autometrics, providing a new gearbox and transmission support for their 2007 Grand Am Spec Porsche 997 GT3 Cup car, running as number 14. Already a premier name in the club racing circuits, PowerHaus will be working to improve company recognition and develop strong relationships with teams in both the Grand-Am and ALMS paddocks throughout the year. PowerHaus started in 1995 as a small aftermarket Porsche parts carrier and has grown to provide full in-house drivetrain services with expertise in customer consulting and technical support for amateur and semi-professional racers. PowerHaus has long been known by Porsche enthusiasts for its huge inventory of close-ratio gearsets, rare OEM stock, and as an expert source for transmission knowledge. Involved with a number of teams internationally, the company has thousands of success stories and hopes to continue this trend as it enters the professional racing market, starting with Autometrics. Located in Boulder, Colorado, PowerHaus develops precision drivelines for Porsche, BWM and Subaru. Its corporate headquarters house an advanced shop with top-notch engineers that work with each client to develop a custom solution to meet their needs. "Our success at the club and semi-pro levels have been the result of our unique drivetrain solutions and customer service," said Eddie Stipe, PowerHaus' General Manager. "We are constantly testing and improving our custom manufactured parts. We use the best materials available to insure that future PowerHaus products are capable of handling the demanding needs of professional racers, and we now have dedicated staff for quality control." The PowerHaus team has made a strong commitment to the sport of racing and is developing a tradition of providing the finest performance parts in the industry. Some of the many specialized performance products now being manufactured by PowerHaus include; a wide variety of close-ratio gearsets, steel synchro rings for the 996 gearbox, shift forks, side covers, axels, ceramic bearings and other driveline components. The company can create custom packages and make special order parts to meet each racer's needs, and can use genuine Porsche parts if requested. A large selection of the products offered by PowerHaus can be viewed on their website; www.LightGearsAhead.com. For more information about PowerHaus, please call 303-442-4327.
Autometrics Motorsports Finishes 16th in Rolex 24 GT Class DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 1, 2007) -- Autometrics Motorsports had some disappointments at the Rolex 24, but started the season with a promising showing as the team's Porsche #14 finished in 16th place out of the 43 GT class participants. Both of the Autometrics vehicles completed the event, utilizing the race's maximum driver distribution for both Porsche GT3s. The No. 14 vehicle teamed up Wes Allen, Cory Friedman, Mac McGehee, Jim Hamblin and Bransen Patch; while the No. 89 car was run by Barry Ellis, Michael Grande, Frank Rossi, Fraser Wellon and Owen Trinkler for America's most prestigious sports car endurance event. The #14 qualified to run in the 24th position and by 1-hour into the race, Friedman had moved the vehicle into 15th and the team held ground in the grueling twice-around-the-clock battle for a number of hours. On the 424th lap, the team's hopes for a top-ten victory were thwarted when Wes Allen hit the wreckage from the #88 car accident and damaged the power steering lines, causing the vehicle to spend close to an hour and a half in the garages. Even with this setback, the #14 vehicle covered 572 laps on Daytona International Speedway's 3.56-mile, 14-turn road circuit. That was enough to place the vehicle in 16th place in the GT class when officials called time at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. "This is the first time we entered two cars in the 24, and we were happy to see both running strong at the checker. We had a few issues throughout the night, but the crew and drivers did a great job and we're content with the finishing positions." Autometrics Motorsports has become a strong competitor in a number of series and continues to thrive with the support of key team sponsors including Mac Papers, PowerHaus, Orion Sports Marketing, and Zunch. For the Rolex 24, No. 14 received additional support from BL Patch and Lexaire, while vehicle No. 89 obtained sponsorship from The Skin Wellness Center, Hop a Jet, and Gemstar Group. Autometrics Motorsports has won races in the Grand American Rolex Series, the Koni Challenge Series, the Sports Car Club of America, the Porsche Club of America and a host of other series using a wide array of Porsches from the venerable 962 and RSR to the contemporary 997 GT3 Cup. In addition to their in-house team, Gordon, Adam and Cory Friedman build, engineer and campaign cars for private individuals. With nineteen years of experience, they are one of the premier Porsche race-prep facilities in the US. Schedule your own race preparations and follow their season at www.autometricsmotorsports.com
Autometrics Motorsports 2005 Season Summary
Autometrics Motorsports Wins Wet and Wild Race at Watkins Glen
Henzler Teams up for Glen 6 Hour Supercup champion and Rolex 24 winner Wolf Henzler will join Cory and Leh for the Watkins Glen 6 hour race.
Autometrics Motorsports announces 2005
Rolex 24 driver Line-up. |
