Powell Corvettes Recover Form, but Porsches Win Homestead Grand AM Cup.

Powell Motorsport Corvettes finish in the top five; Jeff Altenburg joined as a new co-driver for Mike Weinberg; fine run by Rockland Standard Gear's Mike Weinberg with a sixth place finish in spite of from starting last in a 51 car field.

Homestead, Florida (April 14 2003) — Tight racing, lots of traffic and plenty of cautions were the order of the day at the Grand-Am Cup Miami 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But when the checkered flag flew at the conclusion of the 105-lap race, it was Randy Pobst and Michael Levitas celebrating in Victory Circle.

Doncaster Racing drivers Robert Julien and Jean-Francois Dumoulin followed up their season-opening win at Daytona with a third-place podium finish in the Grand-Am Cup Series Miami 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend, strengthening their lead in the Grand Sport I driver standings. With 65 points, the drivers of the #119 Porsche GT3 Cup increased their lead in the GS I driver and team owner standings from three points to eight.

Randy Pobst and Michael Levitas, who scored their first victory of the season in the Miami 250, leaped from a 17th-place tie to a tie for third place following the Miami event. The pair's #18 Porsche of TPC Racing moved into second place in the team owner standings, eight points behind the leading Doncaster entry.

"We are not yet in the top ten in points, but knocking on the door" Team leader John Powell noted " We have stemmed the tide however, and fourth quick in the race, qualified 4th with the #11 Sunoco Corvette , and a stunning last to sixth place run by Mike Weinberg and Jeff Altenburg certainly demonstrates our fortunes are slowly returning. We need to win!"

The #02 Corvette blew an engine in the last practice before qualifying, and there was insufficient time to install a new LS6 engine and qualify. Mike Weinberg started #02 last and gradually picked his way back up the charts handing over to co-driver Altenburg, who brought the car home 20 seconds behind the #11 Sunoco Corvette. Devon Powell qualified 4th in the Sunoco car and ran as high as second in the race, but co-driver Goad got caught out pitting too late in the final caution period caution, spoiling a run to the front.

New Powell Crew Chief Troy Flis reckoned that the result, while not perfect, show that the Corvette is a factor. " It has largely been a Porsche rout the past two races, but I think the racing field is more equal with the competition adjustments that Grand Am Tech Director Scott Spencer has made. Both Mike Weinberg in the Rockland Standard Gear car and Devon Powell in the Sunoco Corvette gave us strong drives. Phoenix is next and we are looking for more"

Next race in the Grand Am Cup schedule are the Phoenix Twin 200's May 1-3 , followed in rapid succession by the Barber twin 200's May 16-18 at the new Barber Motorsports park facility in Alabama, and California International Speedway June 6-8 in Fontana California.

The Powell #11 Corvette races with Sunoco Ultra 94 ethanol enhanced gasoline, available throughout Ontario, Canada - the highest octane on the street.

The Powell #02 Corvette races with sponsorship from internationally recognised standard transmission experts Rockland Standard Gear. Rockland is a standard transmission re-manufacturing and wholesale parts distribution business located near New York City, USA.

The #11 Z06 Corvette also races with Chemcraft International Inc. Chemcraft is a North American leader in the supply of unique, high performance and environmental friendly industrial coatings for the wood finishing industry. The Chemcraft Wood Coatings Group are headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and Port Hope, Ontario with active plants and warehouses across USA and Canada.

Sunoco is a subsidiary of Suncor Energy, a Canadian integrated energy company. In addition to a refinery in Sarnia, Sunoco has a network of more than 300 Sunoco-branded retail and Fleet Fuel cardlock sites and is 50 per cent co-owner of over 200 Pioneer and UPI retail sites. Sunoco manufactures, distributes and markets transportation fuels, heating oils and petrochemicals primarily in Ontario. The company markets natural gas to commercial and residential consumers and offers consumers Sunoco products and services online through the company's web site at Sunoco.ca

Contact:

Rob King
Brand Manager, Sunoco Ultra 94
Suncor Energy Products.
416-733-7020
rking@suncor.com
Sunoco.ca

Bob Maresco,
Rockland Standard Gear Public Relations
1- 800-227-1523
Rsgear@aol.com

John Powell
Powell Motorsport
905 986-2277
e-mail Powell.motorsport@primus.ca
Powellmotorsport.com