BGB Fastest In Utah But Unable To
Convert In The High Desert

For Immediate Release

(Salt Lake City, UT, USA – September 20, 2009)  For the BGB Motorsports team, it looked as if the rust had been shaken off after such a long hiatus from the Koni Challenge Series season in 2009.  Despite Guy Cosmo’s setting the fastest lap time of the weekend in his PefromanceDrink.com Porsche, the 3 Porsche entries for this past weekend’s Salt Lake City 200 had to settle for 13th, 15th and 16th place honors.  While Miller Motorsports Park appeared to be a Porsche track, the race featured multiple fierce battles between Mustangs and BMWs, as the darkness fell over the 4.5 mile road course situated in the high desert outside of Salt Lake City, Utah.  With the highest finishing Porsche only 4 spots ahead, several of the Stuttgart entries had some speed but it wasn’t enough for any of them to bring home the finish.

The highest finishing entry for BGB was the Porsche 997 of David Riddle from Vancouver, BC, Canada and Kris Wilson of Golden, Colorado.  Riddle qualified the car comfortably in 12th place, the 5th highest starting Porsche on the grid.  Running a very long stint without issue, Riddle came to pit road at the half way mark for a driver change with teammate Kris Wilson.  In an attempt to make up as many positions as possible, Kris found himself late in the race with transmission problems that would relegate him to his 13th place finishing position.

Coming off his best qualifying performance in the Porsche, motorcycle road racer Scott Russell of Conyers, GA qualified his Porsche in 8th place, as the 3rd fastest Porsche.  Russell’s stint was nearly without issue, but contact with an ST competitor forced the motorcycle pilot to pit road prematurely for his driver change with Guy Cosmo and to have his left front tire replaced.  Cosmo got down to business quickly, moving up through the field into the 5th spot, only to be forced to come to pit road by Grand-Am officials to inspect what was seen as a recurring puff of smoke.  As a visual inspection showed that nothing was wrong with the car on pit road, officials let Cosmo back out, but by then his race was over.  He would have to settle for the 15th place finishing spot.

Returning for his first race since Daytona in January was Craig Stanton of Long Beach, CA who was joined by newcomer David Thilenius, also from Los Angeles, CA.  Never having driven a Porsche in anger before, Thilenius was still getting up to speed by race day.  Nevertheless, he qualified 17th.  His initial stint was without fault or mistake, as he delivered his familiar green Porsche to pit road for his driver change with Stanton.  Stanton began moving up through the field as well before contact with another impatient competitor forced the Porsche specialist to pit road for a tire change.  The long pit road at Miller Motorsports Park feels almost like an eternity; any unscheduled visits to the pits at this track make it nearly impossible to regain time lost.  Stanton would have to settle for 16th.

The final event of the 2009 Koni Sports Car Challenge Series season takes place at Virginia International Raceway on Sunday October 4th, as both classes will run a 4-hour season finale.  Stay tuned for details.