Daytona II: Synergy Racing VIR test notes

Synergy Racing Holds Successful Test at VIR

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 25, 2005) -- Synergy Racing held a highly successful two-day test at Virginia International Raceway last week in preparation for this weekend's Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant at Barber Motorsports Park.

"This was the best test we've had this year," remarked team owner Cole Scrogham. "We made a lot of progress during this test. Each time the cars went out, they were faster and easier for the drivers."

"For me, it was one of the most productive tests I've ever been involved with," said legendary racer Price Cobb, Synergy Racing's Director of Racing Operations. "Everyone at Synergy is very excited."

Nearly the entire Synergy Racing line-up was on hand for the test, including Burt and Brian Frisselle (Aventura, Fla.) in the Rx.com No. 8 BMW Doran Daytona Prototype; Mae Van Wijk (Houston, Texas) and David Murry (Atlanta, Ga.) in the autobysite.com/pipeservicestt.com No. 81 Porsche GT3 Cup; and Brent Martini (Laguna Beach, Calif.) and Kelly Collins (Newport Beach, Calif.) in the Grand-Am Cup Series' No. 81 Porsche 997.

Mae Van Wijk Continues to Impress

Much of the buzz from the test centered around the Rolex Sports Car Series' youngest female driver, Mae Van Wijk. The 22 year old continues to impress her teammates with her driving skills, despite her relative newness to the sport. Van Wijk began racing only two years ago.

"Mae continues to amaze me and the whole team. Her progress in the short time she has been driving is nothing short of amazing," remarked Cobb, who actually learned a few things from the young driver.

"She took me around the track and in two corners she showed me a better way to take the corner I had never thought of."

Van Wijk's co-driver David Murry also continues to sing the praises of his young protege. "She went five seconds faster than she ever has at VIR, with very consistent and repeatable laps," he said.

"It's amazing to see the transformation from only six months ago. I spend a lot of time working with people, and very seldom do you have someone that actually executes the changes you tell them to make. Many people know what to do; they just don't know how to execute it. That's where Mae is gifted. Now that she has someone explaining to her what she needs to be doing, you can really see it in her execution on the racetrack."

Frisselles Find More Speed in Rx.com Daytona Prototype The team was also pleased by the progress of the Rx.com Daytona Prototype at the test. Cobb especially noted how the team learned more about its Doran JE-4 chassis during the two days at VIR.

"Overall I was really pleased with the test," said Burt Frisselle, who shares the Rx.com BMW Doran with his younger brother Brian. "The whole crew was really excited at the end of the test. There was a lot of good energy because we did find some time. I think everyone is really pumped up for a good second half of the season."

Despite being a frontrunner during the first half of the season, including leading events in Miami and California, a string of bad luck and mishaps have kept the Frisselles from earning a spot on the podium. Most recently, Brian was running second in the Brumos Porsche 250 when an electrical short caused the Rx.com machine to lose its lights, forcing it into the pits to repair the problem.

"We struggled a little bit with luck during the first half of the season," continued Burt. "To start the second half of the season with a little bit of momentum is exciting. Brian and I can't wait to use the racetrack and incorporate what we've learned. Hopefully that will make us even more competitive than we've already been."

Martini, Collins Further Porsche 997 Development Brent Martini and Kelly Collins continued their advancement of the new Porsche 997 they contest in the Grand-Am Cup Series. The pair was the first to race the new 997 model in the country, debuting the car at Daytona in February. Since then, the Synergy drivers have made leaps and bounds in its development, which continued during last week's test.

"Brent and Kelly made a lot of progress in the Porsche 997," noted Cobb. "That car is the future of Grand-Am Cup, at least if you want to stay with Porsche in the GS class."

Synergy Racing's stable of race cars now travel south to Birmingham, Ala. The team will take to Barber Motorsports Park's twisty 2.3-mile circuit on Thursday for additional testing before official practice begins on Friday.

The Grand-Am Cup 250 will be held on Saturday, July 30 at 2 p.m. CDT, and air on SPEED Channel Saturday, August 6 at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The Porsche 250 presented by Bradley Arant will be Sunday, July 31 at noon CDT with live coverage of SPEED.

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