Homestead: Second event preview

Daytona Prototypes rev up for Miami.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 17, 2003) -- The Rolex Sports Car Series and new Daytona Prototypes will head southward to Miami next week for the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami. Round two of the Rolex Series 12-race season will take place on Homestead-Miami Speedway's 2.4-mile road course, March 1.

Making their first appearance in South Florida will be the new Daytona Prototypes, which made their racing debut as the Rolex Series premier class earlier this month at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Daytona Prototypes are a new breed of race cars that are flat-bottomed, closed cockpit, mid-engined coupes with a complete NASCAR-style roll cage. Underneath their sleek, sexy exterior, the Daytona Prototypes house power plants designed by the world's leading engine manufacturers like the Ford 5.0-liter modular V8 of Robert Yates Racing and 4.3-liter V8 engine of Toyota Racing Development.

The six Daytona Prototypes that made their racing debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona earlier this month are all expected to run in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami.

One of the local favorites among the fans is sure to be the #54 Chevy-powered Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype of Tavernier, Fla.-based Bell Motorsports. The Chevy Daytona Prototype will be driven by two drivers who know quite a bit about speed. Terry Borcheller is a two-time driver champion in the Rolex Series, while his co-driver and car owner Forest Barber is a past world champion and world record holder in offshore powerboat racing.

Bell Motorsports will not be the only South Florida team fielding a Daytona Prototype in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami. Cegwa Sport, of Fort Lauderdale, will campaign its #3 Toyota-engined FABCAR Daytona Prototype with Darius Grala at the wheel.

"We have made some changes to the car since the Rolex 24, but nothing that dramatic. We have rebuilt the car from the roll cage up, because of the fire damage," explained Grala, whose Cegwa Sport team had put together a strong run in the Rolex 24 until an engine fire in the pre-dawn hours put the team out of the race. "Daytona was a huge learning curve for me because not only was I learning a new track, but also a new car. Now that I am much more familiar with the car, I'll be able to focus more on getting the car setup for the track."

Brumos Racing, of Jacksonville, Fla., has entered two Daytona Prototypes in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami with some well-known names on their driver lineup. The team's #59 Porsche-powered FABCAR Daytona Prototype will be piloted by five-time Rolex 24 winner Hurley Haywood and up-and-comer J.C. France, while the team's #58 Red Bull Porsche Daytona Prototype will have David Donohue, son of the legendary Mark Donohue, and Mike Borkowski in the driver seat.

"I am really looking forward to going to Miami. Brumos has put a lot of effort into the #58 Red Bull car and the #59 Brumos car. We are heading to Miami with both barrels loaded and looking for a win," remarked Donohue.

Virginia-based G&W Motorsports will run its #8 BMW-powered Picchio DP2 Daytona Prototype in Miami. Former Rolex Series driver champion Darren Law will pilot the Daytona Prototype with a co-driver that has yet to be announced.

Also expected to run in the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami is the Rolex 24 class-winning Daytona Prototype of Multimatic. The #88 Ford Focus Daytona Prototype won its class at the Rolex 24, and the Canadian-based team is expected to return to Florida with drivers Scott Maxwell and David Empringham back at the wheel - this time looking for the overall victory.

Homestead-Miami Speedway will offer fans a chance to get a taste of both road racing and open-wheel racing during the February 28 - March 2 event weekend, with the Rolex Series running the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami on March 1 and the IRL IndyCar Series running its season-opening Toyota Indy 300 on March 2. Tickets are currently on sale for the entire event weekend online at www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at 305-230-RACE.

For more information on the Nextel Grand Prix of Miami and the Rolex Sports Car Series, visit www.grandamerican.com.

-garra-