Grand-Am
Mid-Ohio: MSR's Ian James triple-duty notes
Michael Shank Racing's Ian James a busy man at Mid-Ohio Pace car is nearly only car he isn't driving this weekend (Lexington, OH) 23 June 2007--Michael Shank Racing driver Ian James has years of experience hopping between Rolex Sports Car Series ...
Published: Jun 24, 2007, 7:24 AM
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Michael Shank Racing's Ian James a busy man at Mid-Ohio
Pace car is nearly only car he isn't driving this weekend
(Lexington, OH) 23 June 2007--Michael Shank Racing driver Ian James has years of experience hopping between Rolex Sports Car Series GT Class machines and Grand-Am KONI Challenge cars on the same weekend, and he will be putting that know-how to use this weekend as he races in three of the four Grand-Am events in the EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank at Mid-Ohio.
James will race in the KONI Challenge GS race and the Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype events on Saturday, and then the Rolex GT-class race on Sunday.
"I love it," said James, who has also been an instructor at the Mid-Ohio School for over five years. "I have raced different categories on the same weekend for years, and I have no problem going from one car to the next, no matter how different they actually are. You just have to focus on what the car is actually capable of and work to get the best out of it."
James will get warmed up racing a Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang FR500C in the GS Class of KONI Competition on Saturday afternoon. He will team with Tom Nastasi, who won the first three races of the KONI season, with James co-driving in two of those victorious outings.
After catching a quick bottle of water and changing driving suits, James will join the pits at Michael Shank Racing, where he'll keep a watchful eye out as his co--driver John Pew starts the Daytona Prototype race. Pew qualified for the first time for Michael Shank Racing, and put in an outstanding effort to take eighth on the grid.
James, who has led in four of the six Rolex events so far this season, will take the controls of the Playboy-liveried Lexus-Riley at some point during the two and a half hour event, which is slated for a 5:45 PM green flag, and bring it to the checkered flag. Even though it will be hundreds of racing miles on his day, James isn't concerned about the demanding days.
"I train constantly in Phoenix, where it's always 110 degrees out, so this should basically be a breeze," said James. "It should also help me during the Daytona Prototype race as I'll have a really good idea what the track conditions are like, having just raced on it before. I really like this track and getting to do all these races for me a driver, its just ideal."
But after two races in one day, his weekend isn't over, as he will return to Mid-Ohio for the Rolex GT-Class event on Sunday. He will once again team with Nastasi to do battle in the Ford Mustang Cobra GT car to complete his racy weekend at Mid-Ohio.
-credit: msr
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