Porsche Motorsports GT Watkins Glen race report

Petty, Andretti Take GT Class Win in Bully Hill Vineyards 250 at Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (August 12, 2001) -- Kyle Petty, from Randleman, NC, and John Andretti, from Mooresville, NC - putting aside their task of preparing for the weekend's Winston Cup event for Petty Enterprises - outlasted the competition in the GT class to win this weekend's Bully Hill Vineyards 250 in their #45 Orbit Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Randy Pobst, of Melbourne, Fla., started on the GT class pole position and led the field in the Fordahl Motorsports/Crazy Redhead Racing #15 Porsche 911 GT3 RS for 44 laps until he lost a tire in turn one. His Porsche went sailing across the gravel pit and into the foam wall. Although Pobst was able to drive the car back around the track to the pits, it dropped bodywork and fluid on the track as it limped around. The damage was too severe to continue, and for the second race this year, the Porsche's quest f or a victory at The Glen was ended due to an accident.

Spencer Pumpelly, of Mason Neck, Va., moved the Zip/Pumpelly Racing #34 Alliance Residential Management-sponsored #34 Porsche 911 GT3 R in to the GT class lead, followed by John Andretti in Orbit Racing's #45 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. The two exchanged the lead several times throughout the race, with Pumpelly inadvertently bumping Andretti off the racetrack during a pass. The incident moved Pumpelly into the lead for the checkered flag.

However, after speaking to both drivers and reviewing tapes of the incident, race officials decided the contact between the cars during the pass was inappropriate, and the Zip/Pumpelly machine was penalized 10 seconds. Since their Porsche's margin of victory had only been five seconds, the Andretti-and Petty-driven Orbit Porsche moved into the class' top position. John Andretti enjoyed the racing.

"It was exciting. We had a good time. I was pushing real hard, and the competition is really tough. We just had a good time. The harder I pushed, I seemed to catch traffic. It was unfortunate that some things happened(the Pumpelly bump), but that happens n racing. We had a good time. Kyle invited me to do this and I want to thank Leo Hindery and the team," said Andretti.

The team's struggle to field the car for the race was not lost on Kyle Petty.

"Like I said during qualifying, we struggled with heat problems once we first got here. Once they corrected that, then the fuel injection was leaning the car out, we struggled with that. It was so slow that John said he didn't want to qualify. When I went to qualify, I ended up dead last. When we changed engines, John went out first thing and ran some incredible laps. The car was good and Orbit Racing and Roger Hawley put a great car under us. John did an incredible job. Thanks to everyone in Orbit Racing. They put three or four cars in the top five or six anyhow. They let me drive with them at Daytona, and I had a great time. Thanks again to Orbit Racing for letting us be a part of this," said Petty.

The Bully hill Vineyard 250, the next-to-last event for this year's Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, will be telecast at noon EDT on Sunday, August 26, 2001.

<pre> Bully Hill Vineyard 250 - Porsche Motorsports GT Results

1. (45) Kyle Petty, Randelman, N.C.; John Andretti, Mooresville, N.C., GT, Orbit Porsche GT3R, 80. 2. (34) Steve Ivankovich, Chicago, Ill.; Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, Va., GT, Zip/ Pumpelly Racing Porsche GT3R, 80. 3. (42) Tommy Byrne, Crescent City, Fla.; Richard Millman, McLean, Va., GT, Orbit Porsche GT3R, 79. 4. (43) Leo Hindery, Hilsborough, Calif.; Peter Baron, San Mateo, Calif., GT, Orbit Porsche GT3R, 79. 5. (92) Gary Schultheis, Boca Raton, Fla.; Tony Kester, Michigan City, Ind., GT, Schultheis Racing Porsche GT3RS, 78. 6. (75) Gunnar Jeannette, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Stephen Bartkiw, Ocean Ridge, Fla., GTS, Gunnar Racing Porsche GT3RS, 78. 8. (7) John Warner, Southport, Conn.; Tony Nuzzo, Glen Head, N.Y.; Albert Broadfoot, Jacksonville, Fla., GT, Broadfoot Racing Porsche GT3R, 75. 9. (81) Matt Drendel, Hickory, NC; Darren Law, Phoenix, AZ, GT, G&W Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 RS, 74. 10. (61) Adam Merzon, Greenwich, Conn.; Lynn Wilson, Westport, Conn.; David Murry, Cummings, Ga., GT, Case It Racing Porsche GT3RS, 58. 11. (15) Randy Pobst, Melbourne, Fla.; Kim Hiskey, Monroe, Wash., GT, Fordahl M/S/Crazy Redhead Racing Porsche GT3RS, 42.

-PM-