Grand-Am

SCC: Birmingham: Team Sahlen race notes

Team Sahlen Heats Up In Alabama Team Sahlen showed the Alabama fans this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park what it takes to get a car to the front of the pack. That was until an unfortunate accident took Team Sahlen away from the top spot in ...

Edited: Dec 21, 2009, 5:26 AM

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Team Sahlen Heats Up In Alabama

Team Sahlen showed the Alabama fans this past weekend at Barber Motorsports Park what it takes to get a car to the front of the pack. That was until an unfortunate accident took Team Sahlen away from the top spot in this weekend's race at Barber Motorsports Park. Team Sahlen entered two cars in the Grand-Am Cup Grand Sport class during the Barber Park 200. Scorching temperatures made for difficult driving conditions but the team made it through with minimal injury.

The No. 40 Porsche driven by Wayne and Joe Nonnamaker took and held the lead during the Barber Park 200. The No. 40 car qualified 25th and worked through the field to run in the lead for seventeen laps. The father-son teammates, who won the Grand Sport title in 2003 driving for the team, worked to gain ground and hold position in the Grand Sport class but their position made them an open target with 30 minutes remaining in the competition.

After fighting hard to get the Porsche to a top spot Wayne was struck by the second place car while driving down the back straight. The contact resulted in the No. 40 car spinning off track at well over 100 mph, sliding past the guardrail while still traveling at high speed before finally coming to rest back on the track. The only damage to the car was the rear bumper, a rear windshield that popped out during the spin, and a jarred electrical connection which hindered a late race charge back to the front.

"This Team Sahlen effort has worked tirelessly to further develop this Porsche. Today was proof of their effort. We had a great pit strategy and a fast car. Ultimately you can't win though if the competition spins you off the road while you are going in a straight line. The move wasn't only foolhardy and dangerous, but I can't imagine what the other driver was thinking. The only consolation we can take away from the weekend is that we finally showed the same competitiveness that has allowed us to win the last two GS titles," stated Wayne Nonnamaker

Driving the No. 44 car for Team Sahlen was Joe Sahlen, and Will Nonnamaker. Sahlen and Nonnamaker needed to bring the car behind the wall early but took the car back out successfully later on in the race. The car suffered from overheating issues caused by the extreme Alabama heat.

Team Sahlen will once again return to Grand-Am Cup competition not even one week after the Barber race. The team will head to Trios-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada for Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivieres.

-ts-

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