SCC: Utah: RSR Motorsports race report

RSR Motorsports Ends Season with Third Consecutive Podium; Cattaneo and Trinkler Second at Miller

TOOELE, Utah--Sarah Cattaneo and Owen Trinkler gave RSR Motorsports their third consecutive podium in the Street Tuner class during Saturday's GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge finale at Miller Motorsports Park. The duo drove the No. 198 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S to second place.

The podium caps a phenomenal end to the 2010 season, coming on the heels of back-to-back wins at New Jersey Motorsports Park and Trois-Rivieres. The team also earned third place at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March, giving them a total of four podiums.

Cattaneo qualified fourth in the No. 198 RSR MINI Cooper S and held down that spot during her stint. Trinkler took over, and with half an hour remaining in the 2.5-hour race, he worked his way to second. He remained there until the checkered flag.

"What a way to build momentum for 2011," says Trinkler. "We gave it everything we had and at the end we had our work cut out for us. To come home second is the momentum we want before we fight for the championship next year."

The finish is Cattaneo's first podium in the series. "It feels like a first," enthuses Cattaneo. "What a way to end the year! The team worked so hard to get us here, and I have to also thank my dad, my family, and my sponsor Global Jet."

MINI USA Vice President Jim McDowell was on hand for the race, and he was equally enthusiastic about seeing an RSR MINI Cooper S on the podium. "I'm just thrilled to see the team get on the podium for the third time in a row," he says. "Sarah and Owen gave it their all and made us proud."

Smalley and BJ Zacharias finished 13th in the No. 196 MINI Cooper S. Smalley was hit by a competitor early in the race, but the crew quickly repaired the right front damage and sent Zacharias out to continue the charge.

"BJ drove the wheels off that car even after all that happened," says Smalley. "We couldn't ask for a better finish to our season for this team. We're so excited about next year."

"The guys did a great job getting the car back out," adds Zacharias. "It handled really well, which is a testament to our engineer, Jim Haaser, and the rest of the crew. This team wins and loses together, and it was great to share in their podium finish today."

VJ Mirzayan and Dicky Riegel co-drove the No. 197 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S to 14th. Riegel, who had never visited Miller Motorsports Park prior to the race, was full of praise for both his co-driver and team.

"I had a very steep learning curve but the team, especially VJ, brought me up that curve so quickly," he says. "Any organization is about its people and RSR has the best people in the business. These results don't come without incredible people. Special thanks to Randy for building such an ideal organization."

"The team finished on a high note, and it's great to see how reliable the cars have become," says Mirzayan. "Thanks to the team, crew, and Randy for a wonderful season. I'm really happy for the team and hope to be back next year."

-source: rsr motorsports