VIR: Doran Racing preview

Crown Royal Special Reserve Drivers Bobbi and Gollin Ready to Tackle VIR This Weekend

LEBANON, Ohio, Oct. 5 - Despite being rookies in the Rolex series this year, FIA World GT champions Fabrizio Gollin and Matteo Bobbi have both led events. One of them won a pole with Doran Racing's Crown Royal Special Reserve DORAN JE4 Ford No. 77, setting a new track record in the process. At other events they both have qualified second, and in four of the last five races they've qualified in the top five.

Just looking at the last two events, Bobbi led 19 laps of the most recent race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Gollin led several laps before that at Phoenix. The Crown Royal Special Reserve car also topped the field for a portion of the race at Mont-Tremblant, Que.

The two young Italians and everyone else involved with the Lebanon, Ohio-based Doran Racing team are doing everything they can to achieve their goal of a podium finish or even a victory. They hope it comes this Sunday when the Rolex series visits beautiful Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va. for a 250-mile race that will be televised live on SPEED at 1 p.m. ET that afternoon.

The Crown Royal car was damaged in an unavoidable multi-car accident at Watkins Glen on Sept. 24, but the team has been working very hard to regroup from that crash in order to be ready for the challenges of VIR.

Gollin and Bobbi will get their first look at the 3.27-mile road course in testing sessions before their first official practice session is held on Friday at 9:50 a.m. More practice will be held at 10:50 a.m. and 2 p.m. that day, as well as at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. Gollin will be in the car for the 15-minute qualifying session for the Daytona Prototype class at 1:10 p.m. Saturday.

There is a final half-hour of practice at 9 a.m. on Sunday before the 250-mile/77-lap/two-hour-and-45-minute race begins at 1 p.m.

After the race at VIR the series will visit the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, Mexico on Nov. 5 for the season finale.

For more information please see doranracing.com, crownroyal.com. matteobobbi.com and fabriziogollin.com.

Other interesting information can be found at grandamerican.com, virclub.com, speedtv.com and restartcommunications.com.

-dr-