David Donohue To Carry American Colors

DAVID DONOHUE TO CARRY AMERICAN COLORS IN FIA GRAND TOURING CHAMPIONSHIP AT HOMESTEAD

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Oct. 13, 1998) - David Donohue will be carrying the hopes of the Red, White and Blue when the world's top sports car drivers converge on the Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex for this weekend's (Oct. 16-18) FIA Grand Touring Championship Presented by Mercedes-Benz.

Donohue will be looking for victory in the GT2 class, when he joins Austrian driver and Formula One veteran Karl Wendlinger at the wheel of the No. 52 Dodge Viper fielded by Team Oreca.

"Racing at Homestead will be like coming home," said Donohue, who resides in Malvern, Pa. "It can be lonely being the only American racing in the series in Europe, but I got along real well with my teammates. Now, racing in America, I'll be able to return the favor and help them get around."

Donohue joined Justin Bell and Ludwig Drudi in winning GT2 honors for Team Oreca in the 1998 24 Hours of LeMans. In FIA GT2 competition, he Wendlinger have three runner-up finishes, at Oschersleben, Germany; Dijon, France; and Hockenheim, England. In all three races, he finished behind Oreca teammates Olivier Beretta and Pedro Lamy.

"I really enjoy racing the Viper," Donohue explained. "It's evolved into a true classic sports car, and it's a fantastic race car. It's able to hold its own against the Porsches."

The son of racing legend Mark Donohue, the 31-year-old is building up an impressive resume in his own right. Donohue won IMSA's Bridgestone Supercar championship in 1994, and captured the 1997 NATCC SuperTouring title for Dodge last year, with four victories and seven podium finishes. When the SuperTouring series was cancelled for 1998, Donohue was retained by Chrysler to drive a limited FIA GT2 schedule, coupled with testing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

"It's like choosing between vanilla and chocolate ice cream," Donohue said of sports car and NASCAR racing. "I like to do both. I love sports cars, but I'd really like a good shot at NASCAR, I enjoy that type of racing."

The weekend also includes races for the Barber Dodge Pro Series, Spec Racer Pro Ford Series, and Motorola Cup. Saturday's festivities include the Race-Toberfest in the Racing Village behind the main grandstand.

Tickets for the FIA Grand Touring Championship Presented by Mercedes-Benz start at $40, good for the entire weekend, and will be on sale at the gates. Paddock tickets, allowing access to the cars and drivers, are an additional $15. For additional information or to place ticket orders, call (305) 230-RACE, or visit the official Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex web site at www.racemiami.com.

SOURCE: Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex