Denver: Paul Gentilozzi race summary

Paul Gentilozzi, driver of the no. 3Jjohnson Controls Jaguar XKR, finished fourth after qualifying fifth and starting fourth in today's Trans-As race.

NOTE 1 - 2002 Stats...Won the season-opener at Long Beach...Has three additional top-two finishes at Mid-Ohio, Washington, D.C, and Road America.

NOTE 2 - Career Stats...Three-time Trans-Am champion (2001, 1999, 1998), tied with racing legend Mark Donohue...Only driver to have won three championships driving three different marques...Should he win this fourth title in 2002, will tie with Tom Kendall as the only drivers to have won four titles...Ranks first in all-time Trans-Am top-three (59), top-five (93), and top-ten (123) finishes, laps led (1,435), lead lap finishes (121), "Fast Five" qualifying starts (110), lead-lap finishes (121), single season earnings, and total series winnings...Has 24 Trans-Am wins.

On his race today... "We had a pretty good car to start with, but by the time I got done, I'd managed to rub both sides of it. I think toward the end we might have had a bad shock based on the way the car was acting and how it felt.

On his race with Butch Leitzinger and then Stu Hayner after the restart..."Butch and I had a good battle going. We were both pretty even at that point, depending on traffic. It was fun.

"When Stu caught up to me, it was obvious he was faster. He was like a rocket coming off the corner. I was just out of car at that point. There was no point in taking any chances that could result a poor finish."

On the inaugural Trans-Am race in Denver... "I've raced in 182 Trans-Am races in my career and I have to say that the people of Denver that came out to see what racing was all about were one of the best crowds I've ever seen, to say nothing that it was a first time event. You think of Denver as a very sports-oriented city, so it really doesn't surprise me how much the community came out and supported this event. We were glad to be a part of it.

-rocketsports-