Doran Racing Wins Pit Stop Competition at Long Beach

LONG BEACH, Calif., April 6 - Doran Racing set a world record for Daytona Prototype pit stop competitions Thursday when the team was victorious in the DP portion of the third annual "Tecate Thunder Pine Ave. Challenge" here prior to the Long Beach Grand Prix.

The team's first of three runs was its best, as the Lebanon, Ohio-based pit crew changed four Hoosier tires on the Feeds the Need Racing/Doran Racing Kodak EasyShare/Amp'd Mobile/SIRIUS DORAN JE4 Ford No. 77 in 16.92 seconds and then sent driver Harrison Brix of San Jose, Calif., on his way.

The team's other runs were timed in 18.71 seconds and 17.97 seconds.

The Cheever Racing team also participated and set a time that was announced as being faster, but that time was disallowed because the crew had put its outside tires out on the makeshift "track" Champ car-style prior to the stop rather than bringing them out when the car came to a stop in the pit box, per Rolex Series rules.

The CDW Champ car team and driver Justin Wilson represented the Champ Car World Series in the competition, which attracted approximately 1,700 fans.

Brix was by far the biggest crowd-pleaser, however, as he delighted the crowd by leaving each pit stop with a roar and a cloud of smoke.

"Our guys can sling tires better than anybody," Brix said enthusiastically.  "They told me I better leave with a bang, too."

Brix was also a hit with the patrons of a nearby P.F. Chang's Chinese restaurant when he changed into his bright yellow Kodak EasyShare driving uniform in the men's room of that establishment prior to leaving for the competition.

"It caused a lot of stares," he added with a smile.

Prior to the pit stop competition both Brix and Terry Borcheller toured the track three times in a golf cart Thursday afternoon to get acclimated to its design.  Among other things, they discussed braking points and which gears to be in for different turns, and where they thought were the best places to pass. They'll get to drive on the 1.968-mile street course for the first time in their race car tomorrow morning when a 45-minute practice session is held at 8 a.m. That's all the track time there is prior to qualifying at 3:55 p.m.  The field will be split in half for qualifying, with each car's fastest lap during its session counting as its qualifying time.

On Saturday there is 20 minutes of practice, again at 8 a.m., before the 90-minute race starts at 4 p.m.