DORAN RACING DEBUTS NEW DORAN/DALLARA AT THE
GAINSCO GRAND PRIX OF MIAMI THIS WEEKEND

Lebanon, OH (March 26, 2008) – Beginning with this weekend’s GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami, Doran Racing will field an updated version of its #77 Kokak Doran/Dallara Ford for co-drivers Memo Gidley and Brad Jaeger.

Changes to the car include all-new Dallara bodywork fitted to the team’s existing Doran JE4 chassis.  The enhanced aerodynamics of the new bodywork produce substantially more downforce and the team is confident that the new package, which includes a 500 horsepower Roush-Yates Ford V-8 powerplant, will enable it to compete for victories during the 2008 Rolex Series season.

“I like the feel of both the car and the team as we head into the second race of the 2008 Rolex season,” says Gidley.  “This team has a lot of resources, expertise and experience and we’re all excited about the new car.  I expect it will give us the opportunity to challenge the front runners and I believe we will win races.”

Gidley, the very talented and widely respected American driver who was born in La Paz, Mexico and now makes his home in Novato, California, has made a name for himself as one of the most committed drivers in the paddock, driving and winning in everything from karts to Indy Cars and stock cars to prototypes. 

Gidley’s co-driver is Brad Jaeger, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio and recent graduate of Vanderbilt University where he was a member of their Formula SAE team.  His racing resume includes karting, Sports 2000, Skip Barber, F2000, Star Mazda and the Indy Pro Series.  He co-drove his first prototype race for the Doran team in the 2007 season finale at Miller Motorsport Park.

“I’ve worked with Kevin Doran since 2003 when he helped me prepare my Sports 2000 car for the SCCA Runoffs and I’ve always been impressed with the scope and professionalism of his operation,” says Jaeger.  “He has a tremendous racing facility where he builds and prepares the cars and this past winter I worked there for two months as an engineering apprentice to gain familiarity with the team and the car.  I’m delighted to be running a full season with the team in 2008, and with the new car and a co-driver the caliber of Memo Gidley, I’m sure Doran Racing will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Doran Racing has a successful history of working with Dallara and won the Daytona 24 Hours in 2002 with a Dallara Sportscar LMP1.  While Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks, the Lebanon, Ohio-based team is particularly noted for its successes in sports car endurance racing beginning a decade ago.  In 1998, under Kevin Doran's direction, the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first and only team in U.S. history to win the 24 Hours at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year.

In 2002 Doran-Lista Racing won the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona with a Dallara Judd and the team's lead driver, Didier Theys, won the Grand-Am driver championship.  A DORAN JE4 Daytona Prototype designed and built by Doran Designs won both the team (Bell Motorsports) and the driver (Terry Borcheller) championships in the Grand-Am Rolex Series in 2003 and Doran-built cars finished third in the Grand-Am car constructors' standings in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Doran Racing will field two new Dallara Daytona Prototypes in the top class of the Grand-Am Rolex Series for 2008, with the second car making its first appearance at the Mexico City event in mid-April.  Doran Enterprises is Dallara's official spare parts distributor and approved repair center for that series. In addition, Doran Designs will fabricate certain special parts for the marque. 

On-track action for the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami for the Rolex Sports Car Series Presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 begins with several practice sessions on Thursday, March 27.  The unique Rolex Series 15-minute qualifying session takes place from 3:30 to 3:45 pm, Friday, March 28, with the 250 mile (or 2 ¾-hour) race scheduled to take the green flag at 3:00 pm, Saturday, March 29.  Tape-delayed TV coverage on SPEED begins at 6:00 pm EDT (all times are Eastern).