WITH THE MOMENTUM OF A TOP-5 FINISH AT VIR, THE DORAN RACING / McDONALD'S TEAM HEADS FOR THIS WEEKEND'S VERIZON WIRELESS 250 AT NEW JERSEY MOTORSPORTS PARK

Millville, NJ (May 3, 2009) – New Jersey Motorsports Park (April 30, 2009) – With the confidence and momentum of a well-earned top-5 finish in last weekend's Bosch Engineering 250 at VIR, the #77 Doran Racing / McDonald's team, with co-drivers Memo Gidley and Brad Jaeger, are already at New Jersey Motorsports Park preparing for an even stronger performance in this weekend's Verizon Wireless 250.

"This is an awesome track with a superb layout that I really enjoyed driving on last year," says Gidley.  "Even though it was brand-new and there was no landscaping so the dust was a real problem every time a car dropped a wheel off the track, there was still a surprising amount of grip.  Just looking around you can see all kinds of improvements, so I can't wait to get in the car and out onto the track.  We've been fast right off the truck in both races so far this year and I think that speaks to the level the team and car are at now.  It doesn't take a lot of work to get up to speed, we're fast and competitive right from the start and that should translate into a good shot at a podium finish in New Jersey."

Gidley, who co-drives the #77 Doran Racing/McDonald's/Doran-Dallara Ford, is a talented and widely respected American driver who was born in La Paz, Mexico and now makes his home in Novato, California.  He 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.  2009 will mark Gidley's fifth season in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series DP class, and his third season with Doran Racing. 

Brad Jaeger is 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 and was Gidley's full-time co-driver during the 2008 season.

In this event last year, after running consistently in the top-5 in pre-race practice sessions, the #77 Doran Racing machine was set for a strong run in the race until brake problems forced the car to pit for lengthy repairs mid-way through the race; the #77 car was ultimately credited with a 14th-place finish.  During the 2008 season, the Doran Racing team scored a remarkable streak of eleven top-10 finishes, eight of them in a row. 

"The big story last year was all the dust clouds that got kicked up every time a car dropped a wheel off the track; it was like driving blindly at top speed through a wall and hoping there were no stalled cars on the other side," said Jaeger.  "Now that they've got sod down, it should be a fun event.  I really enjoyed the track layout when we raced there last August.  We had a good setup last year and I think our new aero body panels and increased downforce should let us fight for a podium finish."

Round 3 on the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series schedule is the Verizon Wireless 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park, May 1 – 3.  On-track activities begin Friday, May 1 with several practice sessions.  The 15-minute Daytona Prototype qualifying session takes place 1:45 pm - 2:00 pm Saturday, May 2.  The green flag for the start of the 250-mile / 2 3/4-hour Verizon Wireless 250 is scheduled to wave at 1:00 pm, Sunday, May 3.  The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV. 

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About McDonald's
McDonald's USA, LLC, is the leading foodservice provider in the United States serving a variety of wholesome foods made from quality ingredients to millions of customers every day. More than 80 percent of McDonald's 14,000 U.S. restaurants are independently owned and operated by local franchisees. For more information on McDonald's visit www.mcdonalds.com or log on at any of the 10,000 Wi-Fi enabled McDonald's U.S. restaurants.

About Doran Enterprises/Doran Racing
Doran Enterprises has a long tradition of excellence on and off the race track. The Lebanon, Ohio-based company is widely regarded as one of the best operations ever in endurance sports car racing. It has a proven history of excellent return for its motorsports marketing partners and customers.  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. 
Doran Racing has prepared and fielded race cars in a wide variety of series for many years, from Indy cars to NASCAR trucks. It is legendary for the many championships and events it has won in endurance sports car racing, however. Under Kevin Doran's direction, the Doran Racing-prepared MOMO Ferrari was the first and only team in U.S. history to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the Watkins Glen Six-Hour race in the same year (1998).

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For further information, visit www.doranracing.com or www.grand-am.com.  For photos and interviews, please contact Peter Frey at (818) 906-6997.