Looking to build on top-10 with Coyote-Porsche V8 in 2008

(Daytona Beach, FL) 28 April 09 – Fresh from a top ten Rolex Sports Car Series finish last weekend at Virginia International Raceway, Spirit of Daytona Racing will look for an even better result this weekend in the Verizon 250 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Guy Cosmo and Scott Russell will once again team in the AMA-liveried Spirit of Daytona Racing No. 09 Porsche V8-powered Coyote for Sunday’s 2 hour, 45-minute race.

While last weekend’s visit to VIR was a first not only for Scott Russell in Daytona Prototype machinery, it was also the first visit to the track for Spirit of Daytona Racing with the PorscheV8-Coyote combination. But despite a challenging start to the weekend, the team ran in the top three in the early stages of the race before emerging from the Virginia countryside with a 10th place finish to build on the 11th place DP result scored in the season-opening Rolex 24.

Now, heading into this weekend’s event, the team will have their visit to the Millville, New Jersey track from last August to build from.

“We had a solid car for the race in New Jersey last year and even though we just missed getting into the top ten, we want to make up for that this weekend,” said team owner Troy Flis. “The conditions will be different from what we experienced last year, but we know how we are going to roll off the truck and have a good baseline set-up for this track. Compared to VIR, we also have an extra day for Scott to get comfortable on this track and hopefully that’s going to pay dividends for us in the race. Even though it’s a lot of work to turn the car around to be ready to go this weekend, I can tell you that everyone on this team is excited about the chance to go racing again and hopefully we can come out of New Jersey with a good strong result.”

Even though the race weekend will see motorcycle legend Scott Russell adding to his four-wheeled track resume, the Georgia resident is fresh from the behind the wheel experience he got at VIR, and looking forward to getting right back at it again this weekend in New Jersey.

“It will be the same challenge for me this weekend as it was last in terms of getting seat time and getting a good feel for the track, but it seems like New Jersey is a little more straightforward than VIR was,” said Russell. “I’m also glad that this weekend is a little longer than the two-day race at VIR because that gives me more time to go home each night and think about everything I’ve picked up that day, and then come into the track each morning with a fresh view on what I’m going to be dong in the car and be ready to go. It was tough last weekend because it was such a compressed event and we lost the first session, and were just catching up the rest of the weekend. But every time I get into the car it just gets better and better. And having Guy as a my coach is a huge help. I just want to get as many laps in as I can.”

Last year’s event, which was the first major professional event for the track, saw Cosmo and his co-driver finish eleventh, as the car’s fastest lap was within one second of the fastest lap of the race set by the winning car.

“This is great—to have a race weekend, pack up, and then get to go racing the very next weekend, so I’m really excited about getting to New Jersey,” said Cosmo. “Scott did a great job at VIR even though he was so new to the track, and now that we’re heading to a place where we have in-car footage, data, and a set up to start from, hopefully we can get off to a quicker start to the weekend. We were in the ballpark with the car last year, and even though the competition in Rolex never stops improving, this team has also learned a lot more about this car since we were here last, so hopefully that pays off.”

The Verizon 250 will be carried LIVE on SPEED starting at 1:00 PM EST.

About Spirit of Daytona Racing:

Spirit of Daytona Racing is headquartered just down the road from the “World Center of Racing ” in the Daytona Beach, Florida area. Team principal Troy Flis has steered the team since its inception, and the organization has competed in Grand-Am since 1999, with sixteen class victories to its credit.

For additional information:

www.scouting.org
www.spiritofdaytona.com
www.sundaymanagement.com

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Contact:
Matt Cleary, Sunday Group Management
media@sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (mobile)