gaijin
08-06-2004, 08:38 PM
FELLOWS LOVING BUSY SCHEDULE AND RETURNING HOME TO CANADA
BOWMANVILLE, ON, Canada - Canada's most successful road racer, Ron Fellows, driver of the No. 3 Corvette C5-R, has returned home for another weekend of American Le Mans Series racing at Mosport International Raceway. Fellows is happy to be back for the Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport, resting in his own home and racing at his home track.
"Well you know it's great to be home," Fellows said. "You can sleep in your own bed. I grew up around this place, watching racing and then started racing here, it's cool no doubt."
It must be really cool because Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell are enjoying a nice lead in the points. However, Fellows knows from his years of experience that now is not the time to let up and celebrate.
"Johnny and I have got to do what we've been doing," Fellows commented. "We have a healthy points lead, we've got to be smart about that and you know we will be fine. Oliver (Gavin) and Olivier (Beretta, Corvette teammates) are fast and they are going to be pressing because they are trying to catch up some and that part we can't control. What we have to do is be smart.
Not only do they have to be smart, but Fellows and O'Connell have some things to discuss after logging a time of 1:15.101 compared to Gavin and Beretta who ran a fast lap of 1:14.293 in Friday's first round of testing at Mosport.
"Well the car wasn't bad," Fellows said. "You know we were at the top of the sheet for a while and then Oliver and Olivier found something and Oliver busted one off that was just an unbelievably fast lap so Johnny and I have a little bit of homework to do so we will go see what we can do. Right now we are just fighting the front end a little bit, trying to get some more front grip so we will look at that and make some changes for tomorrow."
Fellows will also be running a Cadillac in the Speed World Challenge GT on both Saturday and Sunday. Although this has made his schedule very busy, Fellows is excited about the races and is no stranger to running several events on the same weekend.
"It's going to be fun," Fellows said. "The Cadillac is so different and what I have to do is make sure I don't overdrive the Cadillac too much because it doesn't have anywhere near the grip that the Corvette does on Michelin slicks. We have to be a little bit careful when we first jump in that car but other than that, it's a lot of fun. Fifteen years ago we used to do a lot of this here. The most races that I have done here in one day are three, a showroom stock race in a Camaro, a Trans Am Race, and a Porsche Turbo Cup race. We are busy for sure."
It is only fitting that Fellows run multiple races here at Mosport since this his home track, but especially because he really enjoys racing here.
"They just don't have many race tracks like this anymore," Fellows said. "With long, fast corners, you know, uphill, downhill it's very challenging for sure. I don't think you will find a driver in the paddock who doesn't like this place and just because of that aspect, it's a real challenge, a lot of fun, and it gets your attention."
BOWMANVILLE, ON, Canada - Canada's most successful road racer, Ron Fellows, driver of the No. 3 Corvette C5-R, has returned home for another weekend of American Le Mans Series racing at Mosport International Raceway. Fellows is happy to be back for the Toronto Grand Prix of Mosport, resting in his own home and racing at his home track.
"Well you know it's great to be home," Fellows said. "You can sleep in your own bed. I grew up around this place, watching racing and then started racing here, it's cool no doubt."
It must be really cool because Fellows and co-driver Johnny O'Connell are enjoying a nice lead in the points. However, Fellows knows from his years of experience that now is not the time to let up and celebrate.
"Johnny and I have got to do what we've been doing," Fellows commented. "We have a healthy points lead, we've got to be smart about that and you know we will be fine. Oliver (Gavin) and Olivier (Beretta, Corvette teammates) are fast and they are going to be pressing because they are trying to catch up some and that part we can't control. What we have to do is be smart.
Not only do they have to be smart, but Fellows and O'Connell have some things to discuss after logging a time of 1:15.101 compared to Gavin and Beretta who ran a fast lap of 1:14.293 in Friday's first round of testing at Mosport.
"Well the car wasn't bad," Fellows said. "You know we were at the top of the sheet for a while and then Oliver and Olivier found something and Oliver busted one off that was just an unbelievably fast lap so Johnny and I have a little bit of homework to do so we will go see what we can do. Right now we are just fighting the front end a little bit, trying to get some more front grip so we will look at that and make some changes for tomorrow."
Fellows will also be running a Cadillac in the Speed World Challenge GT on both Saturday and Sunday. Although this has made his schedule very busy, Fellows is excited about the races and is no stranger to running several events on the same weekend.
"It's going to be fun," Fellows said. "The Cadillac is so different and what I have to do is make sure I don't overdrive the Cadillac too much because it doesn't have anywhere near the grip that the Corvette does on Michelin slicks. We have to be a little bit careful when we first jump in that car but other than that, it's a lot of fun. Fifteen years ago we used to do a lot of this here. The most races that I have done here in one day are three, a showroom stock race in a Camaro, a Trans Am Race, and a Porsche Turbo Cup race. We are busy for sure."
It is only fitting that Fellows run multiple races here at Mosport since this his home track, but especially because he really enjoys racing here.
"They just don't have many race tracks like this anymore," Fellows said. "With long, fast corners, you know, uphill, downhill it's very challenging for sure. I don't think you will find a driver in the paddock who doesn't like this place and just because of that aspect, it's a real challenge, a lot of fun, and it gets your attention."