gaijin
08-17-2004, 03:07 PM
FELLOWS SET TO TACKLE ROAD AMERICA AFTER NASCAR RUNNER-UP FINISH
Braselton, GA - Less than a week after finishing a close second in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series as a guest driver, two-time American Le Mans Series champion Ron Fellows will be back to his "real job" this weekend as he drives in the Road America 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Fellows will drive for the General Motors factory Chevrolet Corvette team as he and co-driver Johnny O'Connell seek their fifth GTS class win of the season in Round Seven of the American Le Mans sports car racing series. The Road America 500 will be a timed event of two hours and 45 minutes on the 4.048-mile Road America circuit, getting the green flag at 1 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday.
This past weekend, Fellows competed in the NASCAR Nextel Cup race on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., as a guest driver with the Dale Earnhardt, Inc., team and finished second, only 1.5 seconds behind winner Tony Stewart, after rising from 43rd starting position. Because of his experience on road courses, the Canadian has been hired by NASCAR team owners to drive in the rare NASCAR road course events for several years. Though he has won races at the Busch Series and Truck Series level, Fellows has finished second twice in Cup races but has not yet won.
With the disappointment of not winning the NASCAR race behind him, Fellows will look for his first ALMS win at Road America, a track where he won in 1992 during his days as a standout on the Trans-Am Series.
"Let's just say this is the year we'll get that first ALMS win with the Corvette," he said. "I think we've just been a little bit unlucky and had some unusual things happen during the races."
Like most road racing drivers, Fellows loves the Road America circuit and always looks forward to racing on it.
"It's one of the most challenging tracks in North America," he said. "It's got a real mix. Long straightaways where you hit 180 mph, and some places for solid overtaking with long brake zones.
"Then you've got the Carousel," he said. "And the Kink . that gets your attention with the high-speed stuff. And the run down to Canada Corner is a bit like Le Mans, with big trees on both sides of the track behind the guardrails, and a bit of a tunnel effect. And generally there are also very knowledgeable race fans at Road America."
Fellows also enjoys the Wisconsin countryside around Road America. "It's a bit of a cottage and camping area," he said. "We stay at a resort near the track and Lynda (wife) and the kids have a great time.
"It's a great spot and we're happy to be there," he said.
EVENT INFORMATION
The Road America 500 will get the green flag at 1 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday, August 22. Practice and qualifying for ALMS cars will be held on Saturday, August 21, along with an autograph session featuring all ALMS drivers, and a Fan Forum.
The racing weekend at Road America will also feature races for the popular and competitive SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring cars, the Star Mazda Series, Formula Ford Zetec Championship and Mid-Am stock cars and trucks. In addition, Tonka Super Trucks will run exhibition laps.
Ticket information for the Road America 500 is available online at www.americanlemans.com or by calling 1-800-365-RACE. The race will be televised live by the SPEED Channel in North America and by MotorsTV in Europe, while the American Le Mans Series Radio Web will have live coverage of the race and of qualifying online at www.americanlemans.com.
Braselton, GA - Less than a week after finishing a close second in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series as a guest driver, two-time American Le Mans Series champion Ron Fellows will be back to his "real job" this weekend as he drives in the Road America 500 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Fellows will drive for the General Motors factory Chevrolet Corvette team as he and co-driver Johnny O'Connell seek their fifth GTS class win of the season in Round Seven of the American Le Mans sports car racing series. The Road America 500 will be a timed event of two hours and 45 minutes on the 4.048-mile Road America circuit, getting the green flag at 1 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday.
This past weekend, Fellows competed in the NASCAR Nextel Cup race on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y., as a guest driver with the Dale Earnhardt, Inc., team and finished second, only 1.5 seconds behind winner Tony Stewart, after rising from 43rd starting position. Because of his experience on road courses, the Canadian has been hired by NASCAR team owners to drive in the rare NASCAR road course events for several years. Though he has won races at the Busch Series and Truck Series level, Fellows has finished second twice in Cup races but has not yet won.
With the disappointment of not winning the NASCAR race behind him, Fellows will look for his first ALMS win at Road America, a track where he won in 1992 during his days as a standout on the Trans-Am Series.
"Let's just say this is the year we'll get that first ALMS win with the Corvette," he said. "I think we've just been a little bit unlucky and had some unusual things happen during the races."
Like most road racing drivers, Fellows loves the Road America circuit and always looks forward to racing on it.
"It's one of the most challenging tracks in North America," he said. "It's got a real mix. Long straightaways where you hit 180 mph, and some places for solid overtaking with long brake zones.
"Then you've got the Carousel," he said. "And the Kink . that gets your attention with the high-speed stuff. And the run down to Canada Corner is a bit like Le Mans, with big trees on both sides of the track behind the guardrails, and a bit of a tunnel effect. And generally there are also very knowledgeable race fans at Road America."
Fellows also enjoys the Wisconsin countryside around Road America. "It's a bit of a cottage and camping area," he said. "We stay at a resort near the track and Lynda (wife) and the kids have a great time.
"It's a great spot and we're happy to be there," he said.
EVENT INFORMATION
The Road America 500 will get the green flag at 1 p.m. (CDT) on Sunday, August 22. Practice and qualifying for ALMS cars will be held on Saturday, August 21, along with an autograph session featuring all ALMS drivers, and a Fan Forum.
The racing weekend at Road America will also feature races for the popular and competitive SPEED World Challenge GT and Touring cars, the Star Mazda Series, Formula Ford Zetec Championship and Mid-Am stock cars and trucks. In addition, Tonka Super Trucks will run exhibition laps.
Ticket information for the Road America 500 is available online at www.americanlemans.com or by calling 1-800-365-RACE. The race will be televised live by the SPEED Channel in North America and by MotorsTV in Europe, while the American Le Mans Series Radio Web will have live coverage of the race and of qualifying online at www.americanlemans.com.