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Grand Am
GRAND-AM: Porsche Takes Dubai Hat-Trick
The team of GRAND-AM regulars driving El Salvador Impressive/SPEEDCOM Marcos BMW 120D come back to win their class, and Porsche scores a hat-trick.
SPEED Staff  |  Posted January 16, 2010   Dubai (UAE)
The familiar colors of IMSA Performance Matmut led Porsche to their third consecutive overall win at Dubai. (Porsche)
(A team of GRAND-AM regulars is racing halfway around the world this weekend in the 5th Anniversary Dubai 24 Hours, Jan. 14 – 16. They are there to compete in one of the hardest 24 hour races on the planet, battle “side-by-side” with some NASCAR regulars and – with the help of sportscar racing fans – raise some cool cash for a pair of worthwhile charities. Here is the final entry for the team. ~Ed.)

The No. 112 El Salvador Impressive/SPEEDCOM Marcos Racing International BMW 120D and drivers Jim Briody, Hal Prewitt, Toto Lassally and Cor Euser scored a major comeback victory in the 5th Anniversary 24 Hours of Dubai, winning the D1 (Diesel 1) class while racing in support of Every Lap Counts, a global fund raising effort supporting charitable causes for children through major international endurance auto races. Pledges can still be taken at www.EveryLapCounts.com.

After a challenging opening half of the race that saw the team twice lose the lead due to contact incidents, Sunday’s sunrise seemed to bring a streak of good fortune to the No. 112 team that carried them straight to the finish. Briody took the lead for the final time in the race’s 16th hour and the team had a relatively trouble free run to the finish. An emotional Lassally drove the BMW across the finish line, taking the final stint to the checkered flag for the second straight year after he and Briody were part of 2009’s second place D1 effort.

“I am so proud of everyone who was part of this team,” Lassally said. “This has taken so much time and energy but to come out of here with a victory while also raising more than $10,000 for some special children around the world is incredible. I want to thank Cor and the Marcos team for keeping us in this thing and our great teammates Jim and Hal. This is the best group I have ever raced with and we also want to thank everyone who donated to the cause and believed in us.”
After overcoming an early crash, the El Salvador Impressive/SPEEDCOM Marcos Racing International BMW 120D and drivers Jim Briody, Hal Prewitt, Toto Lassally and Cor Euser took the D1 class win. (MRI)

All four drivers scored their first Dubai victories, Prewitt’s in his rookie start here and Briody’s in his 50th 24 hour race. Briody’s impressive career record includes 20 class wins and 24 total podium finishes in worldwide 24 hour races.

The winning car completed 479 laps, a comfortable 15 laps ahead of the second place D1 car, and placed a solid 34th overall. It was also a career weekend for Euser’s Marcos Racing International team as his trio of BMW 120D teams swept the D1 top three. The No. 117 BMW finished second and completed 464 laps while the group’s No. 116 entry went 410 laps. The Marcos entries were also the only D1 class cars to finish in the overall top 50.

NASCAR fans found themselves with a small window of opportunity to follow Michael Waltrip and Marcos Ambrose in their Dubai debut. Ambrose, a veteran road racer and two-time Australian V8 Supercars champion prior to his switch to Sprint Cup, had the AF Corse Ferrari F430 in the thick of the battle for the lead during the opening stint.

But when teammate Waltrip took over, he soon encountered a two-car crash on the front straight and the NASCAR veteran was forced to take avoiding action, resulting in a race-ending introduction to the pit wall. Waltrip reported via his Twitter account that he was uninjured. "Well that's disappointing. 2 guys crashed on the straight [and] I got knocked into it. But I didn't hurt so that's good. Hi mom!"



As the only top-tier endurance racing factory effort in attendance, Porsche was able to claim their third consecutive overall victory at the Dubai 24hr with a car entered by Le Mans-winning outfit IMSA Performance Matmut.

With the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, works driver Patrick Pilet (France) and Porsche Junior Marco Holzer (Germany), supported by Raymond Narac (France), won the Dubai 24 hour race by a clear margin.
Mikey liked his first run at the Dubai 24hrs until a crash ahead of the NASCAR team owner resulted in unavoidable contact. His AF Corse Ferrari F430 was finished on the spot. (MRI)

“This is my first victory at a 24 hour race. I’m totally happy,” said a delighted Marco Holzer as he climbed out of the cockpit. “It’s a crazy feeling to cross the finish line and see all those cheering people at the pit wall.”

The 911 GT3 RSR fielded by the French IMSA Performance Matmut team turned the 608 laps on the 5.390 km circuit in the Dubai Autodrome without any major mishaps. The 911 GT3 RSR took off from pole position to hold the lead for most of the 24 hours. Only one heart-stopping moment occurred in the first hour, when starting driver Patrick Pilet collided while lapping a slower competitor, causing some damage to the rear of his Porsche.

“Initially, we feared it would affect the tires,” the Porsche works driver commented, “but luckily that was not the case. We were still able to attack and turn fast lap times to the finish.”

With this victory, Marco Holzer starts the new season as he finished the old one. With Richard Westbrook (Great Britain) he won the season final of the FIA GT Championship in Zolder, and now the 24 hour race in Dubai with Patrick Pilet and Raymond Narac. “Things can definitely continue like this,” said the Porsche Junior, who obviously enjoyed his first race for the IMSA Performance Matmut squad. “They were extremely welcoming and everyone helped me. A huge thank you for that.”

Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale: Jan 19th-24th
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