Heartbreak for Frisselle Racing at Barber
Mechanical issue takes Brian out of the lead as Burt scores best finish of the season to date with CDOC-Dallara
(Birmingham, AL) 21 July 2008 – Above the roar of race engines, the loudest sound in Rolex Sports Car competition is likely the sound of Brian Frisselle and Mark Wilkins knocking on the door of a breakthrough race victory. Despite the volume, that knocking went unheeded once again this weekend at Barber Motorsport Park.
When Frisselle stormed past former and current Rolex Series Champions Scott Pruett and then Alex Gurney to take the lead on lap 76 of the Porsche 250 presented by Bradly Arant, it looked as though the door to victory lane would finally open for the No. 61 Gold machine of AIM Autosport. But instead, a drivetrain failure provided a cruel ending for the race outing just ten laps shy of a fantastic win as Brian was left stranded on course and unable to take the checkered flag.
The race set the stage for a storybook ending, as the No. 61 showed an uncharacteristic lack of pace in qualifying, taking the lowest grid position of the season with a 7th place qualifying effort. But the AIM engineering staff kept their noses in the books, and came up with a race day set up that saw the Gold car storm to the lead pack at the hands of Wilkins, with Frisselle able to make his own move to the front once he took over the controls in Alabama's high heat.
But despite the pace and progress, that all came to naught as the car ground to a halt.
You train every day, get to the track early and stay there late, study data from every lap you run, and try to do everything possible to be in a position to win, so to be right there with a win just in front of us and then to have this happen, it's just hard to describe how frustrating it is, said Frisselle. I'm really proud of the effort that AIM Autosport put together this weekend because we just weren't on the pace the first two days like we have been all season but no one gave up, and we were in the right place late in the race. So we just have to keep our heads high and hope for a better result in Montreal.
On the other side of the Frisselle Racing tent was the season-best result for the No. 47 CDOC machine of Burt Frisselle and Ricky Taylor. Taylor qualified tenth for the two hour and forty-five minute race and ran a strong stint before turning the controls over to Frisselle, who put his experience to use to come home with a fifth place finish.
I am devastated for Brian, said Burt after getting out of the car, thinking of his brother before himself. I drove by his car and I just couldn't believe it. They were so fast today and to not get to the finish is just a punch in the gut. Our car was really strong and I'm really encouraged about this Dallara-Ford combination. It's the right car and I think we will only be getting stronger every race out. Hopefully Brian and I can be fighting for that lead soon.
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Press Notes:
About AIM Autosport
Established in 1995, AIM Autosport operates multi-car teams competing in the Formula BMWUSA Championship and the Star Mazda Series. The company has a mandate to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners.
Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario.
Chassis brings resume of success to AIM Autosport:
AIM Autosport's Riley chassis was purchased from Chip Ganassi Racing and comes to the team with an impressive legacy of success, having won the Rolex Sports Car Series Championship in 2004.
AIM Autosport Alumni:
AIM has a long history of bringing drivers up through the ranks, and the alumni list reads like a who's who in the sport: www.aimautosport.com/drivers/Alumni/Alumni.htm
Performance-Oriented:
Performance Drink, the "Official Performance Drink" of Grand Am has signed on as an associate partner for the 2007 season, and will be utilizing the relationship to develop and demonstrate the high-performance capabilities of the drink. The drivers in the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be participating in a unique program that will closely monitor their bodies' performances throughout the enduro. More details to follow.
For additional information
www.aimautosport.com
