IMSA/WSC: Mosport Aurora preview

• Rick Voegelin <72467.3005@CompuServe.COM>
• MNI - Motorsport News International
• Thu Aug 22 15:55:31 EDT 1996

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

        AURORA V8 LEADS IMSA WSC AND GTS-1 CHAMPIONSHIPS

     Bowmanville, Ont. -- There is one name at the top of the
 IMSA Exxon World SportsCar and Exxon Supreme GTS-1 championship
 standings:  Oldsmobile.

     Oldsmobile's advanced multi-valve Motorsport Aurora V8 has
 dominated IMSA road racing in 1996, powering Wayne Taylor and the
 Doyle Racing Riley & Scott Oldsmobile Mk-III to four victories
 and the top spot in the World SportsCar division.  Irv Hoerr and
 his Brix Racing Aurora have been even more formidable in the
 GTS-1 sedan category, racking up six wins -- including a string
 of five straight -- in seven starts.

     After a six-week break in the IMSA schedule, the Aurora V8
 will return to action in back-to-back rounds of the IMSA series
 over the next two weekends.  First the Aurora racers will take on
 the 2.45-mile Mosport road course in the Ontario countryside in a
 three-hour race on August 25.  Then one week later, they will
 race through the streets of Dallas in a two-hour Texas shootout
 on September 1.

     To succeed on two such different race courses will require a
 combination of horsepower, torque, and stamina -- attributes the
 Aurora V8 has already demonstrated this season with victories on
 such diverse tracks as Daytona, Sebring, Road Atlanta, Texas
 World Speedway, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and Sears Point.

     "The differences between Mosport and Dallas are going to be
 tremendous," reports GTS-1 points leader Irv Hoerr.  "Mosport is
 an honest-to-goodness high-speed race track; Dallas is a short,
 tight, and rough temporary circuit.

     "Having said that, I'll admit that street courses are my
 favorite," Hoerr adds.  "I like wrestling with the race car."

     Hoerr and teammate Darin Brassfield will be joined at
 Mosport by Brian Cunningham, grandson of road racing pioneer
 Briggs Cunningham.  "Brian and I will start the race, and then
 Darin will choose which car he gets into," Irv explains.  "Our
 goal is to get the maximum number of points for Darin, and finish
 first and second in the championship."

     Wayne Taylor, lead driver for the Doyle Racing Riley & Scott
 Mk-III, is also sharpening his championship strategy.  Taylor
 enjoys a narrow five-point advantage over archrival Ferrari
 driver Max Papis.

      "A win a Mosport is vital because the circuit's long
 straightaways favor the Ferraris," said Taylor.  "With three
 races left, Mosport will be a crucial one for us to own.

     "I just love street circuits like Dallas," adds Taylor, who
 is aiming for his third straight win in the Lone Star state after
 consecutive victories at Texas World Speedway in 1995 and 1996.
 "To drive a street circuit well, you have to be very precise,
 very accurate, and very smooth . . . it seems to suit my driving
 style."

     Crew chief Mark Scott recognizes the realities of street
 racing and is prepared to accept the consequences.  "Street races
 are known for their carnage," he comments.  "We'll be surprised
 if we don't get hit.  We have no problem returning to the race
 shop in Indy with nothing but rubble in the transporter."

     The back-to-back races in Mosport and Dallas will set the
 stage for the season finale in Daytona on October 6 -- and
 promise to bring the IMSA championship picture into sharp focus.

                              # # #


  E-mail from: Rick Voegelin, 21-Aug-1996