(BIRMINGHAM, AL) 10 April 2010-- SpeedSource recorded its third consecutive victory in the Rolex Series GT class. Segal and Assentato have now won four of the last seven races dating back to last season.

The #69 SpeedSource FXDD  team maintained their recent success by winning the third race of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 schedule at Barber Motorsports Park. The pair of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal earned their second win of the season in the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8; now having won four of the last seven races. Grabbing the third podium spot, further adding to the team’s success, were Sylvain Tremblay and Jonathan Bomarito in the #70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. Finishing out the Top 5 in GT was the third SpeedSource team car with Mazda ladder drivers Adam Christodoulou and John Edwards in the #68 Mazdaspeed Motorsports Development Mazda RX-8.

After the GT qualifying session was cut short to just a 3-lap run, Emil Assentato put the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 in the 6th position for the starting grid. Excellent early driving from Assentato kept the #69 running in the lead GT pack setting up an ideal pit stop to put co-driver Jeff Segal in for the race’s conclusion. Outstanding tire management from Segal allowed him to maintain the necessary pace needed to make the final pit stop. A great call from team strategist Gerry Green brought the car into the pits right before a caution was called on-track. This late race decision proved to be the advantage as Segal was able to hold on for the GT Class win.

“I’m really proud of all of my guys and their hard work,” recalled #69 crew chief Marty Kintzi. “Both drivers drove great stints and that really set us up for the win.”


"The racing was pretty intense among the GT cars when I got in, so I kind of bowed out of that - I wasn't interested in rubbing fenders that early in the race," said Segal, who led 35 laps, including the final 32. "We had a fantastic pit stop near the end that got us the lead. It wasn't easy, because I knew Jordan and Sylvain were coming, so I pushed all the way to the end."

The car in the best position to break the Mazda domination was the No. 07 Banner Racing Corvette. Scott Russell started and led four laps before turning the car over to Paul Edwards, who led 10 laps before on-course contact with a Daytona Prototype led to a long pit stop and a 14th-place finish.

The Rolex Series will next visit Virginia International Raceway in Danville for Round 4, the Bosch Engineering 250 on April 24.

 

Follow the race LIVE on SPEED at 12PM EST.