Cayman Interseries heads to Road America
Cayman Interseries heads to Road America
The Cayman Interseries Continues 2010 Season This Weekend
at the Vintage GT Challenge at Road America
Thursday, May 13, 2010
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. (May 13, 2010) – The third round of the 2010 Cayman Interseries will be held this weekend, May 14 – 16, at Road America where the season’s only multiple race winners so far, Jim McCormick and Steve Jenkins, will lead the Cayman competition to the classic 4-mile road course for the Vintage GT Challenge. The full schedule of Cayman Interseries and historic and vintage racing action is an HSR/SVRA double-header weekend.
McCormick, who drives the No. 44 Cayman S modeled after the famous Martini “Baby” Porsche 935, swept all three races during the season-opening event at Sebring in March while Jenkins captured both sprint races two weeks ago in the Mitty at Road Atlanta. Jenkins, who drives the No. 36 Cayman featuring the red and white striped livery of the legendary Salzburg Porsche 917s, is one of several Chicago-based drivers looking forward to racing on the familiar Road America circuit.
“I have been to Road America a lot of times,” said Jenkins, whose sponsors include B.R.M. Watches and LAPS Inc. “I was there with the BMW Club at driving-schools in street cars a bunch of times and then I raced a T2-class BMW M3 for a couple of years there in SCCA. Then I also ran in SCCA National GT2 in a Porsche 996 GT3 Cup car and I won the June Sprints a couple of years ago. I have run at Road America basically since I started racing a few years ago.”
McCormick, who is from New York City, is leading the Cayman Interseries Endurance Championship standings with 53 points after the year’s first two enduro races at Sebring and Road Atlanta. Jim Bacus, who drives the popular purple and green No. 3 Cayman themed after the famous “Hippy” Porsche 917LH, leads the Cayman Interseries Sprint Championship point standings with 81 points.
“I have had the Cayman around Road America and I have beat my Porsche GT3 fast times by four seconds,” said Bacus, another Chicago-area driver. “It’s my home track and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I am looking forward to racing with these guys there and it’s a lot of fun with the Cayman drivers.”
Another driver who is headed to Road America after an encouraging debut is Atlanta’s Lee Davis who finished third in both sprints in his first series race at Road Atlanta in the No. 333 Cayman that wears the colors of the Advan Porsche 962s and Luna C Clothing.
“I wasn’t planning on going to Road America as Road Atlanta was my first race and all,” Davis said. “But I am going to take a look at my calendar and I am going to try and make it. I am going to try and make as many Cayman Interseries races as I can as this series is just a blast.”
Jonny Ryan mixed it up with the race leaders at Road Atlanta in his No. 41 Miller High Life car and joins his father Rod Ryan in fielding a pair of Caymans that pay tribute to Al Holbert’s winning Porsche 962s. The elder Ryan pilots a Cayman carrying the famous markings and number of Holbert and the No. 14 Lowenbrau 962.
A returning driver and another making his 2010 Cayman Interseries debut should also be in the hunt at Road America. Will Conniff raced in the Sebring opener and will be back at Road America after skipping the Road Atlanta round. Another Chicago-area competitor, Conniff drives his No. 2 Cayman, which runs the yellow and red livery of the famous Martini “Psychedelic” Porsche 917. Michigan’s Tony Sitko will make his first start of the year in his red No. 70 Cayman that is themed after the Le Mans class-winning Hawaiian Tropic/Dick Barbour Racing Porsche 935 that was co-driven by Paul Newman.
The season’s only other race winner is David Heinemeier-Hansson will not be competing at Road America due to a scheduling conflict. Hansson won the one-hour enduro race at Road Atlanta for his first Cayman Interseries victory in his No. 1 Rothmans Porsche-themed Cayman S. He was also the only driver to finish on the top-three podium in each of Road Atlanta’s trio of races.
Official on-track Cayman Interseries action at Road America begins on Friday, which features an enduro race that afternoon from 3:55 – 6:00 pm local time. The weekend’s pair of sprints will be run at 2:25 p.m. on Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Created, owned and operated by Napleton Porsche, the Cayman Interseries is open only to 2009 and 2010 Porsche Cayman S models that are raced in near-stock configuration by a competitive group of emerging drivers that typically own the cars they drive. A heritage connection comes in the form of each Cayman’s livery that has a direct and visible link to a legendary Porsche race car from the past. Only in the Cayman Interseries can you see modern interpretations of such famous Porsche race cars as the Wyer/Gulf, Martini and Salzburg 917s, the Al Holbert Lowenbrau and Miller High Life 962s, the Jagermeister/Kremer and Dick Barbour Racing 935s, the Bob Akin/Coca-Cola 935 and 962 and so many more.
Each Cayman’s throw-back color scheme is also matched up with a corresponding Cayman chassis number, which means the rich history of some of the most memorable Porsche race cars to ever hit the track will symbolically continue with an all-new chapter in the Cayman Interseries. Napleton Porsche is the exclusive supplier and preparation shop for the Porsche Cayman S race cars used in the Interseries.
ABOUT THE CAYMAN INTERSERIES
Established in 2009 by Napleton Porsche of Westmont, Illinois, the Cayman Interseries is North America’s only auto racing championship featuring the exclusive use of the 320-horsepower Porsche Cayman S. Sanctioned by Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), the Cayman Interseries is conducting its first official season in 2010 and will crown a pair of champion drivers in both the sprint and endurance racing formats. Races will be run on legendary circuits such as Daytona, Sebring, Road America, Watkins Glen, Road Atlanta and other premier venues. Every competing Porsche Cayman S is exclusively supplied and prepared by Napleton Porsche and each car competes with an assigned and specific heritage livery themed after a famous Porsche race car from the past. Learn more about the Cayman Interseries at www.napletonmotorsports.com. Phone calls direct to Napleton Porsche may be made at (630) 725-0911 and email inquiries can be sent to racing@napletonmotorsports.com.
CI-10-11
Repeat Race Winners Jim McCormick and Steve Jenkins Lead the Field to Elkhart Lake