FONTANA, Calif. (June 08, 2003) -- Red Bull drivers David Donohue and Mike Borkowski finally got the monkey off their back. After falling victim to a wide array of problems while leading every Rolex Sports Car Series race this season, the #58 Red Bull Porsche Daytona Prototype of Brumos Racing finally ran a perfect race and found its way to Victory Lane, winning the Grand American 400 at California Speedway. Donohue was at the wheel of the Red Bull Porsche at the start of the race and took the lead away from polesitter Terry Borcheller in the Bell Motorsports #54 Chevy Doran JE4 Daytona Prototype on lap six. He relinquished the lead only 34 laps into the race when he ducked into the pits to hand the controls over to Borkowski when the second caution of the race came out.
As the other members of the lead pack also ducked into the pits, Borkowski emerged back on top, but with Boris Said in the ACS Express Racing #11 Mustang quickly gaining ground on him. With the leader in his sights, Said quickly ate away at the Red Bull machine's lead and overtook Borkowski on the banking in turn two on lap 53.
Once in front of the field, Said rapidly began to increase his lead but it was all for naught when a failing alternator belt sent the #11 Mustang into the pits for repairs, costing the team four laps. With Said out of the way, Borkowski had smooth sailing to the checkered flag and finished with a 33-second lead over his teammate JC France in the Brumos Racing #59 Porsche Daytona Prototype.
A late race pit stop for fuel cost the Bell Motorsports #54 Chevy its spot on the overall podium, as Tommy Riggins was able to move the Heritage Motorsports #48 Mustang into third place overall. The #48 Mustang also took first-place honors in the GTS class, earning Riggins and co-driver Dave Machavern a $7,000 Acxiom Grand Touring Challenge bonus for posting the best GTS qualifying time and winning the Grand Touring division.
The Mosler Automotive #31 Mosler MT900R took second place honors in the GTS class, while Inline Cunningham Racing's #89 Porsche garnered the third position in the class in its Rolex Series debut.
Racing at home was good luck for Los Angeles-area drivers Cort Wagner and Brent Martini, as they not only christened their new Ferrari of Washington #33 Ferrari 360GT with a GT win, but also retook the lead in the class point standings. Martini was running second in class in the closing laps of the race when Randy Pobst had to bring the GT leading #25 Porsche GT3 RS of Rosser Racing into the pits for a splash of gas. That was all the Ferrari team needed to move back into the lead for the checkered flag.
The Rennwerks Motorsports #83 Porsche GT3 RS, which had led the class early in the race before having tire trouble, finished in third.
The Rolex Sports Car Series will travel next to Watkins Glen International for the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen, June 20-22. Tickets are currently on sale for the event and can be purchased online at www.theglen.com.
