6-3-2006 - Colin banned from competing in Watkins Glen

Colin banned from driving at Watkins Glen despite supreme court judge ruling

6-3-2006 - Watkins Glen NY - On Thursday Colin was told by a NY state Supreme court judge that he was allowed to drive in the Grand Am Daytona Prototype race this weekend.  The judge granted Krohn Racing an injunction against the Watkins Glen track, the owners of the track, ISC, and Grand Am, preventing them from keeping Colin from racing this weekend.

The issue was the tobacco sponsorship on the Penske IRL cars that race the same weekend, but in a different race on a different day.  The ruling by the judge would have prevented the agreement between Phillip Morris and the track keeping Colin out of the race like it did in March in February.  When Colin left the court house Thursday afternoon, just 3 hours before practice he was ready to practice the #76 car.

Within 1 hour of the first practice Grand Am canceled the first practice.  They said that the track would not allow them to hold the practice with Colin competing due to a contract that the track had with Phillip Morris Tobacco Co.  As the judge said that Colin had to be allowed to race in the Grand Am event there was suddenly no event as the track pulled the plug on Grand Am. 

The night practice went on for GT cars only as Krohn Racing and Grand Am tried to work out a solution.  Tracy Krohn did not want to stop the whole race so he and Grand Am worked out a settlement.  Part of that was that Colin would have to sit out this race and the Sears Point race.

The race went on and Colin's car the #76 won the race with Boris Said filling in for Colin.   engineers were pleased with the results.

News articles from the weekend below soon: