7-30-2006 - Colin Makes it 2 in a row with win at Barber

Bergmeister &  Braun Go Back-to-Back at Barber Motorsports Park

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (July 30, 2006) -- Jörg Bergmeister and the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Riley team tightened their grasp on the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve Daytona Prototype championship with a second-consecutive victory by Bergmeister and 17-year-old co-driver Colin Braun in Sunday's Porsche 250 presented by Bradley

Arant at Barber Motorsports Park.

Braun, who started from the pole position for the first time in his Rolex Series career, led throughout his 35-lap opening stint before pitting to turn the car over to Bergmeister on Lap 36. With threatening clouds overhead and four full-course caution periods before the halfway point in the race, teams used a myriad of different pit strategies. That being the case, Bergmeister did not cycle back into the lead until Lap 78 of the 97-lap event when Alex Gurney finally pitted to turn the No. 99 GAINSCO/Blackhawk Racing Pontiac Riley over to co-driver Jon Fogarty.

As the day's fifth full-course caution came out on Lap 83, Bergmeister managed to get on and off of pit road for a splash of fuel without surrendering the lead. However, on the ensuing restart, defending Daytona Prototype co-champion Max Angelelli closed right up behind Bergmeister for a battle to the finish. Bergmeister continued to lead through a final full-course caution from Laps 89-92, and Angelelli again pressured the German for the first few laps after the restart before

Bergmeister pulled away to win by 1.327 seconds.

It was Bergmeister's third victory of the season, following his triumph alongside Braun in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona and the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen with co-driver Boris Said last month. It was also his fourth-consecutive top-two finish and his sixth podium in 11 races this season, allowing him to open up a 39-point lead, 393-354, over Angelelli in the Daytona Prototype driver standings with three races remaining on the schedule.

"The whole team has really picked it up lately," said Bergmeister. "I got a little lucky in traffic during my stint, using the GT cars to my advantage. We thought we could make it on just one stop, so I was conserving my tires early. It turned out for the best because even though I had to come back to the pits for a splash of fuel later in the race, I had enough rubber to hold of Max."

Braun, meanwhile, celebrated his second victory, third straight top-two finish and his fifth podium in nine starts this season. Despite sitting out the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen and the Linder Industrial Komatsu Grand Prix of Miami in March, Braun moved into a tie with No. 19 Playboy/Uniden Racing Ford Crawford driver Michael McDowell for fifth in the Daytona Prototype driver championship.

"It was just a really good weekend for all the guys at Krohn Racing," said Braun. "Our engineer, Steve Newey, put a nice setup on the car, and the crew has been working so hard lately. The win was a testament to the Ford engine and Riley chassis. I just had to be patient in traffic during my stint. Hopefully, we'll keep this streak going."

Krohn Racing rolls to another win at Barber

By Tony DiZinno - Motorsport.com

The Krohn Racing duo of Jorg Bergmeister and Colin Braun has caught fire of late, and they scored their third victory in the last four races with a win at the Barber Motorsports Park. Braun qualified the team's Ford Riley on pole and led early before handing off to Bergmeister, who brought home the win and survived several late cautions and challenges. Bergmeister extended his points lead to 39 over Max Angelelli with just three races remaining.

It didn't take long for the action to get going. On the pace laps Greg Wilkins lost his left rear tire on his Porsche GT entry, which delayed the start. Once the green flew Jonathan Cochet lost control of his Pontiac Riley, going into the grass and digging up a massive divot of dirt. His day was over before it ever got going. Butch Leitzinger, Olivier Beretta and Alex Figge also had damage from separate cases of contact.

On lap 17 the second full course caution flew when John Olson stalled his BMW M3 and several of the leaders took the opportunity to pit. Angelelli and Patrick Long pitted, with Long relinquishing driving duties to Mike Rockenfeller. From there they needed only one stop to make it to the finish while the others needed two.

There was a great battle for fourth between four cars when another caution flew, this time as Ian Baas spun off into the gravel. It was a bit like quicksand, as when Baas tried to get going he only got himself in deeper. The clear skies got darker and rain appeared all but inevitable, having done so at about 4:00 p.m. each day of the weekend. Rain had also caused an early conclusion to Saturday's Grand-Am Cup race.

At this yellow, Braun and fourth-placed Bill Auberlen pitted. One would think the 90-degree temperatures and 80% humidity would get to the drivers even after such a small period of time. "The humidity really gets to you," Braun said, "but you look worse than you really are." Meanwhile Memo Gidley said "hot yoga classes" paid dividends for him since his air conditioning, cooling suit and water bottle had all quit after only the first 45 minutes of the race.

At the restart Christian Fittipaldi assumed the lead and held it until he pitted a second time, giving his car to Max Papis. Mario Haberfeld also pitted and Alex Gurney took over the point as the field continued to cycle through. At this point Rockenfeller and Gurney needed another stop to make it to the finish. They pitted simultaneously with 35 minutes remaining, Gurney barely making it.

Bergmeister was close on fuel and dove in to top off at the next caution, when Boris Said had a problem in his Porsche Doran. The strategy paid off and Bergmeister resumed in the lead in front of Angelelli, Rockenfeller and Jon Fogarty. With a situation similar to Virginia International Raceway, when the top three could be covered by a blanket, Bergmeister had to endure a couple of challenges.

But Bergmeister got a great restart and the battle was for 2nd. Rockenfeller got close to overtaking Angelelli and was unable to do so. The top four finished as they restarted, with Fernandez coming home 5th.

Grand American Rolex Series: Thrice Is Nice For Krohn Duo
August 2, 2006 By Bill Oursler, NSSN Correspondent

LEEDS, Ala. (Grand American Rolex Series) -- Under threatening skies, which promised, but fortunately did not deliver, torrential rains Sunday at Barber Motorsports Park, the Krohn Racing duo of Jorg Bergmeister and Colin Braun outlasted their Daytona Prototype opposition to win the Porsche 250 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series event in their Ford-powered Riley.

The triumph, which further cemented Bergmeister's hold on the points championship, was tight, with the SunTrust Pontiac Riley of Max Angelelli and Jan Magnussen less than two seconds in arrears and the Ruby Tuesday Porsche Crawford of Mike Rockenfeller and Patrick Long just another second back in third.

For Bergmeister, it was his third-straight Rolex victory, while for his 17-year-old partner, who was not allowed to race in the six-hour Watkins Glen affair because of his age, it was the second-straight time he had headed to the top of the podium.

Even though there were others in the mix, Braun and Bergmeister had the measure of their rivals for much of the day, starting from the pole and leading for the greater part of the way, if even by the narrowest of margins on occasions. Still, the outcome at Barber was at least in some measure determined by the numerous full-course yellows, which began even before the first green flag waved.

Most of the cautions were due to cars being pushed off the track by traffic and getting stuck either in the wet grass from the day's earlier showers or the gravel traps surrounding the tight course. Yet, it was the prospect of a squall line that kept those setting the strategy for the teams guessing as they opportunely used the yellows to replace tires and replenish their tanks.

With less than seven minutes remaining, the green flag waved over the field on the day's final restart, setting up a tremendous fight among Bergmeister, Angelelli and Long. In what was an all-out, no-holds-barred sprint the three ran almost as one before Bergmeister pulled away.

Rounding out the top five was the fourth-placed Pontiac-powered Gainsco entry of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty and the Lowes Pontiac Riley of Adrian Fernandez and Mario Haberfeld, also in the hunt.

Braun and Bergmeister earn second straight Grand-Am win

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) -Jorg Bergmeister and 17-year-old co-driver Colin Braun earned their second consecutive Grand-Am victory in Sundays Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Bergmeister is the Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype points leader.

Braun started the race from the pole position and led throughout his driving stint before turning the car over to Bergmeister on lap 36 of the 97-lap race. He held off Max Angelelli by 1.327 seconds to earn his third victory of the season.

Bergmeister and Braun won the previous Rolex Series race at Daytona International Speedway.