ERIC CURRAN RACING

Surviving and Thriving 4 Races in 6 Days in the Whelen Corvette and CKS Camaro

Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY
June 4, 2011

With a NASCAR-like schedule instead of a free weekend between races so everybody can catch their breath, the Whelen Engineering/Marsh Racing Chevrolet Corvette and CKS Autosport Camaro GS.R teams responded like pros to the GRAND-AM season's only challenge of two races in under a calendar week.

The first round was at Lime Rock Park, Conn. -- a GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race on Saturday, May 27, and a nationally-televised Rolex Sports Car Series show on Memorial Day.

That was followed by a relatively short haul halfway across New York state to Watkins Glen where the Continental series cars raced into the darkness on Friday, June 3, and the Rolex cars 18 hours later.

"It was a good two races for both programs," Eric said after the final checkered flag of the timespan had fallen. "Teddy Marsh's crew gave Boris Said and I a Corvette strong enough to finish fifth in class at Lime Rock and sixth at The Glen. They were mostly problem-free and we did lead for quite a while at Lime Rock and showed strong at the Glen as well.

"The toughest part of the weekend's was the first hour of the race at the Glen in the hard rain! Our Whelen Corvette has little time in the rain so the wet set up was a little off. It was like going ice-skating in leather-soled dress shoes. But the track dried and we had a quick car from then on but got a lap behind early on because of a yellow flag waive by... So much fun to be racing at two of my favorite tracks ... Lime Rock and Watkins Glen .. just like the beginning days of my racing career"

"We had some brake problems at the end of the Lime Rock race, but that was fixed between races and the six-hour race at The Glen was just a matter of running as hard as we could for 6 hours. The results prove that everyone on our team did a great job with the Whelen Corvette. Teddy's guys guys build it, Boris and I just drive it. I ran our fastest laps within five laps from the end. It just shows how all the hard work that Marsh's guys have been doing and how it's paying off. Our Whelen Corvette didn't miss a beat all six hours!"

"Everyone on my team did a great job these past six days," said Teddy Marsh after the race. "I'm happy with our results at these two races and really looking forward to our progress moving forward to Road America."

While the Whelen Corvette is a familiar family pet for that team, on the Continental Tire series side of the paddock, the well-experienced CKS Autosport team from Ancaster, Ontario, Canada has quickly learned what their new "pet" Chevrolet Camaro GS.R likes and doesn't like.

"Development continues between races on all cars, but especially on new ones like our version of the street Camaro GS-R that Ashley McCalmont and I are running in the Continental series. Watkins Glen was a good turning point for our CKS Autosport program. Kirk Spencer really got our #00 going fast. I was fastest in practice in the #00 and the #31 on Friday afternoon. A good feeling for both teams." Curran said.

"Ashley did a good job at Lime Rock and was really fast and consistent at the Glen, especially having never driven the big Camaro on these tracks before.

"That's the consistency you look for in a good racer. Ashley is really getting the hang of this Camaro and the CKS team is making it faster every weekend."

Eric and Boris

The Glen's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series race was taped by SPEED TV to air June 12 at 5pm ET. The Rolex six-hour was broadcast live on SPEED TV.

The next race is June 23-24 at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin's famed Road America circuit, which, at four miles per lap, is the longest race track in America.