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For a spell, it looked like
the
Rehagen Racing
team would finish one-two in the Fresh From Florida 200, the
season-opening event on the Grand-Am KONI Challenge Series. Hugh Plumb
in the No. 60 Mustang and Dean Martin in the No. 59 ROUSH®/Valvoline
Mustang were running nose-to-tail in the top spots at Daytona (Fla.)
International Speedway with a nearly ten second lead over the third
place car.
Unfortunately, miscommunication and confusion during a late pit stop
dropped both cars back in the field with precious few minutes remaining
in the three-hour race to make up the ground. By the time the checkered
flag flew on the three-hour event, Plumb (with co-driver Mike Canney)
finished sixth while Martin was able to make a last lap pass and will be
credited with Jack Roush, Jr. for a tenth place finish.
"One mistake got us today," said a dejected Roush who started the No. 59
ROUSH®/Valvoline Mustang in 11th position, his career-best. "It looked
like we had a real chance for a win today. We’ll get it figured out
though."
Both cars led the race at various points; Plumb led a total of 20 laps,
Martin was at the point for 10 laps, and Roush led the field around the
3.56-mile stadium road course for two laps. This event combined both the
Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) classes of the KONI Challenge on
the racetrack simultaneously so making your way through traffic would
prove crucial to a successful finish as there were 89 cars competing in
the race.
"The racing was really intense out there," Roush said after the event.
"I expected it to be a real meat-grinder with all the cars on the track
and am a little surprised that there were not more accidents. It was
intense for sure, but not as bad as I had anticipated that it would be."
As a side note, this event marked the first time that motorsports legend
and NASCAR team owner Jack Roush had the opportunity to watch his son
compete in person in the professional ranks of the KONI Challenge
Series.
The No. 59 Ford Mustang, based out of the
Rehagen Racing
shop in Livonia, Mich., carries sponsorship from ROUSH® Performance,
Valvoline, Simply Wow and Battery Brain. In 2006, this was the
highest-finishing Mustang in the series.
The Fresh From Florida 200 was taped for a Saturday, February 2
broadcast on SPEED Channel at 8 p.m. (Eastern). The next event on the
KONI Challenge schedule will take place at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville,
Conn., on May 26-28.
Photos by Mary Ann Kantrow, Ford
Motor Company, and ZoomPics.com. |
Daytona
