Courtney Repeats As Sebring GT Class Winner
In Exciting Panoz Winter Race Series Finale
SEBRING INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY - (March 17, 2006) Jeff Courtney of Slinger, Wisconsin, captured his second consecutive win here today in the Panoz Racing Series Winter finale scooting past pole position holder Andrew Charbonneau of Delray Beach, Florida, moments after a yellow caution flag was lifted. Courtney's time was 46 minutes, 57.791 seconds.
Charbonneau, fastest car all week in the GT class, spun out later in the race and eventually ended sixth. Chuck Vanscoy of Annapolis, Maryland, another Panoz Series veteran and podium finisher 7 of his 16 series appearances, had seriously challenged the new leader Courtney. However, Vanscoy also succumbed to an off-track excursion which ended him in fourth.
All of those events allowed the relentless veteran Charlie Putman of Mills, Wyoming, who had been running third or fourth most of the day and the methodical Brian Dolan of Big Sky, Montana, to come home second and third respectively.
In the GTS class, Cathy Zeno of Granville, Ohio, had missed one practice and one qualifying round as a new powerplant was installed in a 12-hour mechanic's marathon. She eventually qualified second, but started from the pole. Original pole sitter Charlie Lowrance of Sebring, Florida, did not start due to a transmission problem. Zeno eventually went pole to finish but not without a complete spin and engine restart.
Second and third in GTS went to David Robertson of Ray, Michigan and Terry Brown of Dallas, Texas.
Following the 18-lap, the Winter Series GT Champions were crowned.
John Linster of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, points leader heading into the final race needed only a 10th place finish to secure the crown. He ended 9th. Second place went to Gerald Van Uitert of Gainesville, Florida, who did not appear at Sebring. Though in a technical second-place tie with the day's third place GT finisher, (and eventual third place Winter series champion) Brian Dolan, Van Uitert was awarded the second place cup due to a greater number of wins.
This was the sixth running of the Panoz event which serves as the official support race to American Le Mans Series events such as the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring classic and the fall series crown jewel Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.
The following are the race results as scored by the International Motorsports Association by class.
GT
Jeff Courtney, Slinger, Wisconsin
Charlie Putman, Mills,Wyoming
Brian Dolan,. Big Sky, Montana
Chuck Vanscoy, Annapolis, Maryland
Jon Miller, Orlando, Florida
Andrew Charbonneau, Delray Beach, Florida
Richard Picut, Garwood, New Jersey
Chris Dooley, Atlanta, Georgia
John Linster, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Bill Hess, Tampa, Florida
Peter Tyson, Rome, Georgia
Van Sayler, St. Petersburg, Florida
Richard Watson, Hingham Massachusetts
Curt Riley, Stamford, Connecticut
Patrick Dempsey, Los Angeles, California
Henry Brosnaham, Apollo Beach, Florida
Andrea Robertson, Ray, Michigan
Stephen Sayler, Miami, Florida
Ray Mason, Columbus, OhioGTS
Cathy Zeno, Granville, Ohio
David Robertson, Ray, Michigan
Terry Brown, Dallas, Texas
Charlie Lowrance, Sebring, Florida
source: Panoz