Rochester, NY (July 9, 2013) – Shea Racing Touring Car and Touring Car B-Spec Honda drivers scored valuable points to move up in the Pirelli World Challenge Championship at the Cadillac Lime Rock Grand Prix last weekend.
“I’m very proud of the effort the team put forth in at Lime Rock. We are improving with each race and we are getting closer and closer to podium finishes,” said Team Principal, Jeff Holbrook.
The intense July 4th triple-header weekend provided for exciting and intense competition beginning with 30-minute back-to-back races on Friday. In the first event, Jon Miller, in the No. 68 Titan Motorsports, loudbasstard, Honda Civic Si, battled for the lead against fellow Honda competitors who are neck-and-neck in points. After recovering from a spin in the beginning of the race which put him back to 15th position, he was able to work his way back up for a sixth place finish. In the second race, despite a broken shock with four laps to go, he finished just short of the podium, in fourth place.
P.J. Groenke, piloting the No. 66 Mulligan Gold, Tundra Technical Solutions, Verax.ca, Honda Fit scored two top-ten finishes in his rookie appearance at the difficult 7-turn track. After starting 14th in the first race he charged through the field for a seventh place finish and finished ninth in race two.
“What a race weekend! Having never been to Lime Rock Park, I faced a very steep learning curve. Qualifying 14th was disappointing, but I was happy to move up and finish 7th in the first race. I can’t wait to get back on the track with Shea Racing next weekend for my home race at the Honda Indy Toronto,” said Groenke.
Shea Holbrook also improved her position in her No. 67 Radium, TRUECar, Lucas Oil, Honda Fit as she started eleventh and worked her way up to a fifth place finish in race one. In race two she ran as high as third battling the No. 0 Mini Cooper back and forth throughout the 23-lap race, but ultimately finished fourth, just shy of the podium.
“The second race was physically and mentally draining but what kept me on point was the constant chase and focus. I had a fantastic battle with Charlie James and look forward to giving him another run at Toronto. Needless to say, I’m pleased with my results,” said Holbrook.
Saturday’s 40-minute morning race brought cooler track temperatures for the team. Miller ran as high as second place with a couple of great passing maneuvers but fell back to fourth at the finish. Groenke’s strong performance and three-car pass on the front straight with just 10 minutes to go aided in his highest finish of the season capturing a sixth. Holbrook drove third up until a she got caught up in traffic due to a minor accident on track which slid her back to fifth. In an attempt to regain her position, she spun in turn one and ultimately finished tenth.
Miller so close to a podium said, “Each race we made improvements and every time I get behind the wheel I feel more confident. We will get on the box soon and the crew better be ready for a champagne shower!”
Currently the Shea Racing driver’s sit fourth, seventh and eighth in the Championship.
The team heads to the Streets of Toronto for a double-header weekend July 12-13 alongside IndyCar.
Follow Shea Racing
Events at Honda Indy Toronto get underway on Fri., July 12 at 8:50 a.m. eastern for the first official practice session, qualifying is set for 5:55 p.m. and Race 1&2 will be Sat., July 13 at 1:05 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. eastern.
To follow live timing and scoring of the events click here. Watch live streaming of the races on www.world-challengetv.com
Follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and for more information visit www.shearacing.com.
Watch the Shea Racing Team on TV
Be sure to catch all of the action from Lime Rock Park on NBC Sports, Saturday, July 20th at 4 p.m. eastern.
Win Shea’s Helmet!
Click here to enter for a chance to win Shea’s Custom Kocher Paint Bell Helmet in benefit of Duchenne muscular dystrophy!
The team and drivers thank their partners for their continued support and look forward to a successful season: Radium, TRUECar, Lucas Oil, Mulligan Gold, Tundra Technical Solutions, Verax.ca, Titan Motorsports, loudbasstard.com, Eibach Springs, CoolShirt, P2R, VisionX Custom Graphics, Hendrick Honda, K&N Filters, Penta Water, OMP, Bell, and E3 Spark Plugs, Clairhaven Ltd., Martinrea International Inc., TPL Lighting, Warp Speed Computers Inc., Walter D’Andrea Bodyworks, Muhu.mx, ARS Access Restoration Services, Affinity Luxury Car Rentals, Alpha Laboratories Inc., Amsterdam Beer, Confident Paintless Dent Removal, Desson Manufacturing Ltd., Diplomat Trucking Ltd., Eventscape Inc., Payne Capital Corp., Pelto Agri Investments, Proprint Services Inc., Ro-Ro Property Management Corp., and 4Print.