May 12, 2009 (Burbank, Calif.) – Contesting the third weekend of the Pirelli Drivers Cup USA championship, held at Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah, P7 Racing / Werks II drivers Galen Bieker and Robert Rodriguez were looking to continue the success they have enjoyed thus far in the season, as they were currently sitting first and second in the Group B points championship.
Bieker kicked things off in qualifying for Saturday’s race by putting his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup fourth overall and second in class. Bieker, however, would have to start the race from last but put on a show as he raced his way back to third overall, and first in class, setting fast lap on the way. Rodriguez came home second in class.
An abbreviated qualifying session for the weekend’s second race saw Bieker put in a time good for second overall and first in Group B. From off-pole, Bieker won the drag race into turn one and was pushed hard for a couple of laps before he pulled away from the field. As he grew his lead, Bieker began to conserve his tires – he was using the same set of Pirelli tires for both races – and in the closing laps he was caught by the second-placed car.
On the final lap, Bieker made a small mistake through the first complex that allowed the chasing car to close the gap and make a move for the lead into turn five. Bieker saw the pass coming and allowed plenty of room for the other car, who got it all wrong under braking and hit Bieker’s Porsche in the left rear wheel, sending him into a spin. Bieker rejoined the track immediately with only minimal damage to the car, and promptly retook the lead in the next corner.
Despite the contact, Bieker got to the finish line first and took the overall win and Group B victory, his fourth of the season in the Pirelli Drivers Cup. For the second time, Rodriguez wheeled his matching car home to second in class.
“You’re going to have days like that,” said Bieker, assessing the damage to the left rear of his Porsche 997 GT3 Cup. “But the car was great and it’s a testament to how good the Pirelli tires are that we made them last two straight days and still brought the car home first. We got a lot of good information from this weekend that will help us for next weekend’s Patron GT3 Challenge at the same track.”
About Werks II Motorsports
Based in Burbank, California, Werks II Motorsports has over thirty years experience racing and preparing Porsches for competition, and tuning all makes of German cars for the street and the track. Werks II is also a warehouse distributor for the highest quality of motorsports manufacturers, supplying equipment for professional teams, club racers and driving enthusiasts alike. For more information, visit www.werks2.com, or call (818) 845-2530.
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