The 2009 racing season has really started to take shape for Team Owner
Matt Connolly and his Grand Am Rolex Series GT team. Starting the season
off with a multi-year agreement with new title sponsor Battery Tender,
then came the new GT class Porsche 997, and with the natural order of
things is now happy to announce his world class talent behind the wheel.
In the #21 Battery Tender Pontiac GTO-R are some familiar faces to
both Matt Connolly, and the Grand Am Series in drivers Romeo Kapudija
and Ryan Phinny. Kapudija has been competing at a high level in North
American Sports Cars for some time now from his stints in the American
Le Mans Series, Koni Challenge and Grand Am Rolex Series in both Daytona
Prototypes and GT class competition. Kapudija states; "Ryan clearly
showed he can run up front in this car, and made a great transition last
year from open wheel. I'm really looking forward to getting back to one
of my favorite tracks at Virginia, and know that Ryan and I will get the
most out of the GTO-R, Matt has put together a very good team behind
us and that is giving us a great comfort level as we move into Round
2 of the '09 season". Ryan Phinny came onto the scene at the middle
portion of last season in sharing the #21 GTO-R with then season driver
Diego Alessi. Phinny ran in seven races with the team, leading several
laps and finishing with five Top-5 finishes and three podiums. The #21
entry will carry the signage of sponsors Battery Tender, Find.com, Baja
Cantina, and P1Groupe.com. States Phinny of the opportunity "I'm very
happy to be back in the GTO-R for Matt again. I missed the Virginia
round last season, and very much looking forward to continuing the
success of last season with a very good team and car behind me. This is
my first time driving with Romeo, but after seeing him drive at Daytona,
am very confident that together we'll have that Pontiac running up front
when we cross that finish line".
New to the team in the #31 South African Airways Porsche 997 GT3 Cup
team entry are drivers Hennie Groenewald and Dion von Moltke. Both
drivers carrying the South African flags next to their names will be a
special draw to the series, the international media and the fans. Dion
has tested with the team previously in their Pontiac and has put his toe
in the Rolex Series water by running the 2008 New Jersey Motorsports
Park round of the series in a Mazda RX-8 with fellow countryman Jordan
Taylor, and again in this seasons' Rolex 24 hours of Daytona in the same
car before making the switch over to the Porsche. Dion enthusiastically
mentions; "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and everyone involved.
I have been racing under the South African flag my whole career, and
to be teamed with one of the most successful professional race car
drivers in South African history and to be supporting a company such as
South African Airways in the process is such an honor." Groenewald is
a 3-time and reigning WesBank V8 Champion in his native South Africa.
Hennie showed up at the recent Grand Am Series sanctioned test at
Homestead-Miami Speedway as a virtual unknown in the paddock as he
tested three different GT class cars over the two days. Groenewald
left the circuit with everyone asking about him as he set the fastest
time for the field and reset the track record. "After doing the test
at Homestead in March with Matt Connolly's Battery Tender - MCM Racing
team, it was very exciting news when I heard that we have confirmed the
opportunity to race with the team in the Grand Am Rolex Series." Hennie
continues; "I am also looking forward to be driving with my fellow
countryman and extremely talented driver in Dion. I am sure between
the two of us and including the expertise and level of commitment from
Matt's team we can provide a competitive package". South African Airways
(SAA) is South Africa's largest domestic and international carrier
with hubs in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The #31 Porsche will also be
supported by Battery Tender, Find.com, AIS Media, and P1Groupe.com.
-credit: mcmr
