For Immediate Release
Contact Laz Denes with True Speed Communication
(704) 875-3388 ext. 806 or Laz.Denes@TrueSpeedCommunication.com
www.TrueSpeedCommunication.com
Online Media Kit Available at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com

Date: June 8, 2012
Event: EMCO Gears Classic (Round 6 of 13)
Series: Daytona Prototype division of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series
Location: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington (2.258-mile, 13-turn road course)
Pole Winner: Jon Fogarty of Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing (1:18.079 at 104.110 mph)
SunTrust Racing: 3rd by Ricky Taylor (1:18.499 at 103.557 mph)

The No. 10 SunTrust Corvette Dallara DP of Wayne Taylor Racing, seeking its third GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series victory in the last four races, will start Saturday’s EMCO Gears Classic from the inside of the second row after qualifying Friday at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington.

Ricky Taylor, who co-drives the SunTrust Racing machine with veteran Italian Max Angelelli, clocked a fast qualifying lap of 1 minute, 18.499 seconds (103.557 mph) on the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit. It was good for third among 26 car-and-driver combinations entered for Saturday’s two-hour, 45-minute race. Taylor missed his third consecutive front-row qualifying effort at Mid-Ohio by just five-hundredths of a second.

“I’m a little disappointed,” said Taylor, who put SunTrust Racing on the front row in qualifying each of the last two years at Mid-Ohio. “We knew the 99 (Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP) was going to be really strong and we knew the 90 (Michael Valiente in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP) was going to be pretty strong. I would have liked to have been second. I was pushing really hard. But third’s good. I think we can race well from there. The 99 is definitely going to be strong tomorrow, so we just need to continue our good pit stops and good strategy, and we can be there for the win.”

Taylor, who with Angelelli won back-to-back Rolex Series events in April and May at Homestead-Miami Speedway and New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, will start behind polesitter Fogarty, who also was the fastest qualifier at last week’s Chevrolet GRAND-AM 200 on Detroit’s Belle Isle street circuit, and Valiente, who was second-fastest today.

The top-five qualifiers for Saturday’s EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio are:

1. Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing (No. 99 Corvette DP) with Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney (1:18.079 at 104.110 mph)

2. Spirit of Daytona Racing (No. 90 Corvette DP) with Michael Valiente and Richard Westbrook (1:18.443 at 103.633 mph)

3. SunTrust Racing (No. 10 Corvette DP) with Ricky Taylor and Max Angelelli (1:18.499 at 103.557 mph)

4. Action Express Racing (No. 5 Corvette DP) with Terry Borcheller and David Donohue (1:18.771 at 103.209 mph)

5. Action Express Racing (No. 9 Corvette DP) with Darren Law, Joao Barbosa, J.C. France (1:18.911 at 103.014 mph)

Race time Saturday is 4:30 p.m. EDT with live television coverage provided by SPEED. Live radio coverage will be provided by the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius/XM Channel 117 beginning with pre-race activities at 4:15 p.m. Live timing and scoring during all on-track sessions can be found at www.grand-am.com, and on mobile devices at m.grand-am.com/laptrax.

- SunTrust: The Official Bank of Motorsports –

SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation’s largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.  As of March 31, 2012, SunTrust had total assets of $178.2 billion and total deposits of $130.0 billion.  The Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels.  The Company also serves clients in selected markets nationally.  Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services.  Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and investment banking services. SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com.