Blackhawk Motorsports to field Daytona prototype for Bob Stallings and
Alex Gurney
February 22, 2005
The Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series
welcomed another new Daytona Prototype team as Blackhawk Motorsports
owner/driver Bob Stallings announced today that his team will field a
Pontiac-powered Riley for himself and co-driver Alex Gurney beginning with
the inaugural U.S. Sports Car Invitational at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on
the weekend of April 29-May 1.
The primary sponsor of the No. 99 Blackhawk Motorsports Daytona Prototype
is GAINSCO INC. (“Gainsco”), a Dallas, Texas-based auto insurer which
distributes policies through a network of independent agents in Florida,
Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and California. Gainsco is a growing company in
the automobile insurance industry and plans to use the racing program as a
central feature of its new “Are You Driven?” marketing theme.
“We are excited about the opportunities our sponsorship of Blackhawk
Motorsports will create for us,” said Glenn W. Anderson, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Gainsco. “We believe this sponsorship will
provide a unique platform for our Company to build brand awareness and
advance our distribution strategies. We have a renewed focus at Gainsco
after our recent restructuring, and we believe this integrated marketing
program will be an exciting component of our business development plan.”
Additional sponsorship is provided by Wells Fargo Private Banking. “Wells
Fargo Private Banking is pleased to sponsor Bob Stallings’ Blackhawk
Motorsports Daytona Prototype,” said Sheryl Latham, Wells Fargo Private
Client Services regional manager for Dallas. “We have worked closely with
Bob and are confident that this sponsorship will give us the opportunity
to showcase our specialized products and services for those with complex
financial needs.” Other sponsors are expected to be announced in the near
future.
Alex Gurney, the son of racing legend Dan Gurney, began his professional
racing career in 1997 in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge Series winning 10
of 14 races. Later that year, he was named the Team Green Academy winner
after a competition between the top 25 up-and-coming American racers. From
1998 to 2000, he had successful stints in both the Barber Dodge Pro Series
as well as the Toyota Atlantic Championship, earning pole positions and
podiums along the way. In 2001, he ventured to England to drive on the
highly-competitive British F3 circuit, competing against such notables as
current Formula 1 racers Takuma Sato and Anthony Davidson and scoring
eight top-10 finishes. He returned to the Toyota Atlantic circuit in 2002
with Dorricott Racing, claiming third overall in an intensely fought
championship.
Over the past two years, Gurney has concentrated on being a successful
driving coach and budding race engineer working with the 2004 Toyota
Atlantic championship-winning team, Pacific Coast Motorsports. Gurney also
served as a part time driving coach and test driver with Blackhawk
Motorsports, playing a key role in the development of team owner/driver
Bob Stallings and his success in winning the Atlantic National
Championship at the 2004 SCCA runoffs.
“Blackhawk believes Alex’s addition to the team as a driver will make
Blackhawk a serious contender in any race it enters,” Stallings said.
“Alex is an All-American and without question one of the finest young
racing talents in America today, proving that the apple doesn’t fall far
from the tree.”
“It’s been a pleasure working with Bob Stallings over the last couple
years,” Gurney said. “I feel extremely fortunate to be teaming with him
and the Blackhawk team in the Rolex Sports Car Series. With the support of
Gainsco and Wells Fargo, I am truly excited about our prospects.”
For Stallings, the foray into the Rolex Series will be his first exposure
to professional racing after a relatively brief but highly-successful
stint in SCCA competition. Having started competition in 2001, Stallings
won the Kohler 2004 SCCA National Championship Runoff at Mid-Ohio in the
Formula Atlantic class, capping a career in the SCCA Southern Pacific
Division. He was a consistent winner and podium finisher, while setting
track records at Thunderhill Raceway, Texas World Speedway, Laguna Seca
and California Speedway.
“Alex and I both want to thank Gainsco and Wells Fargo for providing us
the opportunity to drive this awesome No. 99 race car in what has quickly
become the most talked about road racing series in the country,” Stallings
said. “We are also very excited to introduce our newest team member and
technical director, Kyle Brannan, as well as our long-time crew chief and
team manager, Mark Lubin. We are very lucky to have these two gentlemen
running the show, along with support from long-time members Ryan Reid and
Bryan Howard.”
Kyle Brannan, the team’s technical director, is a mechanical engineer by
degree from California State University, Sacramento. Brannan has nearly 20
years of motorsports experience, including two Toyota Atlantic
championships and several race wins in Champ Car and Indy Lights. Brannan
joins Blackhawk Motorsports from the Toyota Atlantic series, where he
spent the last six seasons as race engineer/project manager, amassing 21
victories and 22 pole positions. A native of Sonoma, Calif., Brannan
resides in Gardnerville, Nev.
Crew chief and team manager for the new Gainsco/Blackhawk Racing Team is
Mark Lubin, who has filled those roles for Blackhawk Motorsports since its
inception in 2001. Lubin’s prior experience includes highly-successful
relationships with the A.J. Foyt Racing team, winning races with Kenny
Brack, Billy Boat, Airton Dare and others.
“Bob has done a good job putting together the right people, equipment and
sponsors to compete in the series,” Lubin said. “Alex and Bob are used to
running up front, so we have our work cut out for us.”
The team expects to take delivery of its new Daytona Prototype in early
April. Fans can follow the team’s progress during the racing season on its
website www.blackhawkmotorsports.net or at www.gainsco.com.
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