(October 10, 2009) — Miller Barrett Racing came close to capping its rookie test program with a GT class podium finish in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday. Bryce Miller of Summit, N.J., Kevin Roush of Upland, Calif., and the Georgia-based crew combined for a strong performance in the 2.5-hour race, but had to settle for 10th place.
Roush started the No. 48 Marquis Jet / IPC / Total Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car from seventh on the GT grid. He gained one position to sixth before handing off to Miller at the one-hour mark. The crew’s fast pitwork put Miller back on track fourth in class. He lost one position through subsequent pitstops, then stopped for tires during a late caution period. He was charging for fourth when a Daytona Prototype car spun in front of him with only six minutes remaining in the race. As Miller moved to avoid the DP, it slipped back and Miller’s Porsche clipped the back end. The contact put both cars out of the race.
Bryce Miller: “The team did a great job with the pitstops – there were positions gained and that was a nice luxury. The pit strategy was very good and I think we found the right pressures on the tires for the very last set that we took on. We were one of only two cars that had new tires from the last pitstop. It’s just unfortunate to come so close to a top finish – absolutely, my feeling is that we would have had a podium. We had the tires to fight for the position at the end and the car was very good. So it’s upsetting not to get the results, but the team deserves a huge pat on the back. It was a big, big step forward and we made lots of progress. I think there’s a lot to be proud of to take into next season.”
Kevin Roush: “Obviously, that’s heart-breaking for us. Being one of the few cars on new tires, we were looking like we had a real shot at the podium. Unfortunately, the driver of the DP didn’t keep both feet in it as he should have and he rolled back and Bryce just [hit] him. The car ahead of us – that we were fighting for position – ended up winning the race … It’s heart-breaking given that the team did such a great job on so many stops that we made because of the tires going away so fast in this record heat. I’m proud of the guys; they did a great job, Bryce did a great job. Maybe one of these times we can close the deal and finish ‘way up there.”
partners
Miller Barrett Racing competes with the support of three international sponsors. Marquis Jet is the recognized leader in private jet cards because it’s the only program that offers exclusive access to NetJets – the gold standard in private aviation – 25 hours at a time. IPC Information Systems is a leading provider of mission-critical communications solutions to financial services firms. Total Lubricants is the world’s fourth-largest publicly traded integrated international oil and gas company.
