2003 Daytona International Speedway

The 2003 Grand Am Cup season consisted of eleven race weekends. The championship kicked off in January at Daytona International Speedway, which was followed two months later by an event at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Beginning in May, the teams crisscrossed the United States, making a visit to Phoenix, Arizona and then back to the east coast for a stop at Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama. The championship made their final west coast, swing of the year to Fontana, California. Round six was held at Watkins Glen International which was followed by the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Next on the schedule was a visit to Canada for races at Mosport International Raceway and Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. The penultimate race weekend was held at Virginia International Raceway with the finale taking place at Daytona.

Most races were 3-hours in length and were scheduled as a support event for the Rolex Sports Car series. Mosport was the only weekend when the Grand Am Cup series competed without the Rolex championship.

The cars racing in the series are relatively unchanged from their road-going versions – modifications are mandated mainly for safety – roll cages, window nets, etc. They also used spec DOT-approved tires produced by Hoosier. Based on performance potential, the cars were divided into one of four groups:

Grand Sport (GS I and GS II): Grand Sport is the quicker of the two groups - this division features the larger displacement engines as well as smaller four-cylinder motors with forced induction systems. The power-plants produce between 400 and 500-horsepower. Minimum weights range between 2,900 – 3,300-pounds which, are dependent on the motor configuration and displacement. The GS I category includes cars such as the Porsche 993 Turbo, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, Dodge Viper and Saleen Mustang SR. The Acura NSX, Audi S4, BMW M3, Nissan 350Z and Pontiac Firebird are examples of vehicles competing in GS II.
Sport Touring (ST I and ST II): The smaller displacement cars compete in the ST category. Engines in this group typically produce between 220 and 280-horsepower. Popular vehicles found the ST I class are the Acura RSX, Audi A4, Lexus IS300, Porsche Boxster, BMW Z3 Coupe and Acura Integra Type R. The ST II includes the Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic EX, Chevrolet Cavalier Z24, Acura Integra LS, Dodge Neon and Mazda Protege.

With the exception of Phoenix, Barber, Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen, these four classes competed on the track at the same time.

Round one of the 2003 Grand Am Cup series was held at Daytona International Speedway. Competitors would race around the twelve-turn, 3.56-mile roval in the Daytona 250.

In qualifying for the Grand Am Cup Daytona 250, Robert Julien recorded the fastest time after just three laps and parked the No. 119 Doncaster Racing Porsche. Unfortunately, the team failed to submit its qualifying driver’s name before the session, which is required by the rules. As a result, Julien started forty-fourth in the fifty-four car field. Undeterred, he and his teammate, JF Dumoulin, stormed through the field for the victory.

The second Doncaster Racing entry driven by David Lacey and Greg Wilkins received the same penalty as their teammates, Robert Julien and JF Dumoulin. Despite being second quickest during the qualifying session, Lacey would start from the rear of the field. Like their teammates, the pair moved up the race order and were in second place after the pit-stops. They maintained their position and finished in the runner-up spot.

Capturing the victory in the GS II category was the father and son team of Joe and Wayne Nonnamaker. Showroom Stock endurance veteran, Joe qualified the Planet Earth Motorsports Porsche 911 fifteenth overall and seventh in the GS II class. During the 250-mile contest, the duo moved up the lap-chart. With thirty-minutes remaining in the event, they were in the class lead. At the finish, the Nonnamakers were twelfth overall.

The Honda of America Race Team entered two Acura RSX-S in the ST I category. Sharing the No. 69 Acura was Chad Gilsinger and Shawn Allen, while the other RSX was piloted by John Schmitt and former open-wheel competitor, Pete Halsmer. Halsmer was 0.765-seconds quicker the Gilsinger during the qualifying and started third in class. Working together during the race the No. 00 and 69 finished first and second in class.

Brent Martini inherited the overall and GS I pole-position after the two Doncaster drivers were issued the penalty for failing to submit the names of the qualifying drivers. Sharing the G&W Motorsports prepared Porsche GT3 Cup with Martini was Cort Wagner. After the first round of pit-stops, the pair dropped to third place. Unable to match the pace of the leaders, they fell to a sixth-place finish.

Ed Magner was gridded sixth in ST II and fifty-fourth overall – the last position on the starting grid. But this did not prevent Magner and his teammate, Caroline Wright, from winning their first Grand Am Cup event. Magner moved the Chevrolet Cavalier Z-24 into the lead after just 30-minutes of racing. He and Wright never relinquished first place and captured the victory by a margin of almost two-minutes.

Jeb Thornton handled the qualifying responsibilities for Automatic Racing. During the session, he recorded the ninth quickest time in the GS II group. Thornton shared the No. 09 BMW M3 with David Russell and started seventeenth overall. They inherited positions when the Snipes, Bell and Istook teams encountered problems. Passes on five other competitors earned them a runner-up finish in their category.

Sylvain Tremblay’s, Speedsource team entered two Porsche GT3 Cup cars in the GS I class. Sharing the No. 66 Porsche was Paul Mears, Jr. and David Haskell. Mears was eighth quickest during qualifying but was moved to the sixth position on the starting grid when the Doncaster Porsches were penalized. The duo was in fourth place after the first round of pit-stops was completed. By the end of the event, they were third overall.

There were two Acura Integra LS models entered by Bill Fenton Motorsports. Sharing the No. 27 Acura were Mike Liebl, Bob Beede and the team owner, Bill Fenton. Fenton performed the qualifying duties and was the fastest in the ST II class. The team maintained first place until the 30-minute mark of the race when they were passed by the hard-charging Cavalier of WTF Racing. The trio managed to finish in the runner-up position.

Team Lexus brought three IS300 models to Daytona. Sharing the No. 0 Lexus was Andy Lally and the team principal, Chuck Goldsborough. Competing in the ST I category, two of the team’s cars qualified first and second in class. Lally would start second in ST I and pass the pole-sitter, Ian James for the lead. However, Lally would lose time when he went off course. He regrouped, but was unable to catch the Acuras and finished third.

Last season, Will Nonnamaker drove the family's Acura Integra LS with his brother, Wayne. The pair won the ST II championship. This year Wayne was paired with his father Joe in a GS II Porsche 911 while Will shared the No. 43 Acura with former ST I competitor, Howie Liebengood. Liebengood was gridded third in class and fortieth overall for the start. At the finish, the duo was forty-first overall and grabbed the final spot on the podium.

Sharing the No. 54 Bell Motorsports BMW M3 were Forest Barber and Terry Borcheller. They were also participating in the Rolex 24, driving a Doran JE4 with Didier Theys and Christian Fittipaldi. Barber was the nineteenth fastest during qualifying and would start eleventh in GS II. Despite as spin by Barber early in the event, they were able to move into contention. At the finish, Borcheller and Barber were third in the GS II category.

Michael Baughman Racing entered four Pontiac Firebirds in the Daytona 250. The quickest was the No. 46 shared by Baughman and father and son, Sam and Brett Shanaman. Brett had the honour of qualifying the Firebird and was fastest in the GS II category. The trio remained in contention during the contest but lost the second spot in the final thirty-minutes and finished fourth in their group – fifteenth overall.

POS.	CLASS	DRIVERS	CAR	ENTRANT	LAPS
1	GS I	Julien / Dumoulin	Porsche GT3 Cup	Doncaster Racing	70
2	GS I	Lacey / Wilkins	Porsche GT3 Cup	Doncaster Racing	70
3	GS I	Mears Jr / Haskell	Porsche GT3 Cup	SpeedSource	70
4	GS I	Wellman / Tremblay	Porsche GT3 Cup	SpeedSource	70
5	GS I	Huang / Hall	Chevrolet Corvette	Silverstone Racing Services	51
6	GS I	Martini / Wagner	Porsche GT3 Cup	G&W Motorsports	69
7	GS I	Powell / Goad	Chevrolet Corvette	Powell Motorsport	69
8	GS I	Wilson / Merzon	Porsche GT3 Cup	Case-It Racing	69
9	GS I	Levitas / Pobst	Porsche GT3 Cup	TPC Racing	69
10	GS I	Davis / Cawley	Porsche GT3 Cup	Foxhill Racing	69
11	GS I	Weinberg / Hayner	Chevrolet Corvette	Powell Motorsport	68
12	GS II	Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker	Porsche 911	Planet Earth Motorsport	66
13	GS II	Thornton / Russell	BMW M3	Automatic Racing	66
14	GS II	Barber / Borcheller	BMW M3	Bell Motorsports	66
15	GS II	Shanaman / Shanaman / Baughman	Pontiac Firebird	Baughman Racing	66
16	GS II	Kopperl / Brown	Mustang Cobra R	Frederick Motorsports	66
17	GS II	Law / McCalmont	Porsche 996	Zoom Motorsports	65
18	GS II	Martin / Del Vecchio	Pontiac Firebird	Baughman Racing	65
19	GS I	Littlechild / Jackson	Porsche GT3 Cup	TPC Racing	65
20	GS II	Seafuse / Seafuse	Mustang Cobra R	JBS Motorsports	65
21	GS II	Assentato / Longhi	Mustang Cobra SVT	TF Racing	64
22	ST I	Halsmer / Schmitt	Acura RSX-S	Honda of America Racing Team	64
23	ST I	Gilsinger / Allen	Acura RSX-S	Honda of America Racing Team	63
24	ST I	Lally / Goldsborough	Lexus IS300	Team Lexus	63
25	ST I	Pawley / Van Cleef	Toyota Supra	J Pauley Motorsports	63
26	ST I	Pfeffer / Salama	BMW Z4	TC Kline Racing	63
27	ST I	Hamblin / Tetreault	BMW Z3	Duane Neyer Motorsports	63
28	GS II	Rehagen / Martin	Mustang Cobra SVT	Rehagen Racing	62
29	ST I	Schlesinger / Genao	Porsche Boxster	SpeedSource	62
30	ST I	Spangler / Chenoweth	BMW 330i	CSL Racing	62
31	ST I	James / Hanson	Lexus IS300	Team Lexus	62
32	ST I	Nuzzo / Lewis	Mini Cooper S	Nuzzo Motorsports	62
33	GS II	Masessa / England	Pontiac Firebird	Baughman Racing	62
34	ST I	Menard / Menard	Lexus IS300	Team Lexus	62
35	ST I	Himes / Moorcones	Acura Integra R	Craftsman Motorsports	62
36	ST I	Legg / Ellinger	Audi A4	LM Racing	62
37	GS II	Istook / Breazeale	Audi S4	Istook / Aines Motorsport	61
38	GS II	Sachs / Snipes	Mustang Cobra R	Snipes Ford Motorsports	59
39	ST II	Magner / Wright	Chevrolet Cavalier Z-24	WTF Engineering	59
40	ST II	Fenton / Beede	Acura Integra LS	Bill Fenton Motorsports	59
41	ST II	Liebengood / Nonnamaker	Acura Integra LS	HRPworld.com	59
42	GS II	Schuitemaker / Zacharias	Nissan 350Z	Schuitemaker Motorpsorts	58
43	ST II	Lisa / Rosenblum	Mazda Protégé	ICY / SL Motorsports	58
44	ST I	Pappas / Fitzgerald	Acura Integra R	Sky Rocket Six Racing	58
45	ST II	Swain / Linville	Acura Integra LS	HRPworld.com	58
46	ST II	Baglier / Luffy	Mazda Protégé	Baglieracing	57
47	ST I	Dubler / Maehling / Magner	Oldsmobile Achieva SC	WTF Engineering	57
48	ST I	Wittmer / Trahan	Honda Civic Si	De Sigi Auto Sport	56
49	ST I	Patch / Tuaty	BMW Z4	TC Kline Racing	53
50	GS II	Beaver / Haggerty	Porsche 996	TPC Racing	53
51	GS I	Kohler / Smith	Saleen SR	TF Racing	40
52	ST I	Bavaro / McGillycuddy / Lewis	Mini Cooper S	Nuzzo Motorsports	23
53	GS II	Sturm / Horning	Porsche 996	North Shore Racing	20
54	GS II	Polidori / Argetsinger	Pontiac Firebird	Baughman Racing	5

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