"Historic Win for Factory Five in Vintage Races"
Danville, VA - July 13, 2003 - In a historic first, Dan Elam drove the FedDS.org / Factory Five Spec Racer to win in the vintage races at Virginia International Raceway (VIR).  Running in the Sports Modified class with Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR), Elam overcame early problems to take home the first place medal.  It was the first time a Factory Five Spec Racer had competed in a sanctioned vintage race.
elamsvin.jpg (52843 bytes) "It was fun to run the Spec Racer on this incredible track with so many cars of historical significance", said Elam, the track record holder for FFR Spec Racers.  "Seeing cars that have run at LeMans, Daytona, and Indianapolis gives you a real appreciation for their timeless beauty.  Vintage racing is the only place where you'll see a Panoz LeMans Prototype and Formula 3000 car all running during the same weekend".  The famous VIR track, which opened in 1957, has hosted such notable drivers as Richard Petty, Carroll Shelby, Brock Yates, Dan Gurney, Bob Tullius, and Wendell Scott.
"Our weekend didn't start too well", said Elam.  "A loose clamp caused overheating problems.  We've been spoiled with the Spec Racer being almost bullet-proof.  We actually lost most of one session because we couldn't believe there was really something wrong with the car.  Once we replaced a $0.40 clamp, we were back in business." elamsvin2.jpg (79088 bytes)
elamsvin3.jpg (39479 bytes) Elam drove in the Sports category, where he won the Modified class and finished sixth overall.  "We knew we weren't going to beat the Formula 3000 car or the former Grand-Am Porsche, but we were happy to finish ahead of the Boss Mustang and some others with considerably more horsepower.  We just wanted to give the fans a good show."
For more information contact:  Historic Sportscar Racing www.HSRrace.com 
For more information on the Factory Five Spec Challenge Series, click here