LEXINGTON, Ohio—After nearly a full season in the Street Tuner class of GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, it all comes down to the final race at Mid-Ohio for RSR Motorsports. Co-drivers Sarah Cattaneo and Owen Trinkler are third in the championship standings, just nine points out of the top spot.
Cattaneo took another step toward becoming GRAND-AM's first female champion by capturing the Street Tuner pole in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge qualifying, highlighting a session that saw 33 of 39 Grand Sport and 23 of 32 Street Tuner competitors shattered the existing track marks.

Cattaneo and Trinkler won round nine at New Jersey Motorsports Park in July, driving the No. 198 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S, which carries sponsorship from Cruise America and Thor Motor Coach.

To make the win even sweeter, Chris Puskar and Tom Dyer finished second in the No. 197 RSR Motorsports MINI Cooper S.

The double podium had an added benefit: it propelled Cattaneo and Trinkler into the championship chase once again. Sitting in third with only nine points separating them from the current points leader, race ten at Mid-Ohio will be the deciding factor in who takes the ST crown.

“Mid-Ohio’s twisty back side is well suited to the MINIs,” says Trinkler. “Madness and Thunder Valley are some of my favorite sections of the track, and those are the areas where our cars can really make up some time. A championship would be one of my biggest accomplishments. I’m excited about it for me, and for the whole team.”

Following the win at New Jersey, however, GRAND-AM added 25 pounds of weight to the MINIs. For RSR Motorsports, it’s another challenge in what has been a roller-coaster year.

“This season hasn’t been easy for us, but we haven’t given up. We’re going to keep our hopes up and keep doing what we do,” says Cattaneo. “Going into it with the team that we have, we’ve got the highest expectations, especially after winning New Jersey. Mid-Ohio is a great track for the MINIs: it’s tight and it really suits us well.”

In addition to the No. 198 MINI, the RSR Motorsports lineup at Mid-Ohio will include Ron Farmer and Jason Hart in the No. 196 US LED MINI Cooper S. Dicky Riegel and Tom Dyer will co-drive the No. 195 MINI, while the No. 197 MINI will feature Mark Congleton and Chris Puskar.

Mid-Ohio is special to RSR Motorsports because, in 2008, it was the home of the team’s first ST pole and the first time an RSR MINI led a race. This weekend, Mid-Ohio could be the track where RSR Motorsports earns their first championship.

Keep up with RSR Motorsports at www.RSRMotorsports.com.

RSR Motorsports is sponsored by Cruise America, Thor Motor CoachÜS LED, MINI USA, Pilot/Flying J Travel Centers, Performance Friction Rotors, OS Giken Racing Clutches and Limited Slip Differentials, Midway Ford Truck Sales, Mini North Scottsdale, Performance Speed Tech, and Carbotech Pads.

Aug. 29, 2011

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Sarah Cattaneo is looking to make GRAND-AM history as the 2011 racing season rolls to a close with the season-ending EMCO Gears Classic at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Cattaneo is looking to become GRAND-AM's first female champion. The 25-year-old driver from Scottsdale, Ariz., enters the season finale running third in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Street Tuner standings.

Cattaneo scored her first career victory in any type of competition at the most recent race at New Jersey Motorsports Park, co-driving RSR Motorsports' No. 198 Cruise America/Cash Tech/Thor Motorcoach Mini Cooper S with Owen Trinkler. The victory was the first for a woman in the series since Belinda Endress won in 2003 at Circuit Mont-Tremblant.

It was the second podium finish of the season for Cattaneo and Trinkler, who finished third at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Entering the finale, the RSR co-drivers have tallied 202 points. Nic Jonsson leads with 211 points, three ahead of Ryan Eversley.

Jonsson is a two-time winner co-driving with Michael Galati in the No. 12 Infinity Audio/Kia Motors America Kia Forte Koup. He opened the season with a second-place finish at Daytona, co-driving with Andy Lally. Galati then joined the team, sharing in the victories at Barber Motorsports Park and Road America.

Eversley drives Compass360 Racing's No. 74 Skunk2/Honda Performance Development/Children's Tumor Foundation Honda Civic Si. He co-drove to victory at Virginia International Raceway with team owner Karl Thomson. Eversley also finished third at Lime Rock Park, co-driving with Bob Beede, and sixth at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, paired with Honda factory driver Simon Pagenaud.