Wallace, Leitzinger Complete Pre-Season Testing for Rolex 24 At Daytona
#20 Howard Motorsports Team conducts two-day test

Denver, NC (January 8, 2007) … It’s all over but the shouting! Pre-season testing for the 45th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona that is. For three days last week, sixty-three Grand-Am Rolex Series teams tested at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month.

The #20 Howard Motorsports Team, with Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger co-driving their Pontiac Crawford DP03, participated in the first two days of the test, Thursday and Friday, January 4th and 5th.

The first session of the test on Thursday morning did not last long for the #20 team. After completing only seven laps, Andy Wallace brought his Pontiac Crawford to pit road with a mechanical problem. Upon further inspection, the Howard Motorsports Team pushed the car to the garage area. The work on the car was completed in time for Wallace and co-driver Butch Leitzinger to practice in the second of three first-day sessions. Since very few laps were made in the first session, this practice was literally a “shakedown” and served as a starting point in their overall goals for the test.

The third and final session on the first day of testing saw the #20 Pontiac Crawford post the seventh fastest speed during the hour time limit. The 1:45.606 / 121.357 mph lap would be the fastest lap turned in by the #20 car during the two days of testing.

With renewed enthusiasm, the Howard Motorsports Team began the second day of testing with Butch Leitzinger piloting their Pontiac Crawford the entire session. All systems went well, but major traffic issues kept Leitzinger from getting a “clean lap” and posting one of the top speeds. However, the team worked on handling issues and felt as though progress was being made as testing reached mid-day on day two.

However, the second session on day two presented more engine issues to the team and Andy Wallace was able to complete only a few laps before the mechanical problem reared its ugly head. The crew spent the majority of the session diagnosing the problem and working to eliminate the bothersome issue.

With all systems working well again, Andy Wallace began the third and final session in the #20 Pontiac Crawford. However, another mechanical issue resurfaced early in the session, sending the Howard Motorsports entry to the garage for the duration of the time allotted. Day two was complete, and so was the preseason test for Howard Motorsports.

“I have mixed reviews about our two days here (at Daytona),” Wallace commented. “We had some issues that kept us from achieving all of the things that we wanted to test during lots of these sessions. But, when the car was working well, it performed great. Both Butch and I got laps to try several things and work on our setup for the Rolex 24. The mechanical issues were frustrating, but we did make some gains with the time we had on the course. Our Howard Motorsports Team will go back to the shop and work hard to prepare our Pontiac Crawford for the race. When we return, we’ll be just fine and be a contender.”

The season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona is set for January 27-28 at Daytona International Speedway. Practice and qualifying for the Rolex 24 will be held on Thursday and Friday, January 25th and 26th. The 45th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona is set for a 1:30 PM start on Saturday, January 27th. This year, FOX and SPEED will partner to televise the Rolex 24 At Daytona. FOX will begin their 90-minute coverage at 1 p.m. ET on the 27th, with SPEED beginning their 13.5 hours of live coverage at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Howard Motorsports, LLC is a car racing entity of the Crawford Group based in Denver, North Carolina. Howard Motorsports competes in the Grand-Am Rolex Series in their Pontiac Crawford DP03 cars. For more information on Howard Motorsports, visit www.howardmotorsports.com. For information on Andy Wallace, visit www.andywallace.com.
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Howard Motorsports Supports “Stocks for Tots”

#4 Pontiac Crawford on display at annual event

Denver, NC (December 13, 2006) … Howard Motorsports was well represented at the annual “Stocks for Tots” on Tuesday, December 12th with their #4 Pontiac Crawford Daytona Prototype on display for the event. The 17th annual holiday event and fundraiser was held at the Charles Mack Citizens Center in downtown Mooresville, North Carolina.

The #4 Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford was placed outside the main entrance to the Charles Mack Citizens Center and caught the attention of every attendee to this years event. Along with the Howard Motorsports DP car, the #19 Finlay Motorsports Crawford Daytona Prototype was available at the annual event. Race fans from throughout the country enjoyed viewing and taking photos of the DP03 Daytona Prototypes that compete in the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series. This year marked the third year that Howard Motorsports has exhibited their Pontiac Crawford DP at the Stocks for Tots event.

Stocks for Tots was created as a way to bring together racing and its fans, while raising awareness of the child abuse problem in North Carolina. The idea was to collect toys and raise money during a festive, family-oriented holiday event. Admission to the event is a new unwrapped toy or a cash donation.

The first fundraiser was held at the Mooresville (NC) Armory in December, 1989. To date, the annual event has raised over $400,000 and distributed nearly 40,000 Christmas toys to children in the area. Thousands of race fans annually attend this event to see many of their favorite drivers, cars on display, and a visit from Santa. This year, over forty drivers and racing legends, as well as several crew chiefs and popular motorsports media and celebrities greeted their fans.

Along with their #4 Pontiac Crawford DP, Crawford Race Cars Chief Designer Andy Scriven, Crawford Race Cars Engineer Abe Headley, and Howard Motorsports team members Scot Sterkenburg, Billy Hughes, Katie Bolick, Mike Seymour, Bob Temple, Tristan Temple, and Justin Alspaugh attended the event. Scriven discussed the design and performance of the DP03, and team members held informal questions and answer sessions with the fans.

“Stocks for Tots is annually a huge event for racing fans during the holidays,” Rick Howard, President of Howard Motorsports, commented. “The event has really grown over the years, and the toys and cash proceeds raised at this event has benefited many needy families. It was great to see the excitement surrounding our #4 Pontiac Crawford on display this year. For many race fans, it was their first close up look at a Daytona Prototype car. From their reaction and the number of photos taken, I believe we gained some fans for the Rolex Sports Car Series.”

The 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series opens with the 45th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona at the Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, January 27th.

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Crawford Race Cars Leads the Pack at Homestead Test
Finlay Motorsports Ford Crawford fastest during two-day test

Denver, N.C. (December 7, 2007) … Crawford Race Cars, led by the #19 Finlay Motorsports Ford Crawford, posted the fastest overall speed during the two-day Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series test at the Homestead-Miami Speedway this week. The test was the second of three scheduled “off-season” sessions for the Daytona Prototype and GT cars in preparation for the 2007 season.

A total of 36 cars participated in the test with 21 Daytona Prototypes and 15 GT cars entered. With two sessions each day, the action on the track, and in the garage area, was fast and furious. At the end of both days, the #19 Finlay Motorsports Ford Crawford piloted by Michael Valiante stood atop the speed chart. On Tuesday, Valiante turned his fastest lap, 111.664 mph, late in the afternoon session to capture the top position. On Wednesday, the Canadian once again blistered his fastest lap, 112.068, late in the day. His lap of 112.068 mph was the fastest overall lap of the two-day test.

The combined overall test results show four Crawford DP03 Daytona Prototypes in the top eight. The #51 Porsche Crawford from Cheever Racing, driven by Tommy Erdos, was fifth fastest at 111.717 mph, followed by Andy Wallace in the #20 Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford at 111.652 mph. The #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche Crawford ranked eighth with a speed of 111.307 mph. Needless to say, the test results were pleasing to Andy Scriven, Chief Designer if the Crawford DP03 Daytona Prototype.

“I think it was a very good test,” Scriven stated. “The cars that we had there all went quickly. The Finlay Motorsports car driven by Michael Valiante was quickest on both days. So, it’s quite pleasing when our customer cars run well. Our other customer cars, Cheever Racing and Alex Job Racing ran very well. The Howard Motorsports car had limited testing at Homestead, but did well. We had a few different pieces to try, and we’re working very hard with the new Bosch system and the new Hoosier tire.”

“As a company, we’re very happy with what we learned,” Scriven continued. “We’ll take that information and use it when we get to Daytona. We also had the Dyson car down there, and the effort and their performance was very pleasing. We don’t run that car that often, but I think the results from Homestead were very good for them, and they can look forward to a good Daytona.”

“The GT program we had at Homestead was with two very new cars,” Scriven added. “We’ve still got a steep learning curve with them, but I think the fact that both cars tested and had no major problems is a plus. There were a few little glitches, but that’s to be expected with new cars. We were extremely happy with the performance of the Mustang in its first time out. The Blackforest Motorsports Team was very happy with the car and their performance showed that. We learned quite a lot with the Infiniti with Andy Wallace, Terry Borcheller, and Johnny Mowlem driving the car. We need more time with this car, but it’s going to be good. We’re a little green with GT cars, but we came away from Homestead knowing what we need to do. We feel strongly that we’ll be ready when we get to Daytona.”

Max Crawford, President of Crawford Race Cars, echoed many of Scriven’s thoughts about the Homestead test.

“I’m ecstatic,” Crawford said. “I’m very happy that a Ford, Porsche, and Pontiac Crawford all ran at the front during these sessions and having four in the top eight overall is very satisfying for our company. I’m very pleased with that performance. After the earlier Daytona test, we went back to our Denver, North Carolina shop and worked very hard on our overall program, and the performance showed the fruits of that effort. Daytona was all about the new Bosch system. We spent two days working that system out. Homestead was much better, and I feel we have a better handle on it. That translates into better performance with our cars.”

Perhaps Scriven described the test best. “We really came out of Homestead with a lot of optimism. We’ve still got some more ideas to work on before Daytona. We have a high degree of optimism that all of our cars will be running very well at Daytona, and that Crawford Race Cars will be a strong contender “

The next test for the Rolex Series cars will be at the Daytona International Speedway on January 4-6, 2007. And, if the Homestead results are any indication, look for Crawford Race Cars at the top of the speed chart.

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Howard Motorsports Completes Initial 2007 Test at Daytona

Drivers, team work to solve many issues for upcoming season

Denver, N.C. … With a two-day test session at the Daytona International Speedway on November 6th and 7th, Howard Motorsports began their testing for the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona. And, with two Crawford DP03 cars and four drivers participating, it was a very interesting two days at the World Center of Racing.

The November test at Daytona was basically an opportunity for Howard Motorsports to test the new Bosch system. Howard Motorsports was excited to also give two very talented drivers the chance to drive a Crawford Daytona Prototype. With regular Howard Motorsports drivers Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger handling the bulk of the on-track testing, Howard Motorsports was able to maximize their two days in Daytona.

Andy Wallace, who piloted the #20 Crawford DP03, tested the new Bosch system to work out some “teething” problems. While there are still issues to resolve, a tremendous amount of knowledge was gained during the test.

“It took us both days to sort out the new Bosch system that Grand Am made mandatory for the 2007 season,” Wallace commented. “We did long runs on the tires and a few aero tests. We got a lot of feedback from the car and now we just need to digest all the data we got from these two days.”

Butch Leitzinger tested the #2 Crawford DP03 with the 2006 ignition spec and worked with some different aero packages. Leitzinger also tested the 2007 spec Hoosier tire.

“We had a very productive test at Daytona,” Leitzinger added. “Our main reason for testing this weekend was to get the Bosch unit working with the cars. We also focused on a variety of setups and had two drivers get a chance to drive the Crawford Daytona Prototype. Both did a good job.”

The two drivers Leitzinger mentioned were Rafael Matos and Joey Hand. Both were given an opportunity to pilot the Crawford DP03 during the test. And, both received high marks.

“Both Rafael and Joey impressed me very much,” Max Crawford stated. “They were both fast, professional, and did an excellent job even though they had limited testing time due to the rain.”

“My first impression of the Crawford DP03 was that the car was very easy to drive and comfortable,” Joey Hand said. “My driving style is aggressive and the car took to my style right away. The car drives aggressively, so it was a good fit. The car handled the corners well, and the only thing that I had to adjust to was the brakes. I just need a little more time to get use to the brakes. Other than the brakes, I loved the car and want to thank the Crawford’s and the team for all their help this weekend.”

“This weekend was a great experience for me,” Matos added. “I first want to thank the team and Max (Crawford) for all of their help this weekend. I drove the Crawford DP03 for the first time on Monday, and my second time around in the car on Tuesday, I felt better and more comfortable. Unfortunately, my track time was limited due to the rain. This was a great opportunity for me to see where I can improve my driving skills with the DP car. I would love to come back for more testing and possibly for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.”

The next test session for the 2007 season will be held at the Homestead-Miami Speedway on December 5th and 6th. Between now and then, it’s back to the Denver, North Carolina shop and more hard work as Howard Motorsports continues preparation for the 2007 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.

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Howard Motorsports Participates in Denver Days Fall Festival

DENVER, N.C. (October 2, 2006) -- Howard Motorsports had a major presence on Saturday at the 4th annual Denver Days Fall Festival in Denver, North Carolina. The third-year Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Team displayed the #4 BOSS Snowplow Pontiac Crawford at their booth on Friday and Saturday.

Two large televisions in the Howard Motorsports booth enabled the team to show fans actual racing action from the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series as well as a slide presentation featuring highlights of the season. Banners celebrating several Rolex Series victories for Howard Motorsports were displayed and hero cards distributed to the fans in attendance. Team members were available throughout the weekend to answer questions and enjoy discussing racing with their many fans.

The Denver Days Fall Festival is a free, family oriented three-day event for the entire community. Its purpose is to enhance civic pride in the Denver and Lincoln County area and raise funds for recreational facilities and resources for the community.

Denver Days Fall Festival began on Thursday, September 28th and ran through Saturday, September 30th. Attractions at Denver Days included vendor booths, festival rides, Miss Denver Pageant, dance exhibitions, gymnastics, local entertainers, arts and crafts, plus games and activities for the kids. On Friday evening, the Band of Oz performed for the festival, and Saturday, the Marshal Tucker Band highlighted the huge crowd with two concerts. Festival organizers estimated attendance at 40,000 for the weekend.

Howard Motorsports, LLC is a car racing entity of the Crawford Group based in Denver, North Carolina. Howard Motorsports competes in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series in their Pontiac Crawford DP03 cars under the name Howard Motorsports. For more information on Howard Motorsports, visit www.howardmotorsports.com. For information on Andy Wallace, visit www.andywallace.com. To learn more about The BOSS Snowplow, visit www.bossplows.com.