Daytona Koni Challenge Results - SPOILER!

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The race will be shown Saturday, Jan 31 at 4pm on Speed. Don't read further if you don't want the drama spoiled.

After 3 hours and 263 miles, the Turner Motorsports E46 M3 of Bill Auberlen and Matt Bell won the race. The top 4 cars were running nose-to-tail before a late full-course caution caused the race to end under a yellow flag. Auberlen was followed by two Mustangs and the Richmond-based Motorsports Technology Group Porsche 997 driver by Billy Johnson and Tony Buffomante of Perry Hall, MD. The other Turner M3 driven by Joey Hand and Chris Gleason was 8th. The best E92 M3 was the Kinetic Motorsports entry driven by Chip Herr and Lance Willsey. In all, 15 of the 74 laps were run under full-course yellow. Grand-Am officials do not like to use a local yellow.

In the Street Tuner class, a Colbalt SS won followed by a whole bunch of other front wheel drive econo boxes. The best BMW was the Will Turner/Don Salama E90 328i in 8th place.

Locals Payton Wilson (RX-8) of Chantilly was 15th in ST and Mike Canney (Mustang) of McLean only made 37 laps to finish 30th in GS and 62nd overall.

Edit: My sources have conflicting reports, but apparently two of the E92 M3s were severly damaged and possibly totalled early in the race.

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from one of my on-the-scene reporters in Daytona:

The Kinetic Motorsports E92 was mashed up very badly on exit of turn 1 on the first lap. It had made a pass on the two Mustangs in front of it just after crossing start/finifh when the green flag flew. We couldn't see what started the wreck but judging from the damage we surmised that the White Mustang (no 154 Hypresport) got into the M3's rear end and spun him directly in front of the Red # 60 Horsepower Ranch Mustang. That Mustang clobbered the E92 into the infield wall near pit out. The BMW looks like a write off.

The Fall Line E92 crashed into the wall on the exit of the Bus Stop. It was helped there judging by the tear in the right rear bumper but once again it happened in the only other spot on the track not visible from our vantage point on top of the Champiom's Club roof. It brought out thr yellow that insured Bill Auberlen'svictory. Auberlen admitted to us in the pits following the race that the two Mustangs supprised him with their sudden speed at the end. He might have gotten passed again in the last two laps had the yellow not come out for the Fall Line E92 wreck w/ 4 minutes to go.
Frank