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By Nathan Warters, Lynchburg News & Advance, April 23, 2006
ALTON - A Grand American Racing official escorted Michael McDowell to the back of the makeshift interview room in Virginia International Raceway's scoring tower and asked the most obvious of questions.
"Ready for some pictures?"
McDowell didn't have to answer. Five Playboy Playmates were waiting.
McDowell basked in the spoils of victory Saturday at Virginia International Raceway after piloting the Playboy/Uniden/Palms Casino Ford to the team's first-ever Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype victory.
The fun ensued after McDowell answered a few questions from the assembled media.
The cameras clicked away as the five (fully-clothed) beauties smiled and posed with the race winner.
McDowell couldn't stop grinning himself.
Early afternoon rain showers made for some treacherous track conditions on VIR's 3.27-mile road course, but McDowell withstood the slick surface and took his one-and-only lead from Mike Rockenfeller while entering Turn 1 of the 13th and final lap.
"On the last lap, I was pushing hard and I saw (Rockenfeller's) car lifted off (the gas) a little bit, and I just went for the opportunity," McDowell said.
"That was unfortunate for them, but we'll take the win any way we can get it."
The victory not only gives McDowell and teammate Guy Cosmo the inside pole for today's VIR 400, it was also worth 35 points toward the Rolex Daytona Prototype team and driver championships, which is the same number of points awarded for a normal win on the circuit.
"Being that we get full points is huge. It's just as important as the race (today)," McDowell said.
The qualifying race was the first-ever for the Daytona Prototype Class, which debuted in 2003, and just the second for the Rolex Series since a 2000 race at Watkins Glen.
McDowell wasn't sure about the qualifying format before the race, but he certainly wasn't complaining afterward.
"I like it a lot now," he said.
Rockenfeller crossed the finish line second, and pocketed 32 points to move into second place in the driver's point standings.
He and teammate Patrick Long will start on the outside poll for today's VIR 400.
Rockenfeller said he experienced some miscommunication with his crew chief at the end of the qualifier and thought that the white flag, which signals the start of the final lap, was the checkered flag.
He slowed down a bit, and that allowed McDowell to close the gap.
"Second place is a really good finish," Rockenfeller said. "We're on the front row (today), and I think it's going to be a really interesting race."
Teammates Micheal Valiante and Rob Finlay will start third in today's race in their Ford Crawford.
Jorg Bergmeister and Colin Braun will start fourth in their Ford Riley, and Christian Fittipaldi and Eddie Cheever Jr. will be fifth on the starting grid in their Porsche Crawford.
Scott Pruett, who was tied with teammate Luis Diaz for the Rolex Series points lead before Saturday's race, led the first six laps before experiencing electrical problems. Rockenfeller passed him on a straightaway for the lead and was out front until McDowell made his pass.
Pruett's Lexus Riley stopped for a bit on the track. He was able to get the car fired up again and onto pit road for some quick repairs before getting back on the track.
He finished the race in 22nd place, one lap down.
There were no driver changes in the qualifying race, so the drivers who did not participate Saturday will start today's race for their teams.
That means Cosmo will be first in the Playboy/Uniden Racing Ford when the green flag waves today.
It will be his first race with the team, and his first race in a Daytona Prototype since 2003, the year the DP class debuted.
Cosmo replaces Memo Gidley, McDowell's regular teammate, who was injured during a morning warm up crash before the April 8 race at Long Beach.
"Michael's given me an incredible opportunity to start from the pole in my debut race with the team," Cosmo said. "It's unfortunate that Memo will not be sitting on the pole with all the hard work and effort he's put into this operation, but hopefully we'll bring home a good result."
Playboy made it two in a row by winning the final event of the day, the VIR 200 Grand-Am Cup Series race.
The No. 33 Nissan 350Z driven by Blake Rosser and David Murry actually crossed the finish line third, but the top two finishers were docked 45 seconds each for not serving penalties during the race.
Only 12 of the race's 49 laps were raced under green flag conditions because of an assortment of wrecks and spins.
The most spectacular wreck involved then-leader Jason Martelli and a lapped car. The lapped car drifted down into Martelli, forcing him into the grass. Martelli's BMW hit a tire wall and then went airborne before hitting a chain link fence.
There were 83 cars in the race, split between the Grand Sport and Street Tuner divisions. Jamie Holtom and Eric Curran won the ST Division and finished 17th overall.
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