TRANS-AM: Paul Gentilozzi Wins NTB Trans-Am Debut
5 April 1998
(LONG BEACH, CA) --- Leading from flag to flag, Paul Gentilozzi won today's Long Beach Grand Prix, season opener of the NTB Trans-Am Championship. Gentilozzi's win marked the first victory for BFGoodrich Tires in Trans-Am competition in nearly three decades, helping the company launch the newly developed BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Radial.Finishing second to Gentilozzi was veteran racer Stu Hayner, while John Miller ended the day in third place.
"It was important for us to put our best foot forward at this race," said Herb Johnson, director of motorsports for BFGoodrich Tires after the race. "Long Beach is a key market for our dealers and for the Trans-Am championship. We focused a lot of energy on preparations for this event."
Until this weekend, the new BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Radial had only been tested under controlled conditions. When the cars took to the track Friday afternoon, it was the first time the tires would be used in a competitive environment.
"The tires performed well from the very beginning," said race winner Paul Gentilozzi. "Drivers are always looking for grip at Long Beach because the course tends to get slippery. The BFGoodrich g-Force T/A Radials provided much more grip that we are used to. As a result, we changed our set up to compensate for that. The tire testing we did prior to the season helped us in our preparations. We weren't concerned a lick about the tires."
Early race favorite Brian Simo finished outside the top five after an aggressive move to pass Stu Hayner left him in the turn six tire barrier. Rounding out the top five were rookie Chris Neville in Jim Derhaag's Camaro and veteran Bill Saunders in Gentilozzi's team Corvette.
"I've raced almost every brand of tire," said second-place finisher Stu Hayner, "and nothing can compare to these tires. No matter what I did - race hard or take it easy - the BFGoodrich g-Force T/A didn't change a bit. BFGoodrich has done a great job."
On Saturday, BFGoodrich Tires' g-Force T/A R1s (rain tires) were put to the test for the first time during an afternoon practice session. While competitors logged a limited number of laps, it was enough to demonstrate the performance capabilities of the tires. Approximately 20 competitors practiced for 20 laps in wet conditions without incident.
"We definitely won't wear out the rains," Gentilozzi said after the session. "Last year, we ran our bias-ply tires down to the cords in the rain at Elkhart Lake. You won't see that happen with the BFGoodrich g-Force T/As."
Gentilozzi will receive two BFGoodrich g-Force T/As for his pole position and a complete set of four in reward for his race win. The second and third place finishers will receive two tires each as part of BFGoodrich Tires' contingency award program.
The Long Beach Grand Prix will be broadcast Monday, April 6 at 9:30 p.m. on Speedvision. It will be rebroadcast on TNN April 12 at 1:00 p.m.
The next race for the NTB Trans-Am Championship is scheduled for May 17 at the Metro-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex.
