"I'm so excited to get this victory," said Bayer. "Every time we got in lapped traffic, Belinda (Endress) would catch right up to me. I was saying, 'why don't they block her like they're blocking me?' But then we came to the chicane and she went straight, and I looked in my mirror and she wasn't there any more. I slowed down on the last lap just to be sure I got to the finish. I had some brake problems, and the spectators probably heard that I sometimes had to slow the car by downshifting. I can't wait to race again."
The problems with Endress' car the last fifteen minutes of the race lost her the chance for a podium finish. "If it was a half hour race, we would have been just fine," said a disappointed Endress. "Sonja put up a heck of a fight, but I was right there. I felt very relaxed the whole race, didn't make any mistakes that cost me anything. But then the belt broke, I was going through NASCAR 4 and the car pulled really hard to the right. It's a huge disappointment, but a good experience. I've already kicked the wall, so now I'm OK. I'm very pleased with the race over all."
Cindy Lux, the 1999 WGGTS Champion, was pleased to come in second, after she qualified sixth. "I've never qualified so poorly in this series," said Lux. "I don't think I've ever worked so hard. I woke up this morning thinking I've got my work cut out for me today. I drove my hardest to get around some of these competitors out there. I was not surprised (about Endress), but happy, yes. I knew there would be some attrition at this track with the heat and everything else. I am tickled to death to finish second, and thrilled to be on the podium."
Third place finisher, Divina Galica, managed to focus on the race despite some distractions. As sometimes happens with racing as in life, "The whole week didn't go according to plan. I was really busy before I even got here (with work)," said Galica. "I felt like I was sitting on the car and not in it. I knew from the word go that I was really too hot. I knew I had to finish, fifth or higher was OK for me. If I finish I will still be in the points lead."
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