With the MAZDASPEED3 still in development mode, Team Sahlen focused upon further testing at the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Round 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Team Sahlen took advantage of an optional Test Day on Thursday by getting extra seat time, with a chance to work on set up. 

At the start of practice, the duo of Joe Sahlen and Will Nonnamaker continued to share time behind the wheel, working on race pace and set up adjustments.  The further set up adjustments worked well, evidenced by Joe Sahlen placing the #42 Mazda racer in the #8 starting slot. In morning warm up, Will Nonnamaker was able to further establish the gains made with the MAZDASPEED3 by placing it in 6^th slot in the session.

At the start of the race, Joe Sahlen found his way through the heavy traffic, and settled into a very comfortable position in 6^th place in class.  At the 1 hour mark, a full course caution came out, and Team Sahlen choose this time to pit for fuel, tires and fuel.  Will Nonnamaker jumped in the car and worked his way back through traffic.  At the end of the race, Will found himself in a very heated battle with the 5^th through 10^th placed ST cars.  At the race came to a close, Team Sahlen netted a 9^th place finish.7

“The Team Sahlen crew has really worked hard to further refine the MAZDASPEED3.  Its great to see all that hard work pay off with the Best finish ever for the MAZDASPEED3 in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.   To come away after this race with a 9^th place finish was great.  And we didn’t just move into the Top 10 due to attrition.  We were a solid Top 10 ST car all day.  And this was out of 37 ST cars entered, so beating 28 other cars is no small accomplishment against such strong competition.” – states Team Manager Jay Chapman

The Homestead event will be tape delayed telecast on March 13^th at 1 pm.  The next GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge event will be the Barber Motorsports Park race on April 10^th.

The 2010 Team Sahlen ROLEX & CONTINENTAL Tires Series Campaigns will be supported by Mazda, Mazdaspeed, HRPWorld.com, HAWK Performance, Cool Shirt, Racetech Seats, BBS, Alcon, Mothers Polish, EMCO, TheRaceSite.com, Grassroots Motorsports, Holliday Canopies, Alcon, CM Racing, Genesis Technologies, Endurance Karting, Bell Helmets, Castrol and SpeedSource Engineering.