Fabcar finally sees effort pay off

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The extreme makeover for Fabcar was everything Brumos Racing wanted.

The redesigned prototype was in the lead after seven hours in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, providing vindication for a sports car that had fallen behind the Rileys and Crawfords on the Grand American Road Racing circuit.

The No. 58 Porsche-powered Fabcar took the lead at 5:45 p.m. Saturday with Darren Law behind the wheel, and by nightfall it was a half-lap ahead of second place on the 3.54-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.

The Fabcar hasn't won a sports car race in two years. But Brumos owner Bob Snodgrass decided to spend a year working with Fabcar and Porsche in making it better. "Our faith has been rewarded," Snodgrass said.

Although there were 18 hours left in the sports car marathon, Dave Klym saw enough early in the race to know his company was back on track.

"It's been a long year developing this car," the Fabcar owner said. "I think it's shown it's fast. I can't say enough about Bob. He stuck with me through a couple difficult years."

The new design allowed the Jacksonville-based race team drop the engine by nearly five inches in the back. It also allowed for a new suspension up front. The result is a car that has a better center of gravity.

"This is a big step forward," said Brumos crew chief Mike Colucci, who helped work on the new car. "It's still not quite fast enough. We need a little more downforce and a little less drag. But if you're a crew chief, it's never enough. You always want more."

The Fabcar won the first Daytona Prototype race in Grand Am history in 2003, but it went winless throughout the 2004 and 2005 season. Snodgrass had the only two Fabcars in the 24-hour race.

HAPPY FAMILY: Andy Wallace has a special relationship with his crew chief. He's married to her.

Katie Crawford is the crew chief for the Pontiac-powered Crawford sports car that Wallace, Tony Stewart and Butch Leitzinger drove this weekend.

They have one rule on the team's two-way radio: They don't use affectionate names. In fact, Wallace said the driver-crew chief relationship is often heated - the driver wanting more from the car; the crew chief wanting more from the driver.

NIGHT GOLF: The Pontiac-powered Crawford for NASCAR's Rusty Wallace, IRL's Danica Patrick and road racers Jan Lammers and Allan McNish is sponsored by Callaway Golf, but it didn't make its best moves until nightfall.

Their car was up to second place after seven hours, giving Grand Am the kind of attention it wants as it tries to rebuild its fan base.

Defending Nextel Cup Series champion Tony Stewart was running eighth after seven hours.