Canadian stock car racer Amanda Connolly along with American Road Course racer Amanda Hennessy will team up with Watervliet, New York-based KML Racing to field an entry in the 2006 CANNONBALL RUN ONE LAP OF AMERICA May 6 through May 13.
The CANNONBALL RUN ONE LAP OF AMERICA combines nearly twenty-four hours a day driving for seven days with competition taking place as time trials on race tracks throughout the country. The event is one of endurance and vehicle preparation. No support crews are allowed.
The tires that are used on the street are the same ones that are raced on (one set per team). Although scoring is based on performance at the race tracks, the vehicles and their drivers must survive more than 5,000 miles of driving interspersed with the finest meals available at gas station convenience stores. Friendships are stretched to the limits as these competitors battle fatigue, weather, traffic and the demands of high-speed competition--with both unknown amateurs and seasoned professional drivers.
KML Racing owner Don Kahn will provide the girls with a racy 2001 Chrysler PT Cruiser and he is enthused by his all-female team that will drive the PT. “The girls are very talented and very much up to the task; I’m excited to see how they will do.” Kahn said.
Affectionately known as the “Amazing Amandas”, 26 year-old Connolly and 24 year-old Hennessy met in January while racing at Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, CA in the Skip Barber Championship Series when filming an MTV series pilot, BUILT FOR SPEED.
“We hit it off immediately,” states Connolly, adding, “Hennessy’s background is mostly road racing and mine is typically stock car racing; we lean on each other for help as we learn each other’s specialty.” The women know that they work well together. “We spent two weeks in Daytona, Florida after the race series in California,” explains Connolly. She adds, “Hennessy had put this deal together to run the One Lap race, but needed a co-driver. She asked me to do it and here we are!”
Hennessy says with a laugh, “We figure we’ll be at each other’s throats by day three.” Continuing, “You really test your friendship when you’re put in a situation that has you in a car together for 7 days straight.”
The “Amazing Amanda’s” are set to depart from South Bend, Indiana on May 6 and will race on a variety of tracks throughout the 7-day excursion before returning back to Indiana on May 13 for the final event which takes place on a wet skid pad.
“I’m really looking forward to racing on more road course tracks, but the stop at Florence Motor Speedway in South Carolina is the one I’m really looking forward to-- it’s a 4/10 mile oval and we run that event under the lights,” concludes Connolly.
For additional information on the race visit www.onelapofamerica.com. You can follow the Amazing Amandas on their journey daily at http://www.painkillerz.ca/ . For Sponsorship Information or photo requests please contact: Karen G. Jackovich Tel: 310 273-1827 Cell: 310 721-0537 or at karen.jackovich@sbcglobal.net.
About Amanda Connolly:
Amanda Connolly is a 26 year-old stock car racer from Aurora, Ontario, Canada. Connolly has raced for seven years on Ontario oval tracks and has accumulated more than 100 checkered flags and countless awards in her career. For 2006, she will run various road course events, and a partial Late Model schedule in Ontario, as well as one race in the CASCAR Super Series.
About Amanda Hennessy:
Amanda Hennessy is a 24 year old road racer from Albany, New York. She is a GM certified Mechanic and a veteran in the Spec-Racer Ford series. For 2006, she will run a limited schedule in the Spec-Racer Miata series.
No comments:
Post a Comment