AGT Inter-Americas Challenge

Santo Domingo, DR (December 3, 2006) – Manem Méndez, in the Westernbank Camaro #3, won the AGT round 7 at Autódromo Las Américas last weekend by winning the first heat and finishing second on heat #2. This will be Manem’s first weekend victory in AGT, but he did win the first heat at round six in the Westernbank Ponce Grand Prix last November, but did not accumulated any points on heat #2, since he shared his car with rookie José Pablos, who did an excellent job finishing seventh after leading for a few laps.

Manem, who has won several championships in Dominican Republic, was very emotional about his win and said: “This was a demanding race, the pace was very fast and the competition was very close. Our strategy paid off at the end and we managed to win the race even though there were several teams faster than us”. “Perhaps, this will help us finalize an agreement with sponsors for the AGT Inter-Americas Cup Challenge for 2007. We have proven that we can win and that we would be serious contenders in the AGT Championship for next season if we are given the opportunity” Manen added.

The first heat had four different leaders, starting with Stu Hayner in the WWW.VISITPONCE.COM Mustang #29, who had the pole, then Mandy González in the Musicalia Corvette #35, Edison LLuch Sr. in the Coors Light Corvette #1 and finally the winner of the race, Manem Méndez, in the Westernbank Camaro #3.

Edison LLuch Sr. and the Coors Light Corvette #1 had an impressive weekend. This team had one of the fastest cars at the track all weekend long, but he was bugged by problems at the critical moments of the event. His power steering system failed in the way to the pits for qualifying, so he had to start from the mid of the field and work his way up after the green drop for the start of the first heat. Edison was able to position his car in first place and keep it there until the end of the heat. However, his car was DQ after going thru tech, because his ignition box did read over the allowed maximum. Mandy González in the Musicalia Corvette #35, who finished third, had similar difficulties and was DQ as well, leaving Manem Méndez as the winner and Edisito LLuch as the runner up.

The second had a great start with the three fastest cars starting from the back of the grid, Stu Hayner in the WWW.VISITPONCE.COM Mustang #29, Edison LLuch Sr. in the Coors Light Corvette #1 and Mandy González in the Musicalia Corvette #35. The heat had three different leaders, starting with Manem Méndez, in the Westernbank Camaro #3, Edison LLuch Jr. in the Don Q Rum Corvette #72 and finally the winner of heat #2, Edison LLuch Sr. in the Coors Light Corvette #1.

The weekend final results, which went to the consistent ones but not necessarily to the fastests, were like this for the top five:
1. Manem Méndez, in the Westernbank Camaro #3 form RD.
2. Luis R. Méndez, in the Isla Mustang #68 from RD.
3. Charlie Webster, in the CJ Webster LMT Corvette from Canada.
4. Edison LLuch Jr. in the Don Q Rum Corvette #72 from PR.
5. Kenny Bupp in the Hamilton Safe Camaro #4 from USA.