TEAM NEWS: Baas Is Racing In Both Ohio and Alabama This Weekend

Photo by John Thawley LEXINGTON, Ohio, July 19 - It's about 552 miles as the crow flies between the

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio and Barber Motorsports Park

near Birmingham, Ala.

Just ask Ian Baas.

The Noblesville, Ind.-based driver is driving two different sports cars in

two different series at those two road courses this weekend.

He'll compete in the Rolex Series GT race at Barber Motorsports Park on

Saturday afternoon (one-hour-tape-delayed on SPEED at 4 p.m. Eastern), and then the

SPEED World Challenge race at Mid-Ohio on Sunday morning (tape-delayed on

SPEED at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, July 28).

The 24-year-old driver's marathon weekend has already begun. He was second

in the morning practice session at Mid-Ohio on Thursday with the STaSIS

Motorsports Audi A4 No. 18 he drives in the SPEED World Challenge Touring Car series.

The car, which advertises Team Janica Racing, silvertrek.com, PFAFF, STaSIS,

Clear Capital and the not-for-profit group Baas helps, the Think First

National Injury Prevention, was timed in 1:23.451 during the practice session, just

0.538 of a second behind the top time set by Peter Cunningham.

Baas is coming off his best finish of the year in this series, second, and

he'd like nothing better but to take the top step of the podium after Sunday's

race. Qualifying will be held at 7:25 a.m. Saturday, while that 50-minute race

is scheduled to get the green flag at 8:45 a.m. Sunday. A total of 26 cars

are entered.

After practicing at Mid-Ohio on Thursday Baas flew to Birmingham, Ala., where

he got behind the wheel for practice in the Farnbacher Loles No. 85 Porsche

that he'll share with Craig Stanton in Rolex Series GT action. Qualifying for

that race will be held at 4:35 p.m. on Friday and hopes are high for a good

starting spot, since the car qualified second at the last race.

The Rolex GT race, which is slated for 109 laps or two and a half hours, is

slated to start at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. A total of 22 cars are entered.

In addition to Shoes for Crews and Recaro, the No. 85 promotes APR, goapr.com,

silvertrek.com, Team Janica Racing and Think First.

Baas will continue to fly back and fourth between Mid-Ohio's 2.4-mile road

course and Barber's 2.3-mile track throughout the weekend.

Fans can keep up to date on Baas's schedule throughout the year on his Web

site at ianbaasracing.com. The SPEED World Challenge Web site is at

world-challenge.com, while the Rolex Series' Web site is at grand-am.com. Both series' Web

sites will have live timing and scoring of their respective races.