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Linda Mansfield, Restart Communications
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Wright Motorsports' Skeer
Leaves VIR as the Point Leader
In Porsche GT3 Cup USA

ALTON, Va., Aug. 24 - Wright Motorsports' Elliott Skeer entered last weekend's tripleheader in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge by Yokohama series at VIRginia International Raceway just three points out of the lead in the overall point standings. After a victory on Saturday and two second-place finishes on Sunday, he left the 3.27-mile road course not only back in the point lead, but now he has a 19-point advantage.

Wright Motorsports leads the team standings by eight points, 214 to 206.

Skeer, of Carlsbad, Calif., also set a new track record in qualifying with his #14 Porsche 991 that is sponsored in part by an IMSA scholarship supported by Porsche and Yokohama. Pelican Replacement Windows and Town Porsche of Englewood, N.J. also provide support for his effort. The new mark is 1:51.044 for an average speed of 106.012 miles per hour. 

Two other Wright Motorsports drivers recorded their best finishes of the season so far. Michael Schein of New York City placed second to Skeer in Saturday's 45-minute race.  He was sixth in a similar race on Sunday morning. His previous best finish of the year was third in the season opener at Sebring.

Santiago Creel of Mexico City, Mexico achieved his first podium finish this year with a third in the third race of the weekend Sunday afternoon with his UNIFIN EXCORP-sponsored Porsche. That race had been rescheduled after being rained out originally at NOLA Motorsports Park in April, and then again at

Watkins Glen International in June. Creel was fifth in the first race at VIR and eighth in the second one. His previous best finishes of the year were two fourth-place runs at NOLA and Watkins Glen.

Kasey Kuhlman of Cincinnati took home two top-10 finishes of seventh and two Masters class victories with his Kuhlsport #15. He has led the Masters standings all year, and is the defending Masters champion. He was the innocent victim of a crash in the first race at VIR on Saturday when another driver got off to a very slow start due to a mechanical issue. Kuhlman is fifth in the overall point standings.

The highlight of the weekend for the fifth Wright Motorsports driver who competed at VIR was the ninth-place finish of John Goetz of Weston, Conn., on Saturday. He finished fourth in the Masters classification for that race. 

Skeer started on the pole and led every lap of Saturday's 45-minute contest, withstanding intense pressure from the second-place driver throughout the race. Schein started fourth but got third due to the big crash on the initial start. He was also pressured throughout the race, but vaulted to second at the very end when the driver who had been second ended up in a tire wall. 

Skeer started third on Sunday morning. He moved into second place working lap 10, a little before the halfway point. Schein, Kuhlman and Creel finished sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

Skeer led the first 13 laps of Sunday afternoon's race until the eventual winner got by him with 18 minutes remaining. Skeer was only 0.188 of a second behind at the end, and Creel finished third.

Two events (four races) remain: Sept. 18-19 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and Sept. 25-27 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif.

Live video streaming of the races and more info are available on imsa.com.

Post-race quotes follow:

Elliott Skeer: "It was a great weekend for the team! I'm very happy with my victory and two seconds, but it's even sweeter to have Mike and Santi on the podium this weekend too! The whole team did an amazing job and I can't thank Wright Motorsports enough. I'm really happy to have a good points lead going into the last two weekends!"

Michael Schein: "It was a solid weekend for me. I started the first race in fourth. After the big wreck on the start I was in third. I battled with Catania for the whole race and was able to keep it in front. The second-place car crashed on the last lap, promoting me to second. 

"The second race had a little less drama and I brought the car home in sixth. In the last race I made a mistake in Turn 10 and had to pit for a new front splitter. That dropped me back a ways."

Kasey Kuhlman: "This track is really intense. It's fast and technical so it can really work you over. Race one was a disaster. I got caught up at the start in a big mess and never turned a lap.

"Race two this morning was a frustrating poor performance on my part.  I just could not get my head right and drove terrible. It happens sometimes.

"I had a great, fast race this afternoon. Wright Motorsports made awesome adjustments to the car. I drove well and did the best I could.  Starting P8 was a big disadvantage. If not for a late spin, I may have finished in the top five."

About Wright Motorsports:  

Wright Motorsports is the premier Porsche race engineering facility in Ohio and a multi-series, international racing team known for superb car preparation, expert race strategy and driver development. Located in Batavia, Ohio near Cincinnati, it is owned and directed by John Wright, a certified Porsche factory-trained technician. As a crew chief John Wright has played a key role in winning eight driver and seven team championships in World Challenge, IMSA (ALMS) and the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Wright Motorsports won the team championship in Porsche GT3 Cup USA in 2012 and 2013. In 2014 it had four podium finishes in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. For more information see WrightMotorsports.com and follow it on Facebook and Twitter.