Butch Leitzinger drove his #4 The Boss Snowplow Pontiac Crawford past the #19 Make A Wish/Air Force Reserve/Commercial Defeasance BMW Riley of Michael McDowell on the famed Daytona Superstretch with 23 laps remaining and led the rest of the way en victory in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series Brumos Porsche 250. Leitzinger shared the car with Elliott Forbes-Robinson. It was Leitzinger’s 11th career Rolex Series overall victory, which moved him to within two wins of all-time Rolex Series win leader James Weaver.
The Brumos Porsche 250 featured four stars from the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series circuit, and while all four drivers were the only NASCAR pilots to turn any laps at Daytona International Speedway on this day due to heavy midday rains, it was not a banner evening. Two-time NASCAR champion Terry Labonte and his brother, 2000 NEXTEL Cup champion Bobby Labonte, were the highest-finishing NASCAR representatives. They came home 15th in the #44 Loctite/Henkel/DAYTONA USA Pontiac Doran, one lap down to the winners. Kyle Petty, who ran as high as second place at one point, came home 17th alongside co-drivers Tony Ave and Brian Tuttle in the debut race for the #7 Tuttle Team Racing Pontiac Riley. Tony Stewart, the 2002 NEXTEL Cup champion, worked his way up from seventh on the starting grid to third place at one point during his stint in the #20 CITGO Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford. However, problems with the car’s heat exchanger forced a great deal of fluid out of the car as Stewart pitted to turn the car over to co-driver Andy Wallace. Stewart and Wallace wound up 22nd.(Grandamerican.com)(7-1-2005)
