For Immediate Release Contact Laz Denes
True Speed Communication
(256) 717-8014 or Laz.Denes@truespeedcommunication.com
www.TrueSpeedCommunication.com
Online Media Kit Located at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com

Date: Sept. 19, 2008
Event: SunRichGourmet.com 1000 (Round 14 of 14)
Series: Daytona Prototype division of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
Location: Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah (4.5-mile, 24-turn road course)
Pole Winner: Ricardo Zonta of Krohn Racing (2:35.664 at 103.747 mph)
SunTrust Racing: Fourth with Max Angelelli (2:35.819 at 103.643 mph)

Max Angelelli, co-driving with Michael Valiante in the No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Dallara of Wayne Taylor Racing (WTR), qualified on the outside of the second row Friday for Saturday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season-ending SunRichGourmet.com 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah.

Angelelli, who qualified the SunTrust Racing machine for only the third time this season, clocked a fast lap of 2 minutes, 36.001 seconds (103.522 mph) around the 4.5-mile, 24-turn road circuit located some 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. It was good for fourth among the 37 car-and-driver combinations who’ll take the green flag for Saturday’s 1000-kilometer (or seven-hour, whichever comes first) race.

“After practice this morning, I had the distinct feeling that we could make the pole,” said Angelelli, who qualified on the pole for the June running of the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and fourth at the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. “We ended up fourth today, so I’m not pleased. I want to look at some data, look at the way I drove, and I will have a better idea about what we need to do for the race. Definitely, we need to change some things for the race. I’m not quite happy, yet.”

The SunTrust team has been a model of consistency in qualifying this season, starting from the first two rows at 10 of the season’s 14 events. Valiante started the SunTrust Pontiac from the pole three times this season – in April at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, in July at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala., and last month at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. He also added front-row starts at Homestead (Fla.) Miami Speedway in March and at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville three weekends ago.

“In a race as long as we’ve got tomorrow, the race is all that really counts,” said Wayne Taylor, whose team is coming off a victory from the pole at Infineon and a runner-up finish from its front-row start at New Jersey. “I know Max is disappointed because he really thought he had the car to get the pole. But, you know, we’re happy with fourth. We don’t know what happened, yet. But we have another session in the morning to get it right, and then 1,000 kilometers to get the job done that we came here to do, and that is to win the race.”

The top-five in qualifying were the following teams:

1. Krohn Racing (No. 76 Pontiac Lola) with Ricardo Zonta and Nic Jonsson (2:35.664 at 103.747 mph)

2. Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (No. 01 Lexus Riley) with Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (2:35.819 at 103.643 mph)

3. Brumos Porsche (No. 58 Porsche Riley) with David Donohue, Darren Law and Buddy Rice (2:35.823 at 103.641 mph)

4. SunTrust Racing (No. 10 Pontiac Dallara) with Max Angelelli and Michael Valiante (2:36.001 at 103.522 mph)

5. Alex Job Racing (No. 23 Porsche Riley) with Joey Hand and Bill Auberlen (2:36.131 at 103.436 mph)

Race time Saturday is 1 p.m. EDT with SPEED-TV carrying the event live in its entirety. Complete results from all on-track sessions, as well as live timing and scoring during the race, can be found at www.grand-am.com.

-www.SunTrustRacing.com-

SunTrust Banks, Inc., headquartered in Atlanta, is one of the nation's largest banking organizations, serving a broad range of consumer, commercial, corporate and institutional clients.  As of June 30, 2008, SunTrust had total assets of $177.4 billion and total deposits of $119.8 billion.  The Company operates an extensive branch and ATM network throughout the high-growth Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states and a full array of technology-based, 24-hour delivery channels.  The Company also serves customers in selected markets nationally.  Its primary businesses include deposit, credit, trust and investment services.  Through various subsidiaries the Company provides mortgage banking, insurance, brokerage, investment management, equipment leasing and capital markets services.  SunTrust’s Internet address is suntrust.com.