Coming off its best finishes of the season, Doran Racing Wants a win Saturday at VIR

LEBANON, Ohio – Energized by the best finishes so far this year in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge series for both of its Nissan 370Zs two weeks ago when they placed second and fourth, Doran Racing is looking for an outright victory in Saturday's 2.5-hour race at VIRginia International Raceway.

Following their second-place finish at Road America, Brad Jaeger and co-driver B.J. Zacharias are now in a four-way tie for third place in the Grand Sport driver point standings with their Doran Racing Nissan 370Z #14. They're only 34 points out of first place, 187 to 221, with three of 10 events remaining this year.

They've also been on the podium in four of the last five races.

Doran Racing's performance at Road America generated the team being chosen as one of four nominees for the Visual Studio Team to Win Award for that event. The $1,500 award is given to IMSA teams that best reflect the spirit of teamwork in each race. Fans determine the winner by voting at TeamToWin.net. The voting for the Road America round will began today. A direct link to the page is here. The program is part of a larger team-themed promotion Microsoft is doing this year.

The Doran Racing #14 is currently fourth in the series' GS team point standings, while the similar #41 Nissan 370Z fielded by the Lebanon, Ohio-based team is ninth. Two drivers with the same first name, although it's spelled differently, will drive the #41 at VIR: Nick McMillen and Nic Hammann. They're both champions of Nissan's popular GT Academy, which takes gamers and trains them to be real-life racers. McMillen won the GT Academy championship in 2013, while Hammann did the same in 2014, and they've both been very impressive even though they're rookies in the CTSCC series. Both will be making their first starts at VIR on Saturday.

The #14's results at VIR last year didn't reflect how well the car ran. Jaeger was fifth when a failing alternator caused him to spin, and although he made it back to the pits under his own power, several laps were lost while the team made repairs and the entry fell out of contention. The car ran as fast or faster than any other car in the race during the late stages of the race, however, and Jaeger and Zacharias are anxious to see what they can do this year without that problem.

They'd also like to get as many points as possible, as there are only two events remaining after VIR. The CTSCC series appears at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Sept. 18-19, and at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., Oct. 2-3.

The action gets underway with practice sessions at 9:40 a.m. and 2:55 p.m. on Friday before the Grand Sport class qualifies at 6:25 p.m. that day. Saturday's race starts at 1:25 p.m. It will be broadcast live on IMSA.com, and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 6 on Fox Sports 1. All times are Eastern.

Pre-Race Quotes

Brad Jaeger
"I'm really looking forward to VIR. We had a very competitive car there last year. We had a problem with the alternator last year, but even after we got the car back on the track we ran extremely competitive lap times. The way the team has been working together has been excellent. We've produced four podiums in the last five races, and we'd like to continue that streak. The long backstraight at VIR suits our car, and I think we're going to have a strong finish. The Nissan 370Z is very well suited for VIR, which is now a Nissan track too; Nissan will be doing some promotions there, which is exciting. This being my home track now, I think I'll have a fair amount of friends coming to VIR, and I hope they'll be able to see us continue our streak of podium finishes."

B.J. Zacharias
"I'm really excited to be heading back to VIR. We had a really good car there last year, but an electrical issue spoiled our race. The team has been working hard after every race to ensure we are competitive right off the truck, and things are really working. Brad has been doing an excellent job in his first stint during the race and we just need to continue to do our jobs in every phase of the weekend. VIR seems to really challenge both the car and drivers during a single lap, so being consistent is the key. The uphill esses are some of the most feared and most-rewarding sections of any North American track. The elevation and off-camber turns make it a blast to drive, VIR being a Nissan track. We are looking for a W this week and I think the way the #14 team is working right now that's what the emphasis is on. The points race has tightened up significantly now, and with our team's consistency we just need to keep doing our jobs."

Nick McMillen
"It feels like forever having been out of the #41 for the past two races, but I'm all set to be back with Nissan and Doran Racing and have a great race at VIR. I've heard great things about VIR from drivers and have been looking forward to running this track all year, since I have never been there. The 370Z has been improving at each race this year and has good pace. With the momentum the car has had at the last couple races, I see no reason we shouldn't be running at the front of the pack. My co-driver will be none other than Nic Hammann, who has put in great opening stints the last couple rounds. I have full confidence in our efforts that we can achieve a good position during the race and to fight to the end. This will be my first time co-driving with Nic so I'm excited to see how well the Nic and Nick combo gets on at VIR. Passing on this track appears to be a bit more difficult than most, which makes a solid qualifying position all the more important. From there, we will need to run a smart race and keep out of trouble to grab a good result. Mechanical issues have plagued my last few races in this series, so I will be hitting the ground running as soon as I show up! I'm looking forward to seeing what Nic and I can achieve."

Nic Hammann
"After having a near-podium finish at Road America, I cannot wait to get back behind the wheel of the Doran Racing GT Academy Nissan 370Z. I have never driven VIR before but I am very excited to head to VIR, where Nissan is the official auto partner. I also look forward to sharing the race with 2013 GT Academy champion Nick McMillen. Last year Nick watched me over in the U.K. throughout GT Academy week, and now to get to race alongside him is very special. Never having been to VIR before, I rely a lot on racing simulation to learn the circuit, and more importantly Brad and B.J. for all their help. Those two have been instrumental in all my races prior to this point, helping me understand what I need to do as a driver to get around the track quickly. I know Doran Racing will have prepared a quick Nissan 370Z for VIR, and I hope Nick and I are able to challenge for a podium. I also hope that B.J. and Brad can continue their streak of podiums and hopefully challenge for a win on Saturday. Onto VIR, to keep improving on my racing experience from Road America."

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