The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 

 Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999

Diverse Racers at Pride of Panoz

BY: FURMAN BISHER SENIOR SPORTS COLUMNIST

Braselton

Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, the man was assured, did not translate into "Small Men Racing Cars." Besides, it is not pronounced pettit lee manz (even in this chicken-farming neck of Georgia.) What the Petit Le Mans Series is is a product of the imaginative mind of Don Panoz, who, once he had seen the 24 Hours of Le Mans run in its native form, said he had to have one for America, even if it had to be abbreviated. He bought race tracks. He bought Sebring in Florida. He bought Mosport in Canada. He bought Road Atlanta, from which location you are being addressed today. I cannot speak of the others, but I can say that Road Atlanta was in disarray, little more than an untidy pile of red clay before it underwent the Panoz rehabilitation. "For the fans" was a basic theme of the series, for as Panoz said, "If we don't have fans, we don't have a series." Road Atlanta has been made fan-inviting. What once was a solid hillside of eroded red clay across from the main stands has been graded into two levels, grassed and converted from eye-sore to beauty spot. That's just a for instance. Fans can go anywhere without holding their noses or watching where they step. Restrooms, that was a project. "You shouldn't have fans using restrooms that you wouldn't be using yourself," the proprietor added. This was to become the home ground of the American Le Mans series, run from coast to coast, of which Petit Le Mans is a part; instead of 24 hours, 10 hours, or 1,000 miles, whichever comes first. What Panoz has done is turn Road Atlanta into Road Europe. The sights, the sounds, the names, the confluence of languages and accents, out here in this rural land that is actually more Chestnut Mountain than Braselton. More country than Kim Basinger. There is a sophistication to the sweet soprano of the BMW, the Ferrari, the Panoz and the Porsche that shriek around the course in about a minute and 20 seconds, in the hands of such names as Winkelhock, Brabham, Lehto, Magnussen, Said and Jean-Phillipe Belloc. There are native sons, but considerably more native daughters, which brings up another Panoz introduction through the Le Mans Series. No, Jan Magnussen is not a lady, nor is Didier Theys. But Divina Galica, Cindi Lux, Belinda Endress and a battery of other driving daredevils are. Panoz has made a place for the racing woman on his agenda, under the title of the Women's Global GT Series. They run a 45-minute event soon after breakfast. These are not Tugboat Annies tough enough to scare a pit bull. They're a rather fetching lot who looks right at home modeling fashions. In fact, some have, as in the person of Belinda Endress, shapely, long blonde hair and winsome smile. Belinda has modeled, raced hydroplanes, worked race horses, worked as a driving instructor and coached female professional wrestlers. And now has her own business, a video production company in Ventura, Calif. When the Global GT Series came along, though, that was too good not to jump into. She has driven on other professional levels, but nothing like this, attached to the wheel of a Panoz GT. (All competitors drive the same kind of machine.) Careful not to kid around about women drivers here. Like "I know you can drive at race speeds, but can you parallel park? Can you handle a stick shift.?" I don't know of a more blood-curdling scene than the downhill chute into the final turn at Road Atlanta, and these women handled it like pulling into the driveway with a station wagon full of kids. But, where does a woman racer go from here? What kind of a future is there in it? "No, I'm not shooting for the Le Mans Series. I like a roof over my head. I'd like to race stock cars, not NASCAR. That round-around racing is boring to me. Drive hard and bang other cars," Endress said. This was just her fourth race, but Endress moved up from sixth and was running second at the flag. Davina Galica, a name fit for any marquee, won the race, but Belinda Endress was the center of attention, the girl with a future who had come from far up the track. I forgot to ask her how old she is, but I guess you don't ask a lady her age, any more than you'd ask her if she can parallel park.