Local businessman fuels car to Daytona victory

Paul Seglund of Sisters was the lead fueler for The Racer's Group (TRG) five-car Porsche effort at the prestigious twice-around-the-clock race January 29 and 30 in Daytona Beach, Florida.

During the race, Seglund fueled the lead No. 67 car, co-driven by Andy Lally who pilots TRG's NASCAR Sprint Cup car, Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler, famed sports car veteran Spencer Pumpelley, NASCAR Truck Series driver Brendan Gaughn and Steve Berthau.

The race was far from a stroll in the park for the team, as the pole qualifying time was disallowed due to a slight measurement infraction on the rear wing, and they had to start from the back of the pack.

Around the two-hour mark, an off-course excursion, avoiding contact with a spinning car, resulted in a broken splitter and bent sway bar. Rather than taking the time to fix these vital handling components, which would have cost valuable time, they were simply removed. But the real problem occurred around the eighth hour, with complete clutch failure.

Team owner Kevin Buckler decided to run the balance of the race without the clutch although that would mean no room for mistakes by the drivers involving spinning or stopping of the car.

The final 16 hours were tough. While pitting, the drivers had to find neutral when entering the pits and then get pushed out before clicking into first gear to fire the car.

Seglund's task was to fuel the car. In GT Porsches the fuel tank is at the front. The fueler must drop the hose at the wall, sprint around to the rear of the car to help heave the car and will it back to life.

"I attribute the conditioning gained through skiing and mountain biking in Central Oregon to maintain strength agility and energy for being able to withstand the rigors of a grueling 24-hour race," Seglund said.

While the 67 car finally gained the lead in the 11th hour, it was a battle to the end with the 48 Porsche and Patrick Dempsey's No. 40 Mazda team entry until they had a spin around the 20th hour that dropped that team to third.

Dempsey - of TV and movie fame - was actually leading early in the morning and finally gained his first podium finish. He was very emotional at victory lane.

"This is something (24-hour race) that you do not want to do but it is something we all love and want to do more than anything," he said. "There is also the history of this race and Daytona itself that makes it very special to be in victory lane."

The 48 Porsche finished second in GT with a very consistent run. The other TRG cars did not fare as well. The #66 sister car had a few on-track incidents but was up to third in the 22nd hour until a differential failure put them out. The Black Swan No. 54 car had a great run and was in the top three when a shock failure - the result of contact with a Daytona Prototype - sent the car into the Turn 4 wall and finished a strong effort for the crowd favorite.

The Childrens Tumour Foundation No. 4 car had a good run with only minor problems and finished eighth. The Nadeau Motorsports No. 53 had a nightmare day as first an exploded clutch and then a couple of crashes led to an exhausted crew and a disappointing finish.

Seglund described his participation as a dream come true.

"I had been out of racing for a couple of years, and to come back with a top team and get a victory in one of the biggest races in the world, especially after such a mental and physical test, is something I will never forget," he said. "It was also great to see my friends Joey Hand and Scott Pruett win the overall Daytona Prototype victory as it was a good weekend for Sacramento competitors. I lived there and graduated from college before moving to Bend, and have competed against them in karting over the years. I am also hoping to attend the Sebring 12-Hour race in March and the 24 Hours of LeMans in France in June."

Another local Bend resident, Jon Fogarty, had a disappointing run finishing out of the top 10 after brake problems with the Bob Stallings Gainsco Daytona Prototype.

Paul said, "I was hoping to see them win, as I worked with them in 2009 and really enjoyed being teammates with Jimmie Johnson and Alex Gurney and their

crew."

Paul Seglund is a financial representative with Allstate Financial Services and has offices in Sisters, Bend and Prineville.