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Auberlen-Bell Win Koni Challenge Season Opener

Daytona Beach, FL – Veteran driver Bill Auberlen and youthful Matthew Bell staved off seemingly faster competition to take the overall victory in the Fresh from Florida 200 at the Daytona International Speedway.

The three-hour race marked the opening of the Koni Challenge Series season. Featuring the Grand Sport and the Street Touring divisions, the event took place on the 3.56-mile road course at the Daytona International Speedway. Thirty-five GS and 32 ST cars started and a total of 32 finished the slam-bang event.

Bell was behind the wheel for the first half of the race and the Californian stayed within striking distance of the early leaders until his teammate took over. Auberlen steadily moved forward and gained the lead on the 50th lap, only to lose the position for a brief period to a pair of Ford Mustangs. The crafty veteran regained the lead due to a late race push from the second-place car.

The winners drove a Turner Motorsports BMW 328i.

“I was having so much fun I was smiling in the car,” Auberlen said. “Hugh Plumb shoved me back into the lead, which is the first time that’s ever happened to me. Added teammate Bell, “I didn’t ever imagine my first race in this division would put me in victory lane.”

Plumb and Jack Roush Jr. Finished second in a Ford Mustang and fast qualifier Dean Martin and Ken Walden took third in another Ford Mustang.

In the slower but equally competitive ST division, Floridians Lawson Achenbach and Pat Annecy drove their Chevrolet Cobalt to victory. For Annecy, it was his first-ever major race.

Kristian Skavnes and Andrew Aquilante put their Subaru in second place and Matt Pritiko and Travis Walker drove their Honda Civic Si to third place.

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