Edwards led the final 30 laps in the #07 Banner Racing Banner Engineering Pontiac GXP.R after getting by Jan Heylen on lap 70 of the 99-lap race. Edwards and Collins also finished tenth overall, though only 1.118 seconds ahead of the second-place #67 TRG Gleukos/Monster Cable Porsche GT3 and drivers Spencer Pumpelly and Tim George Jr.
Collins led the opening twelve laps before pitting for the first of the nine caution periods. He returned to the lead for nine more circuits before Dominik Farnbacher in the #87 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3 took the lead for 21 laps.
The team stayed well in the top five as pit stops circulated, and Edwards took the point from Heylen on lap 70. Four caution periods in the final 36 laps kept the challenge for the win close, but Edwards kept his cool until the checkered flag. The car began smoking heavily after he crossed the start/finish line.
“This is awesome,” said Edwards, who combined with Collins to finish second in the GT driver standings last season. “We made huge changes to the car following Thursday's practice, bigger changes we'd like to make during a racing weekend. This gives us the momentum we need, because Mexico City is a great track for us.”
“From the get-go, the car was good,” added Collins, one of five Pontiac drivers to lead the race.
For Pumpelly and George, the duo moved up 13 positions from flag-to-flag, slowly moving through the field as many of the frontrunners backpedaled due a number of mechanical problems.
The race marked the second straight runner-up finish for TRG at the 2.3-mile track, and second straight on the young season after three of its cars took top-five finishes in the Rolex 24 at
Daytona. Pumpelly and George also moved into the series GT driver point lead by one (62-61) leading into Round 3 at Mexico City, Mexico.
![Pruett/Franchitti/Montoya/Rojas - Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Lexus [pic credit: grand-am.com]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/404255.jpg)
