Daytona Daily: The Weekend Edition

Here are some of the stories that broke over the weekend.








Andy Wallace has signed on with Alex Job Racing to complete their 2008 roster for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Englishman has driven in multiple "twice 'round the clock" races at Daytona, winning four race championships as a driver. When asked about his feelings on joining AJR, Wallace said, "I'm absolutely delighted to be driving the Alex Job Racing, Ruby Tuesday Porsche Crawford DPO3 at this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Car has been improving all the time and Alex(Job) always puts on a very competitive show. " Wallace will join drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand and Patrick Long as they try to pull the No. 23 AJR Ruby Tuesday car to a podium finish.

With Daytona Testing only days away, BGB Motorsports announced that Alex Barron and Dan Selznick will co-drive the No. 38 Porsche in the 2008 KONI Challenge. The 3- hour Fresh From Florida race at Daytona on January 25th will mark the first time both drivers have ever raced a car with a roof.

In Rolex GT news, TRG boasts a seven car lineup for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Some of the drivers include Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou, Andy Lally, Jim Pace, Jim Lowe, Tim George Jr., Jack Baldwin and many more. JLowe Racing's No. 64 TRG entry really wants a to win this year, "We've got a tremendous line-up for this year, and we definitely want to be on the podium, perhaps even higher!" said Jim Lowe. Look for one or more of these seven teams to be on the GT Class podium at Daytona.

Thought of the Day:

I'm looking forward to bringing you some great news and information, as I travel to Daytona this Sunday for Rolex/KONI testing. If you have any questions that you want me to ask any certain drivers or crew members, email me at derrick@speedwayinsider.com . I'll keep you up to date with any news I hear about at the World Center of Racing. Have a happy and safe New Year!!

Source: grand-am.com
theracersgroup.com
Photo Source: daytona24hr.com

Daytona Daily: ARCA News

December 27th, 2007

Life for a young race car driver can be one of fame and fortune. But before one becomes a "star", he (or she in this case) must first get approval from officials to compete. In this case Michelle Theriault had to show ARCA officials that she could ride the draft. She plans on competing full time in the ARCA series in 2008.


source: arcaracing.com

Daytona Daily: Nascar News

December 26th, 2007

I hope that you all had a Merry Christmas this year. If you didn't like what was under the tree, I might have something to cheer you up.

SPEED TV just announced their Preseason Thunder schedule. SPEED will cover all three of the major Nascar circuits as the test at Daytona, Fontana, and Las Vegas. Coverage of the testing starts January 7th, 2008 and continues to the beginning of Speedweeks.

Daytona Daily: Grand Am News

December 24th, 2007








Back from a weekend of Christmas parties that needed my attendence. Here's the news from the weekend.





Driver Patrick Long gets his Christmas wish as he is added to the 2008 Rolex 24 lineup for Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team.





Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood are on Santa's "Nice List" as they re-signed to race with Compass360. The team looks to defend its 2007 KONI Challenge Championship from a determined pack of competitors.





The crew of the No.91 Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototpe have been working long hours in their Mooresville, NC shop to get their car ready for Daytona testing January 4th-6th. Joining the team will be IRL's rookie of the year Ryan Hunter-Reay. He will join drivers Mark Goosen, Jim Matthews and Johnny O' Connell for this year's 2008 Rolex 24.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and I will keep you up to date with all of the news from around racing.

Daytona Daily: Open Wheel Invasion

December 20th, 2007


Bob Margolis of Yahoo Sports gives us a preview of the four former open-wheel drivers that will join Sprint Cup in 2008.

Daytona Daily: ARCA News

December 19th, 2007

Godwin Kelly of the Daytona Beach News-Journal talks with Andy Hillenburg about his growing motorsports empire.


source: news-journalonline.com

Daytona Daily: GT News

December 18th, 2007

Autohaus Motorsports has finalized the details to compete in the 2008 Rolex Series. Driving for the No. 72 Autohaus Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R will be Lawson Aschenbach (photo right) and Tim Lewis Jr. Joining the pair for the Rolex 24 at Daytona will be none other than Max Papis and Craig Stanton. Team owner Bob Kirkland said, "We are absolutely thrilled to have a driver lineup with such depth and experience for the 24 hours." Autohaus Motorsports is in its first season of Rolex Series action, but that doesn't mean it is new to GT racing. Driver Tommy Archer led the Autohaus Motorsports team in the SPEED World Challenge in 2006 and 2007. Look for this new team to succeed in 2008, as they storm their way onto the GT scene.

photo source: world-challenge.com

news source: grand-am.com

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

For those of you that aren't aware Kasey Kahne was accused of battery against a 62-year old security guard during the Nascar race this past November at Homestead Speedway. If you need the inside scoop, here is the police report.













Let me start off by saying Kasey Kahne should not have started throwndown with a 62-year old, just not a good bright idea. Now, If a Cup drivers is trying to get into a VIP area and you keep him out. You're not doing your job. Know who the VIP's are at the event. It's like a punk security guard stopping a winning crew member from going to victory lane, because he left his credential on pit road. If you're going to be in security, part of your job is to get it right. Know the event, know the VIP, know the participants in the event.


I was working with a radio station once at a music festival and some old (hmmm funny trend) security guard stopped me from going on stage before the show to throw out promo gear from the station. She said my credential was wrong. I had the MC tell her I was legit and she still wouldn't let me in. So I went around to another access point and saw a younger security guard and told him the situation. He knew the MC and my co-worker so he let me in.


Although I don't know the situation entirely, I do think Kasey was out of line, but so was the worker. I've worked with the MLS, NHL and concerts and have had to deal with this sort of thing before. You use your brain, not your rulebook....sheesh

Daytona Daily: GT News

December 17th, 2007

Announced over the weekend was the signing of a trio of world-class driver by Farnbacher Loles Racing. Timo Bernhard, Sascha Maassen, and Jorg Bergmeister will race in the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona for the Porsche team.


Source: grand-am.com

Daytona Daily: MSR adds two drivers

December 14th, 2007

Michael Shank Racing announced that Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal will join the No. 60 team for the 2008 Rolex 24. Full lineups for both MSR teams will be announced during the Daytona test sessions in early January.

Sources: grand-am.com
michaelshankracing.com

Thought of the Day: It's good to see the only DP team in my area sign two good drivers to their Rolex 24 team. I really think MSR can give Team Chip Gannasi a run for the Rolex title.

Pemberton to Michael Waltrip Racing

Rowdy.com is reporting that Ryan Pemberton is heading to Michael Waltrip racing. Sources tell the website that Pemberton will be the Crew Chief for the No. 00 car of David Reutimann.

Source: rowdy.com

Daytona Daily: January Test Schedule

December 13th

Here is the January test schedule for the Rolex Series, courtesy of grand-am.com. Enjoy!

Wave of the Future

"Team owners in Nascar are making a short-term profit from the flow of open wheel talent flocking to the sport. But are they mortgaging their future away with a lack of homegrown talent? "

"Nascar will benefit, as will its team owners, from landing big name drivers like Dario Franchitti and Sam Hornish Jr., but are they shutting out a whole generation of drivers in the process?"

These are some of the questions that are being asked by concerned Nascar fans about the state of their sport. The answer to these questions is easy to find. Everyone knows that sponsors like a name. Let's face it Dario Franchitti is more recognizable to a consumer than Travis Kvapil. Next year's Sprint Cup rookie class will be star studded for sure, but do you really see that being a trend? Most things in life go through an ebb and flow cycle. If for the next three years, superstars flock from Grand-Am, F1, and IRL to Nascar, will it spell doom to young, unproven drivers? Not really. Smaller Cup teams are always looking for young drivers on the cheap. A driver with some personality and upside will always attract a sponsor.

This year is unique because the number of new seats available for rookies is slim to begin with. With the open wheel drivers filling most of the vacancies, fans may think that their sport is turning away young unproven talent for experienced drivers. While many Cup fans do not seem that exicited over the "migration" of open wheel driver into Cup, fans must remember one thing. Many teams have opted for a proven winner, over a young prospect, in order to get the most money out of a sponsor. Sponsors want a name not a project. It sadly is the nature of the Cup this year.

However, who is to say we won't have a bushel of new talent in 2008? Open rides in Cup fluctuate from year to year. And unless Sam Wheldon, Danica Patrick, Michael Shumacher, and Lewis Hamilton all decide to leave their respective series to come over to Nascar, plenty of 20-year old rookies will get a chance at Cup racing and stardom next year.

Daytona Daily: Riley Test Session

Leading up to the Rolex 24 and Speedweeks, We'll be getting into race mode by taking a look at news from the "World Center of Racing". Also, I'll give you my thought of the day about Daytona.

December 12, 2007

Riley Technologies is hosting a two-day test session for the teams entering Riley-built machines in the 2008 Rolex 24. Ten teams , who will be competing in this upcoming season, turned laps yesterday at Daytona. Among those teams practicing was the defending Rolex 24 champion TELEMEX No. 01 from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The head of Riley Technologies, Bill Riley said "about a third to half" of the Riley Daytona Prototypes will be running the new body next season, with the remaining teams running the old body style. The new bodies are due to visit the wind tunnel for the first time later next week.



Source: grand-am.com



Thought of the day:



It should be interesting to see how the new body style fares in the 2008 series. But it is Riley, and they have won the last three Rolex 24 events and I'm picking them as the manufacturer to beat in this year's Rolex 24.

Daytona Daily: Champs Announce Drivers

Leading up to the Rolex 24 and Speedweeks, We'll be getting into racemode by taking a look at news from the "World Center of Racing". Also, I'll give you my thought of the day about Daytona.


December 11, 2007



The 2007 Rolex 24 champions, Team Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, recently announced their driver roster for the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Returning to the No. 01 car will be Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett, Dario Franchetti, and Memo Rojas. Joining the team in the No. 2 Target/TELMEX Daytona Prototype will be IRL vets Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon, alongside Salvador Duran and IndyPro series champ Alex Lloyd.



Source: grand-am.com



Thought of the Day:



There will be few critics who argue with this lineup. World class drivers from open-wheel to stock car to F1 always seem to flock to Ganassi Racing. On a side note, would an acronym for this race series actually work? I've got to feel for the pre-race announcer when he has to present this team. I can hear it now, " Please welcome to the track Team Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates competing in The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16." A massive name for a massive series.

Infenion Changes Get Thumbs up from IRL's Finest

Infenion Raceway is considering make slight changes to the IRL course by creating a better way to pass through turns 6 and 7. The drag strip will be used to create a hard right turn, which will allow the driver the chance to make a pass where as last year he would have just followed the leader. Scott Dixon, who won the IRL race last season , liked the change saying, "As far as the corner itself, I think it's going to make an improvement for the race. Hopefully, it's going to create a passing opportunity for some people. I think it's a good choice and will make a great addition to the weekend."

Also taking part in the test was Rahal Letterman Racing's Ryan Hunter-Reay. Posting a lap time of 1:18.8, Hunter-Reay was pleased with the new track configuration saying, "Eliminating the bend to the left and now going up the drag strip makes for a wider passing opportunity and I think that's good." Hunter-Reay goes onto say, "Any passing opportunity is great for the series and good for the fans who come out and watch."

For those of you counting down the start of the IRL season, Homestead is only 109 days away.

Source: indyracing.com

Brumos Racing Tire Test

Brumos Racing has published the results from a Pirelli Tire test session at Daytona. More testing will be performed on January 4th-6th, 2008 in anticipation for the 2008 Rolex 24.

Source: brumosracing.com

Daytona Daily: USAF Thunderbirds

Leading up to the Rolex 24 and Speedweeks, We'll be getting into racemode by taking a look at news from the "World Center of Racing". Also, I'll give you my thought of the day about Daytona.

December 10, 2007:

It has been announced today that the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be performing the flyover for the 50th running of the Great American Race. Speedway President Robin Braig was extremely pleased with the news saying, "Wow. What an honour to have the amazing Thunderbirds take part in the kickoff to the 50th running of the Daytona 500. Their involvement only reinforces the significance of the most anticipated racing event in motorsports.” Lt. Col. Greg Thomas will lead the flyover as commander of the 2008 USAF Thunderbirds.

Source: daytonaintlspeedway.com

Photo Source: wikipedia.org

Thought of the Day:

As a son of an Air Force veteran, I am proud to have my father's military branch perform the flyover. I've got a feeling that I'm gonna like this 500.

PRI inks Sauter for 2008

SceneDaily.com is reporting that Phoenix Racing (PRI) has signed Johnny Sauter to be its primary driver in the 2008 Nationwide Series. He will drive the PRI's car sponsored by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.....yeah try saying that five times fast. The car will be shared with Sterling Marlin and Max Papis. Some of the road races will be driven by "Mad Max" with Sterling Marlin also getting his share of races along the way. It's also rumored that PRI is looking for a sponsor for a second car. If a second ride is forged, who would drive? That's for you to discuss and for me to find out.

Source: scenedaily.com