This year’s version of the “twice ‘round the clock” race was won in both classes by cars who consistently ran up front and dominated the race. Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing made history by winning the Rolex three times in a row. The No. 01 team lead by drivers Scott Pruett and formula F1 veteran Juan Pablo Montoya beat the closest competitor, the No.99 GAINSCO/Stalling Racing car driven by Alex Guerney, by two laps. The No. 01 Telemex/Target Lexus Riley has led 53% of the laps run at Daytona over the past three Rolex 24 events. Strong throughout the race, the No. 01 took command of the lead in the mid-morning hours after Michael Shank Racing’s No. 6 car led by AJ Allmendinger and Burt Frissele broke a rear suspension on the backstretch of the speedway.
SpeedSource’s No. 70 car, driven by Sylvan Tremblay, hardly had any troubles since winning the GT class pole. Leading the class for the majority of the race, SpeedSource went on to win the class for the team’s first class victory at the Rolex 24. “We all deserved this victory”, said driver Raphael Matos, after completing just his first Rolex 24.
Other quick facts from the Rolex 24:
Sprint Cup drivers Kurt Busch, Dario Franchetti and Jimmie Johnson all landed on the podium for their respective teams, but will have to celebrate at 35,000 feet as they jet off to Las Vegas for Nascar testing starting tomorrow.
Actor Patrick Dempsey and his SoBe Life Water No. 40 race team finished 24th in class. The key word being finished. Dempsey had his fair share of difficulty throughout the race, but HyperSport Racing managed to keep the car running and finished the race running.
The father-son duo of Derek and Justin Bell only completed 65 laps. Derek Bell, who said this Rolex 24 would be his last international race, did not even turn a lap in the car before the RVO Motorsports No. 12 retired from the event.
Team Salhen No.42 Corvette and Team Spencer Motorsports withdrew before the race
began.
GT Class winner SpeedSource No. 70 and GT Class runner-up TRG No. 66 finished in the Top 10 overall.
The No. 01 Telemex/Target Lexus Riley has led 53% of the laps run at Daytona in the last three Rolex 24 events.
Dario Franchetti became the third driver to win the Rolex 24 the year after winning the Indy 500.
For more information regarding the Rolex 24 and Grand-am series, visit grand-am.com.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Rolex 24: News and Notes
Currently Leading (6:30 EST) is the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus-Riley driven by Scott Pruett.
The weather in Daytona has been a bit spotty with showers off and on throughout the night.
Some notable drivers that have headed home:
Boris Said (No. 15 GT)
Derek Bell (No. 12 DP)
Milka Duno (No. 11 DP)
Five DP class cars are still on the lead lap as of right now, and there's still a lot of race left.
There have been a record 15 leaders so far at the Rolex 24. All have been in the Daytona Prototype class.
The race goes through till 1:30 EST and SPEED channel is covering the race until the checkered flag.
The weather in Daytona has been a bit spotty with showers off and on throughout the night.
Some notable drivers that have headed home:
Boris Said (No. 15 GT)
Derek Bell (No. 12 DP)
Milka Duno (No. 11 DP)
Five DP class cars are still on the lead lap as of right now, and there's still a lot of race left.
There have been a record 15 leaders so far at the Rolex 24. All have been in the Daytona Prototype class.
The race goes through till 1:30 EST and SPEED channel is covering the race until the checkered flag.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Rolex Week: Pick the Podium
DP and Overall Podium:
1. Michael Shank Racing No.60 -- Negri and Co. will get it done this year for the Columbus,Oh based team.
(photo courtesy of daytona24hr.com)
2. GAINSCO/Stallings Racing No. 99 -- The Jimmies(Vasser and Johnson) will yield a 2nd place finish.
3. Target/Ganassi Racing No. 01 -- A return to the podium for the 2007 Rolex 24 Champs.
Could be in the mix...
Look out for the No.09 Penske Taylor Racing team of Busch, Briscoe and Castroneves. They've had solid practice sessions and are quick on the track. Also, one can never count out the Brumos Porsche team of the No. 58 and 59. Notable drivers for Brumos are JC France and sports car legend Hurley Haywood. Last but certainly not least is the MSR No. 6 team piloted by AJ Allmendinger, Burt Frisselle, John Pew and Ian James. MSR could finish one-two on the podium if both these teams are in sync.
GT Class:
1. Farnbacher Loles Racing No. 87 -- Solid practice times makes this team the favorite in my book.
2. TRG No. 62 -- One of the fastest TRG Porsche's yesterday.
3. SpeedSource No. 70 -- The GT class pole-sitter could stay up front all day.
Also, keep in mind that the two teams of TRG and Farnbacher Loles Racing are favorites to run strong this year. Each team is a multiple car team and they make up a good portion of the GT Class. But keep your eye out for some other hot teams that have run high on the speed chart:
Blackforest Motorsports No. 15 -- Boris Said and Co. will keep their Ford Mustang in the top 10 all race long.
Orbit Racing No. 34 -- This team has run up front all month long at testing and qualifying.
Synergy Racing No. 80 -- Another team that could go the distance in the 24 hour race.
Hyper Sport No.40 -- Look for the SoBe Green No. 40 car to......well.....get a lot of camera time whenever Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is driving the car. Other than that, this team won't run that high towards the finish and would have no other reason to take up air time.
I'll be posting updates throughout the race as well, so keep it locked on speedwayinsider.com!
1. Michael Shank Racing No.60 -- Negri and Co. will get it done this year for the Columbus,Oh based team.
(photo courtesy of daytona24hr.com)2. GAINSCO/Stallings Racing No. 99 -- The Jimmies(Vasser and Johnson) will yield a 2nd place finish.
3. Target/Ganassi Racing No. 01 -- A return to the podium for the 2007 Rolex 24 Champs.
Could be in the mix...
Look out for the No.09 Penske Taylor Racing team of Busch, Briscoe and Castroneves. They've had solid practice sessions and are quick on the track. Also, one can never count out the Brumos Porsche team of the No. 58 and 59. Notable drivers for Brumos are JC France and sports car legend Hurley Haywood. Last but certainly not least is the MSR No. 6 team piloted by AJ Allmendinger, Burt Frisselle, John Pew and Ian James. MSR could finish one-two on the podium if both these teams are in sync.
GT Class:
1. Farnbacher Loles Racing No. 87 -- Solid practice times makes this team the favorite in my book.
2. TRG No. 62 -- One of the fastest TRG Porsche's yesterday.
3. SpeedSource No. 70 -- The GT class pole-sitter could stay up front all day.
Also, keep in mind that the two teams of TRG and Farnbacher Loles Racing are favorites to run strong this year. Each team is a multiple car team and they make up a good portion of the GT Class. But keep your eye out for some other hot teams that have run high on the speed chart:
Blackforest Motorsports No. 15 -- Boris Said and Co. will keep their Ford Mustang in the top 10 all race long.
Orbit Racing No. 34 -- This team has run up front all month long at testing and qualifying.
Synergy Racing No. 80 -- Another team that could go the distance in the 24 hour race.
Hyper Sport No.40 -- Look for the SoBe Green No. 40 car to......well.....get a lot of camera time whenever Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey is driving the car. Other than that, this team won't run that high towards the finish and would have no other reason to take up air time.
I'll be posting updates throughout the race as well, so keep it locked on speedwayinsider.com!
Rolex Week:Front Row Belongs to MSR
Michael Shank Racing have swept the front row for the running of the Rolex 24. Leading the field off pit road will be the No. 60 Ford-Riley. The lap posted by Oswaldo Negri(1:40.793/127.151 mph) beat a track record by almost 2.5 seconds. MSR's No. 60 car driven by A.J. Allmendinger and Co. will join their teammates on the front row. Watch out for MSR to have a great season this year.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Rolex Week: First Practice
Looks like the No. 58 Brumos Porsche is leading the lap times at the first practice at Daytona. The second Brumos Porsche No. 59 is fyling fast as well in fourth position on the charts. You can follow the lap time here.
Grand-Am.com has launched a live video player of some select press conferences. Also, a live track cam will be available throughout the race.
Farnbacher Loles Racing gives us a breakdown of all the happenings with the race team heading into the Rolex 24.
Michael Shank Racing is "quietly confident" leading up to the Rolex 24. I smell a sleeper. I will pay close attention to this team throughout the race.
Last but not least, if the sheer speed and intensity of the Rolex 24 won't peak your interest maybe seeing shots of Milka Duno will keep you locked on FOX and SPEED. Duno will suit up for the No. 11 SAMAX Motorsports Pontiac Riley. Currently, the team is in the top 20 in practice.
Check back this weekend for more from the Rolex 24.
Grand-Am.com has launched a live video player of some select press conferences. Also, a live track cam will be available throughout the race.
Farnbacher Loles Racing gives us a breakdown of all the happenings with the race team heading into the Rolex 24.
Michael Shank Racing is "quietly confident" leading up to the Rolex 24. I smell a sleeper. I will pay close attention to this team throughout the race.
Last but not least, if the sheer speed and intensity of the Rolex 24 won't peak your interest maybe seeing shots of Milka Duno will keep you locked on FOX and SPEED. Duno will suit up for the No. 11 SAMAX Motorsports Pontiac Riley. Currently, the team is in the top 20 in practice.
Check back this weekend for more from the Rolex 24.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Rolex 24 at Daytona: DP Class Teams to watch
Five teams to watch at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Southard Motorsports No. 3 -- Nascar Series veteran Bill Lester has signed up for a full season ride alongside Shane Lewis. The duo will tackle the "twice 'round the clock" race with drivers Ted Christopher and Alex Barron.
Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates No. 1 -- The all-star driver lineup will almost certainly put this car on the podium, but will they be able to get a watch for their other wrist?
Michael Shank Racing No. 60 -- MSR led the charts at the Daytona test sessions earlier this month. Their practice speed will transfer to the race, and look for this team to be on the podium when it's all said and done.
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing No. 99 --Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser have joined the No. 99 to make it one of the strongest lineups in the Rolex 24. Alongside Rolex series vets, Alex Guerney and Jon Fogarty, the team is determined to come out of Daytona with a strong finish.
RVO Motorsports No. 12 -- The father and son duo of Derek and Justin Bell are going to be a treat to watch. Derek Bell has previously raced with his son Justin at the 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GT class. This will be their first race together in a Daytona Prototype.
Later this week, I'll give a preview of the race and we'll play a little "Pick the Podium" for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Coverage of the race begins at 1:30 on FOX and continues for 15 more hours on SPEED. For more information go to grand-am.com
Southard Motorsports No. 3 -- Nascar Series veteran Bill Lester has signed up for a full season ride alongside Shane Lewis. The duo will tackle the "twice 'round the clock" race with drivers Ted Christopher and Alex Barron.
Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates No. 1 -- The all-star driver lineup will almost certainly put this car on the podium, but will they be able to get a watch for their other wrist?
Michael Shank Racing No. 60 -- MSR led the charts at the Daytona test sessions earlier this month. Their practice speed will transfer to the race, and look for this team to be on the podium when it's all said and done.
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing No. 99 --Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser have joined the No. 99 to make it one of the strongest lineups in the Rolex 24. Alongside Rolex series vets, Alex Guerney and Jon Fogarty, the team is determined to come out of Daytona with a strong finish.
RVO Motorsports No. 12 -- The father and son duo of Derek and Justin Bell are going to be a treat to watch. Derek Bell has previously raced with his son Justin at the 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GT class. This will be their first race together in a Daytona Prototype.
Later this week, I'll give a preview of the race and we'll play a little "Pick the Podium" for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Coverage of the race begins at 1:30 on FOX and continues for 15 more hours on SPEED. For more information go to grand-am.com
Monday, January 21, 2008
Daytona Daily: Entry List for Rolex 24
Grand-am.com has the entry list posted for the Rolex 24. If you're bored, you can play "Where's that Celebrity" be it your favorite Nascar or Indycar driver, or Grey's Anatomy star. Also, hit up the myspace page at myspace.com/speedwayinsider.com.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Daytona Daily: The Weekend Edition
Michael Shank Racing's Mark Patterson and John Pew are competing for the Trueman Award this upcoming season. The award is given to the "gentleman driver with the best race results, which are multiplied by the miles completed by the driver through the course of the season".
Pirelli Tires will be the official provider of tires at the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Along with this weekend famous race, Pirelli will provide all Rolex Series teams with tires throughout the 2008 season.
Rolex 24 at Daytona is only days away. Keep up with the latest information and scoring at the newly re-designed grand-am.com
Pirelli Tires will be the official provider of tires at the 2008 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Along with this weekend famous race, Pirelli will provide all Rolex Series teams with tires throughout the 2008 season.
Rolex 24 at Daytona is only days away. Keep up with the latest information and scoring at the newly re-designed grand-am.com
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Daytona Daily: Grand-Am News
Guy Cosmo has signed a deal with Spirit of Daytona Racing to race in seven events in the upcoming 2008 Rolex Series. A few of the races include Daytona, Homestead, and Watkins Glen. For more information, visit grand-am.com.
Source: trackbytes.com
Source: trackbytes.com
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Daytona Daily: Truck News
Veteran Steve Park has secured sponsorship for the upcoming 2008 Nascar Craftsman Truck Series. Waste Management will be the primary sponsor for the entire schedule.
source: yahoo.com
source: yahoo.com
Monday, January 14, 2008
Interview with MSR's Dave Kanning
I recently spoke with Dave Kanning of Michael Shank Racing. Kanning is the engineer for the No. 60 Ford Riley piloted full-time by drivers Mark Patterson and Oswaldo Negri Jr. The Columbus-based team recently changed from Lexus to Ford, and I asked Kanning how the change to Ford helped or improved the team's performance. Kanning said, "The access to the huge palette of engineering resourced Ford has made available to us. They've really given us the tools so we can learn about the car finally, which is wonderful."
Earlier in the week I had spoke with Burt Frisselle, driver of the No. 6 MSR Ford Riley, about his team's speed in the Rolex Test Days at Daytona. Frisselle said that his team had been fast ever since they unloaded at Daytona. Presenting the same question to Kanning, he said, "For the whole three days we made just very minor adjustments. We like to have the car come out of the box darn competitive. It gives us a chance just to rub on things a bit, find the little details."
A question that many people wonder about is the engineering aspect of such a long race like the Rolex 24 at Daytona. "It's a 40-hour workday." said Kanning. "The biggest challenge is balancing the sheer speed versus how much we use the car up to get that speed, and balancing the reliability versus the outright speed. That's the hardest thing. It's difficult to get them[the drivers] to slow down to get that tenth of a second to get that car to last the 24 hours."
Michael Shank Racing has a few new drivers this year for the Rolex 24. Joining the team this year is Graham Rahal and Justin Wilson. I asked Kanning what it's like to have an experienced veteran like Mark Patterson switch off to a relatively new face to the sport in 19-year old Graham Rahal. "To be honest, Graham is so mature for a 19 year-old, its amazing. I will have absolutely no qualms when Graham gets in the car. He's wise well beyond his years, and he's smart with his decisions."
After topping the speed charts this past weekend at Daytona testing, look for Michael Shank Racing to land at least one team on the podium at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Daytona Testing: Rolex Series
As the sun rose over the grandstands at Daytona International Speedway this past weekend, teams officially began their yearly quest to conquer the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Since the teams finished the 2007 season at Miller Motorsports Park, many changes have taken place in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Changes of note include Bill Lester, formerly of Nascar Craftsman Truck fame, joining the No. 3 Southard Motorsports team alongside Shane Lewis. When asked about his change of racing series, Lester stated, "I'm excited, you know I like these cars. They're fun to drive and they reward you."
Proven champions are migrating to the garage of Bob Stallings/Gainsco Racing lately, as two-time Sprint Cup Champion Jimmy Johnson and open-wheel veteran Jimmy Vasser have teamed up with regulars Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney as they try to lead the No.99 Pontiac Riley to victory lane at Daytona. Vasser has come out of semi-retirement to race in the Rolex 24, but he won't take this race lightly, saying "This is a race I want to win. I won this race in class in 1992, and I got a baseball hat, that's all I got. So I'd kinda like to have the watch."
Michael Shank Racing has been one of the fastest teams on the track since they unloaded on Friday. The change from Lexus to Ford has propelled MSR into higher expectations as the season approaches. Burt Frisselle, driver of the No.6 Ford, was very frank when asked about the team's performance over the test weekend "We set out this weekend with a pretty simple plan, we feel like we unloaded strong. We're in a spot right now where we're just polishing our rock, and we don't have to throw darts at the board and see what sticks."
With testing now complete, teams will continue preparation for Rolex 24 at Daytona which begins on Saturday, January 26th. Over 17 hours of the race will be covered live by FOX and SPEED Networks. For more information, please visit grand-am.com.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Daytona Daily: The Weekend Edition
Hey Everyone,
Tomorrow I will be heading to Daytona to cover Rolex Series testing. Be sure to check back to the site for all of the latest updates. If you want to see the latest test results from the track, be sure to visit grand-am.com . Have yourself a great weekend.
Derrick from SpeedwayInsider.com
Tomorrow I will be heading to Daytona to cover Rolex Series testing. Be sure to check back to the site for all of the latest updates. If you want to see the latest test results from the track, be sure to visit grand-am.com . Have yourself a great weekend.
Derrick from SpeedwayInsider.com
Friday, January 4, 2008
Daytona Daily: Nascar News
Here's the latest news from around the Nascar world.
Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Dakar Rally is cancelled due to terrorist threats. Robby Gordon was set to race in the endurance race therefore skipping the Daytona test session. It looks as if Gordon could be down in Daytona after all.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete in the 50th running of the Camping World 300 this February at Daytona. Earnhardt Jr. will then give the No. 5 ride to 18-year old rookie Landon Cassill. Cassill plans to compete in 19 more race for JR Motorsports.
Follow this link to find when your favorite driver will be testing in the weeks to come at Daytona.
source: sports.yahoo.com
daytonainternationalspeedway.com
Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Dakar Rally is cancelled due to terrorist threats. Robby Gordon was set to race in the endurance race therefore skipping the Daytona test session. It looks as if Gordon could be down in Daytona after all.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will compete in the 50th running of the Camping World 300 this February at Daytona. Earnhardt Jr. will then give the No. 5 ride to 18-year old rookie Landon Cassill. Cassill plans to compete in 19 more race for JR Motorsports.
Follow this link to find when your favorite driver will be testing in the weeks to come at Daytona.
source: sports.yahoo.com
daytonainternationalspeedway.com
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Links
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scenedaily.com
thatsracing.com
jayski.com
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Daytona Daily: Rolex Series News
SAMAX signs four drivers to complete their lineup. Henri Zogaib is eagerly counting down the days until the Rolex 24. The Orlando-based businessman wasn't beating around the bush when asked what his expectations are, saying "I just want to win this thing". Zogaib is joined by former F1 driver Allan McNish, along with sports car veterans Mike Rockenfeller and Lucas Luhr. Rolex testing at Daytona begins tomorrow and runs through Sunday.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Daytona Daily: Welcome to 2008
Hey Race Fans,
2008 is finally here! No longer do we have to hear anything about next year this or next season we want to improve.....the time is now. In a few short days January test sessions at Daytona will kick off the 2008 racing season for many of the top US circuits of racing.
One team that is looking to just get in to more than one Sprint Cup race this year is E&M Motorsports based out of Toccoa, Georgia. Last year, the one car team only had one Sprint Cup start to show for their efforts. This season, Team Owner John Carter is eager to forget last season, saying "Whatever I go out to do, I go out to win." With the new Car of Tommorrow, the No. 08 team can be more competitive this year, but the team is still looking for a sponsor.
Another story to watch going into Daytona is the last hurrah for James Hylton. The Nascar legend will try one last time to qualify for the 50th running of the Daytona 500. If Hylton does qualify, he will become one of the oldest drivers to compete in the history of the "Great American Race". Hylton almost qualified last year for the Daytona 500, leading a restart late in the qualifying race. In the end, finished a few spots away from the last available starting position.
Here's to a great year in 2008. Now let's go racing!
source: nascar.com
jameshylton.com
2008 is finally here! No longer do we have to hear anything about next year this or next season we want to improve.....the time is now. In a few short days January test sessions at Daytona will kick off the 2008 racing season for many of the top US circuits of racing.
One team that is looking to just get in to more than one Sprint Cup race this year is E&M Motorsports based out of Toccoa, Georgia. Last year, the one car team only had one Sprint Cup start to show for their efforts. This season, Team Owner John Carter is eager to forget last season, saying "Whatever I go out to do, I go out to win." With the new Car of Tommorrow, the No. 08 team can be more competitive this year, but the team is still looking for a sponsor.
Another story to watch going into Daytona is the last hurrah for James Hylton. The Nascar legend will try one last time to qualify for the 50th running of the Daytona 500. If Hylton does qualify, he will become one of the oldest drivers to compete in the history of the "Great American Race". Hylton almost qualified last year for the Daytona 500, leading a restart late in the qualifying race. In the end, finished a few spots away from the last available starting position.
Here's to a great year in 2008. Now let's go racing!
source: nascar.com
jameshylton.com
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