Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian Set for 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL (23 January 2012) - Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian will look to kick off the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championship this weekend at Daytona International Speedway with a strong result in the much anticipated 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Making its ninth appearance in the 24-hour endurance classic, the team has fielded a multi-car campaign in every Rolex 24 event since 2006 and is well-prepared for the historic 50th running of the race. Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian will again field two Daytona Prototype entries this year and boasts one of its strongest driver line-ups to date.

The team welcomes back NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger and IndyCar racer Justin Wilson as the pair joins GRAND-AM series regulars Ozz Negri and John Pew in the No. 60 LiveOn.com Daytona Prototype.

The No. 6 Ford-Riley will be shared by an international driver line-up which includes NASCAR driver and Rolex 24 veteran Michael McDowell (United States) and three young drivers who will make their Rolex 24 debut: Jorge Goncalvez (Venezuela), Felipe Nasr (Brazil), and Gustavo Yacaman (Colombia).

The team’s best finish in the event came in 2006 when Allmendinger, Wilson, Negri and Mark Patterson co-drove the No. 60 machine to a second place finish. Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian knows what it takes to survive the Rolex 24 having fielded a three-car effort last year. In an impressive performance from the team, all three cars never went to the garage and all three machines were still running at the end of the 24 hours with the No. 23 Ford-Riley finishing on the lead lap just off the podium in fourth after a strong late-race charge for third.

Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian has been working countless hours as the team prepares for the twice around the clock event in hopes that the efforts pay off with a solid showing from both cars and that 2012 will be their year to earn the Rolex 24 title.

“The team has been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks,” said Shank. “We’re as ready as we can be and we’re eager to get going. I’m very proud of the effort this whole team has put in,  and I’m very excited about our chances this year. We’ve got an exciting line up of guys, and we know that this race will be as much about performance as it will be about patience. ”

The event opens with practice on Thursday followed by Daytona Prototype qualifying at 3:45 PM (ET). The green flag will drop on the 24-hour race at 3:30 PM (ET) on Saturday with SPEED carrying full flag-to-flag coverage. The opening seven and a half hours as well as the closing seven hours of the event will be televised on the SPEED channel while speedtv.com will have live streaming during the overnight hours.

Spirit of Daytona Secures Richard Westbrook For 2012 Season

Spirit of Daytona announced today that Richard Westbrook will be joining the team's driver lineup for the entire 2012 Rolex Sports Car Series season. Westbrook will be driving the No. 90 Corvette Daytona Prototype along with returning Spirit of Daytona driver Antonio Garcia.
Westbrook has established himself as a standout in top-tier international sports car competition. He won the FIA GT2 championship in 2009, and scored podium finishes in 24-hour races at Le Mans (third in GT2) and Daytona (third overall) in 2010. He is also a two-time Porsche Supercup champion (2006-07). Westbrook notched an ALMS GT2 victory at Road America in 2008.
"We are very excited to have Richard behind the wheel of our new Corvette. This is a very exciting time for Spirit of Daytona," said team owner Troy Flis.
"I'm delighted to have joined SDR for 2012.  It's a very exciting time to be joining the GRAND-AM championship with all the new cars and in particular the new Corvette," added Westbrook. "We all know how good looking the car is, but now we will work hard to make it a success on the track, and I'm relishing the hard work that lies ahead."
"Everyone at Spirit of Daytona is thrilled about Richard joining our team. We are working very hard to make sure that we perform at the highest level and are challenging for a championship at the end of the year," said Flis. "Our focus now is to be prepared for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 in a few weeks and to carry that momentum for the entire season."
Richard Westbrook will begin the 2012 race season with Spirit of Daytona at the official three-day test weekend, the Roar Before the Rolex 24, scheduled for Jan. 6-8, on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway.

Motors TV Partners With GRAND-AM On European TV Package For Rolex Series

Increasingly, the world is coming to GRAND-AM Road Racing.

Today, the sports car sanctioning body announced a groundbreaking television deal that will take GRAND-AM to a large portion of the world.

As the result of a multi-year deal with Motors TV, fans in 38 European countries will have the opportunity to watch the entire 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season live on television for the first time this season.

Motors TV, headquartered in Chaville, France, will begin its coverage with more than 15 hours of live action from the 50th Anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway.

The "High Speed Television" network is available throughout Europe, reaching 21.2 million homes with broadcasts in five languages: English, French, German, Dutch and Greek. Motors TV covers approximately 20 racing series live.

"With an unprecedented number of European manufacturers and competitors participating in the 2012 Rolex Series, we believe there has never been stronger interest in our series from European race fans," said GRAND-AM CEO Ed Bennett. "This is great timing - and a great addition to our television coverage lineup."

Added GRAND-AM President Tom Bledsoe: "This announcement coincides with the most attractive schedule in the history of the Rolex Series. This year we're going to great race tracks ... historic race tracks, which will resonate with European fans - because they know their road racing. It's going to translate into some compelling television."

Highlights of the 2012 Rolex Series schedule on Motors TV include the three events in the North American Endurance Championship, a new competition involving the Rolex 24, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen on July 1 at Watkins Glen International and the three-hour Rolex Series debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.

"We're delighted to welcome GRAND-AM as one of the flagships of our 2012 lineup," said Motors TV Head of Programming & Acquisitions Frédéric Viger. "The series has been growing over the years, the European interest consistently building-up, and we believe the series now gets the coverage it deserves this side of the ocean."

To further emphasize the importance of GRAND-AM for Motors TV, the "High Speed Television" network will feature a GRAND-AM race car on its stand at the annual Autosport International Show, Thursday-Sunday (Jan. 12-15) in Birmingham, England.

Today's announcement highlights a comprehensive international distribution plan that will bring Rolex Series action to Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, South America and the Middle East.

Some highlights of that distribution:

• Eurosport will air selected live coverage of the Rolex 24 race and a Rolex 24 highlight show, reaching 52 countries.
• Speed Latin America will broadcast all 13 races to 42 countries.
• Speed Australia will broadcast all 13 races and the accompanying highlight shows.
• Network Ten will broadcast all 13 races in Australia.
• ESPN2 Caribbean will air all 13 highlight shows to 14 countries while ESPN Dos will reach 14.
• ESPN Africa will broadcast all 13 of the series' highlight shows to 57 countries.
• ESPN Star will have selected live coverage of the Rolex 24 and all highlight shows going to 19 Asian countries.

SPEED, SPEED.com to Cover Rolex 24 Flag to Flag

Race fans will be able to follow all of the action in the historic 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona through SPEED and SPEED.com.
SPEED will continue to be the television home of GRAND-AM Road Racing in 2012, televising all 13 Rolex Sports Car Series events either live or on a same-day delay basis. Coverage begins with 15-and-a-half hours of coverage from the Rolex 24, which will be enhanced for the first time by continued streaming on its web site.
The Rolex 24 live broadcast kicks off with a one-hour pre-race show at 2:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Jan. 28, and continues with the opening seven-and-a-half hours of the race, from 3:30-11 p.m.
A new component will then enhance the Rolex 24 coverage. SPEED.com will cover the night action with a camera located atop the grandstand, several stationary cameras, a running leaderboard and audio commentary.
SPEED television coverage resumes at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 29, running through 4 p.m. – including 30 minutes of interviews following the checkered flag.
Leigh Diffey, Calvin Fish and Dorsey Schroeder will anchor the Rolex 24 coverage, and will be joined in the broadcast booth by Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Tommy Kendall. Brian Till, Chris Neville, Jamie Howe and Greg Creamer will report from the pits, while Justin Bell takes on the role of in-race reporter.
Current plans are for SPEED to televise 10 Rolex Series races live.
Among the highlights will be coverage of the three events in the North American Endurance Championship, a new competition involving the Rolex 24, the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen on July 1 at Watkins Glen International and the three-hour Rolex Series debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. The Rolex 24 and the Sahlen's Six Hour will be live; the Indianapolis race will be shown on the afternoon of July 27, on a delayed basis.
Other live coverage this season: Homestead-Miami Speedway on April 29, New Jersey Motorsports Park on May 13, Detroit Belle Isle on June 2, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on June 9, Road America on June 23, the second race at Watkins Glen International on August 11, Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca on September 9 and Lime Rock Park on Sept. 29.
Same-day delayed coverage is currently planned for Barber Motorsports Park on March 31 and Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Aug. 18.
"GRAND-AM continues to grow and so does our television coverage," said GRAND-AM CEO Ed Bennett. "It's all about the fans ... working with a great partner like SPEED serves those fans while reflecting the ever-increasing interest in GRfAND-AM."
SPEED's plans for the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge TV coverage are expected to be announced in the near future.
GRAND-AM Rolex Series Broadcast Schedule On SPEED
Date Race Broadcast Time
Jan. 28-29 Daytona International Speedway 2:30 p.m. on Jan, 28; 9 a.m. on Jan. 29.
March 31 Barber Motorsports Park 4 p.m. (SDD)
April 29 Homestead-Miami Speedway 1 p.m.
May 13 New Jersey Motorsports Park 1 p.m.
June 2 Detroit Belle Isle 5 p.m.
June 9 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 4:30 p.m.
June 23 Road America 12 p.m.
July 1 Watkins Glen International 11 a.m.
July 27 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 4:30 p.m. (SDD)
Aug. 11 Watkins Glen International 6 p.m.
Aug. 18 Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 7 p.m. (SDD)
Sept. 9 Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca 3 p.m.
Sept. 29 Lime Rock Park 3 p.m.
Note: All times shown are ET; Times subject to change
SDD - Same-day delay

Gianpiero Moretti: The Rolex 24 Loses One of its Most Popular Stars

On the eve of the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona - the most anticipated sports car race in the history of North American motorsports - the event lost one of its most popular stars.
Gianpiero Moretti, the man who helped define the term "gentleman racer," passed away Saturday at the age of 71 after a long illness at his home in Milan, Italy.
"He was definitely a great guy," said Kevin Doran, who partnered with Moretti for seven seasons. "He will be missed."
Moretti came to Daytona Beach for his first Rolex 24 in 1970, when his underfunded Ferrari team finished 32nd. He returned in 1979, and he could almost taste the victory lane champagne. Carlos Facetti put his Jolly Club Porsche 935 on the pole and led the race, but the car blew an engine.
This began a series of frustrations for Moretti, who made winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona his personal quest.
Moretti know that 1998 might be his final opportunity to challenge for victory at Daytona. With time running out on his racing career, he persuaded Ferrari to build him a car that could race - and win - in America. The result was the Ferrari 333SP, prepared for Moretti by a man with plenty of winning experience at Daytona, Kevin Doran. Moretti had finished seventh in the car in 1997, but knew the following year would be his best chance to finally win the coveted Rolex Daytona Cosmograph.
"With all the money I have spent at Daytona, I could have bought 1,000 Rolexes easily," Moretti said on the eve of the race. "But I wanted to win this race."
Moretti recruited Didier Theys, Mauro Baldi and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Arie Luyendyk. Also fielding Ferraris were Andy Evans and Wayne Taylor, with Max Papis securing the pole for Evans' Scandia Ferrari. The race had its share of drama - setting the stage for a popular ending. After falling 18 laps down early in the race, Moretti's Momo Ferrari came back in the closing three hours to take the lead.
With minutes laps remaining, Moretti had his car brought back to the pits. Moretti slid back into the cockpit so he could take the checkered flag.
After years of frustration, Gianpiero Moretti finally won his Rolex on his 15th try in what remains as one of the most popular victories in the history of the Rolex 24. The victory began an unprecedented sweep of the American endurance classics at Sebring and Watkins Glen - in addition to finishing 14th overall and third in the LMP1 class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He then retired and never raced professionally again.
Moretti was a regular on the IMSA Camel GTP circuit. He played a role in the revival of the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, suggesting that the event be revived during his retirement tour in 1995. When Watkins Glen International officials agreed, Moretti was good to his word and returned for the 1996 event - winning with co-driver Max Papis.
"Gianpiero helped launch Doran Enterprises to a professional-level sports car team," Doran said. "Getting together with him and MOMO brought our team back to pro racing after Al Holbert's death."
One of Moretti's close calls in the Rolex 24 came in 1996, when the Doran-prepared MOMO Ferrari he shared with Bob Wollek, Didier Theys and rookie Max Papis finished 65 seconds behind Wayne Taylor's winning Oldsmobile Riley & Scott.
Fittingly, Moretti's colors will be carried in the 50th Rolex 24. Moretti founded the Italian equipment company MOMO (for Moretti-Monza) in the 1960s. The NGT Motorsport Porsche GT3 will be painted in the classic MOMO red and yellow in the upcoming Rolex 24 - ensuring that one of the most popular drivers in the history of the event will be there in spirit.

1990 Rolex 24 Winner Davy Jones Returns with Muehlner Motorsports

Davy Jones announced today that he will compete in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona with the Mühlner Motorsports America team in the season opener of the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.
Jones will be behind the wheel of the No. 18 Texas Heart Institute Porsche GT3 Cup car which he will share with co-drivers John McCutchen, Bill Lester and Mark Thomas during the 24 hour event.

Jones will look to score his second career Rolex 24 victory around the high banked 3.56-mile, 12-turn speedway road course and preparations have started on the right foot as the Belgian team showed impressive speed at the Roar Before the 24, clocking the second fastest lap of the three day test.
Jones is no stranger to Porsches and endurance races as in 1996 he became the last American to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans while driving a Porsche LMP1 car. This year he will look to repeat that feat at Daytona by taking the win in the GT category.

The team will be supplied with stylish safety sun glasses by Edge Eyewear (www.edge-eyewear.com) to help protect them during the various pit stops, and to keep them awake during the grueling 24 hour race MonaVie (www.monavie.com) will provide them with their EMV all natural energy drink.

Jones has competed with success in virtually every form of motorsports including GRAND-AM, Le Mans Series, IndyCar, NASCAR, IMSA-GTP, IROC and Formula 3. Jones returns to the Rolex 24 on the 22nd anniversary of his victory at the historic event.

The World Comes To Daytona ... Open-Wheel Influence Dates Back To Inaugural Race In 1962

When drivers sprinted to their cars at the beginning of the first running of the event now known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 1962, it was fitting that the reigning Indianapolis 500 champion led the very first lap of competition.
A.J. Foyt went on to win the Indianapolis 500 four times, and extended his career with two victories and a pair of runner-up finishes in the Rolex 24 from 1983-86. This weekend, Foyt returns to Daytona International Speedway as Grand Marshal for the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Foyt should feel right at home when he gives the command to start the engines. Three former Indy 500 winners will be in the field which includes a number of past and present stars from the open-wheel ranks. (CART, IndyCar Series and Champ Car)
This year's Rolex 24, the most anticipated road race in the history of North American motorsports, includes former Indy 500 winners Dario Franchitti of Scotland (2007, '10), Scott Dixon of New Zealand (2008) and Juan Pablo Montoya of Colombia (2000) - all of whom have Rolex 24 victories driving for Target/TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
Tradition is being served; Indy 500 winners Mark Donohue, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr., Bobby Rahal, Arie Luyendyk and Dan Wheldon also won the Rolex 24 during their careers.
Dixon and Wheldon teamed with Casey Mears to give the Chip Ganassi organization its first Rolex 24 triumph in the 2006 event. Montoya won in 2007 and '08, joined by Franchitti in the latter event.
The Ganassi lineup also includes Graham Rahal - who was part of the team's winning lineup in the 2011 Rolex 24. An IndyCar series winner at St. Petersburg in 2008, he follows in the footsteps of his father, 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, who credits his victory in the 1981 Rolex 24 with launching his open-wheel career.
"The Rolex 24 is the most fun event we do all year," Dixon said. "It gets everyone together. All of us on the team are pretty close with our times, so everyone pulls their weight."
Ganassi's lineup is led by Scott Pruett, two-time defending Rolex Series Daytona Prototype co-champion (with Memo Rojas) and four-time Rolex 24 winner. And while Pruett is generally viewed as a sports car racer, he competed in open-wheel cars in the 1980s and '90s, winning twice and being named Indy 500 co-rookie of the year in 1989.
Other current and past open-wheel stars expected to compete in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 include:
A.J. Allmendinger: Five-time Champ Car winner, third in championship in 2006.
John Andretti: CART race winner at Australia in 1991; 12-time Indy 500 participant.
Ryan Briscoe: Third in 2009 IndyCar championship, six-time winner.
Christian Fittipaldi: Two victories in eight CART seasons, second in 1995 Indy 500.
James Hinchcliffe: 2011 IndyCar Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
Ryan Hunter-Reay: IndyCar victory at Long Beach in 2010.
Davy Jones: 1996 Indy 500 runner-up.
Tony Kanaan: 2004 Indy 500 runner-up; 15 open-wheel wins; '04 IndyCar champion.
Raphael Matos: 13 top-10 finishes in 38 career IndyCar races.
Max Papis: Three-time Champ Car winner.
Eliseo Salazar: CART race winner at Las Vegas (1997).
Scott Sharp: 1996 IndyCar co-champion, five top-10 finishes in Indy 500.
Paul Tracy: 2003 CART titlist; 2002 Indy 500 runner-up; 31-time open-wheel winner.
E.J. Viso: Four years in IndyCar, 12 podium finishes.
Justin Wilson: Two victories and one pole in four IndyCar seasons.

Dalziel, Popow, Potolicchio Prep for Rolex 24 with Abu Dhabi Podium

Starworks Motorsports drivers Ryan Dalziel, Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popow prepped for the upcoming 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona by finishing third in this weekend's Gulf 12 Hours at the Yas Marina in Abu Dhabi.
Dalziel was leading comfortably with 12 minutes remaining in an Audi R8 LMS fielded by United Autosports, only to have a full-course caution negate that advantage.
"We were really unlucky with the safety car coming out at the end because we just didn't have the outright pace of the new Ferraris," Dalziel said.
His biggest objective was to get ready for 2012 Rolex Series competition, which begins when Dalziel, Popow and Potolicchio team with Lucas Luhr and Allan McNish in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford/Riley. Dalziel and his Venezuelan took a two-week racing vacation, also competing in the 24 hour race at Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
"The whole idea behind us going to Dubai and Abu Dhabi was to prepare Alex, Enzo and myself for the challenges ahead," Dalziel said. "We accomplished everything we wanted to and more. We will be the most prepared and sharpest drivers at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and we aim to show that. I can't wait for next week and I am looking forward to getting home."
Dalziel won the 2010 Rolex 24, driving with Terry Borcheller, Joao Barbosa and Mike Rockenfeller for Action Express Racing. He also finished second in the 2007 classic driving for Starworks' team owner Peter Baron, when the team was known as Samax Motorsport.

GRAND-AM Announces New Partnership With Allstate Roadside Services

GRAND-AM Road Racing announced today that Allstate Roadside Services has been named as an official partner of the sanctioning body.
As the official roadside service of GRAND-AM Road Racing, Allstate Roadside Services will have a presence at selected Rolex Sports Car Series events, including a show tow truck. Allstate Road Services was a GRAND-AM contingency sponsor in 2011.
"Allstate Roadside Services is a great addition to the GRAND-AM family of brands," said Ed Bennett, GRAND-AM Chief Executive Officer. "Safety and peace of mind for our drivers has always been at the forefront of our sport. Allstate Roadside Services have the same goals for their clients, providing peace of mind for their drivers."
Allstate Roadside Services enjoys relationships with many of the car manufacturers that race in GRAND-AM.
"We are excited about the partnership with GRAND-AM Road Racing and look forward to the opportunity to partner with premium brands and connect with new ones," said Anthony Royer, President of Allstate Roadside Services

Tracy Joins Doran Racing Lineup for Rolex 24

Open-wheel superstar Paul Tracy has joined the list of luminaries set to compete in the most anticipated road race in North American sports car history, the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona.

The Canadian has joined the lineup of Doran Racing's No. 77 Combos/Circle-K Ford/Dallara for the 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series opener at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 28-29.
Tracy, the 2003 Champ Car titlist and leading active winner in open-wheel competition with 31 victories, will co-drive with Dr. Jim Lowe and brothers Burt and Brian Frisselle. Tracy has 275 starts - more than any other active driver - 25 poles and 75 podium finishes.

"I'm very excited to make my return to Daytona for the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24, and especially with Doran Racing," Tracy said. "I drove my first Rolex 24 in a Doran JE4 design back in 2005, and it was a great experience.  I'm grateful that Kevin's put his trust in me as a driver and paired me with the Frisselle brothers and Jim Lowe."

Lowe met Tracy at his first Rolex 24 in 2006, when he said hello and shook his hand.

"It's a real privilege to be part of the same lineup with Paul and the Frisselles," Lowe said. "Paul is a fiercely competitive, high-intensity guy and a great champion. I'm looking forward to learning from him."

Tracy drove with defending race winners Terry Borcheller, Christian Fittipaldi and Forest Barber - joined by Ralf Kelleners - and failed to finish in the 2005 event. He also raced in the event with Michael Shank Racing in 2006 and 2007, finishing 16th in the latter race in a lineup including AJ Allmendinger and Ian James.
Tracy also has a tie with the Frisselles, having driven for their father, Brad Frisselle.

"One of my first big race wins as a driver (1986 at the age of 17) came in a Frisbee Can-Am car - a car that Brian and Burt's father built, so I'm thrilled to now be able to race with the next generation of Frisselles," Tracy said. "I'm looking forward to a very competitive race weekend."

Team Owner Kevin Doran is also pleased with Tracy's return.
"The Rolex 24 At Daytona is a tough race for all who compete," Doran said. "Paul's definitely up for the task. I look for this race to be exciting, and I hope we are in the mix for the shootout at the end."

Jarett Andretti Set for Double-Duty, Joins 1989 Rolex 24-winning Father at Daytona

John Andretti received an invitation to attend the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona by virtue of being a former winner of the event.
Instead, the 1989 Rolex 24 winner came to the recent Roar Before the Rolex 24 looking to land a rides in the most anticipated road race in North American sports car history for both himself and his 19-year-old son, Jarett.
Andretti was successful on both counts - with an added bonus for his son. The duo will compete in the Rolex 24, sharing the No. 36 Yellow Dragon Motorsports Mazda RX-8 wtih Taylor Hacquard and Anders Krohn. In addition, Jarett will make his Daytona International Speedway debut in Friday's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season-opening GRAND-AM 200, joining Tyler Cooke in the No. 27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5.
John Andretti co-drove with Derek Bell and Bob Wollek in Jim Busby's Porsche 962 in winning the 1989 Rolex 24. He also was entered in the 1993 classic, but his TWR Jaguar failed to finish. He returned in 2008 with Vision Racing, taking 12th in DP in Porsche/Crawford co-driven by Vitor Meira, Ed Carpenter, A.J. Foyt IV and Tony George.
The younger Andretti will be making his debut in GRAND-AM, as well as his debut at the track where his father won his first NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the 1997 Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola. He had the opportunity to drive the Freedom Autosport Mazda during the Roar, but is very much looking forward to racing at the historic Daytona circuit.

"I want to keep expectations realistic for my debut," Jarett Andretti said. "We are a young team. But we want to go out there and run as hard as we can for as long as we can, and see where we take it. If we have a shot to win it, we'll take every opportunity to do it."
And how does Andretti go about learning a new track, a new car, and a new series? "Usually I just start with the basics: read the rulebook. I try to build up speed gradually. I still have a lot to learn, and I look forward to learning from such a professional organization like Freedom Autosport," he said.

Cooke, 17, will campaign the entire season with Freedom Autosport. Already a veteran with experience in Spec Miata and the Playboy MX-5 Cup, Cooke was on hand two weeks ago to test the No. 27 MX-5 at Daytona.

"I thought the test was great; it really got me accustomed to the track in that kind of car," Cooke said. "I really enjoyed how the crew handled it; they did a spot-on job. I have to thank the entire team for their help. It was a perfect test for us. I think the Mazda MX-5 is the best car out there for braking and cornering."

Freedom Autosport has worked hard over the off-season to remain one of the top competitors in the Street Tuner class. The team built two new MX-5 chassis and rebuilt a third.

"We delivered Mazda the manufacturers championship last year, and we want to do the same again this season. We're looking forward to more success, as well as the chance to raise awareness of the Semper Fi Fund," said Freedom Autosport co-owner Derek Whitis.

"Freedom Autosport continues to be a solid contender in the ST class with three MX-5 entries and a history of wins and podium finishes," added team co-owner Rhett O'Doski, who will share the No. 26 MX-5 with Andrew Carbonell. "In addition to having veteran drivers on this team, it's also exciting for us to foster the talents of young drivers like Tyler and Jarett."

"I think the ST class is more competitive than ever. It will be an interesting season with all of the manufacturers who are involved in the series now, but I think the MX-5 will continue to be a strong championship contender," said Freedom Autosport Team Manager Tom Long. He and Whitis will co-drive the No. 25 MX-5.

Freedom Autosport will field three Mazda MX-5s in the series opener on Friday, January 27, at 1:30 p.m. ET, launching the 10-race Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season.

Patrick Dempsey Joins Twitter

Rolex Sports Car Series driver and Hollywood TV actor Patrick Dempsey has recently joined an increasing number of drivers who are using social media outlets to connect with their fans. The Grey's Anatomy TV star joined Twitter on Jan. 10 and has already amassed nearly 14,000 followers in just eight days. Using the Twitter handle @PatrickDempsey, Dempsey tweeted yesterday about his preparations for next week's Rolex 24 At Daytona:
"Got some training in for Daytona today and back to Grey's tomorrow. Hi to everyone in Brazil! Goodnight"
Dempsey is an avid sports car racer and began competing in GRAND-AM in 2006 when he made five starts in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. He made the jump to the Rolex Series in 2007 and earned a podium finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2011.
He is a Team Principal at Dempsey Racing along with co-driver Joe Foster. The two will drive in the 50th Anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the No. 40 Visit Florida Mazda RX-8, alongside Charles Espenlaub and Tom Long.
Follow Patrick Dempsey at http://www.twitter.com/PatrickDempseyFollow the Rolex Series at http://www.twitter.com/RolexSeriesFollow the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge: http://www.twitter.com/CT_Challenge

The Rolex 24 Giveaway(Update)

D1 Pro Drifter/Racecar driver Philip Hampton, who NASCAR/Rolex Series driver Bill Lester coaches as Hampton continues to make his transition from drifting to road course & oval track racing, has created a FaceBook giveaway to raise awareness for the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona with the hopes of making the 50th running of the race the highest viewed Rolex 24 in history. The winner of the FaceBook giveaway will receive the all of the prizes below once the requirements of the contests are met:

1. (4) White IPhone 4S with 1 year of FREE phone service(per phone).
2. (4) Apple IPad 2's.
3. (4) Tickets to ANY future Grand AM Rolex Series race in 2012.

The winner of the giveaway will be randomly chosen on January 29, 2012 directly after the finish of the 50th running of the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona race, if the four following FaceBook pages have 1,000 'Likes' each:

http://www.facebook.com/WeGotty

http://www.facebook.com/BillLesterRacing

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Philip-Hampton/143897008998005

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Huligan-Clothing/153764059625

Partners of this giveaway include:
Jacques Villeneuve
Huligan Clothing
Sprint
QuickHit
Nitto Legends 

* The winner MUST be 'Liking' ALL 4 of the FaceBook pages listed to win.  

Emanuele Pirro - Back at Last!

Emanuele Pirro has few ambitions still to fulfill as a driver. After all, he's won the 24 Hours of Le Mans no fewer than five times and twice triumphed in the Sebring 12 Hours. Yet he'll be ticking a box when he races at Daytona this month. His participation in the 50th anniversary Rolex 24 will mark his comeback to the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway after no fewer than 31 years.
The Italian's first, and so far only, participation in the 24 Hours of Daytona, way back in 1981, has a special place in his memory. It was the 19-year-old Italian's first major international event after a year spent racing in his homeland in the Fiat Abarth junior open-wheel category, and his first with a factory team.
"I really wanted to do the race again now because it meant so much to me back then, not just as a race but as a life experience," says Pirro. "It had a big impact on me, but for some reason I never went back. I guess my career took me elsewhere."
Pirro, who had won the Abarth title in 1980, received a late call from Lancia competitions boss Cesare Fiorio. After a brief tryout in one of the Italian manufacturer's Group 5 Beta Montecarlos around the factory parking lot, he was packed off to the U.S. by his parents.
"I have so many memories of that race," he says. "When I drove into the circuit with two of my team mates, Michele Alboreto and Beppe Gabbiani, and we saw the banking for the first time, we wanted to do a U-turn and go home. None of us had seen anything like that before."
Everything was new for Pirro, but American ways also confused his older, yet not necessarily wiser, team mates driving the two Martini Lancia Racing entries.

"The day before practice, we had nothing to do, so Michele, his wife, Beppe and I decided to go to Miami for lunch. We thought 250 miles didn't sound very far," he recalls. "It took us a long time to get there…even though I was stopped for speeding at 105mph in a 55mph zone.
"We didn't leave until late and, on the way back, I saw the sea on my left. I knew Miami was on the East Coast and Daytona was on the East Coast, so if you see the sea on your left, there's something wrong. We ended up somewhere on the Gulf of Mexico and had to drive through the night. We only made it to the circuit just in time for first free practice."
Pirro was entered in a third factory-run Lancia, which was entered under the Jolly Club banner, alongside fellow Italians Martino Finotto and Carlo Facetti. The two veterans were also down to drive Finotto's fire-breathing Ferrari 308 GTB.
"That was a monster of a car with a huge amount of power," says Pirro. "They knew it wouldn't last. They told me I'd start the Lancia and they would join me when the Ferrari broke down."
The 308 lasted just four laps, but the Lancia ran through the 24 Hours without major problems. That turned out to be significant in the Italian manufacturer's bid for the World Endurance Championship, of which Daytona was the opening round. The two front-line Montecarlos were hit by problems, but fifth place overall for Pirro, Facetti and Finotto gave Lancia maximum points in the up to two-liter Group 5 class.
"After the race, Fiorio came up to me and said, 'Do you know what you have achieved?' To be honest I didn't," says Pirro. "I just felt like I'd been doing a 24-hour test."
Long-distance sports car racing was a different animal in those days. It was not the flat-out sprint it is today.
"At that time, I believed that racing was solely about driving as fast as possible," explains Pirro. "I had no idea about long-distance racing. I couldn't understand that we were not allowed to drive flat-out; we even had to back off once a lap to allow the turbo to cool down."
Nor could he understand the fuss in the media when he arrived back in Italy.
"There was quite a lot of press because I was just a young driver and it was such an important race," he recalls. "It really was quite big news, but to be honest it didn't feel very deserved."
Thirty-one years on, the hardened veteran is taking his Daytona comeback in his stride, but he can't hide his enthusiasm for his return to the Speedway.
These days, he is a semi-retired racer who works in an ambassadorial role for long-time employer Audi, but when the German manufacturer decided to develop a Grand-Am specification version of its successful R8 LMS GT3 racer, Pirro put in a request to drive the solo car entered by the APR Motorsport squad.
"Audi organized this for me," he says. "I told them I wanted to do it, and they said to the team that I was available. To be driving again here is quite a big thing for me because of that race all those years ago.
"It was the first big race of my career. I can't say this is the last big race for me, but I am definitely in the twilight of my career."

Andy Wallace's Daytona Memories

Andy Wallace has done it all at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The stalwart sports car pro has won the race no fewer than three times, he's been on the overall podium on a further two occasions and notched up a class win to boot. And, like all long-distance regulars, he's also experienced the heartache of the near-miss.
Wallace famously won the 24 Hours at Le Mans at his first attempt in 1988. Remarkably, the victory he took for Jaguar together with Jan Lammers and Johnny Dumfries was only his third sports car start. He finished in the runner-up position in next 24-hour appearance six months later at Daytona and went on to win the U.S. endurance classic at his second attempt a year later.
Jaguar dominated Daytona 1990. The V12-engined XJR-12 wasn't the fastest car over one lap of the Speedway, but in the race, it outperformed and outlasted its rivals. Just.
The Nissans and Porsches that had qualified ahead of the TWR-run Jaguars all ran into problems early in the race, so much so that two Jags were at the top of the leaderboard as early as the second hour. That year's Rolex 24 turned into a two-horse race between the Jaguars driven by Wallace, Lammers and Davy Jones and its sister car shared by Martin Brundle, John Nielsen and Price Cobb. Only, the British cars were facing a problem of their own: their production-based V12 engines were overheating.
"All the sand and track debris that you get at Daytona was bending the little fins in the radiator; in later years we had a tea-strainer affair fitted ahead of the rad," remembers Wallace. "We were doing all the normal things like spraying water on the radiator during pit stops and recharging the system, but it didn't really work.
"We even tried running without the tail section, but that didn't lose us as much heat as we'd hoped. I'm sure the only reason that both cars got to the end was their massive oil tanks. I think the quantity of oil was enough to prevent the engines going pop."
One memory that stands out from that first victory is running in tandem with teammate Brundle, who had just stepped down from Formula 1 for a full year with the TWR-Jaguar sports car team.
"We had been racing and switching places regularly when we came upon a wall of Porsches between NASCAR Turns 3 and 4. There was no way through, but Martin thought we were not having that, so he dived down onto the apron. There's a massive transition from the 31-degree banking onto a flat surface.
"There were sparks everywhere and then he smashed back up onto the banking. That, I remember thinking, wasn't a good idea in a 24-hour race.
"Another 500 or 600 yards down the road, he had to lift and I had the momentum to pass him. I had a chat with him afterward, and he said, "I don't know what I was thinking; I reckon I was still in F1 mode."
Wallace might have followed up on his first Daytona triumph within a couple of years. He was part of Dan Gurney's All American Racers squad that scored back-to-back victories in 1992-93. The Brit, however, was in the wrong car each time. His Eagle-Toyota started from the front row in both years, but failed to make the finish on either occasion.
"I know everyone says this, but if you are in the winning team you are part of the victory," he says. "You probably have some involvement in the set-up of the winning car and if you are delayed, you might find yourself scrubbing in tires for your teammates. Anyway, the victories were shared around – we won at Sebring in 1992 and '93.".
One squad where Wallace was very much part of a team was Dyson Racing. He played a part in its two Daytona victories, perhaps most famously in 1997 when he was one of seven drivers who climbed aboard Dyson's winning Ford-powered Riley & Scott over the course of the race.
"We'd lost our car [with engine problems], and after a shower back at the hotel, we [Wallace and co-drivers James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger] went back to the track to see if we could cheer the boys on. They were being hounded by a Ferrari, and the cool thing was that we could throw in three fresh drivers."
The Riley & Scott MkIII, in which Wallace would also triumph at Daytona in 1999 with Leitzinger and Elliott Forbes-Robinson, stands as one of Wallace's all-time favorite race cars.
"That car was designed for U.S.tracks and it was brilliant everywhere, but its Achilles heel was that it only really worked with one downforce and drag level. It didn't work if you trimmed it out for some reason.
"That meant you went to Daytona pretty much knowing that you were going to have a 10mph deficit to your rivals up on the banking. When we were racing against the Ferrari 333SP that was a killer. When you saw one coming, you knew it was coming past no matter where you put the car.
"They didn't have the downforce we had and that was a killer in the night when it was cold and slippery. All the Ferrari driver used to make mistakes, but you could put the R&S anywhere. It didn't matter how sideways you got it, you could always get it back."
One that got away was the 2004 race. Wallace was paired with NASCAR stars Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr in a works-run Crawford-Chevrolet DP03 under the Howard-BOSS Motorsports banner and came within 16 minutes of victory.
The trio had led from the seventh hour and were still ahead in the closing minutes despite a series of unscheduled stops after Stewart complained of a vibration. Then, the left rear suspension broke, sending a wheel flying down the track and the car into the wall.
Wallace is one of a select band of drivers to have triumphed the 24-hour classics at both Daytona and Le Mans, and he's one of only 10 to have completed the unofficial Triple Crown of endurance racing by winning outright at Daytona, Le Mans and the Sebring 12 Hours. The challenges presented by the twice around the clock races on either side of the Atlantic couldn't be more different, he says.
"They are demanding in different ways," says Wallace, who has 42 24-hour starts to his name at Daytona and Le Mans. "Daytona is physically harder, but Le Mans is more mentally challenging.
"Daytona is all about full on wheel-to-wheel racing. With so many cars on a circuit measuring three and a half miles, you are in and out of traffic all the time. You don't have that at Le Mans, but what you have are very high speeds. If you make a slight miscalculation on your speeds, the consequences can be disastrous."
Wallace hasn't contested the 24 Hours at Daytona since 2009 and he hasn't got a ride for the 50th anniversary event, but he's aiming to make his 22nd appearance in the great race on Jan. 28-29.
"A few possibilities have fallen through," he says, "but I haven't given up yet."

By The Team Numbers

In preparing for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, one needs to be, if not a numbers fan, at least comfortable with dealing with lots of them. Deciphering how to properly assemble an effort by breaking down the number of people and all the elements those people need to be doing is like a complex math equation. Putting the budget together from the numbers breakdown occurs after the fact and completes the process.
Putting together even a one-car effort for the race is a challenging endeavor, so imagine extrapolating that out to two, three, four or even five cars for one 24-hour race. That's half the challenge, and half the allure, of the respective efforts put forth by Mike Shank in Daytona Prototypes and Kevin Buckler in GT, on an annual basis for the 24-hour endurance test.
Shank and Buckler certainly aren't the only two team principals concerned with putting together a multicar program for Daytona, but they do have a lot of experience with it, and in mass quantity.
Buckler in particular has stood out, with 66 cars entered in total since TRG's Daytona debut in 1996, and no fewer than five cars entered in every Rolex 24 since 2005! Shank's proven no slouch either, with either two or three DPs proving a staple of his Daytona races since 2006 – even if he didn't run them all for the full season.
"I always get a little competitive pleasure when guys elsewhere say, 'You know, I'm gonna do a second or third car for Daytona because TRG can do it,' and then they find out it was the worst thing they could have wished for," Buckler says. "Since anything can go wrong, if your boat is slightly fragile, don't stick it in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the storm! Really, don't try to start a second car team if you can't do it. It's harder than it looks, and is a logistical management nightmare!"
Buckler knows of what he speaks. While consistently fielding a fleet of Porsche GT3 Cups in the last 15 years, TRG has accrued 10 podium finishes in class at Daytona since 2005 including two class wins. In 2008, the team ran a record seven-car effort, and scored two podiums. So, how does that break down, from the essentials to the mundane?
"We've got several pounds of ice, hundreds of water bottles, 15 golf carts and 10 motorhomes," Buckler says, reciting some of the items off the cuff. "TRG is a 30-person company, and it tends to swell with our longtime guys who come in every year at Daytona, and work with the 'TRG Secret Sauce.' It's very regimented, almost like a military operation. But in total for the race, we'll have 125 people."
Of those 125 people, Buckler estimates at least 10 to 12 rotate on the spotters' stand, six-seven fuelers, eight men on tires, five ladies in hospitality, one sponsor coordinator (who runs around on golf carts and delivers food and new batteries), one motorhome maintenance man checking to ensure power is still going, and one food stocker (his wife). That's plus the usual cast of characters, drivers and regular crew who'd be there anyway.
Buckler describes his Daytona mode of operation as akin to a football or basketball defense running a "zone," having the crew shift as necessary instead of sticking solely to one man or one role.
Shank's team may not match Buckler's in terms of outright crew members, but is no less regimented in its preparation.
"It depends on whether you run one or two cars, but I have my wife coordinating all logistics, and we started two or three months ago," Shank explains. "You start in September and October, securing your hotel rooms and booking your flights.
"Realistically, you begin prepping for the race about four or five months in advance to be safe. The really hard stuff happens within the last three months."
Shank will put nine full-time people on one car, and estimates bringing in a further 11 more with spotters. For Shank's 2011 effort, the team had 12 drivers and 60 people and was happily "over prepared."
A clearer estimation of Shank's breakdown for a normal two-car effort includes: 28 crew, eight drivers, two transporters, 100 sets of tires, 20 hotel rooms and one massage therapist.
For Buckler, the 2012 Rolex 24 will feature its Porsche running about 30 sets between January's "Roar Before the 24" test and the week of the race through the 24 hours. Using 20 gallons of fuel per hour, Buckler estimates roughly 500 gallons of fuel per car.
"Because of that, we'll expect to stop about 25 times as it will be under an hour, but that's about 25 times to screw up," Buckler says.
On the surface, the later it gets in the race, the likelihood increases that caffeine will flow just as fast as fuel in the cars. Although both Buckler and Shank are energetic individuals, they're not necessarily keen on getting amped up by Coke, coffee or Red Bull in the darkest hours of the night.
"Energy-wise, I really pace myself for the race, as if equating it to a marathon since I don't go to sleep," Buckler says. "I won't start pounding any Red Bulls until well after midnight."
"I'll avoid caffeine altogether," Shank counters. "I like an occasional Red Bull and vodka away from the track, but not to wake me up straight. I'll stick to the basics, and maybe have a Diet Coke if I need to wake up. Our whole team stays awake and on the stands."
One strategy Shank employs is utilizing hot soup in the middle of the night.
"At 4 a.m., you'll get head nods, guaranteed," he says. "Heads will get real heavy. We always time head-bob time to having hot soup – I love beef vegetable – and that perks everyone up. Your face hurts from being tired. It's more like 36-40 hours you're awake."
By that stage in the race, the preparation and number breakdown shifts to what's still left to accomplish in the remaining hours of the race. And then when the checkers fly, it's time to shut down the operation, recap, reload and relaunch before doing it all over again 12 months later – after making the necessary number crunches and adjustments.

1976: Redman's Feat of Endurance

Ask Brian Redman how many times he's won the 24 Hours of Daytona, and he isn't entirely sure. He used to settle on two – 1976 and '81 – but these days he's more likely to take credit for the 36 laps he did in the winning Porsche 917 in 1970 and call it three. Yet ask him which of his victories he counts as his favorite, and there are no doubts. It has to be 1976 and his triumph with the factory BMW team.
And for good reason, too. Not only did BMW dominate with its 3.5-liter CSL, but the car driven by Redman, the late Peter Gregg and John Fitzpatrick led for most of the way. What's more, former grand prix driver Redman did the lion's share of the driving in the winning car. The British driver spent 14 hours behind the wheel, which turned out to be pretty much two thirds of the actual race, because that was the year that contamination of the official fuel supply resulted in the event being halted for three hours on Sunday morning.
"At the end I was absolutely exhausted," recalls Redman. "There is a photograph somewhere of the podium with Peter, with his arms around the two race queens, looking immaculate because he'd barely been in the car. I am standing at one side looking like his grandfather. I got back to the hotel, fell asleep in the bath and woke up at 2 a.m."
The IMSA-spec CSL, already an overall winner at the previous season's Sebring 12 Hours with Redman on the driving roster, was the car to have at Daytona that year. There were no prototypes as part of the organizers' drive to realign the race for Grand Tourers and American stockers, and the straight-six machine was more than a match for the Porsche 911 Carrera RSR that had won Daytona 12 months before.
Redman claimed pole position by a shade under a second from teammate David Hobbs, and the BMW squad sat atop the leaderboard from early in the race after a brief challenge from John Greenwood's "SuperCorvette." The Porsche RSR driven by Al Holbert and Claude Ballot-Lena kept the "Bimmers" in sight until the early evening, after which the three CSLs – two factory and a single semi-works entry all entered under the BMW North America banner – had things pretty much their own way.
Redman and Gregg built up a clear lead during the night when the car Hobbs shared with visiting NASCAR star Benny Parsons ran into gearbox problems and the British-run, Hermetite-backed machine was delayed by a broken distributor.
It wasn't all plain sailing for Redman and Gregg. First, Gregg became ill, placing a heavy burden on his teammate and eventually resulting in John Fitzpatrick being drafted into the lineup from the Hermetite entry.
Even more worrying for BMW was an engine problem ¬– and quite a major one at that.
"The remarkable thing about that car is that at something like four in the morning it went onto five cylinders after losing part of a valve," explains Redman. "I continued driving flat out, using 9000rpm, and was still faster than the best of the Porsche RSRs.
"Sometimes those six-cylinder engines would break after an hour. They had a problem with the damping of the crankshaft. Other times they would run forever."
Redman and his teammates had a lead of more than 50 miles when water in the official fuel supply caused havoc for approximately 10 of the cars left running shortly after nine in the evening. The leading BMW was one of the first to be affected, and Redman remembers the car grinding to halt three times during a lap that he was convinced was going to deprive him of a first true victory in the 24 Hours.
"It stopped almost immediately after refueling and I had to bleed the system to get going again," he says. "It stopped on the infield and again on the banking. The final time I had to borrow some jump leads to restart the car.
"Just as I got back to the pits, they stopped the race. Fortunately the results were put back, which meant we were leading again when they restarted the race."
With the BMW's fuel system bled and the rogue gasoline taken out of circulation, the BMW resumed its relentless progress for the final three-hour run to the flag. The final margin of victory over the Holbert Porsche was 14 laps.

Redman was the hero of Daytona '76, but local boy Gregg, now a three-time winner of the race, took the plaudits from the local media.
"I got taken apart by him on the public relations front," remembers Redman, who was already firmly established in the U.S. courtesy of two Formula 5000 titles. "The headline in the Daytona Beach paper on Saturday morning was 'Gregg wins pole.' Well, actually, Gregg's car won pole."
Redman's post-race exhaustion meant he missed BMW's victory celebrations on Sunday evening.
"When I apologized to BMW Motorsport boss Jochen Neerpasch the next morning, he said, 'Oh well, it doesn't matter. Peter Gregg gave a fantastic speech and thanked all the mechanics personally by name in German.' I thought, 'Wonderful!'"

Felipe Nasr Preparing for Rolex 24 At Daytona

Felipe Nasr is set to add one more accomplishment to his growing racing resume.
The 19-year-old native of Brasilia, Brazil recently capped his fourth season of racing by winning the British Formula 3 championship and, as an added bonus won the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge for out scoring rivals in four European championships.
As a result, the highly regarded Formula One prospect is looking forward to making his sports car racing debut in the 50th anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29, 2012. To get ready, Nasr is set to participate in the Rolex Series test at Daytona International Speedway on Dec. 6-7, where he will be driving a Daytona Prototype for the first time.
“This is going to be a completely different deal from what I’m used to, with a totally different way of driving the car,” said Nasr.
Nasr won the European Formula BMW championship in his 2009 rookie season when he finished in the top two positions in 14 of the 16 events. He finished fifth in the 2010 British Formula 3 Championship, and in 2011 he won the championship by winning seven races and finishing on the podium in 12 of the 18 races.
Nasr is used to stepping in to an unfamiliar car and getting results quickly. His first open-wheel race was in the final round of the 2008 Formula BMW Americas season at Interlagos – running in support of the Brazilian Grand Prix – and he finished on the podium in the second race of the doubleheader.
“I’ve got to grab as much experience as I can, but I’m looking forward to it,” Nasr said.
“I’m really looking forward to the Rolex 24,” Nasr added. “There are always big name drivers coming over for this race, like Juan Pablo Montoya and the stars of NASCAR. It should be real interesting to see all of the drivers from the top levels competing in the same race. It will be interested to get to race against them.”
Nasr has been to the United States “four or five” times, most recently in 2007, but has yet to visit Daytona Beach. Before he visits, though, he’s doing all he can to get ready.
“I’ve heard that Daytona is an amazing circuit, with the banking and the infield, which is quite tricky,” Nasr said. “I’ve heard it’s a big show on a mega-circuit, and all the drivers enjoyed it a lot. Everything I’ve heard is positive. I’ve already been working on a few simulation games. After my racing season ends next weekend, I’m going to be preparing quite hard to get to learn the track.”
Nasr is the third driver to win the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge. Derek Johnston and Ross Kaiser – both competitors in the Radical UK Cup – were the previous winners, making Nasr the first open-wheel competitor to capture one of the most unique prizes in international motorsports.

1984: Kreepy Krauly

Ken Howes did not have great expectations when he took his new Kreepy Krauly team to Daytona Beach for the first time to race in the 1984 Rolex 24 – then known as the SunBank 24.
Little did he know that the event would have a profound effect on his future career.
Daytona Beach was just a dot on the map for Kreepy Krauly Racing before that event. Most of the Atlanta-based team had never been there before – and the team even struggled to find the entrance to the speedway.
The team was owned by Kreepy Krauly, a South African manufacturer of pool cleaning equipment. The team bought a year-old Porsche-powered March 83G from reigning Camel GT champion Al Holbert, and Howes – along with drivers Sarel van der Merwe, Graham Duxbury and Tony Martin – had very modest expectations entering the event
“We were not expecting to be around long,” Howes recalled. “We knew very little about Daytona – only Sarel had been there before – and the car had never even finished a three-hour race up until that point.”
So the team decided to make a strong first impression – even if it would be a short one.
“We thought we would make the best show we could while we were running,” Howes said. “That’s why there was that big battle up front with the Andretti Porsche and our car. We figured at five or six o’clock we’d be done and loading up.”
The Andretti entry was the first example of the Porsche 962, driven by the legendary Mario Andretti and his son, future Indy car star Michael. Other top entries among the 18 Camel GT Prototypes included a pair of Group 44 Jaguars – one with Brian Redman at the wheel – along with four Marches, four Lolas and a pair of Aston Martins.
Not surprisingly, the elder Andretti captured the pole position in the plain white No. 1 Porsche 962, followed van der Merwe by the surprising No. 00 Kreepy Krauly entry.
Andretti took the lead at the waving of the green flag, with the persistent No. 00 attacking like it was a sprint race.
Various problems then took their toll on the lead cars. The Kreepy Krauly team ran out of fuel due to an electrical problem at the eight-hour mark and fell back, while A.J. Foyt and Hurley Haywood’s Porsche 935s ran up front.
Then, both Porsches had problems. When the Bruce Leven car of Haywood and Holbert went behind the wall at 1:30 a.m. with 14 hours remaining, the Kreepy Krauly team was back up front.
They never looked back. Van der Merwe, Duxbury and Martin led the remainder of the race, winning by nine laps.
“We were in shock,” Howes recalled. “We were also worn out – we hadn’t slept in a week.  I guess you can say we had beginner’s luck. We ran out of gas once, and the gearshift knob came off, but other than that, we had no real problems.”
Finding the way to the gate at victory lane opened many other doors for Howes, who is now Hendrick Motorsports vice president of competition.
“The Rolex 24 victory had everything to do with this,” Howes explained. “We managed to run the full series in 1984 and started out 1985 but ran into sponsorship problems. It just happened at that time that GM wanted to run that Corvette, and it was fortunate that we were able to oblige.”
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner Rick Hendrick was assisting GM with the Corvette GTP, and he offered Howes the opportunity to manage the team. When that program ended in 1989, Howes joined Hendrick’s three-car NASCAR team. He worked his way up the ladder from Ken Schrader’s crew chief to manager of the team’s research and development program. He was named competition director in 2001, and elevated to vice president of competition in 2005.

The Gathering of the Clans: Andretti vs. Unser in '91

Like many of the best ideas, this one came about in a bar.
But having a great idea and successfully pulling it off can be two very different things. Especially when the plan involves getting the foremost names from two great U.S. motorsport dynasties, the Andrettis and the Unsers, to race against each other in a sports car superteam at one of the world's biggest endurance races, the 1991 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Yeah, good luck on that one…
The architect of this ambitious program was Jochen Dauer, racer, entrant and font of good ideas. (Just three years later, his Dauer Porsche 962 “road car” would win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the hands of the Porsche factory.) 
The German had already had a couple of Unsers – Al Jr. and cousin Robby – aboard one of his Porsche 962s at Daytona in 1990 and decided, while enjoying a few “adult beverages” one evening, that if you could have two Unsers then you might as well have four.
Dauer claims credit for this initial idea. “We were in a bar near the Nurburgring,” he says. “And it seemed like a good idea at the time.”
The concept was moved on by the team manager at Jochen Dauer Racing, expatriot Briton Steve Charsley, who takes up the story: “After a bottle of champagne or two to celebrate our good idea, I said, ‘We can't do this. It will be rude because it will upset the Andrettis.’ So Jochen said, ‘We'll just have to run two cars then, one for the Unsers and one for the Andrettis.’”
Dauer’s links with the Unsers and Charsley’s with the Andrettis (he’d been crew chief for Mario and Michael during their sports car forays back in 1983) meant contact was quickly made with the two racing families.
“I phoned the Andrettis’ manager, Don Henderson, and ran it past him, and that opened up a meeting at Elkhart Lake at the CART event. They verbally signed up there and then. The Andrettis were in and so were the Unsers. It took me just 90 days from the idea to getting all the contracts signed.”
Mario Andretti remembers being immediately attracted by the unusual proposal.
"We always had a friendly rivalry with the Unsers and figured we'd have a bit of fun," he says. "We always like to give each other a bit of needle in a friendly way, so Jochen's idea was very attractive."
Dauer’s plan was to run Mario, his sons Michael and Jeff, and, before a clash of sponsorship intervened, nephew John in the Andretti car, with Al Sr. and Jr., Bobby and son Robby in the Unser entry. The next question was to find someone to pay for the ambitious program that, at one stage at least, looked set to include a full IMSA campaign with the younger drivers from each family entered in a car apiece.
“It was a case of build it and they will come,” says Charsley, who today is North American vice-president at Lola Cars International. “We believed that we had enough time and that the program was large enough that we could sell the idea.”
Charsley was right. Mario Andretti arranged a meeting with long time backer Texaco, which caught the team by surprise by asking for its Havoline brand to be the primary sponsor on the 1978 Formula 1 World Champion’s car.
“Mario said that we needed to talk to Texaco because they wanted an involvement,” recalls Charsley. “I remember going to the hotel lobby while we were at the Laguna Seca CART race. They asked how much it would cost, and I showed them a few options for 30 or 40 grand. They turned around and said, ‘No no, we want to sponsor the whole car’. I wasn't ready for that, so we had to arrange another meeting.”
Computer giant Olivetti was lined up as a sponsor for the Unser clan, although events in the Middle East, following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, meant it provided only limited assistance, resulting in the car running largely unsponsored at Daytona.
Another potential taker as the plan came together over the second half of 1990 was Mercedes-Benz, which was in the process of wrapping up that year’s World Sports-Prototype Championship.
“We approached Mercedes and they were very excited about the program. The Mercedes C11 Group C car wasn't legal in the U.S., so I got on the phone to IMSA and spoke to Mark Raffauf [today director of competition at Grand-Am] and said, ‘Can I bring a Mercedes to the U.S.?’ He said that if I could get Mercedes into IMSA, he’d find a way to accommodate them.”
The Mercedes plan eventually came to nothing, so Dauer went back to the original idea of running a pair of Porsche 962s. Two new customer-spec cars were ordered from Porsche and Dauer came up with its own bodywork, which was produced by the Arrows Formula 1 team.
Ian Dawson, who was brought in to manage the Andretti entry, remembers no expense being spared. “The cars had the best of everything,” he explains. “We even had an early telemetry system. It was an ambitious project – perhaps a little too ambitious.”
That ambition and a shortfall in funding for the Unser car, which ran in plain white at the 24 Hours, meant the cars were behind schedule. The Dauer team missed the pre-event Daytona test early in January and the cars arrived in Florida late after getting stuck in customs, the result of the outbreak of the Gulf War just days before the 24 Hours.
“The cars weren’t quite ready when they arrived in the U.S., and I remember a few all-nighters in the lead up to the race,” says Dawson. “But they were quick.”
So much so that Michael Andretti was able to make rapid progress from sixth in the starting field to take a short-lived lead in the No. 00 Porsche on the opening lap. He was back in the lead on lap nine, before settling down to complete the opening stint in third place.
However, the Andretti's bid for Daytona glory had started to go off the rails even before Michael handed over to his father. He reported a misfire that would eventually lead to a long stop in the second hour. This and what Charsley calls "other little gremlins" resulted in the Andrettis falling 17 laps off the lead.
The Unsers, running with No. 0 on their Porsche, also led briefly, but their Rolex 24 ended early when Robby crashed going up onto the banking in the night, reportedly as a result of the one working headlight failing. The Andrettis, however, had the right car for the conditions.
"I remember Michael insisting on a lot of downforce," says Mario, "and when it was wet in the night that really helped us."
The No. 00 Porsche fought its way back up to seventh by midnight and was third when dawn broke on Sunday morning, though admittedly nine laps down on the leader. That became second when the best of the Nissans ran into problems, and then first when the Andrettis swept into the lead, passing the No. 7 Joest Porsche driven by Frank Jelinski, Bob Wollek, Henri Pescarolo, Hurley Haywood and “John Winter” shortly after nine o'clock.
The remarkable comeback soon ran into problems as Mario had to bring the car into the pits when a flywheel bolt sheered. The resulting stop, lasting more than 70 minutes, left the Dauer Porsche in fifth, which was where it would eventually be classified. In fact, the car was running fourth when the engine expired in the closing stages, but it had completed enough laps, 56 laps behind the winning No. 7Joest entry, to be classified fifth.
"That car was easily fast enough to win," recalls Dawson. "We were flying during the night and the Porsche guys were going mad because they thought we were going too fast. We should have won, and won it well."
Still, not a bad effort for an idea dreamed up in a bar…

A Personal Test of Endurance

When it comes to winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the drivers get the glory, but they’ll be the first to admit that none of them would be trying on that beautiful, but elusive Rolex watch in Daytona International Speedway’s Victory Circle without the tireless efforts of every single member of their crew.
Simon Hodgson, the general manager for SunTrust Racing, and Iain Watt, an engineer for Action Express Racing, know all about the very personal test of endurance that staying awake, alert, focused and functioning for the twice-’round-the-clock classic is for every crew member.
Preparation is paramount in several ways for Daytona. Namely, accruing enough sleep and nutrition in the days and weeks leading up to the event so that a 24-plus hour run of staying awake isn’t as difficult as it might appear.
“I think the main thing is getting the right nutrition really, and lots of sleep; simple as that,” Hodgson says. “The actual week of the 24 is quite long, from load-in on the Tuesday through going green on Saturday. We also have to keep the stress levels moderated to have a routine 24 hours.”
Keeping those stress levels down means working on the tiniest details in advance and, should things go wrong, having a Plan B. And a Plan C, D and E, too.
“You have to approach this race differently from the outset,” Watt explains. “The way we go about racing it, we make sure there are extra preparations for the cars. You’ll go at all costs to keep it running. You do everything to keep the wheels turning. There are lots of strategies you have to do to prepare for what you don’t expect. It’s a different kind of preparation.”
The preparation involves having not just spare parts, but also spare people at the ready. If one crewmember goes down, it’s a greater necessity to fill the spot and operate at full strength rather than a man down.
“You have to have that redundancy in every level, from calling the race to people doing jobs like running tires and getting fuel,” Watt says. “It all has to happen. You have to build that into your procedures, systems and personnel. For instance, if your lead guy twists an ankle on the first stop, you have to have a backup guy. Otherwise you do slow pit stops the rest of the race and that doesn’t work.”
With the preparation in place and every eventuality hopefully covered, race morning dawns between 7 or 8 a.m. local time, when the crew wakes up and head to the track. Hodgson estimates a good night’s sleep the night before begins at 8:30 or 9 p.m., after a good dinner.
From Saturday, they’ll stay at the track for a much longer period than just 24 hours. The race itself begins at 3 p.m. and between pre-race setup and post-race takedown, it’s easily one full day and a half, straight.
“It’s not like you can teach yourself to sleep in and avoid going to the track,” Watt laughs. “It’s more like 36 hours, going on 48 that you have to be awake and alert. You can’t be a zombie!”
The race begins and, within just a few hours, darkness falls. Temperatures drop. A standard race length is quickly exceeded, yet there are several more to go. And then, inevitably, the urge to sleep hits the guys on pit road.
“The guys can get some rest in-between fuel stints,” Hodgson says. “The difficult thing is that, by the evening, you feel like you’ve already done a normal race. The hardest time is about 10 p.m. through to about 4 in the morning, as those are really long hours. You hope the crew starts getting its second wind when the sun rises.”
Watt says the toughest part comes at the end of that late night/early morning window – roughly between 3 and 4 a.m.
“Right then, your body tells you that you should be going to sleep,” Watt admits. “If you’ve just serviced the car about then, there might be a natural lull in activity after it, so it’s hard to keep focused. Your body wants to go to sleep but you do your best to stay awake until that second wind.”
That’s often the coldest part of the event, as well. Despite what you might think about Florida’s balmy climate, Daytona can be notoriously chilly in the middle of January, and available heat is limited. Watt’s energy and heat kick is aided by several cups of coffee, while Hodgson says he tries to find as much heat as possible from the pit box.
Watt says the lights at Daytona help aid competitors and crewmembers, where it’s almost never completely dark at any point on the circuit. By way of contrast, Le Mans, where Watt crewed several races in the 1990s, is a much tougher challenge to stay awake at because it’s pitch black on almost all parts of the circuit. Armed with that experience, the first time Watt worked with Eddie Cheever at Daytona in 2006, he says he “knew what he was getting into.”
To stay awake, Hodgson says he just tries to keep even more engaged with the race than usual. As he says, time goes quicker. He admits sleep could claim the crewmembers, but the intensity and focus for each stop fuels them to keep going. Most crewmembers stay up the whole of the race and only briefly shut their eyes – maybe for an hour or two in total over the two days.
“To be honest, from as soon as the race starts, there’s nobody on our team who wants to leave the pits,” he says. “They all take the responsibility of seeing the cars finishing well.”
Both Watt and Hodgson have extensive experience as mechanics in IndyCar racing. Hodgson, a SunTrust crewmember since 2007, had a rough first time at the Rolex in 2004. He witnessed the usually well prepared Chip Ganassi Racing team almost underestimate the challenge of how tiring the work can be in its first Rolex 24 start.
“Honestly, it was very difficult, and not just from a fatigue standpoint,” he says. “Ganassi is all about preparation, and we thought we all were prepared, but we were definitely underprepared. We had a lot of rain and things we didn’t think we’d have to contend with. I saw how hard it could be if things weren’t going right, and what we needed to do better going forward.”
In contrast to coming in half-ready, Watt believes being over-prepared for the task of staying awake, ready and focused is the real key to success for crewmembers over the course of the Rolex 24.
“If you’re prepared for adversity, then adversity stays away from you,” he admits. “But if you’re scrambling, you’ll get challenged. It always seems to go that way, at least from my experience.”

Pruett Shattered Record for Lead-Lap Finishes in Rolex 24

For many years, finishing on the lead lap almost guaranteed a victory in the event now known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona. In the 42 races from 1964 through 2006, two cars finished on the lead lap on only four occasions.
With that in mind, Scott Pruett has put together an incredible streak of five consecutive lead-lap finishes in the Rolex 24. He broke the record of three straight lead lap finishes set by Peter Gregg from 1973 through 1976 – with that mark also eclipsed by Memo Rojas, who has been first or second the past four years driving the No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW/Riley.
“I think that finishing on the lead lap for the past five years is a testament to the team, the Ganassi organization, to run all those miles,” Pruett said. “For a car from a team to run and finish every lap five years in a row is a phenomenal record. That says a lot about Ganassi and GRAND-AM. The cars have become so robust that you’re able to achieve that year after year. Now the reliability of the cars is not your biggest issue going into the race – we’re more worried about getting through traffic and pit stops.”
Pruett shares the record for career lead-lap finishes in the Rolex 24 with Hurley Haywood with six each. Pruett won overall in the 1994 Rolex 24, while Haywood won the race five times in addition to finishing second in 2009.
After two years of running as a three-hour event in 1962 and 1963, the Rolex 24 became a true endurance test when it ran for 2,000 kilometers (approximately 1,244 miles) in 1964 and 1965. The race was expanded to 24 hours in 1966, and it has stayed that way ever since with the exception of a six-hour race in 1972.
From that first endurance race in 1964, the first time two cars finished on the lead lap was in 1986, when the Porsche 962 of Al Holbert, Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr. won by 1:49.150 over the Porsche 962 of A.J. Foyt, Arie Luyendyk, Danny Sullivan and car owner Preston Henn.
Three years later, Bell returned to victory lane with Bob Wollek and John Andretti in a Porsche 962, winning by 2:06.597 over the Jaguar of Andy Wallace, Price Cobb, John Nielsen and Jan Lammers.
The next finish with two cars on the lead lap was in 1996, when Wayne Taylor held off charging Max Papis to win by 1:05.518.
The first Rolex 24 under GRAND-AM sanction was in 2000, when the Dodge Viper of Olivier Beretta, Karl Wendlinger and Dominique Dupuy won by 30.879 seconds over the Corvette of Ron Fellows, Justin Bell and Chris Kneifel.
The introduction of the Daytona Prototype in 2003 changed the face of endurance racing. In the five races beginning with 2007, at least two cars finished on the lead lap on four occasions. Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya won by 1:15.842 over Samax drivers Ryan Dalziel, Patrick Carpentier, Darren Manning and Milka Duno in 2007. Pruett won again in 2008, joined by Montoya, Memo Rojas and Dario Franchitti in scoring a one-lap victory over GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty, Jimmie Johnson and Jimmy Vasser.
The 2009 classic saw four cars finish on the lead lap. Brumos won by .167 seconds over Pruett, Rojas and Montoya. The second Brumos Porsche/Riley with Haywood, Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller and JC France finished 7.077 seconds back, followed by the SunTrust Racing Ford/Dallara, 12.162 seconds in arrears.
Two cars finished on the lead lap in 2010, with the Action Express Racing Porsche/Riley of Terry Borcheller, Joao Barbosa, Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller winning by 24.01 seconds over Pruett, Rojas, Papis and Justin Wilson.
The 2011 opener had four cars on the lead lap, with Pruett, Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand winning by 2.426 seconds over Ganassi teammates Dixon, Montoya, Franchitti and Jamie McMurray. Action Express and Michael Shank Racing/United Autosports also finished on the lead lap.
Another way of looking putting Pruett’s record in perspective is that Peter Gregg held the record of lead-lap finishes for his consecutive victories in 1973, 1975 and 1976 (there was no race in 1974 due to the fuel crisis). Foyt and Bell scored four consecutive top-two finishes in a span between 1983 and 1987, but the two finished nine laps down in 1984 and Bell was 17 laps down in second in 1985.

Baldwin Gets Head Start for 22nd Rolex 24

The 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will mark the 22nd appearance for Jack Baldwin in the premier endurance race, and the Georgia veteran can’t wait to get going.
In fact, Baldwin was at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a private test, getting a head start on preparations for the Rolex 24.
Baldwin will return to the Rolex 24 in the No. 17 Foametix Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, co-driving with car owner Claudio Burtin and German star Martin Ragginger.
For 2012, the car will be prepped by Goldcrest Motorsports – the team that prepared the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche for the 2011 Rolex 24 and Grand Prix of Miami while the Jacksonville, Fla., team finalized preparations for its in-house team. Brumos went on to capture the Rolex Series team championship with drivers Andrew Davis and Leh Keen.
This will be the fourth year that Burtin Racing will field this car in the Rolex 24 – although the car has undergone extensive upgrades to  2010 specifications since January’s race.
Baldwin won the GTU class in his Rolex 24 debut in 1984. He has one regret, although it’s a small one.
“Back then, we got trophies – not the Rolex watch for winning the class,” Baldwin said. “But to win the Rolex 24 – in any class – is a very big deal. It has been an honor to do this race so many times. I’ve driven in every class, and I can’t wait to do it again in January.  We know we have a good, fast car, but that’s only one little ingredient – you need to have a little luck in a race like the Rolex 24.”

Porsche - Daytona's Ever-Present Storyline

This manufacturer's Rolex 24 of Daytona résumé reads like a history in brief of international sports car racing over the past half century.
It's notched up victories with factory cars and privateer cars, and prototypes and GTs. That vast array of machinery has been powered by flat-12s, flat-eights, flat-sixes and even V8s, some of which were turbocharged and some normally aspirated.
And then there's the list of racing legends who've helped notch up all those triumphs: Rodriguez, Redman, Bell, Haywood, Gregg, Joest, Foyt, Wollek, Pescarolo, Stommelen, Holbert, Ongais and Rahal. And that's not forgetting multiple victories by that great U.S. racing dynasty, the Unsers.
That marque is, of course, Porsche.
The German manufacturer has been a constant through the rich, 50-year history of international sports car racing at Daytona. More than half a dozen Porsches took part in the inaugural Daytona Continental 3-hour race in 1962 and it has been represented on the grid every year since. In that time, it has notched up a phenomenal 22 overall victories, a total that includes three wins as an engine supplier.
That amazing run began at the 1968 24 Hours, the third edition of the Daytona enduro to be run to the twice-around-the-clock format. Victory for Jo Siffert, Vic Elford, Rolf Stommelen, Hans Hermann and Jochen Neerpasch at the wheel of a factory-entered 907LH was the first overall win for Porsche in any of the big sports car enduros at Daytona, Le Mans or Sebring. The tone had been set.
Porsche had to wait a couple of years for its first success at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but not before the design that would achieve that breakthrough win had already notched up another Daytona success for the marque. In a very short time, the 917 would make an indelible mark in the history of motorsports and the psyche of every sports car fan.
Ask anyone to conjure up an image of the great 917 in their mind, and the chances are that it will be in the powder blue and orange of Gulf Oil. Those were the colors in which John Wyer's JW Automotive team triumphed at Daytona in 1970, with Pedro Rodriguez, Brian Redman and Leo Kinnunen behind the wheel. Wyer, Rodriguez and Jackie Oliver would then repeat the feat 12 months later, with Gulf backing, of course.
The red, white and blue of Brumos is another color scheme that shall be ever associated with Porsche at Daytona. Peter Gregg's Brumos team claimed victory in the 24 Hours three times in the 1970s, twice with a Carrera RSR and once with a 935, and the Florida-based team triumphed again in 2009 nearly 30 years after its owner's untimely death with a Porsche-powered Riley Daytona Prototype. Brumos was, of course, the team that gave Daytona legend Hurley Haywood the first two of his record five 24-hour victories at "The World Center of Racing."

The flame-breathing 935, an ever-more extreme silhouette special, was unbeaten in the 24 Hours from Brumos' 1978 triumph through '83. Domination by one Stuttgart design then merged into another, with a solo victory in between by the first of the "Powered by Porsche" wins at the Daytona International Speedway. Victory by the Kreepy Krauly March-Porsche in 1984 paved the way for the phenomenal success of the Porsche 962.
The IMSA GTP version of the Porsche 956 that had already won Le Mans in 1982 and '83 came on stream in 1984 and went on to win the Rolex 24 no fewer than five times. Just about everyone who was anyone in U.S. motorsports raced this classic machine over a long career that stretched into the 1990s.
The 962 coupe was the machine in which the great and the good went head to head at the start of each season. Mario Andretti, who'd given the car a first-time-out pole position at Daytona in '84, the Unsers, Indy car legend A.J. Foyt and, of couse, Al Holbert would all play starring roles in one of the classic periods of U.S. sports car racing.
The rivalry between Foyt and Holbert, who was Porsche's factory representative in the U.S., spanned the middle years of the 1980s. Foyt was only an occasional competitor in the Rolex 24, but he ended up winning the race with Preston Henn's Swap Shop team and its 935 in 1983 (after joining its lineup during the race) and then gave the 962 its first Daytona success with the same team two years later.
Holbert's factory car, shared with Derek Bell and Al Unser Jr., had finished second that year, but he got his revenge in 1986, with Foyt finishing a close second in the Henn car this time. The four-time Indy 500 winner returned with his own entry (run by the Brumos team) the following season and remained in the hunt until an engine failure in the final hour.
The career of the 962 appeared to be at an end with the demise of the GTP category in 1993, but an open-top version complying to the new World Sports Car rules claimed an against-the-odds victory in 1995. The Porsche factory had been due to contest the race with its WSC95, an "American" Porsche developed out of TWR, Inc.'s Valparaiso headquarters on a 1991-vintage Jaguar Group C chassis and scheduled to be driven by Mario Andretti and Scott Pruett, but scratched its entry courtesy of a late regulation change. The privateer Kremer team was affected by the same power-sapping rule tweak, but chose to push on with its plans to contest the big race with its 962-based contender.
The Kremer-Porsche K8 wasn't the quickest car in that year's 24 Hours, but it was the most reliable. As the fast but fragile Ferrari 333SPs fell by the wayside, the Porsche came through to score an unlikely victory with a driver lineup including Christophe Bouchut and Marco Werner.
Not quite as unlikely, however, as the triumph by The Racers Group in 2003. Its GT class 911 GT3-RS outlasted the debuting Daytona Prototypes to take the laurels by nine laps.
It was a little bit closer the next time Porsche took the overall win in the Rolex 24. The Porsche-powered Brumos Riley that triumphed in '09 enjoyed a winning margin of just 0.167sec after the closest 24 Hours on record.
The Riley chassis gave Porsche win number 22 the following season. This time, though, it was powered by a V8 engine developed from the Cayenne SUV powerplant.
That's quite a résumé already, but it's sure to be added to in the years to come. The shape, size and sound of cars has changed over the years at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, but one thing remains constant: the sight of a Porsche up on the banking.

50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 Merchandise Now Available

The historic 50^th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 28-29 is still five months away, but the race to purchase the coveted merchandise commemorating the golden anniversary of the historic sports car race has begun.

Souvenir apparel for the 50^th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona is available for purchase in the Pit Shop located in the lobby of the Daytona International Speedway Ticket Office. These items are also available by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

The special limited-time Rolex 24 apparel, all bearing the golden 50^th Anniversary emblem, include:

·      A Low Profile hats and Vegas Limited Edition Caps

·      Aloe and Natural T-Shirts

·      A Sand Polo Shirts and Black Sweatshirts

·      Lastly, Chestnut Hill Capstone Jackets

More merchandise and souvenir items will become available over the coming weeks and months leading up to the 2012 twice-around-the-clock challenge. 

The Rolex 24 At Daytona, the kick-off event to Speedweeks 2012 as well as the international motorsports calendar, showcases the world's best drivers competing against each other lap after lap for 24 hours on Daytona International Speedway's challenging and demanding 3.56-mile road course.

Tickets for the 50^th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona are on sale online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter (www.twitter.com/disupdates) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/DaytonaInternationalSpeedway).

"The Intimidator" Takes On the Rolex 24

Ask anyone at Corvette Racing for a favorite memory from the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona and you may not get the answer you were expecting.
Sure, it was the year Chevrolet's GTS class contender outlasted the prototypes at Daytona International Speedway to notch up an unexpected outright victory in the 'round-the-clock classic, but the sight of the No. 2 Corvette C5-R taking the checkered flag might not be the magic moment they'd choose. Instead, they're just as likely to want to talk about working with a motorsport legend – namely Dale "The Intimidator" Earnhardt.
Early February, the seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion and his son, Dale Jr., took time out from their preparations for the long and grueling NASCAR season ahead to race in the 24 Hours. They made their mark out on the track, finishing fourth overall and second in class together with Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins, but they also left an indelible impression on every team member. Those memories became all the more poignant after Earnhardt Sr. was snatched away on the final lap of the Daytona 500, just two weeks after the 24 Hours.
Doug Fehan, long-time program manager at Corvette Racing, describes working with Earnhardt Sr. as "one of the most memorable experiences of my career." He's quick to add that he's not talking about "Earnhardt the legend, but Earnhardt the man."
Pilgrim, who, despite his dislike of the description, acted as a kind of road-racing mentor to the Earnhardts, echoes Fehan's words.
"The Intimidator was just his racetrack persona," he says. "The real Dale was a kind-hearted person who genuinely cared about people."
Pilgrim was Earnhardt's choice of teammate for the 24 Hours, though the first the U.S.-based Brit knew about it was when he received a letter from the great man. Earnhardt didn't know Pilgrim personally, but he knew a little bit about his driving, having seen his already famous last-lap pass on Tommy Archer's Dodge Viper to secure class honors at Petit Le Mans the previous September.
"Dale sent me a letter after Petit," explains Pilgrim. "It basically said, 'Hi, Dale Earnhardt here. Man, that was some pass you pulled on the Viper. That move is exactly why I want you to be my teammate at next year's 24 Hours. You obviously know how to rub paint, so I can't teach you that, but you've got to teach me to drive the Corvette. Sincerely, Dale Earnhardt.'"
Pilgrim admits that he hadn't been aware the Earnhardts were being lined up for the 24 Hours. There were rumors, however, because the plan had been a year in the making.
"It was one of those things that just bubbled up," explains Fehan. "He had noticed what we were doing with the Corvette [the C5-R began racing in 1999] and expressed an interest in the program. Gary Claudio was motorsport marketing manager for Corvette; he took the idea and ran with it."
The original idea had been for the Earnhardts to contest Daytona the previous year, but that plan fell through for two reasons.
"He needed a small surgical procedure on a vertebra," says Fehan. "He was also very aware that it was Junior's first year in Cup and he didn't need any extra distractions, so the idea went on hold."
Earnhardt had done it all in his stock car career, but as far as sports car racing went, he was a rookie and happy to admit it. That explains the letter to Pilgrim: He wanted to soak up as much information about the Corvette and the road course at the Daytona International Speedway as possible.
"He would say, 'If there's anything you think I need to know, please tell me,'" recalls Pilgrim. "I was impressed at how hard he listened. It wasn't so much coaching, as giving him information that he didn't have."
Earnhardt famously asked for some of that during the night of the race. He'd just taken over the car in heavy rain and called for Pilgrim on the radio. It was a moment that was captured for posterity on the TV broadcast.
"He was just looking for information," explains Pilgrim, "so I just told him where the slippery bits were and what I was using for braking points."
The result was that Earnhardt Sr. in the No. 3 'Vette (it had to be No. 3, of course) was able to match Johnny O'Connell aboard the No.2 machine that went on to win the race.
"Dale was fantastic in the wet," recalls Pilgrim. "It was more familiar to him because he didn't have the downforce and didn't have to use the brakes so hard. It was much more like driving a Cup car."
There was no fairy-tale ending to the Earnhardts' debut in the 24 Hours. The sister Corvette, which O'Connell shared with Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel and Franck Freon, was the faster of the two cars, but it was also the one that had the clean run. The No. 3 car lost time during the night with a half-shaft failure.
Not that it dampened Earnhardt Sr.'s enthusiasm for sports car racing. On the way home from the race, he was already discussing with right-hand man Steve Crisp about doing the Le Mans 24 Hours, possibly as early as 2002.
"Dale got a taste for sports car racing," says Fehan. "After he
was done with NASCAR, he was going to do sports cars with Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans would definitely have been an element of that."