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.