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.
Monday, January 23, 2012
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
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
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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."
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.
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
"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
Saturday, January 14, 2012
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."
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."
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