2011 Grand-Am Rolex Series

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Kaiser To Compete With Doran Racing in 2011 Rolex 24

Post by mlittle » Thu Nov 11, 2010 4:35 pm

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Following British champion Ross Kaiser's impressive progress in a recent GRAND-AM Rolex Series test, Daytona Prototype team owner Kevin Doran has announced the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge winner will join the lineup on his No. 77 McDonald's Ford/Dallara in the 49th running of the motorsports classic at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 29-30, 2011.

Kaiser, the 2010 the Radical UK Cup champion, posted the top point average among competitors in four major Sunoco-fuelled British racing series to earn a funded drive in America's premier sports car race. He will have two additional tests with the team prior to the Rolex 24: Dec. 1-2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the Roar Before the Rolex 24 on Jan. 7-9 at Daytona International Speedway.

"Ross's speed at our test at Virginia International Raceway was really perfect for the Rolex 24," Doran said. "He was already competitive after only one day in the DP. I'm glad that it worked out that we're getting him in the McDonald's car for the Rolex 24. I think we've got a good shot at winning the race with Ross and three other top-notch guys."

Kaiser's co-drivers will be announced in the near future. "At VIR, I got acclimatized with the new car and the surroundings - and it felt pretty good," Kaiser said. "Racing in the Rolex 24 is a dream come true. I'm looking forward to maximizing this opportunity, racing in one of the biggest events in the world - you get the broadest cover of drivers from all disciplines - it's the best of the best."

This will be Doran Racing's second year fielding a car for the Sunoco Daytona Challenge winner. Derek Johnston, the inaugural winner, finished 10th for the team this past January. "I'm confident we'll have the same chemistry running with Ross in the upcoming tests and in the Rolex 24," Doran said. "Sunoco has put together a great program and has come up with two winning drivers."
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TRG Announces Second 2011 Rolex 24 Entry

Post by mlittle » Fri Nov 12, 2010 1:53 pm

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PETALUMA, Calif. - Three-time Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona winners TRG announced its their second entry for the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 season opener. The TRG/Black Swan/GMG Porsche 997 will take the green flag on January 29th for the 49th Rolex 24 At Daytona with a strong line-up of American and European drivers. The brand new 2011 Porsche will be driven by American Le Mans Series GTC class champions Tim Pappas and Jeroen Bleekemolen. Fellow ALMS GTC competitors James Sofronas and Bret Curtis join the team as well as a yet to be announced Porsche Factory Driver.

Pappas and Bleekemolen combined to win four races in the ALMS GTC class and went on win the 2010 series title in the Black Swan Racing (BSR) Porsche. Sofronas and Curtis competed in the ALMS as well as select SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge races in 2010 with Sofronas' GMG racing team. The foursome, and the addition of a Porsche hot shoe, will be one of the GT teams to be reckoned with come the end of January. Pappas is making a strategic season decision by combining forces with TRG and GMG for the Rolex 24.

"Black Swan is focused on defending its championship title in the American Le Mans Series and thus a partnership with my friends at GMG and TRG made a lot of sense to me," Pappas said. "We can take a run at the 24 without losing our momentum elsewhere. We have a great driver line-up and my expectations are very high; of course we want to win, but I haven't been a part of Grand-Am in many years so it's difficult to gauge the competition. I have always wanted to compete in this prestigious endurance race, but at the same time I wanted to wait until a winning opportunity came along; this program is the right fit. With the combined experience of TRG, BSR and GMG, I think we can fight for a win. Daytona is a special place; I have been on the podium there in the Continental Tre Sports Car Challenge and I would certainly like to add a Rolex class victory to my resume.

"In fact, the first time I ever drove at Daytona, or in any pro-racing environment was in a test with TRG back in 2000 at Daytona.," Pappas added. "Paul Newman was there at the same time testing with another team - that's a pretty cool intro to the legendary driver and race track. I want to add my name to the list of GT winners!"

Sofronas is melding his GMG team with TRG and Black Swan Racing for the grueling Daytona 24 Hour. "My expectations, like most teams running this race, are to win, or at least put us in contention to win," Sofronas said. "We will have a new car with PMNA (Porsche Motorsport North America) right there supporting us and some excellent drivers behind the wheel, not to mention a strong infrastructure with TRG. My goal is to do what I was hired to do - drive the car with the strategy and experience that we will have and be there at the end. I would like to expand my experience in the 24 as I have only done it once before in 2009. That year, despite many setbacks, we never gave up and ended up finishing seventh. I remember my third stint early Sunday morning that started in pitch black darkness around 5:30 a.m. with the sun coming up an hour later and it was so peaceful as the sunshine started to blanket the track. I think I ran five laps with no one around me. I can't wait to do it again! There is a ton of experience between GMG, BSR and TRG, so I thought it would be great to use the talents of all three teams to put forth this effort. GMG will run this race in the future, but we thought it best to go this route as TRG has a lot of experience in this race and BSR also puts together a great team. I have to thank Bret Curtis, a great client of GMG's as well as a great friend, as he is the reason I am driving in this race for 2011."

Curtis has one goal in mind at Daytona, winning. "Knowing that we are running with a driver line-up that includes a two time Super Cup champion and current ALMS GTC champion in Jeroen Bleekemolen, a World Challenge winning driver in James Sofronas, a Porsche factory driver, as well as the other ALMS GTC champion Tim Pappas makes me feel pretty confident about our chances," Curtis said. "From the stand point of driver capabilities and experience, we have it. This driver line-up, coupled with the very capable and strong team support set up we have, will be very exciting. Running at the Daytona 24 is a lifelong dream of mine. Some of my favorite drivers like Ickx, Gurney, Andretti, Elford, Merzario, etc., have all run the 24 and the history is amazing. Having this chance to run, and with our driver line-up and team is an incredible opportunity for me. I plan to take advantage of it!"

This is the second TRG entry to date for the 2011 Daytona classic, the first being the Racing for Research Porsche with Kenny Wallace, Ron Yarab, Daniel Graeff and Pierre Bourque. This is a record 63rd entry in the Rolex 24 for TRG. The team that has traditionally prepared as many as eight cars for the race has several more announcements pending.

Team owner Kevin Buckler started preparing for the 2011 race as soon as the checkered flag dropped on the 2010 event. As a two time winning driver in 2002 and 2003, winning the race overall in '03, as well as finishing one-two in '09, Buckler knows the secret to success at Daytona is proper preparation in every area.

"We are already well into the preparations for the 2011 Rolex 24," Buckler said. "The line-up of Pappas, Bleekemolen, Sofronas, Curtis and strong fifth is one that can definitely contend for the win. We are honored that these guys decided to combine their efforts with ours for the Rolex 24. Tim, James and Bret could have put their own cars on the track, but decided to bring their driving talent and experience to our team and really make a strong run at winning the GT class. It only makes sense as we are very powerful when properly aligned. We offer a unique approach of being able to offer many benefits of aligning with TRG as well as allowing an existing team to maintain their identity and learn for the future throughout experience at Daytona. I am really looking forward to running this race as these guys are my racing friends and we are all on the same page with a common goal - winning. This is just the first of many cool announcements to come from TRG regarding the Rolex 24."
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Post by mlittle » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:00 pm

December Grand-Am Test Entry List



DAYTONA PROTOTYPE
#5 Action Express Porsche/Riley---Darren Law, David Donohue
#8 Starworks Motorsports Ford/Riley---Ryan Dalziel, Mike Forest
#9 Action Express Porsche/Riley---Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller
#16 Dyson Racing Ford/Lola---Chris Dyson, Davy Jones, John McCutchen
#23 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley---drivers tba
#45 Flying Lizard Porsche/Riley---drivers tba
#55 Level 5 Motorsports BMW/Riley---Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut
#60 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley---Oswaldo Negri, John Pew
#77 Doran Racing Ford/Dallara---Ross Kaiser, Brian Frisselle
#90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote---Paul Edwards, Antonio Garcia
#95 Level 5 Motorsports BMW/Riley---Scott Tucker, Christophe Bouchut
#99 Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet/Riley---Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney

GRAND TOURING
#11 TPN-Blackforest Racing Ford Mustang---Ian James, Tom Nastasi
#31 Marsh Racing Corvette C-6R---Eric Curran, Boris Said, Sonny Whelen
#40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8---Patrick Dempsey, Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster
#43 Team Sahlen Mazda RX-8---Memo Gidley, Wayne Nonnamaker
#44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3---John Potter, Craig Stanton
#46 Autohaus Motorsports Camaro GT-R---Jordan Taylor
#48 Paul Miller Racing Porsche 911 GT3---Bryce Miller
#49 Team Sahlen Mazda RX-8---Memo Gidley, Wayne Nonnamaker
#56 Bennett Racing Ferrari 430GT---Skip Bennett, Mike Skeen
#57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT-R---Robin Liddell, Jan Magnussen
#59 Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3---Leh Keen, Andrew Davis
#63 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3---Jim Michaelian
#66 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3---Ben Keating
#67 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3---Spencer Pumpelly, Andy Lally, Steven Bertheau
#68 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3---Daniel Graeff, Ron Yarab, Jr.
#69 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8---Emil Assentato, Jeff Segal
#70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8---Jonathan Bomarito, Sylvain Tremblay
#86 Mitchum Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3---Randy Pobst, Joey Atterbury, Jade Buford
Last edited by mlittle on Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:17 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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GM Racing Expands for 2011

Post by mlittle » Thu Nov 18, 2010 9:39 am

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The phrase "General Motors is back" has been getting a lot of use in racing circles over the past week, and as GM road racing boss Mark Kent shared with SPEED.com, it applies to more than open-wheel competition. While IndyCar fans have Chevrolet's return to look forward to in 2012, followers of the GRAND-AM Rolex Series will only have to wait until January to see GM's homecoming in the Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring categories.

As one of the original auto manufacturers to embrace the Daytona Prototype concept, General Motors earned six manufacturers' championships from 2004-2008. With the venerable small-block V8 engine at the heart of its efforts, GM used the Rolex Series as the cornerstone for promoting its Pontiac brand through road racing, earning four DP titles with its engines and two GT titles using GTO- and GXP-bodied cars built by Pratt & Miller.

The financial collapse of 2008 forced GM to re-think its motorsports programs, and while facing bankruptcy, the Pontiac brand was wound down along with GM's Rolex Series activities for 2009. The auto giant maintained a small presence for 2010, supplying Chevy-badged engines for two-time DP champions GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing and allocating its factory drivers to GT teams on an as-needed basis.

With GM now posting a healthy profit, Kent says that one of GM Racing's first orders of business was to re-establish their footing in GRAND-AM. "Before we went through bankruptcy, GRAND-AM was a very strong series for Pontiac to compete in and to demonstrate their performance attributes," he said. "Unfortunately, as we went through bankruptcy, we just did not have the money for another division to step in and pick up where Pontiac left off. So our presence dropped off tremendously for the last year or more. Now, as we're looking across our racing landscape and have some more resources available to us, we're strategically looking where to place our resources and we think GRAND-AM is a great venue to rebuild.

"In Rolex GT, it's an opportunity for us to showcase the legendary Camaro and, in DP, we're able to showcase the legendary Chevy small-block engine. There are a lot of reasons to be there, and we're looking to build some momentum to getting back to the level where we were a couple years ago where we had three or four strong teams running in each of the classes."

GM's first step was to try and swell the ranks of quality teams to use its DP engine after watching as the 2010 season was dominated by privateer BMWs and Fords built by Roush Yates Engines. The Stallings team underwent a change in engine builders in 2010 after suffering poor reliability for the first half of the season, moving to the veteran NASCAR tuners at Earnhardt Childress Racing.

Under ECR's care, the GAINSCO-sponsored program made a major leap forward, which piqued the interest of a number of DP teams in the paddock. For 2011, GM's roster of Chevy V8 users has expanded to include two of the most prominent teams in the series as Wayne Taylor Racing and Spirit of Daytona Racing have secured the hearty 5.0L motors for their respective campaigns.

WTR relied on Ford to power their Dallara chassis before making the switch to Chevy, and SDR was one of two teams to use the Porsche Cayenne V8 prior to securing Chevys for their Coyote chassis. Coupled with the Riley chassis used by Stallings, GM has its motors in three of the four DP chassis used in competition, and while each of the three teams currently fields a single-car entry, the possibility for one of those teams to add a second Chevy-powered car has been rumored for some time.

Changes to GM's DP engine have also been in the works for 2011, according to Kent. "We're very excited about next year. We finished the season strong with ECR building the Stallings engine but we felt there was still a need to do more," he said. "We looked at our basic engine architecture and, partly because of the rules we continued to use our original [DP] engine. Going into next year, we're modernizing our small-block engine by using a production block that is currently being made instead of using one that has been obsolete for some time. We're looking at going to individual intake runners to keep up with the competition; that's something, per the rules, we weren't previously allowed to do. We're working to make a more contemporary, product-relevant engine that is as good as where we left off in 2010, and should be better able to fight with the BMWs and Fords head-to-head and hopefully result in wins and championships for us."

Beyond adding new DP teams and updating their engine, GM will make its considerable technical and engineering resources available to its teams in lieu of sponsorship dollars. Rather than spend large sums to bankroll a factory team, Kent says the new and more frugal GM Racing would be more likely to give its partners access to its vast engineering resources.

"First, I believe that the days of writing big checks, anywhere, are behind us. That was motorsports three or four years ago. Look across the three or four major [North American] racing series, and everyone has had to tighten their belts. Basically, when GM went through our bankruptcy, we had to look through our promotional activities, whether it was motorsports or it was NFL or other areas, and we went through all those and the motorsports programs were right at the top of our ROI (return on investment) calculations.

"The problem we faced with some of the series was that we did not have enough money to invest in all of them, so we had to drop our involvements down to just a few core series. The negative there with GRAND-AM is that there was a lot of technology transfer that happened that benefitted our road car division. We always felt there was a benefit to being in GRAND-AM. What we need to do is make sure our spending level in the series is at the right level to continue to show a very strong return on investment for our involvement."

As GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing prepares to enter its seventh season with GM power, team owner Bob Stallings says GM's recommitment to the Rolex Series is coming at just the right time. "We're very, very excited that General Motors and Chevrolet have renewed their energy and commitment to GRAND-AM. There's no question that their vitality and engagement with the Rolex Series is a blessing for a lot of us, including the GAINSCO team. We credit our relationship with GM as a major part of the two championships we've won in the series. There's no doubt that the relationship between GM, ECR and our team will produce a more competitive package next year. Other manufacturers have stepped up so [GM's] timing is perfect. I don't think we'll have the kind of superiority that the [Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates] team had in 2010, but I really do think we'll be extremely competitive."

Chevy's Rolex GT activities next year will look similar to those in 2010, with two Camaros fielded by Stevenson Motorsports and a single Camaro entry for Autohaus Motorsports leading their efforts. It's also possible a fourth Camaro could join GM's Rolex GT fold for 2011.

With as many as eight Rolex GT Mazdas vying for the manufacturers’ championship in 2010, it will take a near-flawless performance by the handful of Camaros if they hope to overcome the RX-8 onslaught in 2011. Making the task even more challenging is the fact that the Camaros utilize some of the oldest chassis in the GT category.

Currently dressed in its third unique set of bodywork, the Camaros—which started life as Pontiac GTO.Rs—aren’t nearly as fresh or new as some of the Mazdas, Porsches and Corvettes in the field. Kent still hopes their ground-pounding Camaros have enough life left in them to battle for the GT crown next year.

“I would say that there is the potential to win, and that’s one of our guiding principles,” Kent explained. “We don’t go racing unless we can race to win, so we believe that we can still be on the top step of the podium, but yes, the chassis is somewhat dated. But the learning hasn’t stopped and the improvement to the cars hasn’t stopped from the moment we initially entered GRAND-AM. It will be very hard, but we proved that we could be competitive this year, and with some changes to the rules for the car, I think we closed the 2010 in a very strong position with the Camaros. We’re hopeful that this will carry over to next year and we’ll be able to contend for more wins.”

While its somewhat aged GT cars will be pressed into service again in 2011, Kent says a modest youth movement is afoot amongst GM’s driver ranks. GM Racing is believed to have recently tested a trio of American drivers—Gunnar Jeanette, Guy Cosmo and Tommy Milner—with a possible interest of adding more domestic talent to its lineup.

It is also rumored that Jordan Taylor, one of the breakout stars of the 2010 Rolex GT season, is a candidate to join GM Racing next year. The 19-year-old son of WTR owner Wayne Taylor drove a Camaro for Autohaus Motorsports alongside factory driver Johnny O’Connell at the season finale, fueling speculation that the teenager was on GM’s radar for 2011.

Kent wouldn’t be drawn on the exact drivers they’ve targeted for next season, but he did confirm that some form of change can be expected. “The overall goal we’re trying to do is to strengthen our teams next year: The best chassis, the best engines and the best bodies,” he said. “Part of that is also making sure they have the best drivers possible, and knowing that our competition has done so, I think what you’re going to see is some new, younger faces in the GRAND-AM series next year, and I also think you’re going to see some crossover from the veteran drivers in other series to coach some of these younger drivers, but it will make for more powerful teams next year.”

With the recent absence of an official GM presence in the Rolex GT class, support was lent to some of the leading privateers who entered Corvettes, but with the factory now formally committed to its Camaro programs, Kent says his team will focus its resources solely on the factory programs. “We feel we have a real good promotional platform with the Corvette in the series, so we are trying to make that the place where we focus those marketing resources. For GRAND-AM, we’ll be focused on the Camaro for 2011 and beyond.”

The only area of GM’s GRAND-AM plans that are wholly unknown centers on the amount of advertising and activation that will come from their enhanced DP and GT involvement. GM usually assigns some level of marketing dollars to promote its factory racing programs, and with their return to the Rolex Series, Stallings anticipates it will help to raise the overall profile of GRAND-AM and its teams.

“If Chevrolet and GM are dedicated to advertising the series and their teams, we would expect to be a direct beneficiary of that, for sure. They are incredibly serious about everything they do on and off the track, which is a blessing for all those who work with General Motors."
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30 Entries For Homestead Test

Post by mlittle » Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:15 pm

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Grand-Am competitors Oswaldo Negri & John Pew will be on familiar ground for December's Homestead test


HOMESTEAD - Competitors in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will have their final official testing of 2010 in a three-day session Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will test at the circuit on Tuesday, Nov. 30, from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., and will have a pair of Wednesday morning sessions on Dec. 1 from 8:30 - 10:50 a.m. The Rolex Series will test on Wednesday from 9:10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., with 30 cars entered - 12 Daytona Prototypes and 18 GT cars. Spectators will be admitted free of charge to the main grandstands only. Free parking is on 336th Street and admission is through the main office entrance.

Two-time Daytona Prototype champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty will test the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet/Riley that won the 2007 and 2009 titles. Jimmie Johnson will also race this car in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Action Express Racing will have the two most recent winners of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Joao Barbosa and Terry Borcheller of Vero Beach will share the No. 9 Porsche/Riley that won January's classic, while 2009 winners David Donohue and Darren Law will be in the No. 5 Porsche/Riley. Action is also working with Flying Lizard Motorsports preparing for its Daytona Prototype debut.

South Florida residents John Pew and Ozz Negri will co-drive the No. 60 Ford/Riley as part of a two-car entry for Michael Shank Racing, while Fort Lauderdale's Starworks Motorsport has Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest in the No. 8 Corsa Car Care Riley, which will test with Ford power. Other DP teams to watch include Dyson Racing, with a Ford/Lola for Rolex 24 and Le Mans winner Davy Jones with Chris Dyson and John McCutchen; Level 5 Motorsports, with an all-star two-car lineup led by Scott Tucker; Doran Racing with British champion Ross Kaiser joined by Brian Frisselle; and Spirit of Daytona with Paul Edwards and Antonio Garcia.

Testing also includes 18 GT teams, including a four-car entry for TRG including driver Andy Lally. Brumos Racing will have the first appearance for its new Porsche GT3, with drivers Andrew Davis and Leh Keen, while Sunrise-based SpeedSource will have defending GT champions Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal of Miami along with 2010 Rolex 24 winners Sylvain Tremblay of Coral Springs and Jonathan Bomarito. Other GT drivers include Boris Said, Memo Gidley, Randy Pobst and Dion von Moltke of Coral Gables. Mike Skeen and Skip Bennett IV are entered in the South River Marina Ferrari 430 Challenge.

The 2011 season begins with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing from Jan. 7-9, the first scheduled session for the recently repaved Daytona International Speedway. The Rolex Series season opens with the 49th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 29-30.
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Porsche Develops New 911GT3s' for Grand-Am Competition

Post by mlittle » Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:24 pm

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----SANTA ANA, Calif. - The development of the new 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 GRAND-AM Rolex Cup car, available for the first time since 2009, has been a unique collaboration between Porsche engineers at the factory in Germany (Porsche AG) and the technical experts at Porsche Motorsport North America (PMNA).

The objective was to create a competitive new car that provides longevity, versatility and a degree of flexibility for the customers planning to compete in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. This car has some significant improvements compared to its predecessor, the 2009 GRAND-AM Rolex Cup car, such as fully adjustable suspension to optimize handling and tire wear. The brake system was upgraded and includes an endurance brake cooling package for long-distance races. Furthermore, the exhaust system received a substantial weight reduction.

For the first time since inception of the Rolex Cup car (starting with Model Year 2007), the actual conversion of these Cup cars to GRAND-AM Rolex Series specifications was done by PMNA's technicians in Santa Ana.

The following teams have purchased the six cars that were shipped to California for the Rolex Series conversion: TRG, TRG/Steven Bertheau, TRG/Black Swan Racing, Brumos Racing, Magnus Racing, and Muehlner Motorsport. They took delivery of their vehicles approximately one week before this week's GRAND-AM open test at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Wednesday and Thursday.

"During this entire year Porsche has made an extra effort to come up with a top-of-the-line version of a Rolex Cup car at a competitive price. We thoroughly listened to the requests and concerns expressed by our teams in order to help them get back into the GRAND-AM Rolex Series with a terrific new product. Despite some of the challenges that had to be overcome during the development phase, we were able to produce a fascinating race car. Needless to say, we are very thankful to our teams for their trust in us as well as their loyalty to the Porsche brand and the Rolex Series. We anticipate an exciting 2011 racing season," said Jens Walther, President of PMNA.

The Porsche 911 is the most accomplished race car in the history of the Rolex 24 with 38 combined class and overall victories, with Porsche having scored 22 overall wins at the January classic since its inception in 1962. Since the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup has been the Porsche standard-bearer in GT (2005), it is the most successful GT car, leading the GRAND-AM competitors in championships, victories, pole positions and podium finishes.


Porsche Rolex 24 Finishes
--Overall Wins: 22 (first in 1968; most recent in 2009 and 2010)
--Class Wins: 72 (includes Daytona Continental races starting in 1962; 24 hr. races started in 1966.
Porsche 911 Wins: 38 Overall and Class Victories
Initial Overall Win: 1968
GT Class Wins: 27
SGS Class wins (class ran only in 2004): 1
20 Race Winning Streak (overall or class): 1966-1987
Finished 1-2 overall in 12 Daytona 24-Hours
GT class winner finishing second overall: 2001, 2004
--From 1977 to 1987, Porsche had compiled 11 consecutive overall wins
GTX Series Winner: 1978-1981
GTP Series Winner: 1982-87, 1989, 1991

Most Overall Victories
Hurley Haywood, 5 (1991, 1979, 1977, 1975, 1973)
Peter Gregg, 4 (1978, 1976, 1975, 1973)
Rolf Stommelen, 4 (1982, 1980, 1978, 1968)
Bob Wollek, 4 (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991)
Pedro Rodriguez, 4 (1971, 1970, 3 hour races in 1964 and 1963)
Brian Redman, 3 (1981, 1976, 1970)
Derek Bell, 3 (1989, 1987, 1986)
Andy Wallace, 3 (1999, 1998, 1990)
Butch Leitzinger, 3 (1999, 1997, 1994)
Scott Pruett, 3 (1994, 2007, 2008)
Mauro Baldi, 2 (2002, 1998)
Wayne Taylor, 2 (2005, 1996)
Elliott Forbes-Robinson, 2 (1999, 1997)
A.J. Foyt, 2 (1985, 1983)
Al Holbert, 2 (1986, 1987)
Jan Lammers, 2 (1990, 1988)
Ken Miles, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
John Paul Jr., 2 (1997, 1982)
Lloyd Ruby, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
Didier Theys, 2 (2002, 1998)
Al Unser Jr., 2 (1987, 1986)
Juan Pablo Montoya, 2 (2007, 2008)

Most Consecutive Overall Victories
Peter Gregg, 3 (1973, 1975, 1976 - No Event Held in 1974)
Al Holbert, 2 (1986, 1987)
Al Unser Jr., 2 (1986, 1987
Derek Bell, 2 (1986, 1987)
Hurley Haywood, 2 (1973, 1975 - No Event Held in 1974)
Pedro Rodriguez, 2 (1970, 1971)
Ken Miles, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
Lloyd Ruby, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
Pedro Rodriguez, 2 (327-lap race in 1964, 3-hour race in 1963)
Juan Pablo Montoya, 2 (2007, 2008)

Most Class Victories
Scott Pruett, 8 (1987, 1988, 1992 - 94, 2002, 2007, 2008)
Peter Gregg, 6 (1978, 1976, 1975, 1973, 1972, 1968)
Hurley Haywood, 6 (1991, 1979, 1977, 1975, 1973, 1972)
Hans Herrmann, 4 (1968, 1967, 1966, 1963) Pedro Rodriguez, 4 (1971, 1970, 1964, 1963)
Rolf Stommelen, 4 (1982, 1980, 1978, 1968)
Amos Johnson, 4 (1988, 1987, 1986, 1985)
Bob Wollek, 4 (1991, 1989, 1985, 1983)
Peter Uria, 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1990)
Robby Gordon, 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1990)
Wally Dallenbach Jr., 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1985)
Richard "D-ck" Greer, 4 (1991, 1993, 1992, 1991)
Andy Wallace, 4 (2003, 1999, 1997, 1990)
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Homestead Test Notes

Post by mlittle » Sat Dec 04, 2010 9:46 am

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Once written off following a pit-entrance fire at Watkins Glen, the #6 entry for Michael Shank Racing, now re-christened as the #23, was fastest at Homestead.....


Homestead-Miami Speedway saw the stars of the Grand-Am Rolex Series conduct the second of three scheduled tests for the 2011 season; here are some news & notes from the session.............

--And the Fastest Is ... Michael Valiante
Back in June, Michael Shank Racing's no. 6 Ford/Riley was all but written off in a fire at pit entrance late in the running of the Sahlen's Six Hours of Watkins Glen. Thursday, Michael Valiante drove the renumbered No. 23 entry to an unofficial lap of 1:13.2, edging out teammate Ozz Negri and Level 5 Motorsports' Luis Diaz and Christophe Bouchut for bragging rights.

"It went really well," Valiante said. "Oswaldo and I were quickest at almost every session, and I was a little bit quicker overall. It's great. We're teammates, and get to work together at the test and then at Daytona. We have a real strong lineup, and obviously the cars are real strong as well. It's good to go into the Christmas break with a solid test like this."

--Kaiser Continues to Live Daytona Dream
Ross Kaiser had the opportunity to test Zak Brown's Crown Royal Crawford at Silverstone, and then Kevin Doran's Ford/Dallara at Virginia International Raceway. Now, the winner of the Sunoco Daytona Rolex 24 Challenge completed a two-day test at demanding Homestead-Miami Speedway in the next step towards racing in America's premier endurance race.

"I'm pretty comfortable in the car right now," said Kaiser, who will co-drive the No. 77 McDonald's Ford/Dallara in the Rolex 24. "The biggest thing was getting comfortable at a new circuit and getting to drive on the banking. We don't have anything nearly as steep as this back home in the UK. When we get to Daytona it will even be steeper, but they tell me the banking at Daytona is easier than Homestead. Once we get the driver lineup finalized for the race we'll make another seat insert, because we've been running through a few drivers and it was a bit uneasy in the seating position. Other than that, it feels go."

Kaiser got his first look at Daytona International Speedway upon arriving in the U.S. on Monday. "The guys at Daytona were kind enough to show me around," Kaiser said. "It was fantastic, and it blew my mind. What a great place it is, and you can't imagine how big it is, or how steep the banking is. I'm really looking forward to coming back and racing there. I'm really starting to feel at home in the GRAND-AM paddock, coming here and seeing all the guys again."

--Mitchum Motorsports Happy With 'Friendly' Camaro
Mitchum Motorsports was happy at the conclusion of three days of testing, running a Camaro in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and a Porsche GT3 in the Rolex Series. "It was a very good test, we learned a lot and came a long way," said team principal Chris Mitchum. "At the end of the day we're the best we've been. We'll take P2."

Mitchum was also happy with the way Joey Atterbury, Randy Pobst, Jade Buford and Dion von Moltke worked together sharing the car. "It was nice seeing how the drivers fit together," Mitchum said. "All of them were able to work with the same setup. We're always happy to have Randy Pobst with the team. We're hoping to be able to get him for the Rolex 24."

"The car was much better at the end of the test," Pobst said. "We made so much progress from out first laps yesterday. It's gone from 'scary' to 'friendly,' and I can say it's very friendly right now."

--Bouchut Leads Two Sessions in Two Different Cars
Christophe Bouchut unofficially led the opening testing in the No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports BMW/Riley, and then led the opening afternoon session in the team's No. 95 entry. "Both cars are really quick," said the Frenchman. "We're trying different setups. We're not trying to be the fastest out here, but with the banking this is a perfect track to simulate for Daytona."

Bouchut is happy with the paddle shifters which will be an option in 2011 for teams using a Pro-Am driver. The team's No. 55 is equipped with the new setup. "I think it's a good thing, and it's good for both pro and gentleman drivers," Bouchut said. "It brings more for the gentleman side, but even for us pros it's a good thing. I really believe it's even faster."

Bouchut has a Daytona Rolex, joining the winning team in the 1995 event. "It would be really nice to win it again after so many years," Bouchut said. "It's really like a dream, (and) this is the team that can win it."

--Liddell Happy With Progress
Robin Liddell, in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro, has been pleased with the progress of the car from the opening green flag Wednesday to this point. "From a test point of view it's gone quite well," Liddell said. "We've got to try a lot of things, and we're quite happy with the progress we've made. We are a bit disappointed with the relative lack of pace in the car compared to our competitors. We're 1-2 seconds a lap slower than the Porsches, and we're concerned that's going to multiply even more at Daytona with the long straights and fast banking. I hope we get an opportunity to compete, because we had such a great run there last year."

Liddell finished 2010 strong, winning the season finale with former co-driver Andrew Davis. "Obviously, Andrew and I are close friends and we keep in close touch," Liddell said. "It's going to be different not arriving at the track together on race weekends."

Jan Magnussen is co-driving at the test and is expected to race with the team when his schedule allows. "Getting to race with Jan will be a huge opportunity," Liddell said.

--Davy Jones: 'We Made Huge Improvements'
Former Rolex 24 overall winner Davy Jones is very happy with the performance of the No. 16 Godstone Ranch/Dyson Racing Ford/Lola. "We've made huge improvements between yesterday and today," Jones said. "We're still making baby steps and learning what the car wants, what it needs and doesn't need to be fast and competitive. Right now, the drivability of the car is where we can race it. Before, it was very nervous. We were on a knife's edge at Miller."

Jones is happy with the atmosphere of the open test. "You only get a limited amount of time under the pressure of a race weekend," said the 1996 Indianapolis 500 runner-up. "Testing here, you can do trial and error. The other teams come here having a baseline, while we're coming in and going with what we feel is necessary. We'll have a good baseline when we come back to race. This is a good benchmark for us. I feel great, and I'm excited to be able to test and learn."

--SpeedSource to Race Former No. 68 Mazda RX-8 in Rolex 24
SpeedSource won the GT class in the black No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. That car has been sold to Team Sahlen and is being tested by Wayne Nonnamaker and Memo Gidley at Homestead.

In its place, SpeedSource has the orange car that carried No. 68 and was driven to victory at Lime Rock in 2010. That car is being converted to the No. 70 for 2011 competition. "That car had the least amount of miles on it, so we are going to go all through it and paint it up for the January test at Daytona," said 2010 MESCO Building Solutions Rookie of the Year Jonathan Bomarito. "This test has been good for us. We learned a bunch yesterday and made big gains. We struggled a little today, and we're still off the back a bit, so we still have a bit to learn."

The team is expected to announce its 2011 lineup next Thursday at the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando.

--Bennett Racing Happy With Ferrari
Bennett Racing is testing the No. 56 South River Marina Ferrari 430 Challenge, with drivers Skip Bennett IV and Mike Skeen happy with the car's progress. "We've made big, big improvements over the last two days," said Bennett.

The team finished 15th at VIR in April in the lone appearance of the yellow Ferrari in the Rolex Series. "We've got so much new stuff on the car, it took awhile yesterday to get it up to speed," added Skeen. "It's faster today, and feels pretty comfortable."

--Haywood Returning for Rolex 24 in New Brumos Porsche 911
Hurley Haywood had second thoughts about retiring from driving. The five-time Rolex 24 winner (six counting winning in the GT class in 1972) tested the new Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Rolex Cup on Thursday, and is looking to make another start in the Daytona classic.

"It wouldn't look right for a Brumos car without Haywood on the roof," he said after taking his second turn in the new car on Thursday. "It's a fun car. I have to get used to a car that doesn't have the grip of a DP, but once I get used to that, it will be a lot of fun. I was a little overcautious out there, but I definitely know where to make the time up. There is a lot we can do to make the car better than it is right now."

Andrew Davis and Leh Keen are the new lead drivers for the No. 59, and Haywood is happy with the new Brumos additions. "Their feedback was right on the money, and we're very happy with them," Haywood said. "Now, I can't wait to see the car painted up in Brumos colors," added Haywood, who last campaigned a 911 for the team in the Bridgestone Supercar Challenge in the early 1990s.

"Hurley got up to speed right away and he had a big smile when he got out," Davis said. "I'm sure it was a little more work than he was used to driving a DP." Davis has driven GM products in GT competition for Stevenson Motorsports the last few seasons, but has remained active driving Porsches in other events.

"I still spend a lot of time in Porsches," he said. "They say the next Porsche is the best Porsche, and that's true for this car. We're just trying to make it a little better. It's awesome being part of Brumos; it's as amazing as I thought it would be."
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Post by mlittle » Tue Feb 15, 2011 5:41 pm

.....before posting the current 2011 Grand-Am Standings, apologies for not keeping the thread updated.




Current 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Standings

~~~DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10+)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[3]Graham Rahal, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[4]Joey Hand, 35 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[5]Dario Franchitti, 32 pts
t-5th}[6]Scott Dixon, 32 pts
t-5th}[7]Juan Pablo Montoya, 32 pts
t-5th}[8]Jamie McMurray, 32 pts
t-9th}[9]J.C. France, 30 pts
t-9th}[10]Terry Borcheller, 30 pts
t-9th}[11]Joao Barbosa, 30 pts
t-9th}[12]Christian Fittipaldi, 30 pts
t-9th}[13]Max Papis, 30 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 35 pts(1 win)
2nd} Porsche, 30 pts*
3rd} Ford, 28 pts
4th} Chevrolet, 26 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 35 pts(1 win)
2nd} Dallara, 26 pts
3rd} Lola, 25 pts
4th} Coyote, 17 pts

~~~GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers Standings
t-1st}[1]Spencer Pumpelly, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[2]Wolf Henzler, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[3]Andy Lally, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[4]Steve Bertheau, 35 pts(1 win)
t-1st}[5]Brendan Gaughan, 35 pts(1 win)
t-6th}[6]Bryce Miller, 32 pts
t-6th}[7]Bryan Sellars, 32 pts
t-6th}[8]Rob Bell, 32 pts
t-6th}[9]Tim Sugden, 32 pts
t-10th}[10]Charles Espenlaub, 30 pts
t-10th}[11]Joe Foster, 30 pts
t-10th}[12]Patrick Dempsey, 30 pts
t-10th}[13]Tom Long, 30 pts
GT Manufacturers' Standings
1st} Porsche, 35 pts(1 win)
2nd} Mazda, 30 pts
3rd} Chevrolet, 19 pts
4th} Ferrari, 16 pts
5th} BMW, 14 pts
*--Porsche utilizes both a 3.6L Flat-6 Boxer engine and a Lozano Bros.-built Cayenne 3.8L engine in DP competition
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Post by mlittle » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:50 am

from FR 4 March 2011
Homestead Friday Practice Class Leaders
  • DP} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 1:14.404 sec
    GT} 1:19.338 sec
  • DP} #90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Riley, 1:14.385 sec
    GT} #57 Stevenson Auto Camaro GT-R, 1:20.744 sec
  • DP} #2 Starworks Ford/Riley, 1:16.371 sec
    GT} #42 Team Sahlen's Mazda RX-8, 1:21.719
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Post by mlittle » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:53 am

from FR 4 March 2011


Gainsco #99 On Pole For Grand Prix
----HOMESTEAD, Fla. - Jon Fogarty took a first step towards GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing's goal of changing its luck at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Friday, capturing the pole position for Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami. Coming out on top of a highly competitive qualifying session, Fogarty captured his Daytona Prototype record-extending 17th career pole position with a lap of 1:13.655 (112.416 mph) in the No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet/Riley co-driven by Alex Gurney.

He will be joined on the front row by Memo Rojas, who is seeking his fifth consecutive GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 victory in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley co-driven by Scott Pruett. The top seven DPs were separated by less than one second; the top six DPs all featured different engine-chassis combinations.

"We want to put this place to rest - we want to win here - and this is a good start," Fogarty said. "Our engineers made a few good calls between our last practice and now, and I think we have a good race car."

Rojas was second-quickest, running a lap of 1:13.838 (112.137 mph), followed by Paul Edwards in the No. 99 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Coyote (112.061 mph), Ricky Taylor in the No. 10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Dallara (111.801 mph) and Brian Frisselle in the No. 77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara (111.635 mph).

In GT qualifying, Jan Magnussen gave both Stevenson Motorsports and the Chevrolet Camaro their first pole position in the class. The Dane ran a lap of 1:19.772 (103.796 mph) in the No. 57 Camaro co-driven by Robin Liddell. Boris Said qualified second in a brand-new No. 31 Whelen Engineering Corvette with a lap of 1:20.301 (103.112 mph).

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Pruett, Rojas Win at Homestead

Post by mlittle » Mon Mar 07, 2011 6:39 pm

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Going back to late 2010, Ganassi Racing has won the past 5 races(Watkins Glen II, Montreal, Utah, Daytona 24 & Homestead)

----Scott Pruett slid past Max Angelelli with just over five minutes remaining in Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami to hand Chip Ganassi Racing its second Rolex Sports Car Series win in as many races in 2011.

The race-winning move came at the end of the infield portion of the 11-turn Homestead-Miami Speedway road course, just as the tires on Angelelli's SunTrust Racing Chevrolet Dallara were starting to degrade. With his car wiggling under braking and hard acceleration, Angelelli could not keep Pruett's BMW Riley at bay as the latter sailed by en route to the win.

"I just had to patient behind (Angelelli)," said Pruett, who bided his time behind Angelelli during the final 15 minutes. "You could start to see him slip a little bit and that was the only way that I was ever going to make that move on him. So it was all about tires and tire management for a distance."

Angelelli seemed to be faster than Pruett on the oval portion of the track for most of the race, blowing by Pruett with ease at one point. But Pruett was quicker in the twisty infield and used that to his advantage as Angelelli's tires started to wear out due to the track's rough texture. The jagged nature of the pavement at Homestead has always been an issue for Rolex Series teams, but it was made worse this year on account of the series' new Continental tires.

Ganassi Racing has won its share of Rolex Series races, but today's win was remarkable in that Pruett's co-driver, Memo Rojas, was assessed a drive- through penalty for contact with Mark Blundell's Ford Riley about an hour into the race. The penalty dropped Rojas from first to 11th, but he needed just 24 laps to retake the lead. "I was disappointed (with the penalty)," said Rojas in the post-race press conference. "We could have lost the chance to win the race at that point. I don't feel honestly that I deserved a penalty."

Darren Law passed Angelelli a few minutes from the end of the race to finish second in the Action Express Porsche Riley. "I think we were pretty equal with everybody today," explained Law. "I could see Max slipping more and more. He ran out (of tires) and I saw an opportunity to get by."

Angelelli and his teammate, Ricky Taylor, hung on for third. "(Pruett) passed me like I was in second gear," said Angelelli. "This race was all about managing the tires. I thought I timed the tire management right, but actually I came up short and I ran out of tires too early."

The AIM Autosport BMW Riley and the second Action Express entry rounded out the top-five in the headlining Daytona Prototypes class. The pole sitting Gainsco Bob Stallings Chevrolet Riley finished eighth thanks to a suspension setup that did not match up well with the team's tires.

Bill Auberlen and Paul Dalla Lana won the GT class in the Turner Motorsport BMW M3, finishing 5.639 seconds ahead of the No. 69 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 shared by Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal. Craig Stanton and John Potter survived a broken clutch and managed to come home third in the Magnus Racing Porsche GT3 Cup.

"The car was awesome," said Auberlen after his 100th Rolex Series race. "Last year we were here and we had a very fast car, but it would only go 15 or 20 laps before it shredded the tires. Coming with that knowledge, we worked purely on a set up that would get us a long way into a stint. It wasn't the fastest car in the race, but it was the fastest over a long run it looked like. It would run pretty hard when we wanted to." Auberlen's car started smoking and losing gear oil with about 10 laps to go, but he managed to nurse it to the finish.

Last year, the Turner team raced a BMW M6, but it switched to the M3 for 2011. The M3 sports new bodywork, revised suspension and aerodynamics, and a taller windshield that creates more downforce. Auberlen also said the team has worked on making the car more reliable.

The next Rolex Series race is Saturday, April 9 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Post by mlittle » Wed Mar 09, 2011 5:53 pm

Current 2011 Grand-Am Standings


~~~DAYTONA PROTOTYPE CLASS
DP Drivers' Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Scott Pruett, 70 pts(2 wins)
t-1st}[2]Memo Rojas, 70 pts(2 wins)
t-3rd}[3]J.C. France, 56 pts
t-3rd}[4]Max Angelelli, 56 pts
t-3rd}[5]Joao Barbosa, 56 pts
t-3rd}[6]Terry Borcheller, 56 pts
t-3rd}[7]Ricky Taylor, 56 pts
t-8th}[8]Darren Law, 54 pts
t-8th}[9]David Donohue, 54 pts
10th} Mark Blundell, 53 pts
DP Engine Standings
1st} BMW, 70 pts(2 wins)
2nd} Porsche, 62 pts*
3rd} Chevrolet, 56 pts
4th} Ford, 53 pts
DP Chassis Standings
1st} Riley Tech., 70 pts(2 wins)
2nd} Dallara, 56 pts
3rd} Coyote, 37 pts
4th} Lola, 25 pts

~~~GRAND TOURING CLASS
GT Drivers' Standings(top-10)
t-1st}[1]Craig Stanton, 58 pts
t-1st}[2]John Potter, 58 pts
t-3rd}[3]Spencer Pumpelly, 55 pts(1 win)
t-3rd}[4]Steven Bertheau, 55 pts(1 win)
t-5th}[5]Jonathan Bomarito, 53 pts
t-5th}[6]Sylvain Tremblay, 53 pts
t-7th}[7]Andrew Davis, 50 pts
t-7th}[8]Leh Keen, 50 pts
t-9th}[9]Bill Auberlen, 49 pts(1 win)
t-9th}[10]Paul Dalla Lanna, 49 pts(1 win)
GT Manufacturers Standings
1st} Porsche, 65 pts(1 win)
2nd} Mazda, 62 pts
3rd} BMW, 49 pts(1 win)
4th} Chevrolet, 44 pts
5th} Ferrari, 16 pts
6th} Ford, 12 pts
*--Porsche utilizes both a 3.6L Flat-6 Boxer engine and a Lozano Bros.-built Cayenne 3.8L V8 engine in DP competition
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News & Notes, Barber

Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 08, 2011 1:28 pm

Image


----BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It's time to go GRAND-AM racing at beautiful Barber Motorsports Park. The Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge return to what's been called a "country club for cars" for this weekend's running of the Porsche 250 and Barber 200.........


Baas Looks for Help in the Pits to Extend Winning Streak
--Ian Baas is looking for a little help from GRAND-AM's only Alabama-based team as he looks to continue a three-race Continental Tire Challenge Street Tuner winning streak this weekend. "It's going to be tough, for sure," said Baas, who ended 2010 with a victory at Miller Motorsports Park and opened the new year by winning at Daytona international Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. "We lost a pound of boost on a competition adjustment, and that hurts us a little. I'm going to lean our team this weekend to pull off good pit stops and race strategy. Those have always been strong points for APR Motorsport."

Baas will co-drive the No. 171 VW DriverGear/APR Tuned Volkswagen GTI with Ryan Ellis. "Right now, we've got a solid top-10 car," Baas said. "We've got a very consistent chassis. I'm hoping we can make the right calls and pull off a top-five finish. Most importantly, we've got to stay ahead of the teams we're fighting for the championship."

Kinetic Kia has Come a Long Way in One Year
--Nic Jonsson looks back to last year's Barber 200, when his Kinetic Motorsports' new Kia Forte Koup had its first competitive race with an eighth-place finish. This weekend, he's hoping to see the Kia make its first visit to the top of the podium. Many of his friends and backers will be watching.

Jonsson will co-drive the No. 10 Infinity Audio/Kia Motors America Kia Forte Koup with Michael Galati. The team is based on Atlanta, while the Kia plant is in West Point, Ga., about two and a half hours away. "We tested here two weeks ago, and it was very valuable for this weekend," Jonsson said. "Barber should suit our Kia Forte Koup better than the first two tracks this season. Our car has been completely transformed from last year, when we raced the Kia for the first time. Barber was the first weekend where we felt somewhat competitive, and we've been plugging away since then."

Jonsson's goal for 2011 was a podium finished. He and Andy Lally achieved that goal by placing second at Daytona. New co-driver Mike Galati co-drove to a seventh-place finish at Homestead, moving Jonsson to second in the standings. "Now that we've scored our first podium, we'd love to achieve that first win," Jonsson said. "Maybe here, but we're facing some very tough competition."

Go Gators: Gurney On The Hunt At Barber
--Alex Gurney is hoping to spot a few Alligators this weekend during his visit to Barber Motorsports Park - at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. George Barber's extensive collection includes a pair of motorcycles built by Gurney's dad - American racing legend Dan Gurney.
The collection contains one of 36 limited-edition 2002 handcrafted Grand Prix Alligators (A-6), along with prototype A-3 which the 1962 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner presented to Barber.

A life-long fan of two- and four-wheel competition, Dan Gurney, launched Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycles Inc. as a side to his successful race car business, All American Racers. His son, the two-time Daytona Prototype champion, helped him along the way, always eager to do some testing.
"In fact, I did some riding on Sunday," Gurney said.

The elder Gurney borrowed a few ideas from his Eagle race cars for the Alligator concept. "You sit down on the bike," Alex Gurney said. "Like in a race car, having a lower center of gravity makes it a lot more stable. It's easier to ride fast, and it launches off very quickly without having to worry about doing wheelies. Also, it's good under braking."

Why the name Alligator? It's low and long - like the reptile. The clincher for Dan Gurney was that the alligator is only found in America - fitting in well with his All-American team.

Gidley Set to Double Up on Land and Water
--Racing in the Porsche 250 is one of two events Memo Gidley has planned for this weekend. After racing on land at Barber Motorsports Park, he's set to hustle back to California to race a Jet Ski.

After taking the checkered flag in Saturday's Porsche 250, Gidley will drive to Atlanta to catch the last flight out. "After taking the red eye, I'll be back at 1 a.m. in California," Gidley said. "Then I'll be home at 2 a.m., loaded up by three and leave at 5 for the first Jet Ski race of the season." Gidley finished second last year in the 850cc Expert stand-up division of the DJSA Outlaw Jet Ski series.

Prior to coming to Birmingham, Gidley visited the Team Sahlen shops in Ohio for the first time - and was very impressed with what he saw. "It was very inspirational to see how the Nonnamakers got to where they are," Gidley said. "They've been very successful with their Subway franchises, and they are building their racing team along the lines of their other businesses. They want to be seen as one of the top teams in the Rolex Series, and want to be winning races. Seeing the shop and working with the team, I feel they are investing in the right things to make that happen."

Racing 'The Fun Part' for Tallman, Kozarov
--Lara Tallman and Vesko Kozarov already have plenty of seat time this weekend before they've even turned a wheel of practice in the No. 67 XS Energy Sports/Skullcandy Honda Civic Si. The pair took turns driving the CA Sport hauler from Salt Lake City to Birmingham - a 28-hour drive.
"Driving the race car is the fun part," Tallman said. "Vesko is the engineer and mechanic, while I do many of the chores including cooking and clean up."

The pair began the 28-hour drive on Sunday. They came in early so that Tallman could visit the Birmingham chapter of Girls Inc. "They have 82 girls in the program and have a very impressive facility," Tallman said. "They have everything from a kitchen for basic life skills to a dedicated science classroom. I hope to visit other local Girls Inc. chapters throughout the season."

Points Leader Stanton Stepping Up Game
--The Magnus Racing team has a little extra spring in their step as they prepare for Saturday's Porsche 250. They lead the GT point standings - and plan to stay there.

Regular drivers Craig Stanton and John Potter finished fourth in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, and then gave Magnus the first podium finish in its two-year history by placing third in the Grand Prix of Miami. "We're off to a great start, and that forces me to step up my game," Stanton said. "The group has really gelled together. We're doing a lot of events, and when we come to the track, everyone knows their job and goes right to work."

Away from the track, Stanton's work schedule includes at least two to three hours. He tries to do a triathon of workouts, varying his routine to include running, biking, weight circuit training, rowing and kayaking.
"I really like this track," Stanton said. "I feel our guys wil lhave a real good strategy for the race."
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Post by mlittle » Fri Apr 08, 2011 1:36 pm

Barber Thursday Practice Top-5 DP-GT
DP-1} #01 Telmex BMW/Riley, 1:22.728 sec
DP-2} #90 Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet/Riley, 1:22.886 sec
DP-3} #10 SunTrust Chevrolet/Riley, 1:23.067 sec
DP-4} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 1:23.448 sec
DP-5} #77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara, 1:23.687 sec

GT-1} #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8, 1:31.762 sec
GT-2} #31 Whelen Engineering Camaro GT-R, 1:31.884 sec
GT-3} #67 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3, 1:31.935 sec
GT-4} #94 Turner Mtrspts. BMW M3, 1:31.998 sec
GT-5} #44 Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3, 1:32.043 sec
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

mlittle
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Post by mlittle » Sat Apr 09, 2011 2:52 pm

Barber Friday Practice Session #1 Top-5
DP-1} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 1:23.037 sec
DP-2} #01 Telmex BMW/Riley, 1:23.587 sec
DP-3} #61 GAMMA-88 BMW/Riley, 1:23.886 sec
DP-4} #77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara, 1:23/968 sec
DP-5} #99 Gainsco Chevrolet/Riley, 1:24.121 sec

GT-1} #57 Stevenson Automotive Camaro GT-R, 1:31.073 sec
GT-2} #41 Team Seattle Mazda RX-8, 1:31.556 sec
GT-3} #88 Autohaus Camaro GT-R, 1:31.573 sec
GT-4} #94 Turner Mtrspts. BMW M3, 1:31.761 sec
GT-5} #67 The Racer's Group Porsche 911 GT3, 1:31.987 sec


Barber Trueman-Akin Practice Session Top-5
DP-1} #60 Crown Royal XR Ford/Riley, 1:24.090 sec
DP-2} #61 GAMMA-88 BMW/Riley, 1:24.202 sec
DP-3} #9 Action Express Porsche/Riley, 1:26.665 sec
DP-4} #8 Starworks Ford/Riley, 1:27.090 sec
DP-5} #77 Office Depot Ford/Dallara, 1:27.935 sec

GT-1} #07 Banner Engineering Camaro GT-R, 1:31.996 sec
GT-2} #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8, 1:32.402 sec
GT-3} #42 Sahlen's Mazda RX-8, 1:32.700 sec
GT-4} #30 Racers Edge Mtrspts. Mazda RX-8, 1:33.020 sec
GT-5} #94 Turner Mtrspts. BMW M3, 1:33.086 sec
The Sci-Fi Station Come by and visit when you get the chance. :)
The Wayward Tarheel I'm even in the blogosphere.... :shock:

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