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Once a year, the stars align in Central Florida and champions from the various American motorsports disciplines..........stock-car racing, Indycar racing and sports-cars, arrive at the 3.5+ mile Daytona International Speedway's road course for one of the biggest events on the calendar.....the Rolex 24 at Daytona. It marks the beginning of the North American motorsports calendar and has become both an "all-star" race and, in the words of one competitor, "a 24-hour sprint race".



Practice Session #1(from 22 Jan. 2009)......................
1. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 1:41.107 126.757
2. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 1:41.241 0.134 0.134 126.589
3. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 1:41.270 0.029 0.163 126.553
4. 22 DP Alegra Motorsports BMW Riley 1:41.402 0.132 0.295 126.388
5. 55 DP Level 5 Motorsports BMW Riley 1:41.598 0.196 0.491 126.144
20. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:49.852 5.413 8.745 116.666
21. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 1:50.293 0.441 9.186 116.200
22. 70 GT SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 1:50.322 0.029 9.215 116.169
23. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:50.360 0.038 9.253 116.129
24. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:50.523 0.163 9.416 115.958
note 1......positions 1-5 are DP competitors; positions 20-24 are top-5 GT competitors
note 2.........from L-R, position, , car #, class, team, vehicle, fastest time, gap from next position, gap from 1st overall, speed[mph]

Rolex 24 Practice Session #2(from 22 Jan. 2009)
1. 59 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 1:40.968 126.931
2. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 1:41.254 0.286 0.286 126.573
3. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 1:41.310 0.056 0.342 126.503
4. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 1:41.408 0.098 0.440 126.381
5. 76 DP Krohn Racing Ford Lola 1:41.502 0.094 0.534 126.264
20. 70 GT SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 1:49.841 3.122 8.873 116.678
21. 52 GT Mastercar-Coast 2 Costa Racing Ferrari 430 C 1:50.454 0.613 9.486 116.030
22. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 1:50.587 0.133 9.619 115.891
23. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:50.680 0.093 9.712 115.793
24. 14 GT Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:50.700 0.020 9.732 115.772

(quoting from multiple sources).....................
~~~~Brumos Racing's David Donohue captured the pole Thursday for the 47th Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. Driving the No. 58 Porsche Riley, Donohue lapped the 3.56-mile, 14-turn road course in 1:40.540, breaking the previous Rolex Sports Car Series track record by more than two-tenths of a second.

"We were the fastest guy (today)," said Donohue after his eighth career Grand-Am Rolex Series pole. "But the truth is I would rather be up here in the center at this time Sunday answering your questions. That's really what it's all about. This is kind of bragging rights for a couple of days here but in the long run it doesn't mean much. People remember the winners and not who won the pole."

Now that he was won the pole, Donohue said his team needs to begin preparing for the race. "Everybody needs to get prepared. It's probably going to feel pretty miserable with the temperatures that are forecast for Saturday night. I think everyone needs to get the mentality to go for the long haul. We have an all-Porsche front row here and we've got the smallest engine in the field. So we need to make sure that (the car) stays together and watch the distance. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see half a dozen cars on the lead lap in the closing hours of this race. It's very close. We've got a lot of good teams."

One of those good teams is Penske Racing, whose driver, Timo Bernhard, qualified second in a Porsche Riley -- a mere one thousandth of a second behind Donohue. "After three laps, I got some space," explained Bernhard, who won the Rolex 24 in 2002. "But the team told me I was (third). And when I got some space I improved my time quite a bit and it was good for (the pole).

"Then the next lap I went one or one-and-a-half tenths quicker again, so I thought I must be on the pole again. But then (the team) told me I was second by just a little, little tiny bit. So I said (second) is very good to start this year's season and the 24 Hours of Daytona," added Bernhard. "But when I came out of the car and saw that it was only one-thousandth of a second I was a little bit depressed. Then I was thinking maybe I could have accelerated a little earlier or avoided a slide."

Penske Racing, in a partnership with Wayne Taylor Racing, competed in last year's Daytona24 but did not contest any other Rolex Series races. In 2009 Penske will contest the full schedule with Bernhard and Romain Dumas. This means the team will have to get accustomed to a car that is quite different than the one it raced in the American Le Mans Series for the past three years.

"The Penske Racing organization did a very, very good job putting together the team in such a short time," said Bernhard, referring to how well the team has adapted to the Porsche Riley. "I am very happy so far. We've been very competitive. We've always run in the top-six. And we were good this morning and in qualifying. I have to thank Penske Racing for putting everything together like that. The good thing I have to say is that my crew didn't change (from last year). It's the same crew that we won the last two championships in the ALMS with the Porsche RS Spyder. So that helps for sure. And I've been driving together with my teammate Romain Dumas for the past five years. That's good because you have familiar faces and that helps a lot in making the move to a new championship."

The Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley qualified third in the hands of Michael Valiante, who moved over from the SunTrust Racing squad in the off-season.

Ricardo Zonta in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola and Ryan Dalziel in the No. 22 Alegra Motorsports BMW Riley rounded out the top-five Daytona Prototypes.

The No. 01 Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley, last year's race winning car, qualified sixth, followed by the SunTrust Racing Ford Riley and the second Ganassi Racing entry.

SpeedSource Racing's Sylvain Tremblay was the fastest qualifier in the GT class, with a lap of 1:49.445 in the No. 70 Mazda RX-8. Andy Lally, driving the No. 67 Racer's Group Porsche, turned the second-fastest lap of the 15-minute qualifying session. The No. 14 Autometrics Porsche of Martin Ragginger was third fastest.

"This is a good start to the weekend," said Tremblay, who lost his wife in a car crash in December 2008. "The whole SpeedSource team has been unbelievable. What happened to me personally is hard to understand sometimes. But I had to dig deep and do something special. When I crossed the stripe and they told me I was on the pole it was hard for me to make it back around. It was a really emotional lap."

Rolex 24 Night Practice Top-5(DP/GT)...........
[from 22 Jan. 2009].................

1. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 1:41.609 126.131
2. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 1:41.796 0.187 0.187 125.899
3. 01 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabates Lexus Riley 1:41.995 0.199 0.386 125.653
4. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabates Lexus Riley 1:42.283 0.288 0.674 125.299
5. 76 DP Krohn Racing Ford Lola 1:42.515 0.232 0.906 125.016
18. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:49.914 3.957 8.305 116.600
19. 70 GT SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 1:50.140 0.226 8.531 116.361
20. 65 GT Riegel/Stanton/TRG Porsche GT3 1:50.735 0.595 9.126 115.736
21. 69 GT SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 1:50.809 0.074 9.200 115.658
22. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:50.912 0.103 9.303 115.551

Rolex 24 Final Practice Session top-5(DP/GT)
[from 23 Jan. 2009]...............

1. 59 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 1:40.961 126.940
2. 60 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 1:42.523 1.562 1.562 125.006
3. 99 DP Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley 1:42.715 0.192 1.754 124.772
4. 77 DP Doran Racing Ford Dallara 1:43.214 0.499 2.253 124.169
5. 2 DP Childress-Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford 1:44.021 0.807 3.060 123.206
8. 35 GT Orbit Racing Porsche GT3 1:50.863 5.920 9.902 115.602
9. 89 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:51.025 0.162 10.064 115.433
10. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 1:51.106 0.081 10.145 115.349
11. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 1:51.339 0.233 10.378 115.108
12. 65 GT Riegel/Stanton/TRG Porsche GT3 1:51.393 0.054 10.432 115.052

Hour 1 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona..........................
1. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 34
2. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 34 4.326
3. 59 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 34 16.526
4. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 34 22.882
5. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 34 25.152
20. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 32 2 Laps
21. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 32 2 Laps
22. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 32 2 Laps
23. 14 GT Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 31 3 Laps
24. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 31 3 Laps
note 1........top-5 in both Daytona Prototype/Grand Touring classes
note 2........from L-R} overall position, car#, class(DP/GT), team, vehicle, no.laps competed, distance from overall leader

[quoting from multiple sources.........................]
~~~~Brumos Racing's David Donohue was leading just as the first hour was completed in the 47th running of the 24 Hours of Daytona at the Daytona International Speedway. Donohue's Brumos teammate, Joao Barbosa, lay second, followed by Michael Valiante in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, Max Angelelli's SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara, and the No. 02 Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley driven by Scott Dixon, last yearUs IndyCar champion.

The second Ganassi car, with Scott Pruett at the wheel, held down sixth, having dropped back from its fourth-place starting position. Pruett, Memo Rojas, and Juan Pablo Montoya won the race last year and are back this year to try to give Ganassi Racing its fourth consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona win. Another prime contender for the race win, the Penske Racing Porsche Riley, was 12th after an early pit stop dropped Timo Bernhard from the race lead.

Dirk Werner led the way in the GT class behind the wheel of the No. 87 FarnbacherLoles Porsche. The TRG Porsche piloted by Andy Lally was running second, followed by the No. 14 Autometrics Motorsport Porsche. The pole sitting SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 of Sylvian Tremblay sat in the garage as the team scrambled to replace the car's fuel tank.

Even though 49 cars took the green flag, the first hour of the race was run without single caution flag.

Hour 2 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona...............
1. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 68
2. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 68 4.968
3. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 68 6.674
4. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 68 17.254
5. 10 DP SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara 68 20.267
20. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 63 5 Laps
21. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 63 5 Laps
22. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 63 5 Laps
23. 65 GT Riegel/Stanton/TRG Porsche GT3 62 6 Laps
24. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 62 6 Laps

Early thoughts on the Rolex 24........................

(1)Can this be the year Brumos Racing breaks its' years-long drought in Grand-Am competition and win, especially on what is, in essence, their home stomping grounds in Daytona?
(2)Will the Porsches' continue their early dominance in both Daytona Prototypes and Grand Touring classes?
(3)How will some of the 'celebrity' racers(Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, A.J. Allmendinger, Buddy Rice, Casey Mears, etc..) do against the Grand-Am 'regulars'(Darren Law, David Donohue, Scott Pruett, J.C. France, Sylvain Tremblay, etc.)

Hour 3 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona.................
1. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 100
2. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 100 0.777
3. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 100 1.449
4. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 100 1.747
5. 10 DP SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara 100 2.302
18. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 93 7 Laps
19. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 93 7 Laps
20. 65 GT Riegel/Stanton/TRG Porsche GT3 93 7 Laps
21. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 93 7 Laps
22. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 93 7 Laps

Hour 4 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona......................
1. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 129
2. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 129 18.606
3. 01 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 129 18.867
4. 6 DP Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley 129 19.069
5. 76 DP Krohn Racing Ford Lola 129 19.476
17. 07 GT Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 121 8 Laps
18. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 121 8 Laps
19. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 121 8 Laps
20. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 121 8 Laps
22. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 121 8 Laps

Images from Daytona..............

Hour 5 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona

1. 77 DP Doran Racing Ford Dallara 156
2. 10 DP SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara 156 3.899
3. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 156 4.543
4. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 156 5.553
5. 76 DP Krohn Racing Ford Lola 156 6.514
18. 07 GT Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 149 7 Laps
19. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 148 8 Laps
20. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 148 8 Laps
21. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 148 8 Laps
22. 57 GT Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R 148 8 Laps

Qtr.-race standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona

1. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 181
2. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 181 4.343
3. 55 DP Level 5 Motorsports BMW Riley 181 4.977
4. 59 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 181 13.015
5. 77 DP Doran Racing Ford Dallara 181 15.448
16. 07 GT Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 174 7 Laps
17. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 174 7 Laps
18. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 174 7 Laps
19. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 174 7 Laps
20. 33 GT Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3 173 8 Laps

Hour 7 Standings,
2009 Rolex 24 at Daytona

1. 02 DP Chip Ganassi Racing w/F.Sabate Lexus Riley 211
2. 58 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 211 7.874
3. 16 DP Penske Racing Porsche Riley 211 28.752
4. 59 DP Brumos Racing Porsche Riley 211 39.689
5. 77 DP Doran Racing Ford Dallara 211 49.292
16. 07 GT Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 201 10 Laps
17. 87 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 201 10 Laps
18. 86 GT Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 201 10 Laps
19. 66 GT TRG Porsche GT3 201 10 Laps
20. 67 GT TRG Porsche GT3 201 10 Laps