7/29/02-'99
July 29,2002 Marcos & Flis Motorsports Team Up
Marcos Racing and Flis Motorsports will team up for the remainder of the Rolex Sports Car Series season. The two Central Florida teams will partner in the running of the #03 Marcos Mantis and #04 Porsche GT3 R in the GT class at upcoming Rolex Series events.
"We have joined forces on the preparation of the cars," commented Marcos Racing team owner Toto Lassally. "The team is still the same. I still own it, and the drivers, for the most part, are going to remain the same. However, now Flis is doing all the preparation of the cars while they are at home and some of the Flis crew will be coming to help us at the events."
Marcos Racing, of Deland, Fla., fielded two Marcos Mantis in the GT class during the first half of the season, while Flis Motorsports, of Ormond Beach, Fla., contested two Corvettes in the American GT class. A lack of sponsorship has forced the two-time American GT champion to park its Corvettes and end its bid for a third-straight title.
"We aren't quitting motorsports by any means. Flis Motorsports has been around long before this and will be around long after this. We are regrouping right now, and it's nice to be able to stay in the same business that we have been in - preparing great race cars," team co-owner Troy Flis remarked. "Toto came to us and asked if we could help him develop his two cars, and we are glad we can help."
The cooperative effort of Marcos and Flis is something that has been in the works for quite a while. "When we first looked at fielding a Marcos team we were interested in doing it with Flis, but they were still committed to their program. Doing this together was something we had wanted to do since the start. Now that their program is over, we got back together, discussed it and are now moving forward with it," added Lassally.
Although Marcos Racing previously ran two Marcos Mantis in the Rolex Series, it will run a single Marcos and a Porsche in the upcoming races. "It takes quite a while to have our Marcos engines rebuilt, and we cannot get them back to the United States in time to run both cars. So for the next few races we will run just one Marcos and the Porsche GT3 R that (driver) Paco Orti raced in Europe," explained Lassally.
The rookie Marcos team has struggled this season, with its best finish of fifth place in the GT class coming at the Jani-King Paul Revere 250 earlier this month. However, Lassally is confident the addition of Flis Motorsports to the team will produce better results. "With their experience and capabilities, I firmly believe that we are going to start moving up front in the GT class and become real contenders," he noted. "They are also working on developing some of the stuff that still needs developing with the cars."
The first race for the newly combined effort will be next week's Bully Hill Vineyards 250 at Watkins Glen International, August 9. The #03 Marcos will be piloted by Dutchman Cor Euser and Englishman Ian James, who currently resides in Kissimmee. Spaniard Paco Orti and Deland's Cougar Jacobsen will race the #04 Porsche GT3 R.
July 25,2002 Toyota Racing Development Submits Engine
Toyota Racing Development (TRD), U.S.A. announced today that it will submit a 4.3-liter V8 engine to the Grand American Road Racing Association (Grand Am) for approval to compete in the Daytona Prototype Class of the Rolex Sports Car Series beginning in 2003.
The Toyota Daytona Prototype V8 engine will be based on the 4.3-liter, four-cam, 32-valve powerplant that is currently utilized in production models sold in North America. The engine will be submitted for inclusion in the "A" Type Daytona Prototype engine category, which is based on production six- and eight-cylinder engines, which have a maximum displacement of 4.3 liters.
"We believe that Grand Am has created a unique vision for an American-based sports prototype series," said Jim Aust, president and CEO of TRD, U.S.A.
"TRD is always interested in potential business opportunities that expand its presence in U.S. motorsports. Our goal will be to offer Daytona Prototype teams a competitive engine at a competitive price."
TRD will provide final engine specifications and pricing upon receiving certification from the Grand Am series in September. The Costa Mesa, Calif.,-based company will sell the spec engine parts and components to independent engine builders, and it will have the capability to sell and support complete race-ready engines directly to Daytona Prototype teams. TRD currently produces winning V8 powerplants in its off-road and sport compact/import drag racing programs.
Participation in the Grand Am Daytona Prototype program would continue Toyota's sports prototype heritage in the U.S. Toyota-powered prototypes dominated U.S. road racing in the early 1990s, including a victory at the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in 1993.
July 17,2002 Ford To Lend Extensive Support
As the support of the Daytona Prototypes continues to build, the program received a tremendous boost this week when Ford Racing Technology announced its agreement with Canadian-based engineering organization Multimatic and Robert Yates Racing to construct the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype. The factory support from Ford is expected to also benefit privateer Ford teams competing in the Daytona Prototypes championship in 2003, as Ford's years of technical know-how and Robert Yates' engine expertise become available to all competitors.
"Ford brings the ideal factory support to the Daytona Prototypes," commented Grand American President Roger Edmondson. "Their involvement in the program will provide all teams with the technology and resources made available by Ford Racing."
Teams will be able to benefit from Ford's racing engine development program for the Ford Focus Daytona Prototypes. “Ford Racing’s goal, besides seeing a good number of these Focus prototype cars on the track, is to help develop the modular V8, with help from Robert Yates, into a highly competitive customer racing engine," Ford Racing Technology Directory Dan Davis remarked. "We see the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype program as a great test bed and proving ground for this product.”
"Ford Racing's involvement in Multimatic's Daytona Prototype program is excellent news for both the Rolex Series and our customers," noted Multimatic Vice President of Engineering Larry Holt. "It is important to note that this is not an exclusive factory race team program; it is a technical cooperation that will significantly benefit every privateer racer that runs a Ford."
Multimatic has been active in the Rolex Sports Car Series since its inception when it fielded a SportsRacing Prototype II entry in the series' first race - the 2000 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Multimatic went on to capture a podium finish at Mid-Ohio in 2001 and fell just shy of the victory later the same year at Trois-Rivières. The company has also had extensive success the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series with its Mustangs.
Submission of the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype designs for approval should be forthcoming, and the Ford 4.6 liter engine has already received tentative approval pending completion of testing at Pro Motor Engineering, the engine testing facility in Charlotte that is dynotesting all engines for approval.
July 16,2002 Multimatic to Build Ford Focus Daytona Prototype
Canadian-based engineering organization Multimatic has completed an agreement with Ford Racing Technology to be the exclusive constructor of the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype race car. Daytona Prototypes will be the name of the major championship class featured in the Rolex Sports Car Series beginning in 2003. The Daytona Prototype coupe is a flat-bottomed two-seat, closed cockpit, mid-engine automobile with a complete frame (non-stressed engine).
Multimatic has been working on the design and development of the car for over four months, but has delayed publicly revealing the details of the project until the Ford Racing partnership was completed. The car will be powered by a Robert Yates developed Ford modular V8 and will carry brand identification from the extremely popular Ford Focus world car. Ford Racing will lend technical support to the project and will direct the development of the new modular-based racing engine.
Multimatic has a strong relationship with Ford Motor Company and recently received its Gold World Excellence Award, recognizing the company as one of the OEM’s top nine global suppliers for 2001 performance. Multimatic Motorsports has enjoyed a long and successful racing history with Ford Motor Company that includes being the first team in the world to race and win with the four cam, four valve modular V8 engine. These engines were used in Multimatic’s highly successful Coca-Cola Mustangs that captured eight of nine poles, five lap records and won the Motorola Cup manufacturer’s championship for Ford in 1999.
Multimatic’s Vice President of Engineering Larry Holt comments: “We decided that the new Daytona Prototype formula was an excellent opportunity for us to exploit our engineering expertise in motorsports, and history dictated that we should do it in partnership with Ford Racing. I am thrilled that they have agreed to participate and that Robert Yates has been chosen to undertake the modular engine development. The Ford Focus Daytona Prototype will undoubtedly be the car to beat in the 2003 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series.”
Dan Davis, director, Ford Racing Technology, adds: “We’re excited to be working with Multimatic on this new race car program since they have proven themselves as both a valued supplier to Ford, and a successful sports car racing team. Ford Racing’s goal, besides seeing a good number of these Focus prototype cars on the track, is to help develop the modular V8, with help from Robert Yates, into a highly competitive customer racing engine. We see the Ford Focus Daytona Prototype program as a great test bed and proving ground for this product.”
Roger Edmondson, President of Grand American Road Racing Association concludes: “A hundred years ago, Henry Ford started building cars for the American people and created a company that set the standard for an industry. Today, Grand American has set out to build a sports car racing series for the American people. Having Ford Racing recognize our vision and make the commitment they are making today puts them once again at the front of the field, a visionary organization with its finger on the pulse of the American psyche."
The Multimatic developed and built Ford Focus Daytona Prototype will test in October and its competition debut will be the 2003 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Cars will be run by an in-house team as well as being made available to customers. Details of the design configuration, price and availability will be released in the near future.
July 11,2002 Daytona Prototypes Engine Rules Updated
Momentum continues to build on the Daytona Prototype stage as Grand American Road Racing Association announces further details on the engine rules. The Daytona Prototypes will be the featured class in the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003 when the series makes its season debut at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
"The concept since day one has been to provide a platform where smaller high-revving engines can compete head-to-head against large displacement V8s," Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf explained. "What we're doing now is defining the rules more clearly so car builders can choose which engine they want to use and then start preparing them for competition."
The new rules announced today offer details on specific requirements for different sized engines and are based on displacement and engine configuration.
| Size |
Compression |
RPM |
Restrictor |
Transmission |
Other |
| 3.8L & under |
Unlimited |
8600 |
None |
Six-speed |
|
| 3.81L - 4.3L |
11:1 |
TBD |
TBD |
Six-speed |
|
| Four-valve Ford 4.6L |
11:1 |
7000 |
Use approved Ford throttle body inlet |
Six-speed |
|
| Four-valve BMW 4.997L |
11:1 |
6800 |
30mm |
Five-speed |
|
| Two-valve 5.0L - 5.35L |
10.5:1 |
TBD |
TBD |
Five-speed |
3.25-inch max. stroke |
|
"Engines still have to be submitted to us for approval," Grand American Director of Competition Dave Watson added. "The difference now is that we have established some guidelines for people to use when selecting which engine to submit."
Watson added that the BMW 4.997 liter and the Porsche 3.6 liter engines have both been tested and approved at Pro Motor Engineering, the engine testing facility in Charlotte that is dynotesting all engines for approval, and that the Ford 4.6 liter engine has received tentative approval pending completion of testing.
"We are talking with three other manufacturers right now and will see some more powerplants coming to PME in the next couple of weeks," he continued. "Other companies have told us they will be participating but have not scheduled engine testing yet. By this fall, there should be at least six different engines approved for competition."
Raffauf pointed out that all of the new regulations are in keeping with the rules previously written in the Daytona Prototypes rulebook. "The only things that could even be considered new or different are the specifications on the five or six-speed gearboxes and the lack of compression limits on the small engines," he noted. "The transmission regulation is another way to help keep the playing field level. The same is true for letting the small motors rev. We want good racing from the front to the back of the field."
July 9,2002 Carbir Bodywork Approved
Grand America Road Racing Association announced today that the bodywork designs submitted by Carbir Race Cars have been approved for construction. Carbir Race Cars becomes the fourth Daytona Prototype constructor to have its bodywork designs approved, joining FABCAR Engineering, Crawford Race Cars and Picchio SpA.
"Carbir was one of the first constructors to submit chassis designs for approval, and we're happy to see them take the next step with the introduction of their bodywork plans," Daytona Prototype Project Manager Mark Raffauf remarked. "With Carbir's past success in Sports 2000 and Formula Ford, it's good to see them advancing into the Rolex Series with their Daytona Prototype."
Carbir Race Cars had its Daytona Prototype chassis designs approved for construction in May.
Carbir Race Cars was founded in 1995 by Brian Utt and Carl Seaberg, who successfully introduced their Carbir CS2 to Sports 2000 competition. The car dominated the American City Racing League (ACRL) in 1997 and continues to do so today, finding its way to victory lane at nine of the 14 ACRL events last season. Carbir's DS3 Formula Ford 2000 has also claimed victory in the U.S. F2000 series, as well as back-to-back American Continental championships.
July 2,2002 Flis Motorsports Named FunTech Distributor
Fundamental Technology (FunTech) and Grand American Road Racing Association announced today that the FT-2 Daytona Prototype chassis design submitted by FunTech has been approved for construction. The FT-2 will contest the Rolex Sports Car Series' premier class in 2003. The Central Florida-based manufacturer has chosen a unique bonded aluminum chassis structure, providing excellent chassis stiffness, keeping weight to a minimum and the center of gravity as low as possible.
The FT-2 will be constructed in Orlando by FunTech. Flis Motorsports of Ormond Beach is the first official distributor of the FT-2. Flis currently campaigns the 09 and 90 AGT corvettes in the Rolex Sports Car Series and offers full race support services for the FT-2. When combined with the proven winning record of FLIS Motorsports the FT-2 appears to be a winning package for the Grand American Daytona Prototype series.
Rob DeBardeleben, Vice President of FunTech Motorsports Division, said, “our engineers have created an innovative design in prototype race cars that is aerodynamically and structurally balanced to achieve maximum performance within the class rules.” The Daytona prototype format allowed the engineering staff at FunTech to create a completely new concept in road racing car. The FT-2 has been designed with engineering tools until now used only at aerospace corporations in the design of high performance air vehicles. DeBardeleben added, “in designing the FT-2 we used the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and mechanical design engineering tools to design a world-class performance race car. The FT-2 offers affordable, reliable performance that will finish up front.” In addition to Flis, FunTech offers the FT-2 to other distributors and motorsport teams.
Additional information on FunTech is available online at www.funtechsystems.com, on FunTech at www.grand-am.com and on FLIS Motorsports at www.teamflis.com
July 2,2002 FunTech & Quaife Prototype Chassis Approved
Grand American Road Racing Association announced today that the Daytona Prototype chassis designs submitted by Fundamental Technologies (FunTech) and Quaife Engineering have been approved for construction. The addition of the two constructors brings the number of approved chassis builders to seven, joining FABCAR Engineering, Doran Enterprises, Crawford Race Cars, Carbir Race Cars and Picchio SpA.
FunTech, based in Orlando, Fla., will build the FT-2 to contest the Daytona Prototype class of the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003. "Our engineers have created an innovative design in prototype race cars that is aerodynamically and structurally balanced to achieve maximum performance within the class rules," explained Rob DeBardeleben, Vice President of FunTech Motorsports Division. "In designing the FT-2, we used the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and mechanical design engineering tools to design a world-class performance race car. The FT-2 offers affordable, reliable performance that will finish up front."
Two-time American GT champions Flis Motorsports, of Ormond Beach, Fla., is the first official distributor of the FT-2. "Everyone at Flis Motorsports is excited about the new Daytona Prototype package. We are looking forward to working with FunTech in the 2003 season," Flis Motorsports co-owner Todd Flis remarked.
Great Britain's Quaife Engineering will construct the Quaife GT-AM to run in the Daytona Prototype class in 2003. At this time, Quaife has plans to build two Daytona Prototypes. The first chassis with be retained by Quaife for development and raced later, and the second chassis has been sold to a Florida-based team that has yet to be named by the constructor.
Quaife began its work in motorsports competition with the development of motorcycle gearboxes. The company turned its expertise to auto racing in the 1970s. Today, Quaife continues to develop new products through its own competition vehicles with the Quaife GT-AM being the company's latest creation.
June 26,2002 Nadeau In Rand Lola For Paul Revere
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau will partner with Indy Racing League driver Anthony Lazzaro in the #7 Nissan-powered Lola of Rand Racing in the Jani-King Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International Speedway on the Fourth of July.
"I am really excited about doing this. It's going to be a lot of fun. Anthony is a great driver, and he's been doing really well in the series. Hopefully I'll be able to get up-to-speed on Wednesday during practice," remarked Nadeau, who has extensive road racing experience in various types of race cars, but has never been behind the wheel of a prototype. "I'm mainly doing this for fun. I want to go out and drive the wheels off it. I would love to do the Rolex 24 At Daytona someday, so hopefully this will open the door for me to do that. "
Nadeau will replace team owner Bill Rand, who had originally planned to race the #7 Nissan with Nic Jonsson at the Jani-King Paul Revere 250. "It is unlikely I will be able to make it to Daytona in time for the race, because of a business commitment. So, Anthony and I were tossing around some names of possible drivers to sub in for me," explained Rand, who runs a two-car effort in the Rolex Series. "Anthony and Jerry have been friends for a long time, and Jerry was doing so well in the NASCAR road race last weekend that we thought we would ask him to join us in Daytona."
Nadeau raced for Petty Enterprises last weekend in the NASCAR Winston Cup Dodge/SaveMart 350K at Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point Raceway). He took the lead on lap 88 of the 110-lap race and held more than a five-second advantage before the rear-end broke with only two laps to go.
"[Jerry and I] raced against each other in the Hooters series back in 1995, so I have known him for quite a while now," Lazzaro commented. "I met a lot of great guys during my time with NASCAR, and Jerry is one that really stands out. He would always tell me that if I need anything, to just ask. There are a lot of good guys over there, and he's just another one of them."
Lazzaro partnered with points-leader Terry Borcheller in Rand's #8 Nissan Lola at earlier races this season, but will move over to the team's #7 Nissan with Nadeau to run under the lights at Daytona next week. Nic Jonsson will slide over to the #8 Nissan to team with Borcheller for the weekend. "Since Terry qualifies the car, he gets most of the seat time during practice to set it up. There are some different setups I would like to try at Daytona, so it works well for me to be in the #7 at this race. That way he can try one setup in his car, while I'm testing out another in the other," commented Lazzaro. "Plus, I can help Jerry get adjusted to the car when he gets in it during Wednesday's practice."
"We now have a strong enough points lead that we can make adjustments like putting Terry and Anthony in different cars. Having them race against each other should make for some pretty exciting racing," said Rand, who saw his pair of cars sweep the top-two spots in the SRPII class and finish second and third overall at the 6 Hours of The Glen last weekend.
Rand Racing has dominated the SportsRacing Prototype II class of the Rolex Sports Car Series this season. The team's #8 Nissan Lola won its class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Nextel 250 in Homestead, Grand American 400 in California and, most recently, the 6 Hours of The Glen. The only race this season that has not seen the drivers of the #8 car on top of the SRPII podium was the UnitedAuto 200 in Phoenix, where the top honors went to the #7 Nissan Lola.
Nadeau is no stranger to road racing. In addition to his impressive showing at the Dodge/SaveMart 350K last weekend, Nadeau has also raced in Skip Barber, Firehawk, Formula Ford and GT cars. He finished sixth overall in the Formula Opel European series in 1996, competing in 13 of the 16 races. It was the highest finish ever by an American driver. In Winston Cup, Nadeau captured his first victory at the 2000 series finale in Atlanta.
June 25,2002 Crawford DP03 Bodywork Approved
Grand American Road Racing Association Daytona Prototype Project Manager Mark Raffauf announced today that the Crawford DP03 bodywork designs submitted by Crawford Race Cars have been approved for construction. The Crawford DP03 will make its debut in the Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype class at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
"[Crawford Race Cars President] Max Crawford has been building and developing race cars for years. It's exciting to see all his years of experience put to use in the Crawford DP03 designs," Raffauf remarked. "Max is considered an expert in the racing industry in bodywork designs, which is evident with all his recent work with Winston Cup teams."
The chassis designs for the Crawford DP03 where approved a month ago. Crawford Race Cars becomes the third constructor to have its bodywork designs approved, joining FABCAR Engineering and Picchio SpA.
Crawford has an extensive automotive and racing resume dating back to 1966 in his homeland of New Zealand. He has worked as the crew chief and team manager for several championship-winning teams and has been actively involved the last 11 years in wind tunnel model development projects including the recent Ford Taurus Winston Cup program.
Crawford's SSC2K SportsRacing Prototype chassis has been contested at three Rolex Sports Car Series races this season. The car qualified third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and second at California Speedway, where it also earned a podium finish. Crawford Race Cars will field the #2 Home Depot Judd-powered Crawford SSC2K in the Jani-King Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International Speedway on the Fourth of July, with NASCAR driver Tony Stewart and veteran road racer Elliott Forbes-Robinson slated to drive.
June 18,2002 Robinson Racing Testing At Daytona
Robinson Racing and driver Jack Baldwin kicked off a two-day test session at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday in preparation for the Rolex Sports Car Series Jani-King Paul Revere 250 on July 4.
Baldwin and George Robinson will team up to compete in the Jani-King Paul Revere 250, which will go green following Bud Pole Qualifying for the Pepsi 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series race on July 4.
Robinson Racing, with drivers Baldwin, Robinson, Wally Dallenbach and Mark Simo, finished 65th in February's 40th anniversary of the Rolex 24 after developing overheating problems several hours into the race.
Unsatisfied with February's results, the team opted to return to the "World Center of Racing" with hopes of continuing to develop the No. 74 Ranch Resort Judd Riley & Scott Mark IIIC.
"We made a lot of changes to the car and we're just trying to verify those changes," Baldwin said. "The car is totally different from February. We've got aero changes and mechanical changes and the engine. We've never run here with a five liter."
Robinson Racing will continue testing on Wednesday at the Speedway and the session is free and open to the public with access to the Oldfield Grandstand through the lobby of DAYTONA USA.
June 17,2002 Stewart Back In Crawford For Paul Revere
Crawford Race Cars announced today that NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver Tony Stewart would join road racing veteran Elliott Forbes-Robinson in the #2 Home Depot Judd-powered Crawford at the Rolex Sports Car Series Jani-King Paul Revere 250. The historic midnight running of the Paul Revere will take place on the Fourth of July at Daytona International Speedway following Winston Cup Bud Pole qualifying for the Pepsi 400.
"I am excited about the opportunity to run a true road course race again, especially after the fun I had with the Crawford team in the 24 hour," commented Stewart. "I am also excited about teaming up with EFR, knowing his years of experience in this type of racing, as well as his in-depth knowledge of the Crawford, will help me adjust to the changes made to the car since February. I'm looking forward to a great race."
The Jani-King Paul Revere 250 will mark Stewart's second appearance this season behind the wheel of the #2 Crawford. The Winston Cup star kicked off the 2002 racing season with Crawford Race Cars at the 40th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona in February. After starting in the third position and maintaining a spot in the top five of the 80-car field, the #2 Crawford lost its engine in the 12th hour and was forced to retire from the race.
"I'm very excited to have Tony Stewart back in our car for the Rolex Series Paul Revere at Daytona," team owner and car creator Max Crawford said. "Tony did a superb job for us at the 24 hour. I think, had we let him, he would have driven all night. He is the consummate racer and everybody on our team enjoyed having him as part of the team, both as a professional and as a person... particularly his humor!"
Forbes-Robinson, Stewart's co-driver for the Paul Revere 250, brings a wealth of experience to the team as the winner of numerous championships in professional sports cars, Trans-Am, Can Am, World Challenge and SCCA. The veteran racer's 33-year career also includes two Rolex 24 victories, as well as some NASCAR Winston Cup experience.
"Tony and I spent some time together during the 24 hour earlier this year, and he has come out to some of the Legends testing I've done," remarked Forbes-Robinson, known in the racing community as 'EFR.' "Max Crawford put us together for this race. Tony wanted to race in the Paul Revere, and I've been looking for a chance to run the Crawford in a race. I've been testing it since its inception, but this will be my first race in the car."
June 5,2002 Brumos first Seating;Add Donohue
Brumos Racing made history last January when it became the first team to announce plans to contest a Daytona Prototype in the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series season. The renowned race team took the next step when drivers Hurley Haywood, David Donohue, J.C. France and Wayne Jackson traveled to Indianapolis for their first fitting in the new Daytona Prototype being constructed by FABCAR Engineering.
Five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Haywood felt right at home behind the wheel of his new Porsche-powered Daytona Prototype. "Even though this is still a cage with no bodywork, it feels like a Porsche. I've driven Porsches for 25 years. When I get into this car, the steering wheel is in the right place, the dials are in the right place and the seat fits. So, I'm very comfortable. It feels just like a Porsche."
Haywood will co-drive the FABCAR-designed Brumos Racing #59 Porsche-engined car next season with J.C. France, an up-and-coming racer currently polishing his skills in the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series. Wayne Jackson will pilot the similar Brumos Racing #58 entry with co-driver David Donohue, son of Hall of Fame road racer Mark Donohue.
Brumos Racing, based in Jacksonville, Fla., has a rich history of Porsche racing that includes 11 IMSA titles and three Trans-Am championships. They have also appeared in Daytona's Victory Lane six times as the owner or sponsor of the Rolex 24 At Daytona overall winner.
All of the Brumos drivers were pleased with their first look at the new Daytona Prototype and are eager get it on the track. "I'm ready to race. Where's the start button?" France joked after sliding behind the wheel for the first time.
Both Haywood and Donohue commented that they were not only looking forward to racing the new race car, but also competing in the new Daytona Prototype class. "I like the uniqueness of the formula. It allows a much larger spectrum of drivers to compete for the overall win, which in sports car racing has not been available to most people because there are so many classes of cars," Donohue noted. "I think this will open the door for more people to compete for the overall win, which is much more rewarding and what teams and drivers want."
"I think all these cars are going to be very equal in performance. It's going to have a lot of different manufacturers involved, and it's going to put the importance back into the lap of the teams and drivers. The teams are going to be the ones to dictate who is going to win the race," Haywood added.
The new Daytona Prototypes will get their first official test in November during the Grand American Finale event weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
May 28,2002 Picchio First Approved European Daytona Prototype
e
Road Racing Association announced today that Daytona Prototype chassis and bodywork designs submitted by Picchio SpA have been approved for construction. The Picchio DP2 will contest the Rolex Sports Car Series' premier class in 2003. The Italian-based manufacturer becomes the fifth approved Daytona Prototype chassis builder and the second to have its bodywork designs accepted.
The Picchio DP2 will be constructed near Teramo, Italy and distributed in the United States by Momentum Motorcars of Houston. "With the support of Riccardo Weitz (owner of Momentum Motorcars) and Gary Schulze, our GM, we were able to bring to the USA a new manufacturer," Momentum representative/driver Armando Trentini commented. "There will be three Picchio DP2 cars at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and all three will be prepared by G&W Motorsports. Momentum Motorcars will field one of the cars, with another being fielded by G&W. The third will be backed by a customer that we cannot make public at this time."
The collaborative effort between Momentum Motorcars and G&W Motorsports began this season with the #07 BMW-powered Picchio in the SportsRacing Prototype II class. "It has always been a dream of mine to be closely associated with a manufacturer that has a legitimate shot at a high-level championship. The new Daytona Prototype and our involvement with Picchio will allow G&W Motorsports to be able to accomplish that dream," G&W Motorsports team owner Cole Scrogham remarked.
The first Picchio DP2 is scheduled to be unveiled at the Grand American Finale at Daytona International Speedway, Nov. 8-10. The other two Picchios will be delivered to G&W Motorsports the first week of December. All three cars slated to race in the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona will be powered by 5.0 BMW V8 engines, however the manufacturer has designed the car to support other production engines if requested by the customer prior to construction.
Although a complete driver lineup has not been announced for the three cars, Trentini reports that he will be one of the drivers in the Momentum Motorcars Daytona Prototype. Past Rolex Series champions Darren Law and Andy Lally will also race one of the three Picchio DP2, though which entry has yet to be determined for the two championship drivers currently partnering in the #07 BMW Picchio.
May 22,2002 Crawford Daytona Prototype Approved
The Grand American Road Racing Association announced today that it has approved the Daytona Prototype chassis designs submitted by Crawford Race Cars, LLC. The Daytona Prototypes will be the premier class of the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003. Crawford becomes the fourth car builder to have its chassis designs approved for construction, joining FABCAR Engineering, Doran Enterprises and Carbir Race Cars.
"[Crawford Race Cars President] Max Crawford has been building and developing race cars for years. He truly grasp what it takes to be successful in endurance racing, and its good to see that he is putting that knowledge and experience to use in the Daytona Prototypes," remarked Mark Raffauf, Daytona Prototypes Project Manager.
Crawford has an extensive automotive and racing resume dating back to 1966 in his homeland of New Zealand. He has worked as the crew chief and team manager for several championship-winning teams and has been actively involved the last 11 years in wind tunnel model development projects including the recent Ford Taurus Winston Cup program.
Crawford's SSC2K SportsRacing Prototype chassis has been contested at three Rolex Sports Car Series races this season. The car qualified third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and second at California Speedway, where it also earned a podium finish.
May 6,2002 Carbir Daytona Prototype Approved
Grand American Road Racing announced today that the Daytona Prototype chassis designs submitted by Carbir Race Cars have been approved for construction. Carbir Race Cars becomes the third constructor to have its designs approved, joining FABCAR Engineering and Doran Enterprises.
"Over the years, Carbir has been known for building very successful Sports 2000 and Formula Ford cars. We're glad to see them advance into the Rolex Sports Car Series with their Daytona Prototype designs," Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf remarked.
"We are pleased to have our chassis designs approved on the first submission," noted Carbir President and Commerical Director Brian Utt. "We should begin construction of our first chassis in the next ten days and start preparing for wind tunnel work."
Utt reports that Carbir's Daytona Prototype designs are suited for any engine type, but he intends to build the first chassis to support a Chevy Corvette engine.
Carbir Race Cars was founded in 1995 by Utt and Carl Seaberg, who successfully introduced their Carbir CS2 to Sports 2000 competition. The car dominated the American City Racing League (ACRL) in 1997 and continues to do so today, finding its way to victory lane at nine of the 14 ACRL events last season. Carbir's DS3 Formula Ford 2000 has also claimed victory in the U.S. F2000 series, as well as back-to-back American Continental championships.
Additional information on Carbir Race Cars is available by calling 262-377-2850 or emailing carbir@execpc.com.
May 1,2002 Doran Daytona Prototype Approved
Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf announced today that Grand American Road Racing has approved chassis designs from Doran Enterprises for the Daytona Prototypes, the Rolex Sports Car Series premier class in 2003.
"The train is picking up speed with Doran's Daytona Prototype design. We expect to have several more sets of plans submitted for approval in the next couple of weeks," Raffauf remarked. "Doran Enterprises has a well-established reputation as a race car builder, and we are happy to see them committed to the Daytona Prototype program."
"Now that we have been granted approval, we will start production of our first car this week," Doran Enterprise founder Kevin Doran stated. "We expect to sell three cars for (the Rolex 24 At) Daytona, and we hope to test the first one the first of October."
Doran is well established as a builder and preparer of race cars ranging from NASCAR Super Trucks to Indy cars, but he is best known for his sports car accomplishments, which includes four Rolex 24 At Daytona victories as team manager. "Recently I have been looking back at the history of sports car racing. The Porsche 935 ran for seven to nine years. Then the GTP came along, and it ran for eight or nine years. Now the World Sports Car has been here eight or nine years. It looks like there is a trend in sports car racing," Doran explained. "It's time for a change. It's time for a new car, and the Daytona Prototypes are coming along at just the right time."
The Ohio-based constructor anticipates the Daytona Prototypes drawing larger fields and more exciting racing. "It's going to be an exciting car to see. It's going to have a little more style and flair than the current cars. If we can have 20 or 30 cars running around on any given day, you're going to have a good race," he said. "These cars are going to be at a cost that we can easily have that many racing. They are going to be 30 to 40 percent less than the current cars in cost. And when you add in the manpower need to run them, it will be half of what we are spending now."
Doran admits he has not yet decided on an engine for his Daytona Prototype, but says he is favoring the Chevy Corvette engine. "I think it will be a strong performer for the series, but I'm talking to others, as well. I hope to have a decision by the end of the month."
Although the Doran chassis design has been approved for construction, it must still submit its bodywork for approval. "We have the design and concept of the body firm in our mind and in 2-D drawings. Now it is just a matter of software data input, so we can have it approved," Doran noted.
The first Doran Enterprises Daytona Prototype has already been sold to an unnamed buyer, and Doran reports he has had several inquirers about the remaining two slated to be built. "In order to stay on schedule, we really need to sell the second prototype by the end of the May. There has been a lot of interest about the other two cars, so hopefully we will have a confirmed buyer soon. But, it is key to have something come together soon in order to stick to our schedule."
April 30,2002 Rand Racing Update
Rand Racing has enhanced its engineering expertise with the appointment of Jeff Braun as race and design engineer. Braun replaces John McLoughlin, who assisted with the team's startup engineering program. Braun will work closely with team strategist Thomas Blam and data specialist Jim Malicki. Houston-based Risi Competizione will continue to prepare the team's two Nissan-powered Lola race cars under the direction of crew chief and team manager Richard Taylor and chief mechanics Rickus Terburgh and Peter Kaczmar.
Braun's extensive experience includes International Motor Sports Association, Grand-American Road Racing Association and Trans-Am Series road racing; Indy Car World Series, Indy Racing League, Indy Lights and Atlantic open-wheel cars; and NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch Grand National, American Speed Association and Automobile Racing Club of America stock cars. He is also involved in engineering research and development work and is a published author.
Rand Racing continues to lead the SRPII team and driver standings in the Rolex Sports Car Series, with four wins in as many races this season. The team also won its debut race in 2001. Terry Borcheller of Phoenix heads the class driver standings with three victories in '02 in the No. 8 Rand Racing Lola he drives with Anthony Lazzaro of Acworth, Ga. Bill Rand of Plano, Tex., and Niclas Jönsson of Aliso Viejo, Calif., share the No. 7 car, which topped the class in the most recent series race in Phoenix, co-driven by Marino Franchitti of Scotland. German Ralf Kelleners joins the team for selected races.
April 25,2002 Daytona Prototypes Design, Construction Advancing
Design and construction of the Daytona Prototypes, continues to advance with several companies announcing their plans for the new class of race cars. Carbir Race Cars and Fundamental Technology Systems are the latest to unveil their Daytona Prototype plans ( See Below and 4/11 & 4/17 Grand-Am news). Engine testing will begin soon by Pro-Motor Engineering with BMW and Chevy being the first submitted for approval, while FABCAR Engineering's first car moves closer to completion with new renderings revealed and bodywork construction well underway.
First Powerplants Ready For Testing
Pro-Motor Engineering is setting up its engine dyno to test the first engines being submitted for approval for the Daytona Prototypes. A BMW M5 V-8 is likely to be the first engine tested, followed closely by a Chevrolet Corvette LS-6 V-8. The BMW engine is being submitted by Prototype Technology Group. The Chevrolet is being delivered by Total Engine Concepts.
Carbir Announces C4 Daytona Prototype
Carbir Race Cars released images and specifications for the new Carbir C4 Daytona Prototype as company president Brian Utt announced that the Wisconsin-based manufacturer was moving forward with the project.
"Carl Seaberg and I came out of the (Daytona Prototypes Summit) in enthusiastic agreement to give the C4 the green light," said Utt. "After listening to what Roger Edmondson, Mark Raffauf and Dave Watson had to say, we are confident that Grand American's vision and long-term commitment to the Daytona Prototype program will create a strong demand for the Carbir C4."
Carbir has been involved with the new class since its inception, with Utt attending the initial Daytona Prototype meeting in Daytona last January and Technical Director Carl Seaberg working on design and project planning.
"I've been following the development of the regulations through direct communication with Grand American officials, so the basic concept of the C4 is pretty well advance," said Seaberg. "Right now I'm finishing up the design of the wind tunnel model chassis and completing layout drawings for the Grand American technical staff to review. We are also actively pursuing engine installation information from several engine manufacturers."
Additional information about the Carbir C4 can be obtained from Brian Utt at 262-377-2850 or by emailing carbir@execpc.com.
FunTech Introduces FT-2 Daytona Prototype Coupe
Orlando-based Fundamental Technology Systems introduced the FunTech FT-2 Daytona Prototype. The FT-2 has been designed using engineering tools that until now were used only at aerospace defense corporations in the design of high performance air vehicles. In designing the FT-2, FunTech used the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and mechanical design engineering tools to design a world-class performance race car.
FunTech reports its goal for the FT-2 is to produce a low-cost, reliable performer that will finish up front. Its design is based on 60 years of combined engineering experience in vehicle design, performance prediction and validation.
FunTech has committed to filling all orders received by June 1 by the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Additional information about the FunTech FT-2 can be obtained from Rob DeBardeleben at 407-292-6709 or by emailing rdebar@funtechnsystems.com. Specifications for the FT-2 are available online at www.funtechsystems.com.
FABCAR Releases Latest Renderings
FABCAR Engineering released its latest renderings of its Daytona Prototype currently under construction. The constructor can now give fans a look at the inside components of the car, as well as the exterior bodywork designs. The progress of FABCAR's first Daytona Prototype can also be tracked on the company's website - www.fabcar-usa.com - which is regularly updated with photos of the construction.
Multimatic Busy With Prototype Parts, Design
Canadian-based Multimatic Inc. is staying busy working on several projects involving the Daytona Prototypes. As one of two specified manufacturers of the Daytona Prototypes' side pods, Multimatic is finalizing its designs and testing its side pods this week.
Multimatic is also working on chassis designs for its own Daytona Prototype. "We are progressing with our Daytona Prototype designs," Larry Holt reports. "We aren't as far along as Dave Klym (with FABCAR). I have to tip my hat to those guys at their progress. But, our target is to test our car in September, which is what I think everyone else is aiming for."
Additional information about Multimatic is available online at www.multimatic.com.
Bodywork Underway At Crawford Composites
Crawford Composites reports bodywork production has begun for the first Daytona Prototype designed by FABCAR Engineering. "We are well underway with construction," Jan Crawford noted. "And we are very pleased with how well it is going."
Crawford also said the fabricator was looking forward to assisting other Daytona Prototype constructors with their bodywork needs as additional designs are approved for construction by Grand American Road Racing.
April 23,2002 Daytona Prototypes Engine Certification Guidelines Released
Grand American Road Racing Association released guidelines and an application form for testing and certifying engines for the Daytona Prototypes class, which will debut at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The form and guidelines are available as an Adobe Acrobat PDF document on the Grand American website - www.grand-am.com.
Testing and certification of engines will be conducted at Pro-Motor Engineering in Mooresville, N.C. Once an engine has been tested and certified, it will be legal and eligible for competition specifically as approved. "When we test an engine, we will specify certain components, measurements and performance criteria for that engine," Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf explained. "Engines used in competition must meet all the criteria and specifications we establish."
Teams wishing to use an approved engine with a different configuration will have an option. The first example of a single brand/model engine will be tested and certified at no charge. Teams or engine builders wishing to use the same engine with different components or specifications may resubmit that engine for approval with those different characteristics, but all submissions of an engine after the base brand/model has been approved will be charged a $3,000 testing fee.
"We don't want to close the door on any engine builder's own way of doing things. In fact, we are looking forward to having a class with a lot of different engines," Grand American Director of Competition Dave Watson added. "But at the same time, it isn't practical for us to underwrite the testing of every tuning theory that gets presented to us. Obviously, if someone has an engine they want to put in a car, they should get it to us right away so they can avoid the testing fee."
In addition to submitting the application form, companies need to schedule an appointment with Pro-Motor Engineering by calling PME President Peter Guild at (704) 664-6800.
April 17,2002 FunTech FT-2 Daytona Prototype
From our creative engineers comes an innovative design in prototype race cars.
The FunTech FT-2 has been designed using engineering tools until now used only at aerospace defense corporations in the design of high performance air vehicles. In designing the FT-2 we used the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD), stress analysis, and mechanical design engineering tools to design a world-class performance race car.
The FT-2 offers low-cost, reliable performance that will finish up front. Design is based on 60 years of combined engineering experience in vehicle design, performance prediction and validation.
Orders received by 1 June 2002 can be filled for Rolex 2003.
Wheelbase 110”
Width 78”
Overall Length 180”
Body Carbon Composite
Aerodynamics FunTech Balanced, Track-Tunable Design With Stability Margin
Weight 2000 lbs minimum with drivetrain
Front Suspension A-arm with pull-rod activated dampeners
Rear Suspension A-arm with push-rod activated dampeners
Chassis Aluminum/Aluminum honeycomb Reinforced Steel Tubing
Engine All Daytona Prototype Compatible Engines
Transmission 6-speed Sequential Transaxle, Customer Specified Type
Instrumentation FunTech RacerView (optional, for performance optimization)
Roller, less engine and transmission $238,000
April 16,2002 Franchitti Ready For Debut With Rand Racing
Marino Franchitti, winner of the 2001 British GTO Championship in his rookie year of GT racing, will be making his sports prototype debut with Rand Racing at this weekend's Grand-Am UnitedAuto 200 being run on the road course of the Phoenix International Raceway. In support of their unbeaten class wins in the 2002 Rolex Grand-Am Series, Rand Racing are entering a second SRPII Nissan Lola in the championship beginning this weekend in Phoenix. Marino will be co-driving with Sweden's Niclas Jonsson.
Last year Marino was crowned 2001 British GTO Champion driving a Porsche GT3RS; and other than two endurance classics, the Spa 24 Hours when Marino came 6th, and the Petit Le Mans, where Marino set a time quicker than his co-drivers, Ralf Kelleners and ex F1 Test Driver, Kelvin Burt, 2002 sees the start of Marino's international racing career.
Having set the fastest GT time in the official test for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona in January, Marino was disappointed not to finish the race when his J3 Racing Porsche GT3RS failed in the early hours of the morning when lying 2nd in class. Undaunted Marino went on to compete one month later at the 12 Hours of Sebring this time in MSB Racing's Ferrari Modena 360 that he had been helping to develop over the winter months, but it too was to fail in the race, this time at the hands of Marino's co-driver, Ralf Kelleners, during Ralf's first stint.
However, Marino has now been given the opportunity by Rand Racing to take a big step up the sportscar ladder to the prototype category. Having completed his very first test in the Nissan Lola in Texas last week, Marino was enthused at the prospect of racing the car this weekend, "I just couldn't stop smiling on my first lap of the Speedway" said Marino, "the tyre grip is fantastic; and the braking is awesom, you can leave it so much later". Marino is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky in Phoenix this weekend.
April 16,2002 Rand Racing Phoenix Preview
Rand Racing will enter two cars in the SRPII class of the Rolex Sports Car Series, starting with the April 20 race on the 1.51-mile Phoenix International Raceway road course. Bill Rand of Plano, Tex., and Niclas Jönsson of Aliso Viejo, Calif., will drive the new No. 7 Nissan Lola. Marino Franchitti of Scotland will join them for the Phoenix race.
The rookie team has won four straight races with its No. 8 Lola, which will be driven by Terry Borcheller of Phoenix and German Ralf Kelleners this weekend. Borcheller's usual co-driver, Anthony Lazzaro of Acworth, Ga., is competing in an Indy Racing League event.
Jönsson and Franchitti spent last week with the Risi Competizione crew who prepare the Rand cars. "I think it's very important to get to know the crew because the better you know each other, the better results you're going to have," Jönsson explained. "You don't have to talk all the time - body language tells a lot, too, if you know each other well enough.
"I can't tell you how excited I am to be involved with this team," he added. "Bill Rand is a multi-talented guy, in business and behind the wheel. He won the 24 Hours of Daytona with Terry, Ralf and Anthony, and you have to have such talent to do that. Bill is also a great guy to hang out with. I think we'll have a lot of fun and a lot of success together."
Franchitti changed his fitness routine to prepare for his first race in a prototype car. "There's no power steering on the car and the corner speeds should be quicker, so it should be more physically difficult," he noted. "I've added more weight training and I've been doing a lot of exercises my brother [CART star Dario Franchitti] taught me for my neck.
"It's a totally new car to learn, a new discipline for me, so it's going to be very difficult. The learning curve is very steep. But it's a great opportunity that Bill Rand and Rand Racing have given to me, so I just want to do the best job I can for them."
Jönsson and Franchitti tested the new No. 7 Rand Racing Lola at Texas World Speedway on April 12. Jönsson has raced the bigger prototype cars, but it was Franchitti's first experience in a high-horsepower open-cockpit car.
"It's a fun car to drive," Jönsson said. "It's very smooth and it handles well. It's less power than the big cars, almost like a Formula Three car, so you have be very precise to try to use the power as much as possible. If you make small mistakes with a big-horsepower car, you can sometimes correct with the power. In this case, you have to be very precise and more careful. You have to be a bit more patient."
Franchitti was enthused about his test. "I was smiling a lot," he noted. "I went straight from a Formula Ford into a GT car into this, so I've never really driven a car with wings before. I don't think I'm using all the grip yet, but it's a lot of fun. I think it's easy to get within a second of a good [lap] time, but after that is the really difficult part. My aim is to make a progression each time I drive the car, to be able to use the full capability of the car."
Borcheller, who leads the SRPII driver standings, says racing at his home track will enable him to keep his usual routine, hopefully contributing to a strong performance.
"When I'm on the road, I try to get into my home routine as quickly as possible, whether it's my sleep pattern, training or whatever," he said. "At home, I don't have to go look for all that stuff. It's a lot less stress, I'm not searching for things. I'm in my own element."
April 15,2002 Miracle Motorsports Phoenix Preview
Buddy Rice, will accompany team owner/driver John Macaluso (Winter Haven, FL/Old Forge, NY), in the #6 Miracle Motorsports entry. The driving team of Macaluso and Rice will pilot the Ford powered Riley and Scott SRP around the 11 turn, 1.5 mile track, utilizing the oval as well as the infield road course.
Rice joined Macaluso and the Miracle Motorsports team earlier this season during the Nextel 250 weekend from Homestead, FL. The duo ran in the top three for more than half of the race, until a power steering problem occurred and forced the team back several laps, still, however, finishing a remarkable 4th place.
April 11,2002 FABCAR Becomes First Approved Daytona Prototype
GrandAm announced today that it has approved FABCAR Engineering's Daytona Prototype chassis and bodywork designs. FABCAR becomes the first Daytona Prototype constructor to have its design officially approved to contest the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series' premier Daytona Prototypes class.
"David Klym and FABCAR have taken a lot of initiative in getting their Daytona Prototype program up and running. It was exciting to visit their shop last week and witness the transformation of this idea into reality," commented Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf.
"We have the tube portion of the first chassis finished, and you can sit in it," FABCAR owner David Klym reported. "Most of the sheet metal is done, and we are going to send it down to Crawford Composites to have the bodywork fit to it shortly.
"We are also in the process of building two other chassis. We hope to test late this summer, but a lot depends on the bodywork. That is a major part of the process."
Klym was the first designer to announce his intentions to design a Daytona Prototype and says he has been overwhelmed with response to the program. "I started FABCAR in 1977, and we have been involved in a lot of startups like this one. But, I have never had such a tremendous response about something. We have had calls from all over. I had three from Canada last week with different teams wanting information. It seems like it is the right time for this kind of racing," he remarked.
April 11,2002 Carbir C4 Daytona Prototype
Carbir Race Cars released images and specifications today for the new Carbir C4 Daytona Prototype as company president Brian Utt announced that the Wisconsin-based manufacturer is moving forward with the project.
“Carl Seaberg and I came out of the meeting (Grand Am Daytona Prototype summit meeting held last week in Indianapolis) in enthusiastic agreement to give the C4 the green light,” said Utt. “After listening to what Roger Edmondson, Mark Raffauf, and Dave Watson had to say, we are confident that Grand Am’s vision and long term commitment to the Daytona Prototype program will create a strong demand for the Carbir C4.”
Carbir has been at the forefront of the new class since it’s inception, with Utt attending the initial Daytona Prototype meeting at Daytona in January and Technical Director Carl Seaberg working on design and project planning.
“I’ve been following the development of the regulations through direct communications with Grand Am officials, so the basic concept of the C4 is pretty well advanced,” said Seaberg. “Right now I’m finishing up the design of the wind tunnel model chassis and completing layout drawings for the Grand Am technical staff to review. We are also actively pursuing engine installation information from several approved engine manufacturers.”
For more information, please contact Brian Utt, 262-377-2850, email carbir@execpc.com
April 11,2002 Final Daytona Prototype Rules Released
Grand Am released the final edition of the rules for the Daytona Prototypes, the premier class in the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003. The final modifications and additions came following the Daytona Prototypes Summit Meeting held in Indianapolis last week.
"We had a very successful meeting with manufacturers and builders last week that allowed us to address the remaining open issues. We were able to solidify the difference between theoretical and practical," Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf said. "We have now fine tuned the rules to make it easier to design and build car."
The updated rules now incorporate several appendices for listing approved equipment. Appendix A is the Engine Eligibility and Approval List. Appendix B is the Approved Component List, which lists authorized suppliers for transaxles/gearboxes and for side pod structures. Appendix C is the Approved Chassis and Bodywork Constructors. These lists will be updated as new equipment/suppliers/constructors get approved. When the rulebook takes its final printed form at the beginning of the year, the Appendices will be printed separately from the main rule book.
Click Here for rules.
April 10,2002 Grand Am GT Class Adjustments
Porsche GT3R / RS Section:
Headers and Exhaust System are free, except must maintain a maximum sound level of 110 dba.
Unibody and Roll Bars: Stock, except 2000 and 2001 cars are allowed to add additional bars (welded and/or bolt in) and the unibody seams may be rewelded.
Clutch and Flywheel: Any steel or aluminum heavy duty for racing multiple disc type clutch with a steel flywheel, with a minimum diameter of 5.5 inches is allowed.
Wheels/Tires: Only 2002 cars may use the wide offset front wheels.
Minimum weights and air restrictors:
2000 - 2001 Cars: Minimum weight 2450 pounds and the airbox must use one of the two following options: a single 45.0mm restrictor or twin 32.0mm restrictors.
2002 Cars: Minimum weight 2450 pounds and the airbox must use one of the two following options: a single 43.1mm restrictor or twin 30.8mm restrictors.
Ferrari F360 Modena Section:
F1 style gearbox with synchronizers or Grand American approved Daytona Prototypes transaxle. Minimum weight: 2450 pounds, with twin 32.0mm restrictors.
BMW M3 V-8 Section:
Minimum weight: 2600 pounds, with twin 30mm restrictors and maximum allowed engine RPM 7000.
April 8,2002 Dyson Returning To Riley & Scott
After running a Judd-engined Crawford in California and Miami, defending champion Dyson Racing Team will return to its Ford-powered Riley & Scott for the UnitedAuto 200. Dyson Racing and Crawford Race Cars contested the #16 entry as part of a cooperative effort at the last two events. Dyson Racing reports its was pleased with the Crawford's performance and fans should not be surprised to see the #16 Crawford carrying the Thetford/Norcold livery at future events this season.
April 8,2002 Rand Racing To Debut Second Car
Rand Racing, which currently leads the SportsRacing Prototype II standings with its #8 entry, will debut its #7 Nissan-powered Lola in SRPII at the UnitedAuto 200. Team owner Bill Rand, of Houston, will co-drive the #7 Lola with Nicolas Jonsson, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and Scotsman Marino Franchitti, younger brother of CART racer Dario Franchitti. Rand's #8 Nissan Lola has dominated the SRPII class this season, with driver Terry Borcheller leading the point standings.
April 8,2002 Buddy Rice And Miracle Motorsports Return At Phoenix
Photo Coutersy:Miracle Motorsports
Phoenix's Buddy Rice will co-drive the #6 Miracle Motorsports Ford-powered Riley & Scott on his home track in the UnitedAuto 200. Rice drove with team owner John Macaluso earlier this season at the Nextel 250, where the pair ran in the top three until falling victim to engine trouble. Rice won the 2000 Toyota Atlantic championship with five wins, 10 podiums and two poles.
April 5,2002 Indy Daytona Prototype Summit A Success
Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondson called Thursday's Daytona Prototypes Summit Meeting in Indianapolis a huge success. "It is pretty rare when you can get representatives of more than a dozen companies together in one room and find the unanimity of focus and determination we were able to achieve yesterday," he noted. "We came to that meeting to get input on the final issues that need to be resolved with the Daytona Prototypes rules, and everyone at the table offered valuable insight to help us make the final choices."
"We had some nuts and bolts technical issues to resolve like what is the exact width of this part or what is the material for that part and we got the input we need to lock those details in right now," Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf said. "More importantly, we had some fuzzier issues to deal with and, for the most part, I think we reached consensus on just about all of them."
Raffauf's next step will be to write in the final additions and modifications to the rules based on the input from the Indianapolis meeting and then submit the package for internal review at the company. "We are going to run the final rules by technical, communications and legal experts right away and we hope to have them back and ready to publish by next Tuesday (April 9)."
Attendees at Thursday's meeting included representatives from Carbir, Crawford Composites, Crawford Race Cars, Doran Enterprises, EMCO Gears, FABCAR, Ferrari/Maserati, Ford, G&W Motorsports/Picchio, Kenny Brown Performance, Multimatic, Pankl, Riley & Scott and Xtrac.
April 5,2002 Jeff Clinton Autopsy Report Released
Grand Am driver Jeff Clinton died from blunt head and neck injuries when he crashed during practice for a race last month at Homestead-Miami Speedway, an autopsy report said.
His car veered off the course as he entered Turn 1 and flipped repeatedly. His head was severed at the base of the skull, according to the report by Miami-Dade County Associate Medical Examiner Mark Shuman.
Clinton was wearing a head-and-neck restraint, which is voluntary for Grand Am drivers, but his roll bar ``broke away'' as the car rolled, said Grand Am spokesman Patrick Murphy .
Murphy said it was extremely unusual for the roll bar, which is intended to protect the driver when the car flips, to break.
April 3,2002 Daytona Prototypes Summit Meeting Set For Indy
Grand American Road Racing will host a summit meeting on the Daytona Prototypes rules at the Brickyard Crossing in Indianapolis on Thursday. The invitation-only meeting is for constructors and component suppliers that have been consulting and communicating with the sanctioning body on the new competition class set to debut in 2003.
Grand American staff headed by President Roger Edmondson, Daytona Prototypes Project Manager Mark Raffauf, Competition Director Dave Watson and consultant Don Hayward will present the current Daytona Prototypes rules and work with the invitees to finalize the last few remaining unresolved details.
Invited guests include representatives from constructors Carbir Race Cars, Crawford Composites, Doran Racing, FABCAR, Ferrari, Multimatic, Picchio and Riley & Scott. Component suppliers invited to attend include EMCO, Hewland, PANKL and XTRAC.
"We are 99 and 9/10s done with the Daytona Prototypes rules," Edmondson commented. "And the progress we have made so far has come in large part from the input of the individuals we will be meeting with on Thursday. By getting all of us in the same room at the same time, we will be able to hash out those final details."
Edmondson said that Grand American expects to post final rules on its website on Tuesday, April 9.
"Come next Tuesday, our constructors and engine suppliers will have a green flag to proceed with the construction of the Daytona Prototype cars," Watson added. "We've been assured by several of the companies that are building cars that we can expect to see cars ready for testing by October."
March 29,2002 Jackson For Second Brumos DSC
Bob Snodgrass, President & CEO of Brumos Motor Cars, Inc., announced today that Brumos Porsche will field a second car in the 2003 Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototypes class. Wayne Jackson, of Columbia, Md., will be the lead driver in Brumos' #58 Porsche-powered Daytona Prototype.
"I have watched Wayne improve as a driver through historic racing and as he branched into other forms of racing," Snodgrass remarked. "We are thrilled that he has committed to drive one of the Brumos team cars."
Jackson has previously competed in some Rolex Series events, including the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona, and plans on racing a portion of the 2002 season starting with the Six Hours of The Glen in June. "There are several reasons why I wanted to become involved in the new Daytona Prototypes," Jackson commented. "I expect it will be highly competitive racing, and I also applaud the safety considerations that are integral in the design of the Daytona Prototypes."
Jackson's co-driver has yet to be announced, but Snodgrass is rumored to be in negotiation with another prominent sports car specialist. J.C. France and Hurley Haywood have already been named as the drivers for Brumos' #59 Daytona Prototype. Both entries will run a Porsche 3.6 liter flat-six, normally aspirated engine in the FABCAR chassis designed and built by Dave Klym of Indianapolis, Ind.
March 28,2002 Robinson Racing Tests New Judd GV5
Engine Developments Ltd is pleased to announce that the new Judd GV5 engine has completed 2 days of running with the Robinson Racing Team at Virginia Intl Raceway.
This was the first time that the engine has run in a car, and it ran without problem. Regular drivers George Robinson and Jack Baldwin drove the car on the 26th & 27th of March and both were happy with the extra performance from the 5 Litre.
Further testing is planned before the race debut later in the year.
March 19,2002 Rand Racing Safety Mods.
Rand Racing is three-for-three in race victories, but the team isn't resting on its laurels. The new team claimed the SRPII class victory in the Rolex Sports Car Series 2001 season finale at Daytona International Speedway, and returned this year to win the class in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
But team owner Bill Rand of Plano, Tex., doesn't take victory for granted. With car preparation by the crack Risi Competizione squad, his crew continues to develop the No. 8 Rand Racing Nissan Lola driven this season by Anthony Lazzaro of Acworth, Ga., and Terry Borcheller of Phoenix.
Prior to the Homestead race, the team initiated two changes that will be implemented for this week's race at California Speedway. The suspension mounting points on the car will be reinforced and forward-facing braces will be used on the car's roll hoop. The changes are designed to contribute to both performance and driver safety.
"All of my drivers are like family to me and there is no budget when it comes to their safety," Rand said. "Our engineer, John McLoughlin, has come up with these changes to enhance the performance and overall safety of our Lolas. These changes are just a small step toward the team's goal of getting to the top step of the overall podium."
The Rolex Series race is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, on the 2.88-mile California Speedway road course in Fontana, Calif.
Rand Racing drivers are set for all four feature races at California Speedway this weekend. Lazzaro and Borcheller will compete in the Rolex Series race for Rand Racing, Lazzaro will race in the Indy Racing League with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, Borcheller will drive a Bell Motorsports Grand-Am Cup car and Rand will take the wheel of the Ferrari of Houston entry in the Ferrari Challenge. (Lazzaro's participation will depend on medical clearance, following a crash last weekend.)
"The fact that we're three races and three wins, the results speak for themselves," Borcheller said. "The team has gone above and beyond what anybody could expect. It would be nice to complement those wins with our other races, too."
Rand Racing will enter two cars in the SRPII class starting with the Rolex Series race at Phoenix International Raceway on April 20. Niclas Jönsson of Aliso Viejo, Calif., and Marino Franchitti of Scotland will drive the new No. 7 Nissan Lola. Rand will return to drive with Jönsson in June. Ralf Kelleners of Germany will drive the No. 8 Lola at Phoenix for Lazzaro, who will be competing in an Indy Racing League event in Nazareth, Pa.
March 12,2002 Picchio Announces "P2" Daytona Prototype
Picchio SpA announced today that the Picchio P2 will debut as a 2003 model to contest the Grand American Road Racing's new Daytona Prototypes division of the Rolex Sports Car Series. The car will be imported through Momentum Motorcars, the world's largest BMW and Jaguar dealer, and will be produced in a joint venture between Picchio SpA and G&W Motorsports, the East Coast distributor for Momentum Motorcars.
"With the support of Riccardo Weitz (owner of Momentum Motorcars) and Gary Schulze, our GM, I was able to bring to the USA a new manufacturer. We at Momentum feel that our association with a team like G&W will bring us a most desired championship," said Momentum representative and driver Armando Trentini, of Houston.
The new chassis will rely heavily on the development work currently being done on the #07 Momentum Motorcars BMW-powered Picchio currently competing in the Rolex Series SportsRacing Prototype II class. "It has always been a dream of mine to be closely associated with a manufacturer that has a legitimate shot at a high level championship. The new Daytona Prototypes and our involvement with Picchio will allow G&W Motorsports to be able to accomplish that dream," G&W Motorsports team owner Cole Scrogham said.
The P2 will be powered by a 5.0 BMW V8 engine and bear a striking family resemblance to the beautiful and unique SRPII car that is currently racing. The first two cars are planned for October delivery, giving the team an opportunity to properly test the them before the debut at Daytona International Speedway in January 2003.
"I am really looking forward to this project. After only two races so far this year, I have seen a lot of progress and a lot of potential in the Picchio. This is a personal goal of mine to be driving in the top prototype class, and I have the utmost confidence in the G&W Motorsports team that we will be a front running contender next year," said development and lead driver Darren Law, of Phoenix.
March 12,2002 Pro Motor Engineering To Certify Protoype Engines
Grand American Road Racing President Roger Edmondson announced today that Pro Motor Engineering in Mooresville, N.C., will work with the sanctioning body's staff to approve engines for competition in the Daytona Prototypes championship.
"When we introduced the Daytona Prototypes championship we listed engines from a variety of automobile manufacturers that we felt would fit the performance goals we had set for the new cars," Edmondson stated. "What was left for us to do was to establish the specific regulations for approved engines so we can maintain a competitive field in the series. With the help of Pro Motor Engineering's President Peter Guild and his staff, we now have the mechanism in place to evaluate and certify engines."
According to Edmondson, car builders, engine manufacturers or teams requesting approval of a particular engine will have to provide an engine to Pro Motor Engineering for testing. Guild and his staff will test each engine and determine which performance enhancements will or will not be allowed for that model. Once an engine has been tested and accepted, specification sheets will be prepared for that engine which will detail the configuration that has been approved for the engine.
"Grand American contacted me and said they wanted to establish a reliable method for testing and verifying engines," Guild added. "Our shop is equipped with the necessary equipment and experienced staff to analyze each engine's performance and to catalog the specific components and tuning options that should be allowed to deliver the right combination of performance and reliability."
Companies and individuals wishing to submit an engine for testing should contact Guild at (704) 664-6800 or pme-engines@mindspring.com for further information.
March 2,2002 Jeff Clinton Honored At Homestead
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Archangel Motorsport Services drivers Jeff Tillman and Curtis Francois took two tribute parade laps in memory of their co-driver Jeff Clinton before the start of today's Indy Racing League Grand Prix of Miami. Tillman and Francois were slated to co-drive with Clinton in the #21 Budweiser/GreyEagle.com Nissan Lola in the SportsRacing Prototype II class this season.
Tillman and Francois both rode in Archangel's second Nissan Lola, which the team decaled to look like the #21 Budweiser/GreyEagle.com car that was involved in the fatal accident during Friday's practice session that took the life of Clinton. Tillman drove the Lola clockwise on the Homestead-Miami Speedway oval in a traditional memorial lap in the reverse direction of race traffic, while Francois rode in the Lola carrying a checkered flag.
During the Rolex Sports Car Series driver meeting earlier today, drivers signed the official Nextel 250 checkered flag, which will be given to Clinton's family. G&W Motorsports also provided 'In Memory of 21' decals, which the majority of the 34-car field will be displaying during today's race.
March 1,2002 Tragedy At Homestead
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Jeff Clinton was killed Friday when he crashed during practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway, team owner Mike Johnson said.
Clinton's car veered off the course as he entered Turn 1 and started flipping repeatedly. He died at the scene.
The 38-year-old driver from St. Louis was in his second season for Archangel Motorsport. He finished 54th in last month's Rolex 24 at Daytona.
"He was a great guy," Archangel team owner Mike Johnson said. "This was his fifth race with us and we've just always had a lot of fun with him.
"He made it fun for us. He always brought the right attitude, the right style, the right everything. We're really going to miss him."
EnduranceSportscar.com sends its sincere condolences out to Jeff's family and team members. These are those days in motorsports that we all fear.
Grand-Am Qualifying has been canceled due to the tragedy, so teams will lineup based on owners points tomorrow.
March 1,2002 Grand-Am Statement
The Rolex Sports Car Series held practice sessions at Homestead-Miami Speedway today for Saturday's Nextel 250. A fatality occurred during the second practice session, and track officials issued the following statement:
"Grand American Road Racing driver Jeff Clinton, age 38 from St. Louis, Mo., suffered fatal injuries in a single-car accident during Friday's practice at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The SportsRacing Prototype II car lost control entering turn one of the road course resulting in the fatal accident. There will be a further investigation by the Grand American Road Racing Association and Miami-Dade County officials."
Clinton was a driver in the #21 Budweiser/GreyEagle.com Nissan-powered Lola of Archangel Motorsport Services. The team officially withdrew its second entry, the #22 711.tv Nissan Lola, from the race.
Qualifying for the Nextel 250 was canceled, and the field will be gridded by points, in accordance with the Grand American Rulebook.
February 27,2002 Lally Added To G&W Picchio
G&W Motorsports held a driver audition and test session of the #07 Momentum Motorcars BMW-powered Picchio prototype sponsored by USI and the Valley Group last week. On-site at Virginia International Raceway, the team's testing time came to an abrupt end when an early morning accident on Thursday sent Andy Lally off-track in turn one. "Fortunately Lally escaped unharmed from the testing accident and the G&W crew has hastily repaired the car to make the Homestead event," commented team owner Cole Scrogham, on his way to Miami.
They are looking forward to promising results to come with the addition of standout Lally as the third driver in the Picchio lineup.
"I am thrilled to be added to the G&W driver lineup! I was very impressed with the driveability and grip that the car was able to make at VIR last week. We are still in the very early stages of development with the car and although it will be a tough battle this year the car is showing a lot of promise from the get go and I know these guys can make the most of it," responded Lally.
He will join the driving ranks of Darren Law and Armando Trentini in the SRP2 class
February 25,2002 Archangel Heads For The Tropics
Archangel is heading down to Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida, known as "Racing's Tropical Destination," to defend their 2000 and 2001 SRPII class wins at the Rolex Sports Car Series' Nextel 250. The Nextel 250, to be run on Saturday, March 3, is the second race of the 2002 Rolex Series season and also part of the 20th Anniversary of the Grand Prix of Miami.
The Archangel crew is looking forward to this end-of-winter opportunity to compete at such a beautiful track with its "tropical" weather. The team has experienced tremendous good fortune at Homestead, as evidenced by their repeat wins, and hope that their commitment and preparation will yield yet another podium visit.
Last year's Archangel #21 Nissan Lola B2K/40, with Nigel Greensall and Mike Durand behind the wheel, finished the race 1st in class and 7th overall. The 2000 class win was earned by the driving skills of Larry Oberto and Ryan Hampton. Archangel also holds the Race Average Speed Record in the SRPII class at Homestead with an average race speed of 99.073
This year's effort will have Jeff Tillman and Jeff Clinton behind the wheel of the #21 Budweiser Nissan Lola B2K/40. Tillman and Clinton distinguished themselves at the just-run Rolex 24, where they raced as high as 3rd in class and 10th overall before having their efforts dashed by a mechanical failure.
Archangel's second entry, the #22 www.711.tv / www.purezza.com sponsored Nissan Lola B2K/40 will have Florida's own Joe Safina (Ft. Lauderdale) and Justin Bell (Del Ray Beach). In 2001, Bell competed in the Trans-Am Series and captured the "Rookie of the Year" title by winning the last two races of the season and finishing 5th in points overall.
"In a sense it's very exciting to strive for a repeat win -- and the experience and knowledge we gained with previous wins will hopefully add to our potential to win again," says team owner Mike Johnson. "But, as a team, we don't assume that our previous wins give us any advantage at all over our worthy competitors. We will approach each race with the attitude that this is a new race, with very strong competition, and we must strive for a fresh win."
February 25,2002 Grand-Am Takes on Consultant
Don Hayward, a well-known consultant in the racing industry, has agreed to work with Grand American Road Racing Association on the Daytona Prototypes championship and other projects. Hayward, 56, will be advising Grand American on engineering as well as business issues from his home base in Worthington, Ohio.
"I'm excited about working with Grand American," Hayward commented. "I think the Daytona Prototypes class they have introduced is right on target for where the sport should be going and I hope to offer my experience and knowledge to help it get established."
His background is impressive from an engineering as well as management background. A former executive with Ford Motor Company, Hayward has been involved in NASCAR, Indy car, sports cars, drag racing and Trans-Am racing.
A mechanical engineer who also has done post graduate work in business administration, he has extensive experience in aerodynamics and chassis development. Hayward also was instrumental in the design of the Turbo Ford DOHC Indy engine that earned the company four Indianapolis 500 victories.
"Don Hayward is a special person who brings a lot to the Grand American team working on the Daytona Prototypes and other projects, "Grand American President Roger Edmondson noted. "His mix of technical and management experience is ideal for the needs we face right now in bringing this series along. Don is as at home talking with the CEO of a company as he is with a race team's mechanics. That broad familiarity with the sport is going to be a prime asset."
Prior to reaching this agreement with Grand American, Hayward had recently completed a consultation project with CART's Team Rahal.
February 25,2002 Justin Bell In Archangel Lola
What may be called a home field advantage, 1998 Le Mans GT2 class winner Justin Bell and Joseph Safina are paired to enter the Nextel 250 Grand-Am race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Saturday, March 2. Both drivers are South Florida residents. They will pilot the #22 711.Tv Lola Nissan SRPII car fielded by Archangel Motorsports. Safina hopes to duplicate his 2001 Ferrari 360 Challenge win at Homestead. For Justin, it's a welcome opportunity to revisit his endurance racing roots.
"I'm excited about returning to endurance racing," said Bell. "I really do love it. I'm looking forward to getting quality seat time in a competitive car early in the season. To win in the sprint format of Trans-Am, it is not too far apart from winning in endurance racing. As it is now, you have to be able to drive all out in both forms of racing, yet still be disciplined to manage the tires and equipment."
Bell's co-driver will be Joseph Safina, a ten-year veteran of professional racing. His extensive professional racing record includes three finishes in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, as well as several podiums and top-ten finishes. Safina is a South Florida resident and investment banker. Both Bell and Safina plan to compete in Grand-Am racing as preparation to contest Le Mans in a front-running prototype.
Safina Racing, Ltd. welcomes a new key marketing partner, 711.Tv. The international debit card service company considers sports car racing a perfect fit for their marketing program.
"711.Tv is scheduled to go public in London before the summer and we are excited about the relationship with Justin Bell and Joseph Safina," stated 711.Tv Chairman, Leem Hutchinson. "We hope to sponsor more events in the future. Sports car marketing is a great way to market our services on an international bases."
February 21,2002 Miracle Motorsports Heads For Homestead
Gearing up for Round 2 of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, Miracle Motorsports proudly announces 2000 Toyota Atlantic Champion, Buddy Rice (Phoenix, AZ), will co-pilot the #6 Miracle Motorsports Ford SRP with Team Owner/Driver, John Macaluso (Winter Haven, FL).
Rice joined forces with Miracle Motorsports at the January test days in Daytona, bringing with him a great deal of experience and talent. "Buddy is a proven winner, and we are excited about the possibilities he brings to the team," states Macaluso. "We have a great deal of confidence in his ability, and are expecting many good things to happen during the Nextel 250 weekend. We are pleased that his first competition in an SRP entry will be with the #6 Miracle Motorsports Team."
Macaluso, a part-time resident of Old Forge, NY, is campaigning in his second full-time season as Team Owner/Driver in the #6 Ford Riley and Scott entry. Miracle Auto Dealerships, also owned and operated by Macaluso, is the primary sponsor of Miracle Motorsports.
February 19,2002 Dyson Crawford Confirmed For Homestead
Two-time Rolex Series champion Dyson Racing Team has entered a Judd-powered Crawford into the Nextel 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 2. The Crawford is the same one ran by Crawford Racing at the Rolex 24 At Daytona earlier this month. For the Nextel 250, the car will wear the #16 and Goodyear/Bosch/Thetford/Norcold sponsorship and be piloted by champion driver James Weaver and rookie Chris Dyson.
However, it will be chassis-creator Max Crawford and his crew preparing and running the car for Dyson Racing during the weekend. Dyson crew chief Pat Smith and his staff will remain back in New York to continue rebuilding the team's pair of Riley & Scott Mk IIIs. "The Crawford is one of the best cars out there right now, and its good that James will be able to get some more in-depth experience in the Crawford during the Homestead race," Smith commented.
Although the cooperative racing effort between the two teams is currently for only one race, neither team has dismissed the idea of additional joint projects in the future.
Dyson Press Release
Thetford / Norcold Dyson Racing's James Weaver and Chris Dyson will be sharing driving duties in Max Crawford's Crawford SSC2K in the upcoming Nextel 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The Anglo-American pair's #16 car has been entered under the Dyson Racing banner and will race in Thetford / Norcold / Goodyear livery. Its progress will be monitored by Max Crawford, whose past successes working with Dyson Racing include engineering the team's race-winning cars at the 1997 and 1999 24 Hours of Daytona.
Weaver, the reigning Grand-Am champion and defending champion of the Nextel 250, was happy with the team's decision to send him to Homestead. "I think it's a great opportunity to evaluate Max's car. We tested it a little at Sebring and Daytona, and he was very responsive to our input. We're looking forward to working with him."
Chris Dyson, fresh off his debut in the Rolex 24 Hours, also expressed enthusiasm for the weekend. "I'm really looking forward to driving Max's car with James. Max is a great friend and it will be interesting to see the difference between our Riley and Scott mk3 Ford and the Crawford-Judd. It's a great opportunity."
The Crawford SSC2K made its racing debut in last year's Daytona 24 Hours. Max Crawford and designer Andy Sciven have since revamped the car's aerodynamics and replaced its Gemini transmission with an X-Trac unit. The car qualified third and set the race's fastest lap in February's Daytona 24 Hours.
"James is just terrific with feedback," Max Crawford said this past weekend. "He's so analytical, it's great to have him in my car."
Dyson Team Manager Pat Smith said that "we had the feeling that the Crawford was the best car at Daytona. It will be interesting to see how well James does down there."
While the car will be campaigned by a group from Crawford's Concord, NC race shop, the rest of the Dyson crew will be busy readying the team's two Riley and Scott mk3s for their assault on the Sebring 12 Hours.
February 19,2002 Daytona Prototypes Transition Defined
Grand American Road Racing Association announced today how the transition will go from this year's current SportsRacing Prototype and SportsRacing Prototype II classes to the new Daytona Prototypes championship formula that will begin in the 2003 season.
The current SportsRacing Prototype chassis will be allowed to run for the Daytona Prototypes championship in 2003 using the same rules as the coupes regarding minimum weight, wheel and tire size and engine type and displacement. At the conclusion of the 2003 season, the SRP cars will no longer be approved for competition.
The current SportsRacing Prototype II class will continue as is for at least the next three seasons. Renamed Daytona Prototypes Roadster II (DPRII) beginning in 2003, the class will continue to run as a separate championship at least through the 2004 season. The class will be continued in future seasons if the level of entries is sufficient to support the class.
'The Daytona Prototypes coupes are the featured cars of the Rolex Sports Car Series beginning in 2003,' Grand American President Roger Edmondson stated. 'We are totally committed to that transition and it will occur as scheduled. At the same time we feel an obligation to the SRP owners to give them another year of use with their current chassis, if that is the direction they choose.
'Regarding the SRPII teams, we want to make it very clear that our commitment to that separate championship has not wavered,' he added. 'We are seeing new teams joining the Rolex Series this year and we want to encourage further growth there. This class is a great way to get involved in prototype racing and can be a stepping stone to the major Daytona Prototypes championship.'
February 15,2002 Park Place Racing Announces Grand-Am Campaign
Park Place Racing announced today that they will contest the majority of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series 2002 Season in the #5 Park Place Limited/TransGroup/Gatorz Saleen S7R. The team also renewed their membership in Grand-Am’s Team Owner’s Points (TOP) program, an incentive program for team loyalty to the series.
Park Place Racing will also be making a run for the GTS championship in the American Le Mans series this season. Park Place lead driver, Chris Bingham is looking forward to contesting both series in the Saleen S7R.
"We will concentrate more on the ALMS championship, since we have already won a championship in Grand-Am, but we are going to run as hard as we can in both series," Bingham said. "I would love to win two GTS championships in the different series in consecutive years. It would be great to win the manufacturer’s championship for Saleen in Grand-Am as well."
Bingham will contest the ALMS series with former Toyota Atlantic driver Peter MacLeod and veteran sports car driver Vic Rice. As of now, the Park Place Racing team is still seeking a second driver for their Grand-Am effort.
In addition to two new drivers, Rod Everett joins the team as the team manager and engineer. Everett and Bingham built a working relationship when Bingham ran in Everett’s Hybrid Racing Riley and Scott in 1999 and 2000.
Familiar faces on the team will be crew chief Curt Ormiston and the entire championship-winning Park Place crew.
Due to Bingham’s 24 Hours of Le Mans schedule, there are two conflicting race dates in the United States in June. With help from Saleen, the Park Place team will try to resolve the scheduling problems to stay in the championship hunt in both ALMS and Grand-Am.
Bingham and Park Place’s 2002 race season begins with the Grand-Am race at Homestead on March 2. From there, the team will travel to Sebring to compete in the 50th Anniversary of the 12-Hours of Sebring on March 16. In addition to Bingham’s busy sports car schedule, he is in negotiations to run the majority of the new Infiniti Pro Series and possibly select IRL races.
February 14,2002 Riley & Scott DSC Revealed
Riley & Scott revealed today their version of the new Daytona Sportscar named the Mk XI. The Mk XI will build on the company’s engineering expertise in constructing steel tube / aluminum reinforced chassis with excellent mechanical grip and an outstanding aerodynamic package. Any class-eligible motor can be fitted, along with a proven Xtrac gearbox and the "Riley Rocker" split spring/damper system.
"The level of interest in the new class expressed to us immediately after the Rolex 24 was surprising", R&S vice-president Bill Riley said. " Bob Riley had already been working on the design. We’ve been able to develop the new car with many elements from the Mk III"
The car, which is expected to cost $375,000 as a roller, is expected to be ready for delivery in the Fall of 2002 and should be ready for the 2003 Rolex event.
Type Mk XI
Constructor Riley & Scott Racing LLC
Class GARRA Daytona Prototype
Chassis Hybrid Steel-Aluminum
Weight 2000 lbs (engine dependent)
Overall Length 178 inches
Height 42 inches
Width 78.5 inches
Wheelbase 110 inches
Front OH 34 inches
Rear OH 34 inches
Fuel Capacity 24 US Gallons
Steering Jack Knight Rack and Pinion (standard)
Electric Power (optional)
Gearbox X-trac six speed sequential
Suspension Twin wishbones and pushrods F and R; “Riley Rocker” split spring/damper
Brakes Alcon Calipers/Steel Rotors
Price $375,000 complete FOB Indianapolis Minus engine, data and fuel mgt systems
February 12,2002 Auberlen and Wagner In Washington Ferrari for Season
Scuderia Ferrari of Washington today announced that young American road racing stars Bill Auberlen and Cort Wagner have been signed to drive a Ferrari 360 GT in the 2002 Rolex Grand American series.
" I have driven a lot of GT cars but this Ferrari 360 GT has the best brakes and balance of any I have ever driven", said Wagner. "It is a delight to drive hard, lap after lap. It's extremely predictable, and I can't wait to get back in it. It's an honor to be again be associated with this incredible marque".
Auberlen added, "The Ferrari is an absolute blast to drive! The brakes and handling are first class, and I love the F-1 style shifting. Ferrari of Washington has prepared a great car, and I think Cort and I are going to win some races this year."
The first Grand American race for the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington was the 2002 Rolex 24 at Daytona. With Auberlen and Wagner joined by 1990 Daytona 500 Winner Derrike Cope and 1999 Italian Touring Car Champion Costantino Bertuzzi, their Ferrari 360 GT was consistently one of the fastest cars in the GT class, although slowed to a 14th in class finish by a failed tire and transmission problems. Scuderia Ferrari of Washington is a former Dealer Champion in the Ferrari Challenge series.
February 12,2002 Rand Racing To Field Second Car
Fresh from a class victory and an overall podium finish in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Rand Racing is stepping up its 2002 program. The team will field two cars in the SportsRacing Prototype II (SRPII) class of the Rolex Sports Car Series sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association, and it will enter selected races in the Le Mans Prototype 675 (LMP675) class of the American Le Mans Series.
Niclas Jönsson of Sweden will join the team as co-driver with team owner Bill Rand of Plano, Tex., in the No. 7 Nissan-powered Rand Racing Lola. Anthony Lazzaro of Acworth, Ga., and Terry Borcheller of Phoenix will continue in the No. 8 Lola, and German Ralf Kelleners will drive in selected races. Both cars will be prepared by Risi Competizione.
The new Rand Racing team is 2-for-2 in sports-car racing starts to date, having won the SRPII class in both the Rolex Series 2001 finale and the 2002 season-opener, the 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla.
"Nic will be a great addition to our team," Rand said. "He is a good person and a championship-caliber driver. Adding him to our second car, together with our drivers we had at Daytona, makes Rand Racing and Risi the most formidable SRPII team to compete yet. How can you argue with names like Lazzaro, Borcheller, Kelleners and now Jönsson?"
Jönsson will get some seat time during practice for the March 2 Rolex Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He will make his first start with the team at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., on March 23.
"I'm delighted to be offered the opportunity to race in such a professional and competitive program with Rand Racing and Risi Competizione," he said. "This is definitely one of the most up-and-coming teams. I don't think I could have asked for anything better. It's going to be a blast to race with Bill Rand, Anthony Lazzaro, Terry Borcheller and Ralf Kelleners, who are some of the best drivers in the business. I'm really looking forward to the season."
Jönsson has raced and tested prototype sports cars since 1992, in addition to his career in open-wheel Formula and Indy cars. He said he enjoyed driving a Grand Touring (GT) car for the past two seasons, but he's ready to get back behind the wheel of a prototype car.
"Everybody in racing wants to drive the big cars and my background is in open cars, so I'm excited to be back in a prototype again," he said. "That's where the toughest, closest and most competitive racing is today."
Rand welcomes the challenge. "I have very high goals for this team," he explained. "Our first two races are just the beginning. We will go after a driver championship along with a team championship. Those are two very difficult things to accomplish, but if we continue to work together as a team, I believe they are both obtainable."
February 11,2002 Perspective Mosler Daytona Recap
The brand-new Perspective Mosler MT 900R finished the Rolex 24 at Daytona in an excellent fifth place in the GT class, thirteenth overall. Drivers Thierry Perrier, Michel Neugarten and Joao Barbosa were all delighted with the result, obtained after twenty-four hours of careful driving and hard work.
After an extremely successful season in 2001, finishing third in the GT class in both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Proximus 24 Hours of Spa, as well as a fifth-place finish, with one win, in the FIA GT Championship, French-based team Perspective Racing have exchanged their Porsche 996 GT3-R for a Mosler MT900R, which they plan to enter in various rounds of the Grand Am Sports Car Series.
Perspective's main aim behind this participation is to develop the car, working on its reliability and competitiveness, while preparing the Mosler MT 900R for homologation and import into Europe. "And there is no better way to develop the car than through real competition," Thierry Perrier explained.
After encountering a number of problems during the Daytona test days in early January, which meant changing from power to direct steering, and a complete rethink on the oil system, part of the team remained in Florida to totally dismantle and rebuild the car.
On the Monday before the race, the team met up at Moroso, a small circuit close to Jupiter, Florida, for a day of testing. It was a great relief to everyone when the Mosler ran smoothly. Moving on to Daytona, Barbosa set the car up during the practice sessions, and proceeded to claim the GT pole position during the first fifteen-minute qualifying sessiAfter night practice sessions and a further warm-up, the team used the available time to put the finishing touches on the Mosler, before the start of the race on Saturday, at 1 pm.
Joao took the start, with Michel Neugarten taking over for the second stint, and Thierry Perrier the third. The team soon realized that the car could only manage stints of approximately one hour, due to poor aspiration and over-compact mousse in the reservoirs, which the team will work on before the next race. The driver changeovers were also relatively slow, due to difficulties adjusting the seat belts. A number of other minor problems lost them time, such as a worn suspension support ring, which was causing a lot of vibration, a lengthy stop to change the brake pads mid-race, and a very necessary stop to clean the air filter, which was losing them between four and five seconds per lap. Unfortunately, they were unable to take advantage of any yellow flag periods for these repairs, as they always fell at the wrong moment for Perspective!
Despite these teething troubles, quite normal in a new car, the car ran well, being placed in the top six for their class for much of the race, and finally crossing the finish line in fifth place.
"For a first participation, I think it is quite fantastic that we did not encounter any serious problems," Thierry Perrier said afterwards. "We are extremely proud of the whole team and the hard work they have put in. The drivers were told to keep a certain rhythm, without pushing, and to be extremely careful to avoid any contact. And, despite the heavy traffic, we managed to do this, unlike many of the other cars in our class. We are very pleased with fifth place, especially for our first attempt, and we are looking forward to the rest of the Grand Am Sports Car Series."
February 10,2002 Werner Lupberger Rolex 24 at Daytona Recap
It's always good to get a mega start to the season and despite the ultimate disappointment of retiring when it was looking good for at least a podium position at Daytona last weekend, the whole Ascari team are well pumped up for mixing it with the big boys this year. Having said that, we believe that we will establish ourselves as 'big boys' over the coming year when we tackle Miami, Sebring, Le Mans and Petit Le Mans among others. Like I have said before, Klaas (Zwart) has amazing plans for Ascari Cars as a whole and it is a great experience being at the sharp end of it all.
At the end of last season I went back home to South Africa to catch up with the folks and get away from a foggy and cold Northamptonshire for a while. Unfortunately, Theresa my wife had a fairly heavy 'shunt' while water skiing and was in hospital for a while and I had to be Dr Lupberger for a few weeks! Thankfully she has recovered just fine now.
We then went to Sebring in early December with both the Judd and BMW KZR-1's. It was the first time that I had been to the track, that we will race on in March and I have to say that it has more than lived up to what people have told me and what I expected myself. It is a well-known fact that the track is very abrasive but it is nothing too extreme. I think that Mondello Park last summer was harder on the car, particularly in the driveshaft department, but Sebring, with all the 50th anniversary celebrations should be quite something.
Klaas, our new signing TJ Bell and myself drove both cars at the test in Florida and apart from a minor test at Snetterton last August it was the first real run I had done in the turbo car. It took a little getting used to as compared to the Judd car you almost short shift as it only revs to 7,500 compared to the 11/12,000 of the atmo. I could even hear the tyres squealing because it was so quiet in the cockpit, which was a very strange experience. It was a fruitful test and we got the turbo car down from being 3 seconds behind the Judd to just 1.5. TJ was very impressive and did exactly what was expected of him, which was to not go out and prove himself and to just gel with the team and get used to his new surroundings.
After the test I headed back home (sunny South Africa as opposed to frosty Northamptonshire again) for Christmas and then flew back out to the Daytona tests on January 2nd. Frustratingly we didn't manage to get out for the first day with the Judd car but part way through the second we hit the track and I set about learning the infield. It didn't take long and on the third day everything came together despite a small clutch problem and I ended up with the quickest time of the day. It was quite funny because at the beginning of the day Klaas was a little despondent and not sure that we were going to be right up there, but I could feel the potential and just said; "Klaas, we're going to be bang on the pace here, don't worry we'll be on pole." That seemed to cheer him up a bit and the whole team left the test in a positive frame of mind.
I stayed on with some of the team during January just to help out with things and be with the boys as we had a workshop base at Orlando, right next to the airport. We managed to take a break one-day to Universal studios but apart from that it was a case of preparing physically and mentally for the 24 hours.
Free practice was again hindered a little by a clutch problem but we just concentrated on getting all the procedures correct like driver changes and pit procedures. Harri (Toivonen) had a brief shakedown on the short circuit at Sebring as he had just recovered from a shoulder operation and wanted to play himself in again as it was the first time he had driven the car since Le Mans.
Qualifying was fantastic, apart from one crucial aspect. I had no communication with the team at all as the radio was out and also the dash was not functioning so I could not see what times I was doing. There is also no way that you can see a pit board out on the banking so I was totally incognito! So, I just got a rhythm going and put some laps together not really knowing how I was doing which is so frustrating and slightly disorientating. I was cooling the tyres down in-between spurts but the confusion over communication was compounded by the fact that the circuit timing got wiped out in the last few minutes, so when I came in to the pits at the end everyone was convinced that I was on pole. I even went to the Press Conference believing I was the pole sitter until Didier Theys walked in. He had gone one-tenth quicker right at the death. Gutted!
But it was still the front row and I had a very good feeling for the race, as the car was the best I had ever driven it during that qualifying session. We decided to opt for the harder tyres for the race, knowing that we could triple stint on them. The start went well and I tailed Theys in the Dallara for the first hour or so and could see that he was taking some big chances amongst the traffic. We were all running pretty quickly in the early stages, near qualifying pace in fact. My engineer, Roger Griffiths was giving me some 'stick' over the radio and telling me to back off a little. Our strategy was to obviously finish the race but throughout qualifying and in the early stages the car felt fantastic and it was all pretty full-on with guys like Theys, Lammers and Guy Smith out there at more or less qualifying pace.
At the stops, the team were taking good care of the car, checking the brake ducts for rubber build-up and making sure that all was perfect for the next stint. As a result we lost probably quite a bit of time to the leading cars and I think we were in 4th place after five or six hours. My second time in the car was a triple-stint and I was really enjoying it and everything was looking good. Later on I looked at the telemetry and there was not one over-rev or missed shift, which is pretty impressive for that amount of running. It was looking very good indeed. However, you can never tell in a race of that magnitude and sure enough we had a major problem when TJ went off at Turn One. He actually went in to the tyres very hard and tweaked his back which needed some intensive physio work later on. It was sad for him as he otherwise did a great job and should develop in to a solid sportscar driver.
The guys did a brilliant job on the repairs but as a result of the 'off' some rubber and debris had got in to the gearbox and caused a sticking downshift but that was soon sorted too. After a while we were back on track but down in 9th or 10th position.
During the night, Peter Weston, who has recently joined the team from Lola switched from engineering the retired turbo car on to ours and I really enjoyed working with him. He has fitted in to the team brilliantly and is a pretty slick operator, I am sure that he is going to be an integral part of Ascari over this coming season.
Just as we had got it all back together, Harri reported some engine problems and pulled in to the pit apron. The Judd engineers were huddled over the car with their bore scopes trying to diagnose what the problem was. I hopped back in to the car and went out for a lap to listen to the engine and in my mind I was hoping that it would just be a minor electrical fault or something. Sadly, it wasn't and there were some bent valves so it was game over. All of a sudden there was a flashback to Le Mans last year, as it was roughly the same time that we went out there too. It's a funny mixture of emotions, mainly despair tinged with a sort of tribal pride with all the mechanics and engineers shaking hands after so much hard and satisfying work. It was the furthest the car had ever done and we were in the hunt for a podium place at least. Boy, these races are real heartbreakers.
While we learn from each and every time the car is on track, we never look back too much and now everyone is focused on Sebring in March. That is going to be tremendous as it will be Ascari's first time there, as well as mine, but at least I now have some experience of the track. It's going to be really physical there but that will suite me just fine. We will have two Judd cars there for that and it will also see us racing with the Audi's too. That is a massive incentive for any driver as anything other than an Audi is viewed as a David to their Goliath. I love competing against the best and with racers like Kristensen, Herbert, Lehto, Brabham and others there, it will be another level that I can find out about. Having raced against guys like Lammers, Nielsen, Baldi and Boullion over the last 18 months I have learnt so much about sportscar racing.
Having done that, it is now time to go out there to beat them. At Daytona I showed that I can take it to some of those guys and now I have every intention of doing the very same thing at Sebring next month.
February 8,2002 Gunnar Readying Lola-Porsche for Homestead
Gunnar Racing are preparing their Lola B2K40-Porsche for the 2nd round of Grand-Am at Homestead March 1-3.
This same car was scheduled to run at Sebring last year but ran into problems with the ACO. The car was previously homologated with the standard Nissan powerplant. Changes needed to be made
to fit the Porsche engine but the changes did not suit the ACO.
With Grand-Am now allowing 14 inch rubber, the rear bodywork is being widened. Their is also new plumbing going in to except the 3.0L Turbo engine.
Follow the progress of the car at Gunnar Racing
February 8,2002 Southampton Students Reflect On Rolex Experience
The six engineering students from the University of Southampton who enjoyed a dream opportunity to crew a GTS car at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona have spoken about their experiences.
The final year undergraduates helped the Brookspeed Viper GTS-R through in the gruelling 24-hour endurance event, and though the team were not without their problems, the new members coped beautifully on their way to a successful finish in the race.
"It was great to get the car to the end when so many didn't," said project organiser and mechanical engineering student Simon Willis, who refuelled the car during the race. "For the first half of the race we watched the car picking off those ahead, and we thought we were going to be in for a great result. Then we lost fifth gear - we were able to keep on going, but when fourth gear went we needed to change the gearbox."
Despite this setback the students and regular crew rallied to get the Viper back on the track.
Crew Chief Andy Balfourth was as impressed with his student charges as they were with the sights and sounds of the Daytona Speedway.
"I couldn't believe how well they integrated with the team," said Andy. "They fitted right in from the word go. It isn't easy running a big, powerful car like this for 24 hours, but they didn't put a foot wrong," he added.
Team boss Martin Braybrook was so impressed with the junior engineers that he has invited them back for the 12 Hours of Sebring next month. "They were fantastic," he enthused. "We had Simon on the fuel rig which is crucial, Nick Henry was fireman, Paul Williams was `dead man' during the fuel stops, and Jono Moscrop was doing a great job on the pit wall - by the end of the race he was picking which tyres we could second-stint and which couldn't - that's a big job.
"The drivers were able to get on with the job of getting the car around the track, and they were very impressed," he continued.
The students are now back in England, and back at lectures. "It's a bit different for all of us," says Simon. "Getting up in the morning to stand in the Daytona pitlane with the sound of half-a-dozen V10s screaming past you is a bit different to a 9 o'clock lecture - mind you, at least with the latter we can catch up on our sleep!" he joked.
Th
e final year Formula Student entrants may be back in action in the States at the Sebring 12 Hours, if lectures and coursework constraints permit. The team have proved that the next generation of young motorsport crew is out there, and all the teams need to do is take a chance.
Brookspeed are aiming to take part in this year's FIA GT Championship and the Le Mans 24 Hours, following Sebring.
February 7,2002 Team Bucknum Daytona Disappointment
In the most improbable outcome for Team Bucknum Racing at the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this past weekend, two blown engines at precisely the wrong times left the team unable to making the starting grid.
“The odds of something like this happening are so remote, it’s not even something that normally crosses our minds as possible,” said Team Bucknum owner and driver Jeff Bucknum. “We’re very disappointed since we were one of the quicker cars.”
On day one, during the first practice session, Team Bucknum’s gold and pink commemorative paint scheme Pilbeam MP 84 ran second fastest on its fresh, newly rebuilt engine. In the second practice session and a little more than an hour before the first qualifying session, the engine blew, as a result of a faulty internal component.
Although problematic, the first engine failure was not catastrophic. A second engine was shipped overnight, and fortunately, a second qualifying session was available the following day. The team’s earlier practice session lap times were easily first enough to get into the 76-car field.
“We had some uncertain moments up until we identified the location and deliverability of the only other engine in the U.S. that would work for our car,” continued Bucknum. So although TBR could not attempt to qualify on day one, the arrival of new engine at dawn the next morning kept the team confident.
Unfortunately, misfortune struck a second time when the second engine blew on the first timed lap of qualifying the next day. This time it was a broken rod bearing on an engine that was unknown to and untested by the team. It turned out not to be up to task.
If there is a silver lining, it’s that the 24 Hours of Daytona is a one-off event for Team Bucknum and does not impact its primary goal in 2002 of winning an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) championship in the LMP 675 class.
“We’ll be back at Daytona next year, I'm sure, since this is one of those races most drivers want to win during their careers,” said driver Chris McMurry. “But, it's not essential to us this year. The engines have worked fine up until this weekend, so we have every reason to believe we have an excellent chance to get our first ALMS championship this year.”
The team kicks off its ALMS pursuit on March 16 at the 50th Anniversary Mobil One 12-Hours of Sebring. Some 125,000 fans are expected to be present for the race that airs live on Speed Channel beginning at 10 a.m. EST.
January 31,2002 Brumos Returning With Daytona Prototype
Brumos Motor Cars President and CEO Bob Snodgrass announced Wednesday that the famed Brumos Racing Team would return to professional competition in 2003 with a Fabcar-designed, Porsche-powered Daytona Prototype coupe.
Snodgrass made the announcement at a reception hosted by Grand American President Roger Edmondson to unveil the rules for the Daytona Prototypes, set to become the new standard in the Rolex Sports Car Series in 2003.
"Brumos has a rich tradition in professional racing and our share of championships," Snodgrass explained. "I see a lot of potential for this new Daytona Prototype class and I wanted to be in early and help it get going."
The Dave Klym-designed car will be piloted by longtime Brumos driver Hurley Haywood and J.C. France. When asked about driving in the new race class Haywood noted, "As a professional driver, any car you drive on the edge is exciting. The designs I've seen show a car that I'll be able to drive to 100 percent of its power and handling. That's exciting for a driver because then your talents make the difference."
Fabcar is one of several car builders that announced they are taking orders as they finalize design plans. "Dave Klym heard about this project when we first started to discuss it," Edmondson said. "He has been a great help in giving us input on our rules structure as have a lot of other very knowledgeable builders from around the world. We're fortunate to have him this far along in visualizing his car. I can't wait to see a lot of them on the race track."
January 31,2002 Daytona Prototype Rules Announced
Grand American Road Racing Association announced rules for the Daytona Prototypes that will become the featured class in the Rolex Sports Car Series beginning in 2003. The class will consist of the open cockpit roadsters of the current SportsRacing Prototype class and new Daytona Coupes. Specifications for the design of the coupes are now available and several car builders are ready to take orders for cars.
"We are proud to introduce this new category for sports car racing," Grand American President Roger Edmondson commented. "Preliminary drawings we have seen from designers show sleek full-bodied race cars that American race fans will easily identify with. The new Daytona Coupes are taking sports car racing in the same direction as the automobile industry. American and international manufacturers are introducing sleek sporty cars to meet the interests of the public. In the same way, the Daytona Coupes are the next logical step in the evolution of prototype sports cars."
Competition among the roadsters and coupes will be tight with both categories of cars conforming to the same engine, weight and tire size regulations. Engines for the cars will be approved in two categories. Normally aspirated production six or eight-cylinder 245 CID powerplants will be open to modification, allowing America's hot rod spirit to thrive. The second category for V-8 engines up to 305 CID will have tightly controlled specifications and must be run as produced.
"The engines we have in mind are the latest powerplants that American and international manufacturers are offering to the buying public," Grand American Director of Competition Dave Watson noted. "Our specifications on the engines, just like the specifications on the rest of the car, are based on a collaborative effort by a variety of individuals that have been at the forefront of sports car racing and have the knowledge and commitment to the sport to help us move forward."
The Daytona Coupes will be sophisticated race cars with engines, chassis and bodies integrated into a performance package sure to interest both fans and competitors. "We started this project with a simple goal," Edmondson continued, "To offer the broadest opportunity for people interested in sports car racing to participate in a major professional racing series. With a reasonable cap on technology designed into the rules, major championship racing will be open to more people than ever before."
January 31,2002 Duncan Huisman In Marcos
After a two month break, Duncan Huisman finds himself thrust back into the spotlight with a late deal to race at this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
With his last outing a touring car race in Macau last November, the Dutchman will unpack his race gear to partner countryman Cor Euser and Britain's Calum Lockie in a new Marcos LM600 at the classic American endurance event
Dutch drivers have a good reputation at Daytona - in the past both Arie Luyendijk (once) and Jan Lammers (twice) have stood on the top step of the podium - and Huisman is keen to extend his success in touring cars to the sportscar arena.
"Last year, the both Marcos entries reached the finish so, hopefully, we can do that again this year," he said, "If we have a little luck, you never know what can happen."
Huisman is expected to arrive in Daytona early today to prepare for first practice tonight [Thursday].
January 30,2002 Kremer Racing To Support Bytzek Porsche
Photo Courtesy: Kremer Racing
Erwin Kremer and chief mechanic Günter Thiele will lend support to the Bytzek Porsche 911GT1-Evo at this weekends
Rolex 24.
Kremer and Thiele have been cordially invited by car owner Klaus Bytzek to travel to Daytona and help out on the technical side of this grueling event. The two also will be closely watching one of their previous "gems" (Porsche 962) run in the HSR event. The car was recently sold to a collector in America.
January 30,2002 Champion Motorsport Rolex Preview
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
A strong combination of veteran road racers, and young drivers will compete in one special prototype racer as sports cars' most successful marque at Daytona prepares for the 40th running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona February 2-3.
Leading the Porsche charge in the prototype class for the checkered flag for America's most famous endurance race is the #38 Champion Racing Porsche/Lola, driven by Andy Wallace/Lucas Luhr/Hurley Haywood/Sascha Maassen. The car, which debuted at Sebring a lmost two years ago, has gone through an extensive development program leading up to its outstanding performance at Daytona test days January 3-5, where the car was third fastest overall. Haywood, from nearby Jacksonville, has won the 24 Hours at Dayton a a record five times dating back to 1973, while Luhr, a German Porsche factory driver, was in the winning GT Class Porsche which also finished second overall last year. Maassen, also a German Porsche factory driver, and the veteran Andy Wallace -- drove the Champion Porsche at Daytona last year, when it was running second before retiring at the nine-hour mark.
Powered by the 3.2-liter, Le Mans winning Porsche GT-1 motor with twin turbochargers, the #38 Porsche Lola is now capable of winning the race overall, according to Champion team officials.
"We have successfully mated two reluctant -- in terms of fitting together easily - titans of the auto racing world, Lola chassis and Porsche drivetrain, into a unique race car which can now contend for the overall victory at America's most well-known sports car event," said Brad Kettler, Champion's crew chief. "Even with all the success Champion Racing has achieved with both Porsche and Audi race cars, a victory at Daytona would be the greatest success for us and our Pompano Beach, Florida-based dealership. "
January 30,2002 Dyson's 2002 Plans Expected Soon
Recent reports speculating about Dyson Racing's 2002 schedule have been inaccurate according to team boss Rob Dyson. Several periodicals have offered various conjectures, but the team says it will be deciding on its schedule after this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
"We're working on our schedule now," team boss Rob Dyson said. "I've read a lot about our team lately, and I know that there are a lot of supporters who would like to know where we're going this year. For now, we want to get through this weekend and do well at Daytona. We'll have something to announce soon."
Dyson's comments come in the wake of rumors which concluded that the team would not be running in any Grand-Am series events after Daytona.
"Nothing's been set in stone, we don't want to rule anything out," Dyson said. "You never know what can happen."
This weekend at Daytona, Dyson will co-drive his team's #20 Thetford / Norcold / Goodyear Riley and Scott Ford with Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Dorsey Schroeder and his son Chris Dyson. James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger and Oliver Gavin complete the driver lineup for the sister #16 car.
January 25,2002 Rolex 24 Is A Family Affair
Anniversaries are typically known as family affairs, and the 40th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be no different next week. Strong family ties bind together several of the teams that will travel to Daytona International Speedway for the Feb. 2-3 race.
Intersport Racing will have three members of the Field family behind the wheel during the historic twice-around-the-clock race. Twin brothers Jon and Joe Field will join Jon's 18-year-old son Clint on the team's driver lineup for its pair of Banana Joe's Judd-powered Lolas. Although the Field trio raced together in the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the family will most likely be split up between the two cars during the 2002 race.
"Most likely my uncle Joe and I will be in one car and my dad will be in the other. I think we'll have fun even though we aren't in the same car," Clint said. "I think we'll have a chance to go for the win. I've learned a lot from my dad, and I would feel good if we did beat him, not because he's my dad, but because he's one of the top racers in the series."
The Field family will face some tough competition from another racing family in the SportsRacing Prototype class - the Dysons. Team owner Rob Dyson will team up with his 23-year-old son Chris in the #20 Ford-powered Riley & Scott. Although Rob won the 1997 Rolex 24 At Daytona, Chris can still be considered a Rolex Series rookie, racing the last two races of the 2001 season with the team.
"I think my father and I are both looking forward to the race. We've got terrific teammates in Elliott (Forbes-Robinson) and Dorsey (Schroeder)," Chris said. "The engine refinements we did in the off season were a step in the right direction, and the car has a good chance of doing well."
The family ties are not limited to the SRP class. The American GT ranks will see a pair of brothers and a father-son duo team up together in the Morgan Dollar Motorsports Corvette. Charles Morgan and his 28-year-old son Rob will partner with brothers Steve and Andy Richards for the race.
“Racing in the Rolex with Dad has kind of become a tradition," Rob said. "The first Rolex 24 that I raced in was with him back in 1995. It was the biggest race that I had been in to that point, but Dad knew what he was doing and I felt confident that we would good the first time out. The very next year, we raced in the Rolex again and won it in our class.
"It was awesome and really was the race that had me believing that I could turn my passion for racing into a career," added Rob, who currently owns the #46 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team for which he drove from 1998 to 2000.
Although the Morgans will be sharing the driving duties during the Rolex 24, it will be the the Richard brothers who will be the team's regulars behind the wheel for the 2002 season. "Andy and I have had somewhat of a friendly rivalry in racing so far," admitted Steve, who raced against his brother in Ferrari Challenge last year. "We always want to do better than the other every time out. Now we will compete together against the rest of the field. That will be different than last year."
Several other teams will have family members taking to the track together for the historic race, and the count of family members working behind the scenes during the race is even higher. Fathers serve as crew chief for their driver sons. Wives work as scorers for their husbands. Brothers work as business partners in a team. Nearly every combination of family members can be found working together at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
One team that epitomizes family teamwork behind the scenes is the Flis family, whose Flis Motorsports team will field two Corvettes in the American GT class. Stan Flis sparked his sons' interest in racing, and today he helps them with the championship-winning team. Older son Todd handles the business side of things, while the younger Troy specializes in the technical aspect of the team. But family collaboration doesn't stop there. All three of their wives also pitch in to make sure things run smoothly come race weekend.
"Working with family members would normally be the worst case. Because you know each other so well, you can easily attack their weak points," Todd said. "But our family isn't like that at all. Everyone works together perfectly. We all know what our role is in the team and it runs very smoothly."
January 25,2002 Rocketsports Rolex Preview
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Three-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi and two-time titlist Scott Pruett look to score a repeat victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance classic on February 2-3. Joining Gentilozzi and Pruett, who teamed up to win the overall 1994 Rolex 24 in a Nissan 300ZX GTS class car, is 2000 Trans-Am champion Brian Simo. Together, the triumvirate owns six Trans-Am championships and 49 Trans-Am victories. Road racing specialist Michael Lauer rounds out the talent pool piloting the No. 3 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar XKR.
"With the history of success of our driver line-up and the car's performance during the test days, I'd say we're a threat to win," said Gentilozzi, who has nine starts in six different marques at Daytona. "That's why we're here - to win, plain and simple."
Gentilozzi's chief rival on the Trans-Am circuit, Brian Simo, is part of that winning plan. "I thought after all these years of making him look at my taillights, I'd finally let him look at my steering wheel," quipped Gentilozzi, who has 23 Trans-Am and seven IMSA wins. "He just gets to drive, he doesn't get to look at anything. Seriously, this is the first time Brian and I have been teammates, other than playing golf, and I consider him to be a large part of the winning equation."
Simo intends to deliver. "The thought of being a competitor to Paul isn't on my mind now because I look at him as a teammate, not a competitor," explained Simo, who finished second to Gentilozzi in the 2001 Trans-Am championship. "Being a professional racer, you look at the race at hand. I look at Paul as a friend. He's a fierce competitor, he elevates my level of play."
Pruett, who has three additional wins in the GTO and GTP classes, is looking forward to a return visit to Daytona with the Rocketsports stable. "It takes one thing to win a pole, something else to win a race, and a lot more to win a championship," said Pruett, who co-drove the winning Jaguar XJR12 to victory in 1991. "We've got the experience from that as well as our combined experience at Daytona. We'll be one of the teams to beat."
Gentilozzi believes he knows what it'll take to score the repeat win at Daytona. "First it takes desire, then great preparation, and finally, some luck," revealed Gentilozzi, who ranks first in all-time Trans-Am top-three (55), top-five (86), and top-ten (114) finishes. "This is not a race, but a 24-hour drive. The only pace that matters is the one we set for ourselves.
"Daytona isn't a technically challenging track, but it is very fast," continued Gentilozzi. "The challenge at Daytona is running four classes with 70-plus cars for 24 continuous hours with a speed differential of 30-40 mph. The banking and the high speeds also stress the car in ways that regular tracks don't."
Simo agrees with Gentilozzi's assessment. "I'm looking forward to what Rocketsports puts together for not just any race, but the Rolex 24," Simo said. "I think the team has a lot to do with it (winning). I'm pretty confident that we'll be strong in qualifying - it doesn't really matter who qualifies the car, you've got three champions and we can all get the car around the track."
Simo shared some additional insight. "At some point, you don't just look at who is fastest, you look at the other assets of the driver - how are they in the rain, in long stints, and in night conditions," explained Simo. "You start to look for strengths other than just pure speed."
"Daytona is a very different kind of race," stated Pruett, who has two CART wins to his credit. "It's definitely more demanding, physically speaking, on both the driver and the equipment. There's lots of darkness. Plus, you don't ever know what to expect that'll make it a more difficult race - rain, wetness, fog. You never know until the race - or your race - is over."
Lauer, who routinely competes in historic races, agrees that Daytona is unique unto itself. "You're not looking for blinding speed out of the car, but rather reliability and handling capabilities," he said. "The Rolex 24 is really more of an endurance contest. You don't win this in the first hour. You've got to discipline yourself and your teammates to be patient and protect the equipment; let the other teams make the mistakes and be in a position to capitalize on them."
All the drivers understand that the Rolex 24 is truly a team effort. "We've all won enough races and championships to know that this takes a team effort," said Pruett. "We've all got to be pulling our weight in the same direction, and I'm convinced we will."
Gentilozzi is confident in his team, his co-drivers, and his equipment. But he has one more reason to win - to put a Jaguar back in Winner's Circle in the Rolex 24. "Winning is certainly the first reward for your effort," he explained. "But when you add to the history and heritage of a brand, especially one like Jaguar, that just amplifies and enhances the reward.
"I wish the Corvettes were here," said Gentilozzi. "That's the best-financed GTS effort in the last 10 years. It would be a great challenge to have them running...and listen to them whine.
"They haven't seen anything yet," concluded Gentilozzi.
January 24,2002 South Hampton Students/Brookspeed Gearing Up For 24
Photo Coutersy:Brookspeed
Six engineering students from the University of Southampton are preparing themselves to face the biggest challenge so far of their burgeoning career, by crewing for Brookspeed's Chrysler Viper GTS-R in the forthcoming Daytona 24 Hours.
The students' punishing schedule will leave no time for pondering the scale of this undertaking, however - they will fly to Daytona directly after their last exam, and travel back as soon as the team has packed the last crate of spares after the event so as not to miss more than a day of lectures!
"We're not expecting to get much sleep," says project organiser Simon Willis. "Jet-lag pales into insignificance when you're looking at the amount of time we'll be spending working on the track to prep the cars and support the team during the race. But after the hours of revision we've been putting in this month, we're pretty used to that "
Simon has also found time to hunt down sponsorship for the project, negotiating space on the car for businesses prepared to pay for the students' flights, accommodation and insurance.
Simon will be joined by five other final year members of Southampton's `Formula Student' motorsport programme, which is supported by Jordan Grand Prix. The new crewmembers have been named as Nick Henry, who has undergone work placements at Jaguar F1, Paul Williams, who is sponsored by Penske, Jono Moscrop, Jeremy Robinson, and Kieran Dix.
Brookspeed are veterans of the British GT Championship, ELMS and Petit Le Mans and also entrants of this year's Le Mans 24 Hours.
Team boss Martin Braybrook says "I've always been incredibly impressed by the confidence and the abilities of the Southampton University undergraduates". "For me,they are the future of motorsport engineering and this is a golden opportunity to find future talent."
The students will assist on the pit wall for Brookspeed's Le Mans winning car, monitoring tyre and fuel supply as well as taking vital roles in the pit crew during the gruelling 24-Hour classic.
Driving the Viper will be Former Finnish Formula Ford Champion Kari Mäenpää. Kari competed in the German Formula 3 Championship in 2001. He is a winner of the Finnish Motor Sport Association's 'Newcomer of the Year Award' - winners of the same prize include top sports car racer (and ex-F1 star) J J Lehto and current F1 drivers Mika Häkkinen and Mika Salo. Mäenpää will be joined by Grahame Bryant, who will bring much needed experience of the Daytona 24 Hours, having completed this race on the past three runnings.
January 23,2002 Archangel Motorsport Rolex Preview
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
January 23, 2002, Road Atlanta, GA - The 2000 and 2001 Grand-Am SRPII Championship winning team, Archangel Motorsport, will defend it's 2001 class win at Daytona in the upcoming 40th Rolex 24 on February 2 & 3, 2002.
Archangel Motorsports Services, Inc., headquartered at Road Atlanta, is fresh off from a repeat of their Grand-Am SRPII Championship season, having won the SR PII class team and driver's titles back-to-back in 2000 and 2001. The accomplished team will be racing toward a second straight Rolex class victory after winning in their first ever attempt last year.
Archangel will field two cars in the legendary endurance event - the #21 Budweiser Nissan Lola B2K/40 piloted by Jeff Clinton, Jeff Tillman, Curtis Francois and Larry Connor, and sharing driving stints in the #22 DNTLworks/CyberGrad Nissan Lola B2K/40 will be Steve Knight, Mel Hawkins, Brian DeVries and Chad Block.
"We will again field two cars at this year's Rolex 24," says team owner Michael Johnson. "Hopefully that will increase our chances at a second straight class victory. We learned a lot last year about what it takes to succeed in this classic endurance race, and we are planning to put that knowledge to good use. I think the Rand and Spencer cars will give us the toughest fight but as everyone well knows this race has never been won on speed alone."
Archangel is proud to have the continued support of the Anheuser-Busch Company, the world's largest brewery, with the Budweiser brand continuing on the #21 car for the second straight season.
The team also welcomes DNTLworks Equipment Corporation, internationally recognized as the world's leading manufacturer of portable, mobile and self-contained dental equipment, as sponsor of the #22 team car along with Gestetner, an innovator in the office equipment industry, offering leading edge digital document management solutions. Both team cars will also highlight additional team sponsors Speedcom Communications, Valvoline, REM, Stand21 Racewear, and Hella Lights and will compete shod with the new Dunlop spec tire.
January 23,2002 White Shoes/Gunnar Racing To Debut SRP Lola-Porsche At Homestead
Photo Coutersy: White Shoes Racing
White Shoes Racing/Gunnar Racing will introduce a new Porsche SRP at Homestead. The major difference from this car and Champion's Porsche is that this chassis will be
a Lola B2K-40 SRPII mated to a 3.2Liter air-cooled twin-turbo, not a B2K-10.The car is to be driven by White Shoes Racing owner Wayne Jackson and Gunnar Jeannette,
Gunnar Racing worked last year to mate a normally aspirated Porsche Engine to the B2K-40 chassis for ALMS competition but the car was never homologated.
This chassis-motor combination will be extremely interesting to watch.
Chassis: Bonded and aluminum honeycomb monocoque. Composite body panels.
Engine: 3.2 litre, air cooled cylinders and heads, six cylinder boxer. Two valves per cylinder. Dual turbochargers. Motec engine management, 32.4mm restrictors, 2500mmb maximum boost, 8000 rpm maximum. Over 600 bhp.
Transmission: Fully synchronized 6 speeds plus reverse. H-pattern.
Brakes: Cast iron vented dual circuit discs.
Dimensions: Length - 172.9”, Width 78.6”, Wheelbase - 100”, Weight: 1700 pounds.
Performance: Top Speed - over 200 miles per hour.
January 22,2002 Risi Racing Rolex Preview
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Risi Competizione returns to the Rolex 24 at Daytona with an impressive international cast. The experienced team will field the No. 13 Ferrari 333 SP in the top SRP class for drivers David Brabham of Australia, Stefan Johansson of Sweden and Eric van de Poele of Belgium. All three have raced and excelled at the highest levels of motorsport, from the Formula One World Championship to the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Brabham has won races and championships around the world, but he says driving a Ferrari is a unique thrill: "My father raced against Ferrari and I've always had Ferrari somewhere that was special in my heart. I never thought I'd drive one. Last year was the first time I drove for the Risi team and the first time I drove a Ferrari 333. It was a fantastic experience."
Although he has scored at Daytona, his class win predated the custom of presenting Rolex watches to the winners. "Unfortunately, I didn't get a watch, so I want one now!" he said.
Van de Poele has victories in the biggest sports-car races in the world, including an LMP1 win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the Risi Ferrari, but he's missing a Daytona first. He hopes this will be his year.
"The Daytona track has a lack of grip," he explained. "The good thing is the Ferrari is always competitive there because it isn't a car with a lot of downforce. We have a good top speed and the car is quite comfortable in the slow parts, as well. We have really a perfect car. The good thing is that it is reliable. We have the potential to be at the end without worrying.
"I think we have the perfect drivers because we don't want to prove anything to each other," he added. "We know what we want to do, we all have the same goal, we have 100 per cent confidence between us. We know you can go to sleep and when you come back, the car will still be in good shape. Nobody will try to do the best lap time because we don't care about that. We just want to finish and win the race."
Johansson's resume also lists a string of international success, including victory at Le Mans and, like van de Poele, a major win with Ferrari at the 12 Hours at Sebring.
"I've never driven for Risi before, but I've driven for Ferrari, and they've always been one of my strong competitors in the Daytona race," he said. "The car is a very well-proven car. I don't think it will necessarily be the quickest car over a lap, but over the race distance we should be in very good shape to be in the front for the win after 24 hours."
He is looking forward to working with Brabham and van de Poele. "I'm quite excited about my co-drivers," he said. "I've never driven with either of them but I have a lot of respect for both of them. It's going to be a lot of fun to share the car with them."
Team principal Giuseppe Risi shares the drivers' optimism. "I have great confidence in the drivers, in the team and the car," he said. In addition to the on-track action, he noted Risi Competizione and Ferrari of Houston will offer an extra treat for Daytona race fans, with a Maserati Spider on display in the paddock.
January 22,2002 Rand Racing Rolex Preview
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Rand Racing may be short on history, but it enters the Rolex 24 at Daytona long on talent. The rookie team won the SRPII class in its first Rolex Sports Car Series race last November, and posted the fastest class time during testing for the 24-hour race. The endurance classic is scheduled for Feb. 2 and 3 on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course in Daytona Beach, Fla.
The team returns to Daytona with a strong driver lineup including owner Bill Rand of Plano, Tex.; Anthony Lazzaro of Hickory, N.C.; Terry Borcheller of Phoenix, Ariz. and German Ralf Kelleners. Rand's No. 8 Nissan Lola will be prepared by the veteran Risi Competizione crew.
"I'm a lot more confident going in as a team owner than I am as a driver, simply because it's my first time to race at Daytona," Rand said. "I've got three of the most qualified co-drivers in the field. They're all good people and great drivers. I wouldn't hire someone on their driving ability alone; they have to work well with the team. If you have a cohesive team where everybody gets along, you're going to have success."
The multi-talented Lazzaro has raced in a host of series, from open-wheel to stock cars. His 2002 plans include driving for Rand Racing in the Rolex Series and Sam Schmidt Racing in the Indy Racing League. Lazzaro drove 14 hours in the 1998 Daytona race and won the GT2 class the next year. He is optimistic about his chance for another victory.
"I feel like it's our race to lose," he said. "Bill does things one way, and that's the right way. He's come into it and assembled a first-class, championship-winning team right off the bat. That was evident when we went to the finale in November and won the first time out. Having Risi prepare everything and hiring professional drivers has taken it to a new level."
Borcheller, who has won four championships in the past four years, will compete in three series this season. He'll be starting only his third Daytona race, but he noted the Rand drivers share the same perspective, critical for victory in endurance racing.
"We know it's not a sprint race, there aren't a lot of egos within the team and we all respect one another's talents," he explained. "I think teams get into trouble in a 24-hour race when they're trying to prove something within the team and that's how you lose the race."
Kelleners brings a history of worldwide racing success, including class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He is joining Rand Racing for the first time, but raced with Risi Competizione in 2000 and '01.
"I know all the mechanics and I have the highest respect for all of them because of the way they work," he said. After testing with Rand, he is also enthused about his co-drivers. "We got accustomed to each other," he noted. "We found out we have the same driving style and we all enjoy the same changes to the car, so that's very helpful."
So what goals does a rookie team set? "I want an overall podium," Rand said. "I believe we have an excellent shot at winning our class, and an overall podium would be a dream come true. It's a possibility if we run a clean race and a smart race."
January 22,2002 Crazy Redhead Racing - Fordahl Announce Full Campaign
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
The Crazy Redhead Racing - Fordahl Motorsport effort has announced that they intend to campaign the entire 2002 Grand Am Rolex Series season. The team campaigned the #15 Porsche GT3-R to three victories last season, but will not have that car at the season opener at Daytona.
For the 40th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, CRR team owner/driver Kim Hiskey, teammate Randy Pobst and crew chief Greg Fordahl will team up with ZIP Racing team to contest the twice-around-the-clock event. The duo will share driving duties with ZIP drivers Steve Ivankovich and Spencer Pumpelly in the brand new #35 Porsche GT3-RS, with Fordahl engineering the car.
"We are looking forward to competing with Steve and Spencer," Hiskey said. "After driving against them last season, we know they are both very competitive drivers. And with Randy in the car, we have a great shot at winning the GT class."
Pobst is eagerly anticipating his returning to Daytona to repeat his first-place finish (and second place overall finish) in the GT class at the 2001 Rolex 24.
"I am definitely working on winning another Rolex watch," Pobst said. "Kim and I won our last Daytona race, and we’re bringing Greg (Fordahl) with us to engineer the new Porsche 911."
Pobst is also looking forward to teaming up with the Zip/Pumpelly team: "Our Daytona test with Steve (Ivankovich) and Spencer’s (Pumpelly) team went so well that Kim decided to team up with them. It is very satisfying to work with drivers that understand the importance of cooperation and teamwork to succeed."
Although Hiskey is not bringing her #15 Porsche GT3-R to the Rolex, the CRR team is preparing the car to run the remainder of the 2002 Grand-Am schedule.
"We are going to make a run at winning the GT driver championship this season," Hiskey said. "We’ve got a great car and a great crew, so we’ve got a great chance."
January 21,2002 Rocketsports Announces Jaguar Drivers
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Three Trans-Am champions will team up for the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance classic on February 2-3. Three-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi has selected 2000 Trans-Am titlist Brian Simo and two-time Trans-Am champion Scott Pruett as co-drivers for the Rocketsports Racing No.3 Johnson Controls/HomeLink Jaguar XKR competing in the GTS class. They'll share driving duties with racing specialist Michael Lauer.
Pruett and Gentilozzi drove to the overall win in the 1994 Rolex 24 race in a Nissan 300ZX GTS class car with Steve Millen and Butch Leitzinger and competed in last year's Rolex 24 in a Saleen S7R entry. No stranger to Daytona, Simo stood third on the podium in the Callaway Corvette in 1996.
Pruett, who ran his rookie season in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 2000, has three additional class wins at Daytona. He scored GTO class victories in a Roush Mustang in 1987 and 1988 as well as the GTP class win in 1991 in a Jaguar XJR12. He also won the 1991 IROC race.
"It was a simple choice," said Gentilozzi, who has 23 Trans-Am and seven IMSA wins. "There are guys you race against and friends you race with. Brian and Scott are great drivers and great friends.
"There's a big difference between driving fast cars fast and racing fast cars," continued Gentilozzi, who ranks first in all-time Trans-Am top-three, top-five, and top-ten finishes, "Fast Five" qualifying efforts, laps led, lead-lap finishes, and race starts. "You want to surround yourself with drivers you can trust without question, and both Scott and Brian are at the top of the list."
"I'm excited to be racing with Rocketsports," said Simo, who finished second behind Gentilozzi in the 2001 Trans-Am title hunt. "It's no secret they have a great team and I think we have a strong driver line-up. It'll be great to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul, Scott, and Michael at the 24-hour."
"Paul and I know each others strengths and weaknesses and we've got no ego behind the wheel," explained Pruett, who has additional drivers' championships in IMSA GTO competition as well as a pair of CART wins. "Brian has a proven record, the ability to be very fast, and will be an instrumental part of the team. Everything I've heard about Michael has been very positive and I look forward to driving with him at Daytona.
"This is a stout driver roster," concluded Gentilozzi. "We'll be one of the teams to beat."
January 21,2002 Ni Amorin In Freisinger Porsche For Rolex
Photo Courtesy:Spa-Francorchamps
Ni Amorim will co-drive with Stephane Ortelli and Raymond Dumas in a Freisinger Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R at the Rolex 24hr.
Amorim will also race at Sebring 12hr, Le Mans, Petit Le Mans and the FIA GT Championship with Freisinger Motorsport in GT3 class.
Ni's most recent Rolex Daytona result is a 3rd place overall in '00 in an Oreca Viper. Freisinger Motorsport came home second in GT at last years Rolex 24.
January 20,2002 Derrike Cope In Ferrari 360 GT
Derrike Cope, winner of the 1990 Daytona 500, will complete the driver lineup for the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington Ferrari 360 GT at the 2002 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Cope has previous Daytona road racing experience as well, having finished fourth in class and 11th overall in the 1991 24 Hours, driving a Chevrolet-Spice prototype for Tom Milner Racing.
The addition of Cope give the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington team three Daytona champions in their Ferrari. Both Bill Auberlen and Cort Wagner are former winners at the Rolex 24. Auberlen in 1997 and 1998, and Wagner in 1999. The fourth driver is Costantino Bertuzzi, the 1999 Italian Touring Car Champion and a test driver for Ferrari.
The Ferrari 360 GT was prepared at the Off. Michelotto G. & C. facilities in Padua, Italy. The Rolex 24 will be the first GrandAm race for the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington team, a former Dealer Champion in the North American Ferrari Challenge series.
January 18,2002 Regulation Updates
SportsRacing Prototype Regulations
4-1 B. Change first sentence to read: Up to 275 CI V-6 stock block, 2-valve push rod engines and, 3 or 4 rotor Mazda engines, no restrictors are required.
12-3 Cockpit Opening - Add: Grand-Am approved center/cockpit lateral support, driver restraint system is allowed. The cockpit divider must be an integral part of the survival cell, or be acceptable to Grand-Am. If a cockpit divider driver restraint system is approved the open area of the cockpit must be larger than the required area size (in square inch) of the opening, 35.433 inches wide X 27.599 inches lateral, less the radii allowed. The Dallara and the Ascari systems are approved as presented at the 2002 Daytona Test Days.
NOTE 15-1 Rear Wing can be no higher then 2.5 inches below the top of the main roll hoop/fairing as checked with a level. SRP-2 the measurement is 5 inches.
19-1 Add: BMW M-5 Turbo Ascari - using BMW M-5 stock engine block and cylinders heads, destroked to 4 liters with a minimum car weight of 2075 pounds and 33.5 mm restrictors.
GT and GTS Regulations
1-1 A. Add: 10. *Marcos Mantis Euro Challenge Car: must remain as presented by Marcos 01-11-01. The engine is a Ford Mustang V-8, 4.6 liter, 4 valve, with 9.85 to 1 compression ratio, using the stock throttle body with twin 2.250 inch butterflies and a single 3.25 inch diameter air hose. Holinger 6-speed transmission. Single piece, four bolt wheels. The minimum weight is 2450 pounds.
1-1 A. Add: 11. Porsche GT3 CUP Car is allowed with the engine conversion kit exactly as supplied from PMNA and no air restrictor is required. The car may be upgraded to the GT3R/RS asterisk specifications, if so the ABS must be removed. Minimum weight 2550 pounds.
1-1 B. Add: 14. Ultima GTR: The engine is a GM V-8, 360 CID, 18-degree heads, 12 to 1 compression, with a Holley 4150 series carburetor with 1.687 inch throttle bores. Transmission is a 6-speed using an H-pattern shifter. Minimum weight 2400 pounds.
1-1 B. Add: 15. Porsche (996) GT3 R/RS Maximum permitted engine size 4.2 liter unrestricted. Minimum weight 2300 pounds.
1-1 B. Add: 16. BMW M-3 (E-46) V-8 with the 4 liter racing engine, with twin 32-mm restrictors, or the M-5 street production engine as used in the GT class, no air restrictors are required. Minimum weight 2400 pounds.
January 17,2002 Auberlen In Ferrari 360GT at Rolex
Bill Auberlen, a previous Rolex 24 at Daytona winner and one of the few Americans ever signed by a major European factory racing team, will drive the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington Ferrari 360 GT in the GT class at the 2002 Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Auberlen's co-drivers will include Cort Wagner, GT winner at the 1999 Rolex 24 at Daytona and 1999 ALMS GT Champion, and Costantino Bertuzzi, 1999 Italian Touring Car Champion and a test driver for Ferrari. A fourth driver will be announced in the near future.
This will be the first North American race for the Ferrari 360 GT, prepared at the Off. Michelotto G. & C. facilities in Padua, Italy. The V8-powered Ferrari is based on the 360 Modena, one of Ferrari's most popular sports cars. Scuderia Ferrari of Washington is a former Dealer Champion in the North American Ferrari Challenge series.
January 17,2002 Team Spencer Motorsports Ready For Rolex
When you can take something good and make it better, you do it. That is what Dennis Spencer and Team Spencer Motorsports have done with their time-tested and race-proven Kudzu-Mazda racecar. And with their 'new and improved' chassis, this veteran team is once again set to challenge the high banking of the Daytona International Speedway in the 40th anniversary running of the Grand American Road Racing Association sanctioned Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona. The turning hands of time have never deterred the likes of Dennis Spencer or the Kudzu. The team finished second in class at last year's race. For 2002, the team has improved the car beyond its original design in an attempt to bring them back to the top step of the podium. A position they have occupied in the past.
The driver lineup for the Rolex includes Dennis Spencer, Rich Grupp, Ryan Hampton, and Barry Waddell. The team won their class at the "6 Hours of the Glen" (Watkins Glen International race circuit) in both 2000 and 2001. The team also made the record books in 2001 - at Watkins Glen - by being the first SRP2 class chassis in the history of Grand-Am to ever finish 3rd overall, putting them on the same podium with the 1st and 2nd placed SRP class winners.
The entire team is excited to be in a newer car that is still based upon traditional time proven qualities, but updated to reflect competitive pressures and changes in the rules. FabWorks Machine and Design, located in Buford, GA, worked with Team Spencer Motorsports to update the original car design. The revisions bring the car up to current regulations and have in effect created a substantially different racecar from the original 07 Kudzu that rolled out of the Downing/Atlanta manufacturing facility in 1996. The basic Kudzu's time tested, bulletproof design fundamentals have been maintained.
To identify the enhanced chassis a new model # of DLM/FW has been assigned.
The 2001 car differs from the original 1996 Kudzu DLM in several ways.
Increase from 16" wheels to 18" BBS wheels to meet the recent rules changes
Modified Aluminum honeycomb tub to accommodate aerodynamic and chassis changes
Suspension and chassis modifications to increase adjustability of the car
Lower profile frontal area bodywork
Front nose box and splitter improvements
6 piece body style
Roll bar aerodynamics and fairing open area
Rear wing to meet recent rules changes
Data acquisition and logging improvements
Heavier "endurance" 5 speed transmission
Many of these changes were made and tested during the middle of the 2001 season and were in place and tested at the Grand Am finale at Daytona in November.
The car will still carry the team colors of Orange/Blue and White with the familiar CrocoTile modular flooring sponsorship logo on the nose with Trench Shoring Services picking up the ad space on the sides.
Team sponsors are CrocoTile Flooring and Trench Shoring Services.
January 15,2002 Sandra Leitzinger Passes Away
EnduranceSportscar.com would like to express its deepest sympathies to the Leitzinger family.
Sandra Leitzinger, 65, mother of Butch Leitzinger, died of an apparent heart attack last Wednesday at home in State College, PA.
Sandra was an accomplished motorsports artist; her rendering of "Driver's Meeting" was highly acclaimed. She was also active in the family businesses and their motor sports activities.
The family has set up two charities in lieu of flowers.
Watkins Glen Motor Racing Research Library
Attn: John Beckman
610 S. Decatur St.
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
Check made payable to: IMRRC
(607-535-9044)
or
Infant Evaluation Program
Attn: Mark Milliron
915 Benner Pike
State College, PA 16801
Check made payable to: Infant Evaluation Program
(814-231-0138).
January 11,2002 Larbre Viper Enters Daytona
Photo Courtesy:Spa-Francorchamps
2001 FIA-GT champ and Spa 24 hour winners have entered a Viper GTS-R in the Rolex 24. The entry will be piloted by team drivers
Christophe Bouchut, Jean-Luc Chereau, Carl Rosenblad, Patrice Goueslard.
The Larbre entry in GTS adds to an already interesting and competitive GTS class in 2002. It would be hard to bet against Larbre taking a GTS win
and possibly challenging for the overall if the SRP's hit problems.
January 5,2002 Daytona Testing Wrapup
Max Papis’ strong performance in the morning session on the final day of Rolex Series testing proved to be the strongest of the weekend. The Doran Lista Racing #27 Judd-powered Dallara stayed out front all weekend with its fastest lap turned on Saturday morning. The blazing 1:40.170 lap at a speed of 127.942 mph was 0.832 seconds faster than the current SRP track record set by James Weaver in 2000.
"It looks like we found the downforce we need to keep the car balanced," Veteran Doran racer Didier Theys said about the new Dallara. "I am really looking forward to the race. We have a good lineup. But from experience I can tell you, you don't win with speed."
Terry Borcheller stood out with the quickest lap of the weekend in SRPII. His Rand Racing #8 Nissan Lola ran a best lap of 1:46.750 in the second session Friday, a speed of 120.056 mph. “The results are because of the intense preparation of the team. We get to do the fun part,” Borcheller remarked.
Paul Gentilozzi, in the #3 Rocketsports Racing Jaguar, had the best lap of the weekend in GTS on Saturday morning with a 1:46.704 at 120.108 mph.
In American GT, the quickest lap of the weekend was posted by Irv Hoerr, also on Saturday morning, in his Sky Blue Racing Mustang. The #29 entry turned in a lap speed of 116.779 mph with a 1:49.746 lap, 1.548 seconds faster than the AGT qualifying record set by Joe Varde in 2001.
Marino Franchetti drove the fastest lap in the GT class. The Seikel Motorsports #57 Porsche GT3 R recorded the 1:54.318, 112.108 mph lap on Friday morning.
Champion Thinks 2002 Is 'Showtime' for the Porsche Lola
After two years of development, Champion Racing thinks they have finally perfected the Lola chassis to the Porsche drive train for this year's Rolex 24 At Daytona. Hurley Haywood, Sascha Maassen, Andy Wallace and Lucas Luhr make up the all-star lineup the team has put together for the race. Crew chief Brad Kettler feels that all the development of the past two years is ready to pay off and this year is 'showtime.' The Champion Porsche Lola has consistently posted times in the top-three throughout the weekend of testing
January 5,2002 Friday Daytona Testing News
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Max Papis clocked the fastest lap of day during the late afternoon session of the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days at Daytona International Speedway, beating the qualifying track record set by James Weaver at the 2000 Rolex 24. Papis clocked a 1:40.818 lap time, 0.194 seconds faster than Weaver's record. "We are developing the car, and we are doing the maximum that we can do," Papis said. "The car has very good potential. Being the fastest is always something important, because it reminds everybody who makes the rules here."
Terry Borcheller beat the SRPII qualifying record in the Rand Racing #8 Nissan Lola with his 1:46.750 lap, and Darin Brassfield topped the American GT record in the #29 Mustang of Sky Blue Racing with a 1:50.616. The fastest GT lap of the day was recorded by Marino Franchetti in the #57 Porsche GT3 R of Seikel Motorsports. Paul Gentilozzi continued to dominate the GTS class with his quickest lap being a 1:47.375.
Team Seattle Saleen in Severe Accident
The Team Seattle #53 Saleen S7R was in a severe accident during the early afternoon practice session today. David Bingham, father of 2001 GTS driver champion Chris Bingham, was behind the wheel of the Saleen as it entered turn one. Bingham drifted high, clipping the rear left wheel of the passing #8 Nissan Lola of Rand Racing. Witness to the accident reported that it appeared Bingham hit the throttle instead of the brake when he swerved to miss the Nissan Lola, sending the Saleen up over guardrail that separates the track and pit exit.
"The status of the car is that we managed to fly it over a guardrail while testing it," crew chief Sid Collins said. "Consequently we have some damage to the right front and some right rear suspension. It's very fixable. The Saleen, Park Place and Troy Sport groups will have the car back together.
"Unfortunately it will have to go California to the manufacturer of the S7 - Steve Saleen's facility - to be put back together. But their whole team is ready to respond with parts already being ordered to be ready for the car to arrive next Tuesday from Daytona. It will be repaired, and we'll be ready to race."
Bingham was transport to Halifax Memorial Hospital as a precautionary measure after complaining of back pain. The hospital reports that he has a fracture to his L3 vertebrae and is still being evaluated, however they expect to release him later this evening.
Robby Gordon Happy to be Back with Riley & Scott
After capturing victories at the Rolex 24 At Daytona four times, Robby Gordon is happy to be back behind the wheel of a Riley & Scott at Daytona. "I've raced the 24 hours of Daytona four times. We've won four times. But it's been ten years," Gordon said shortly after arriving in Daytona for this weekend's test. "I'm looking forward to getting back into doing it. I'm living here on the east coast now, so it makes it a little bit easier to do when you're here -- to buzz down to Daytona and run. Jim Matthews talked to me back in Indianapolis and said if you're interested, we'd love to have you come down and play. So, I took him up on his offer. I'm going to have fun."
Gordon arrived in Daytona today and got behind the wheel of the factory Riley & Scott entry for the first time in the late afternoon testing session.
Robinson Racing Packs Up Early After Late Thursday Wreck
Robinson Racing had to pack up early to head home from test days after the collision it was involved in during the late afternoon practice on Thursday. IRL driver Steve Knapp was behind the wheel of the #74 Judd Riley & Scott Mark III-C when he when he missed the kink and lost control of the car, hitting the #20 Riley & Scott of Dyson Racing Team.
The Robinson team had made several major changes to its new Riley & Scott prior to this weekend's test, including an entirely new nose for the car. However, driver Jack Baldwin reports that all the new parts were prototypes, and will have to be recreated back in the shop. "The car was running great with the new changes. I was really happy with where we were," Baldwin said. "But they are going to have to work day and night between now and the race to get it back there."
January 4,2002 Thursday Daytona Testing News
The Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days began today at Daytona International Speedway with all five classes of the Rolex Sports Car Series taking to the track in preparation for the February event that kicks off the 2002 SpeedWeeks. The factory-backed Riley & Scott Mark III-C of Jim Matthews Racing recorded the quickest time of the day with a 1:41.452 lap at 126.326 mph. IRL driver Scott Sharp, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Robby Gordon, Guy Smith and team owner Jim Matthews are sharing driving duties in the #36 Riley & Scott this weekend. Rand Racing's #8 Nissan-powered Lola clocked the fastest the SportsRacing Prototype II time, more than three seconds faster than any other SRPII cars. The #3 Jaguar of Rocketsports Racing had the fastest GTS time, while The Racer's Group #68 Porsche GT3 RS was quickest in the GT class. The #47 Corvette of Morgan-Dollar Motorsports had the fastest American GT lap during the first day of testing.
Southern Snow Storm Delays Teams
Several teams were delayed in their travels to Daytona Beach when Atlanta airport was closed due to the snowstorm that wreaked havoc on the Southeast last night. Driver Terry Borcheller became stranded in Atlanta last night when his flight was cancelled and opted to rent a car and drive through the night to reach Daytona. Unfortunately, Borcheller's helmet and driver suit was in his checked baggage. Although he was at the track this morning, he was unable to get behind the wheel of the Rand Racing #8 Nissan-powered Lola until his bags arrived.
Robinson Racing was another team whose testing sessions were disrupted by the snowstorm. Although Atlanta-resident Jack Baldwin was able to make it out of town before the storm hit, several members of his crew were left stranded when they stopped for a connecting flight. "We've got a brand new nose for the car, and we've made a ton of changes to it. We just can't take it out on the track until the guys get here," said Baldwin as he waited for his crew to arrive in the cars they rented and drove from Atlanta.
The Rolex Series' youngest driver, Clint Field, is on his way to Daytona from Columbus, Ohio, being driven by team manager Martin Dixon due to their flight's cancellation. Several other teams reported missing crewmembers and drivers due to the canceled flights, but everyone is expected to be at the track by Friday's sessions.
Jamie France to Get Test in Marcos
The Marcos USA team reports that it will give a test drive on Friday to Jamie France, son of ISC President Jim France. The Deland, Fla.-based team was unable to debut its new car during today's testing due to a delay in it clearing customs, but expects to take delivery of the new Marcos on Friday. Team manager Toto Lassally is excited to give France a chance to see what he can do behind the wheel of the new car.
GT Driver Champ Breaks In New SRPII Car
Rolex Series 2001 GT driver champion Darren Law got behind the wheel of G&W Motorsports' new BMW-powered Picchio for the first time today. Although Law has raced in the team's #81 Porsche GT3 R for the past two seasons, he did not have a problem adjusting to the open-cockpit SportsRacing Prototype II. "For me its not that big of a deal. I grew up in formula racing and karts, so I'm used to the wind, though it is a bit cold out here today," said Law. Both the drivers and crew are very happy with their new car. "We've got a lot of learning to do, but I'm really impressed with this car out of the box," Law added. The #07 Picchio is the first of its kind to race in the Rolex Series.
Harvick Quickest in #90 Corvette
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Kevin Harvick took the RE/MAX Racing #90 Corvette onto the Speedway for the first time and clocked the quickest time in the car among his co-drivers, although he did have a bumpy start to the day. "He spun out coming out of the pits because of cold tires, but now that he's gotten used to the car, he's been really fast," team owner Todd Flis commented.
Dyson Debuts New Paint Scheme for #20 Car
Dyson Racing Team debut a new paint scheme for the #20 Ford-powered Riley & Scott. In past years, the team's #16 and #20 entries ran the same blue-and-white design, but this year the #20 has replaced the blue with black and gray. "It looks more corporate,” team owner Rob Dyson said. "And of course it makes it easier to differentiate the two cars." Unfortunately the new paint got a little rubbed during the last testing session when the #20 car got into Robinson Racing's #74 Riley & Scott.
Stewart Makes Sports Car Debut
NASCAR Winston Cup driver Tony Stewart made his sports car racing debut today, testing the #2 Judd-powered Crawford. However, Stewart admitted that he's got a lot of work to do in the car. "I need to get faster -- about 13 seconds faster," he said after only a few laps in the car. "I've got a lot of work to do, but I'm having fun."
December 31,2001 Rolex 24 Team & Driver Updates
Carsport Holland
Carsport Holland announced its driver lineup for the Rolex 24. Team regular Mike Hezemans will be joined by Belgian Anthony Kumpen in a heavily revised Dodge Viper GTS-R. Other drivers with the team include Italians Luca Cappellari and Fabrizio De Simone.
Ferrari of Washington
Ferrari of Washington has entered a new Ferrari 360 GT in the 2002 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Ferrari will make its first public appearance at the January Test Days this week. 1999 Rolex 24 GT winner Cort Wagner and 1999 Italian Touring Car champion Costantino Bertuzzi were named as drivers for the Test Days. The 2002 Rolex 24 will mark the 35th anniversary of Ferrari sweeping the overall podium at the classic endurance race.
Brookspeed
Engineering students from University of Southampton in England will travel to Daytona Beach to assist the British-based Brookspeed team with its Viper at the Rolex 24. The University of Southampton is highly regarded within the motorsports industry and consistently produces graduates who go on to work for top motorsports teams, including Jaguar, Jordan, Arrows and Mclaren's Formula One teams. Four to six fourth-year mechanical engineering students, both male and female, are expected to assist as crewmembers with the team.
December 28,2001 Robby Gordon Added To Matthews R&S Lineup
Riley & Scott Racing and Jim Mathews Racing announced today that NASCAR Winston Cup Series regular and endurance racing veteran Robby Gordon has agreed to partner with Guy Smith, Scott Sharp and team owner Jim Matthews for the 2002 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Riley & Scott Vice President Bill Riley announced the addition to the driver lineup for the Riley & Scott Mark III-C powered by an Elan Power Products 6.0L V8. “Robby Gordon is at the height of a wonderful, if not historic career, and we’re thrilled to have him,” Riley said. “This completes our driver lineup. With Guy Smith, Robby, Scott, and Jim, we’re prepared for a very competitive race."
Gordon, 32, has first-rate credentials for the ride. He won the GTO/GTS class in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Roush Racing from 1990 to 1993. Gordon's road racing credentials also include seven years in the CART PPG Indy Car Series. Recently he has been a force in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, including winning his first race in his tenth start for Richard Childress Racing, where he will drive the #31 Cingular Wireless Chevy Monte Carlo full time in 2002.
Gordon also has seven starts in the Indy 500, including 2001 when he started on the outside of the front row. His Rolex 24 teammate Scott Sharp was on the pole. Additionally, Robby has a fine off-road racing record, including numerous SCORE/HDRA championships and a solo win in the Baja 1000 that came in 1989.
“I’ve been on the top step of the podium of every Rolex 24 At Daytona I’ve competed in," Gordon noted. “Returning with Riley & Scott and Jim Matthews Racing is a fantastic opportunity to continue that streak. Competing for the overall win makes it that much more special."
Car owner/driver Jim Matthews is pleased with the addition. “I met Robby at the Indy 500 this year; when we were planning this project. I’m very pleased that things fell into place to allow Robby to be a part of the team."
December 28,2001 Bytzek Porsche 911GT1's To Run Again
Bytzek Motorsports has again entered a pair of beatiful 911GT1's in the GTS class for the 2002 Rolex 24. Owner Klaus Bytzek and James Holton will handle the driving chores at the test days. The driver lineup for the race will be announced shortly.
Last year one of the team cars sat on the GTS pole with Scott Maxwell behind the wheel and battled with the factory vette's for the lead during the first half of the race. The second team car came home in third place in GTS, 6th Overall.
With the factory corvettes probably skipping the event, look for these two cars to be right up in the fight for the GTS battle.
December 28,2001 Kevin Harvick To Run Rolex 24
Flis Motorsports announced that 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year and 2001 NASCAR Busch Series Grand National Division champion Kevin Harvick will join RE/MAX cofounder Dave Liniger, as well as ARCA RE/MAX drivers Rick Carelli and John Metcalf in the Flis Motorsports #90 Corvette at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
“Racing in the Rolex 24 is something I’ve never done in my racing career," Harvick commented "I’ve watched it over the years on the couch waiting for racing to get started, so it’ll be pretty neat to kick off my season a week early. Plus, it’ll be something cool to add to my resume."
Harvick will travel to Daytona International Speedway next week to slide behind the wheel of Flis Motorsports' new #90 Corvette for the first time. The Daytona Beach-based team is the two-time Rolex Sports Car Series American GT champion and will field a two-car effort in the Rolex 24 At Daytona for the first time in 2002.
"Everybody here at Flis is ecstatic to have a young, aggressive talent who has a take-no-names attitude," Flis Motorsports co-owner Todd Flis said. "He's a professional. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be in the position he's in. Besides, if we need somebody to chase down another car, we know we can call on Harvick."
December 27,2001 Papis Joins Doran For Rolex
Max Papis has been signed on to drive the Doran prepared Judd Dallara in the upcoming Rolex 24. Max will partner Fredy Lienhard Sr. and Didier Theys, with a fourth driver probably Mauro Baldi to be announced.
Papis got his start in America back in 1996 with the Doran prepared Momo Ferrari 333SP.
"I will be back in Daytona for the Rolex 24 with the team that helped me get established here in the States in 1996" says Max . "I’m always glad to be back for this classic endurance race and glad to be associated once again with Doran Racing; I feel we have a strong possibility to win."
December 26,2001 Scott Sharp In Matthews R&S MKIIIC
Scott Sharp has been signed to drive the Jim Matthews R&S Mk IIIC/Elan at the Rolex 24. Sharp and Matthews will be joined by Guy Smith in the driver's line-up, with a fourth pilot to be named later.
"I'm very excited to get a chance to win at Daytona again," Sharp said. "Returning with Riley & Scott and Jim Matthews Racing is a fantastic opportunity to repeat one of the highlights of my own or any driver's career, an overall win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona."
Sharp has had extensive success in Riley & Scott products, earning his '96 Daytona win and his '91 Trans-Am championship in cars built by the renowned Indianapolis-based manufacturer.
"We're thrilled to continue our long and successful association with Scott," Riley & Scott vice-president Bill Riley said. "This will be our fourth 24-hour race together. With Scott, Guy Smith and Jim, we're prepared for a very competitive race."
December 20,2001 Rolex 24 Test Days Entry
For Test Days entry click here
SRPI
Dyson Racing Ford R&S MKIII #16 James Weaver, Butch Leitzinger, Oliver Gavin
Dyson Racing Ford R&S MKIII #20 Rob Dyson, Chris Dyson, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, Dorsey Schroeder
Champion Racing Lola-Porsche #38 Andy Wallace, Hurley Haywood, Sascha Maassen
Risi Competizione Ferrari 333SP #13 Eric van de Poele, David Brabham, Stefan Johnasson, Ralf Kelleners
Crawford Composites Crawford SSC2K-Judd #2 Jan Lammers, Johnny Mowlem, Tony Stewart
Matthews Racing Elan-R&S MKIIIC Guy Smith,Jim Matthews
SRPII
Archangel Motorsports Nissan Lola #21 Jeff Clinton, Jeff Tillman, Curtis Francois, Larry Connor
Archangel Motorsports Nissan Lola #22 Steve Knight, Mel Hawkins, Brian DeVries, Chad Block
AGT
Sky Blue Racing Ford Mustang Irv Hoerr, Darin Brassfield, Jack Busch, Woodson Duncan
Flis Motorsports Team RE/MAX Corvette #90 David Liniger, John Metcalf, Rick Carelli
December 18,2001 Tony Stewart In Crawford SSC2K For Rolex
Nascar superstar Tony Stewart has signed to partner Johnny Mowlem and Jan Lammers for the Rolex 24 Hours.
The three will share a "Works" Judd powered Crawford SSC2K in the February twice around the clock enduro.
Max Crawford has had links with Stewart going back to a meeting at Daytona a few years ago.
"We're quietly confident about our chances," said Crawford, from his Denver, N.C. shop. "We have three very talented drivers in the fold and we have a strong endurance program to go with it. Each of our drivers brings a different level of experience to the table, and will feed off each other as the race progresses."
"I am excited about the opportunity to run a true road course race, especially with it being one of the biggest races of the year at Daytona," said Stewart. "I am also excited about teaming up with Jan Lammers and Johnny Mowlem knowing that their past experience in this type of racing will help my learning curve. I'm looking forward to a great race" said Stewart.
Crawford met Mowlem at Sebring when he was testing the MG-Lola recently, and was persuaded to sign him up because "he deserves this kind of a break to land a factory prototype drive."
"Max likes to give up-and-coming drivers a chance, he likes to take a bit of a risk. It's one of the biggest breaks of my career, because to land top prototype drives you have to have experience. This will give me that chance" says Mowlem.
Jan Lammers comments,
"I am really looking forward to being a part of the Crawford program." "Apart from being in impressive company, they are very pleasant, down-to-earth people, whom want to get the best out of their organization.
"Tony Stewart has a great record in motor racing and has proven that he is quick and can bring a car home to the finish line," Lammers added. "And it all starts at the finish line. I am very proud to be driving with Tony. We have to give him some time to adjust to this new type of racing. He will do the job, though.
"In addition, Johnny Mowlem has a great future ahead of him," Lammers continued. "And will no doubt make the best of the opportunity that has been given to him by Max and Jan Crawford."
December 18,2001 Miracle Motorsports To Test Buddy Rice
Photo Coutersy:Miracle Motorsports
Miracle Motorsports is proud to announce that Buddy Rice, 2000 Toyota Atlantic Champ, will be present during the test session scheduled in Daytona the first part of January.
Miracle Auto Dealerships, based in Winter Haven, FL, returns as primary sponsor of the #6 Ford entry for the 2002 Grand American series as well. Team owner and driver, John Macaluso (Old Forge, NY), is excited that Rice will be in Daytona. "He is a proven winner, and we are thrilled that he will share his talents with us at the test. We look for Buddy to give us a different perspective as to the development and refinement of our car," states Macaluso.
Under contract with Bobby Rahal racing, Rice, (Phoenix, AZ), brings a great deal of experience with him. Driving with the new DSTP Atlantic team in 2000, Rice started in kart and shifters in 1989, winning four national and two grand national titles in karting events in 1995. He ran four FF2000 races, finishing in the top-10 three times. Additionally, he competed in one Shelby Can-Am race at Las Vegas in 1996, winning from the pole. He placed fourth overall in 1997 FF200 pro series with one victory, two poles and five podium finishes. He had an impressive Atlantic debut in 1998, with poles at first two events (Long Beach and Nazareth) and wire to wire victory at Nazareth. Buddy finished seventh in the final points with four podium finishes and seven top-five finishes, despite missing Houston finale due to appendectomy surgery.
Also returning for the test session, will be Brent Sherman, (N. Barrington, IL), co-driver to Macaluso in the 2001 season in the #6 Serta Mattress/Miracle Motorsports Ford. Sherman finished an impressive 19th in the drivers points battle in the 2001 Season, despite missing several races.
"We are looking forward to 2002, we have a lot of great things planned," Macaluso commented. "It should be a good season for Miracle Motorsports!"
December 18,2001 AVR Signs Simon Gregg For Endurance Rounds
American Viperacing has come to terms with driver Simon Gregg to compete in the lead car for both the Rolex 24 hours of Daytona and 12 hours of Sebring in the American Le Mans Series opening round. Gregg is the AGT class winner from the 2001 Rolex 24 hours and has been successfully competing in the Trans Am series for a number of years and is looking forward to an opportunity at an overall win at Daytona in the AVR Viper GTSR in 2002.
The drive at the 12 hours of Sebring is an exciting one for Gregg who will be paired with Mike Hezeman from the FIA GT Carsport Holland team. This is significant due to the fact that this will be the 50th running of this specatular event, but it will also mark the 25th Anniversary of their fathers win in the Daytona 24 where Peter Gregg teamed up with Toine Hezeman to take the honors.
December 14,2001 Daytona Sports Car Project Moving Forward
Details are beginning to emerge about the Daytona Sports Car announced by Grand American Road Racing President Roger Edmondson in November. Grand American officials have been in contact with a number of fabricators and component suppliers with everyone seemingly eager to be involved in the project scheduled to begin with the 2003 season.
"We've said from the beginning that our goal is to develop regulations that create opportunities for everyone in the sport - drivers, team owners, chassis and engine manufacturers and component suppliers," Edmondson noted. "Several chassis builders and component suppliers have expressed a desire to be involved in this project. We are very excited about the development of this new car.
"The Daytona Sports Car will not only provide a stable baseline of performance and affordability for an extended period of time, but will also compete with the cars from the current SRP and SRPII classes for the overall race win in Rolex Sports Car Series events, including the prestigious Rolex 24 At Daytona," he added.
Several design features have already been determined as the rules are nearing completion. The Daytona Sports Car may be an open cockpit or GT style design, at the option of the entrant. The chassis will incorporate a flat bottom with controlled dimension bulkheads. Construction will be aluminum honeycomb or steel tubing. A specific-dimension composite side-intrusion structure will be required on all cars. Dimensions, including weight, height, width, length, etc. are still under development.
Grand American approved, normally aspirated production based engines will be used.
Edmondson noted that rumors the Daytona Sports Car would be a spec design are unfounded. Certain components and materials will be specified, but the balance of the regulations for the Daytona Sports Car will resemble rules for other classes and other series.
The restricted list of approved components include gearboxes, brakes, shocks, clutch assemblies, spindles, fuel cells, tires and wheels. Grand American is soliciting proposals for suppliers of those components and will choose multiple suppliers on certain items.
December 14,2001 Archangel Announces 2002 Lineup
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Road Atlanta based, Archangel Motorsport Services, has entered eight drivers in two SRP-II cars for 40th Running of The Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on the 2-3/02/02. Driving the Budweiser Nissan Powered Lola B2K/40 will be Jeff Clinton, Jeff Tillman, Curtis Francois, and Larry Connor. Driving the DNTL works/CyberGrad Nissan Powered Lola B2K/40 will be Steve Knight, Mel Hawkins, Brian DeVries, and Chad Block.
Archangel Motorsport Services, is the creation of former USF2000 driver, and MTV’s “The Real World, IV” cast member Mike Johnson. Archangel won the last two Grand-Am team and drivers championships, as well as the SRP-II Class in the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona. Mike believes that, “Last year was our toughest season yet, and this one won’t be any easier with the new competition. I feel very confident with our Rolex line-up, and if we have the reliability we had last year, I think we’ll be tough to beat.”
Jeff Clinton was the 2000 Sports 2000 National Champion and ran with Archangel at 3 events last year including the Rolex. Jeff Tillman has had great success in the SCCA Spec Racer Class, and drove with Archangel at Watkins Glen last year. Curtis Francois has experience in SCCA Formula Continental racing, and tested with Archangel over the summer. Larry Connor is a reigning back-to-back Formula Atlantic Champion, and drove with Archangel at Watkins Glen Last year.
The DNTL car will have all new drivers to the Archangel Team. In a joint effort with ALMS LMP675 Team Knighthawk Racing, Steve Knight and Mel Hawkins bring vast prototype experience from two seasons of ALMS competition. Brian DeVries is a very active vintage racer and currently drives a Nissan GTP car in the HSR class. Finally, 22-year-old Chad Block, who won 2 poles and 1 race in the 2001 STAR Mazda North American Championship and also was nominated, “Rising Star of the Year” by his fellow team owners. Mike Johnson had this to say about his new star, “I expect great things from Chad, he took to the car very quickly in testing, and will be a treat to watch at the race.”
Archangel Motorsport Services will continue with Jeff Clinton, Jeff Tillman, and Curtis Francois for the remainder of the Grand-Am Season in the Budweiser Nissan/Lola.
December 13,2001 Guy Smith Completes R&S MKIIIC Test
Guy Smith completed a trouble-free shakedown test at Atlanta on Tuesday (December 10th) after torrential rain delayed Monday's scheduled run. The 27 year-old from Hull will compete in the Daytona 24 Hour race in February at the wheel of a Jim Matthews Panoz-Ford engined Riley & Scott MkIII.
"The car is great and has amazing mechanical grip. If feels very much like
a big go-kart and is a lot of fun to drive. The car is in Grand Am trim, which
runs less downforce than the ALMS but still feels exceptionally stable so I think we should be in a strong position for Daytona. The Panoz Ford engine is also a great engine and this should help us produce a good result", said Guy.
He added; "The testing we have done so far has basically been a shakedown test however it has gone very well and the car ran smoothly without any problems. Andy Wallace is here also doing some work with us as he has knowledge of the old Riley & Scott and I'm sure his experience will help. We will continue to work through the test programme and hopefully make good progress in preparation for the official test next month."
December 11,2001 Lienhard Jr. To Test Dallara at Daytona
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Fredy Lienhard Jr., son of Lista Team owner, driver Fredy Sr. will be testing the Doran prepared Judd Dallara at the Daytona test January 3-6, 2002. The 22 yr. old has primarily been racing over in Europe.
The team looks as if it will have Fredy Lienhard Sr., Didier Theys, Mauro Baldi, and Ross Bentley in the driver lineup for the Rolex 24 with the possibility of Fredy Jr. joining.
December 6,2001 Team Seattle Button Willow Test
Photo Coutersy:Team Seattle
Team Seattle, who are teaming up with Park Place/Fordahl Racing in a pair of Saleen S7R's for the upcoming Rolex 24, did some testing at Button Willow Raceway last week. Team Seattle will run the Rolex for the sixth year and besides going for the win the team races for a great cause. Go check out Team Seattle and make a pledge towards the Childrens Hospital.
Here are a few Drivers' Quotes from the test:
The two Saleens performed flawlessly this practice session. All the drivers got comfortable right away. We have high hopes for their performance at the 24 hours of Daytona for Children's Hospital."
Greg Fordahl Chief Engineer Parkplace Racing Fordahl Motorsports
"The past two days have been exactly what they needed to be from a driver development standpoint. The Saleen is beyond what I ever dreamed it would be…I would like to live in it!"
Don Kitch Jr.
'I thought all of our new team members did a great job driving a difficult car on a technical track. The Saleen S7R is spectacular, I had the most fun I ever had driving a racecar! The power, brakes, and handling are all very well matched and no one of those three overshadows the other. Our teammates seems to be gelling, I think we have a closer group of guys than ever before. This car is designed for a track like Daytona fast speed, hard braking, and the car is really going to shine in this environment. I think Team Seattle has a very good chance of finishing well and raising a lot of money for Children's Hospital."
Wade Gaughran
"I think the test down here in California has been a great start to the 2002 race effort. The cars are fantastic, great fun to drive, and the crew is excellent! Can't wait to see how many laps we can complete for the kids."
Dave Gaylord
"I am really excited to be part of Team Seattle and their effort to help Children's Hospital. The Parkplace Racing Fordahl Motorsports group has put together a good package and I think we have a good effort for a strong showing."
Peter MacLeod
"The Saleen is a fantastic car, what a blast to drive! Thanks to Greg and the crew for working hard to keep the car in top shape for us. Chris and the rest of the driving team helped me learn a lot about driving the S7R this weekend. I feel really good about the progress the team made this weekend in preparation for Daytona."
Mike Solomon
" I think everyone has done a great job this weekend considering this tight track requiring a lot of shifting, the transitions are very tight and if you can drive fast at this track you can drive well at Daytona. It's a great track to practice at. I expected everyone to spin and test the limits of the car and this is the track to test the capabilities of the car. I wanted everyone to be comfortable so when we go to Daytona we can work on the set up and go good at Daytona."
Chris Bingham
December 6,2001 Guy Smith Begins Testing R&S MkIIIC
Guy Smith is off to America for four days of intensive testing starting Jan.10 in preparation for his assault on the Rolex 24 Hour Race at Daytona International Speedway in February.
The 27 year-old will compete in the Rolex 24 in Jim Matthews' new Panoz Ford-engined Riley & Scott MkIIIC for the event.
"I love the Daytona track, it's a very enjoyable race to compete in and I can't wait to get there.", said Guy. He added, "I know the car will be very competitive and I know Bill Riley well and I'm confident of his ability to produce a great car. The car is relatively new though and most of the others will be 3 or 4 years old, so as with all new cars, we need to work on any reliability issues so this intensive testing campaign will iron out any problems which may arise so that we can go into the race with a good chance of a strong result.
There will be no big factory teams racing, and as these cars are a lot more basic to drive, they're a lot harder too but I'll be up against names like Johansson and Brabham and will be giving it all I've got."
December 3,2001 New SRPII Cars Lineup For 2002
With the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days only a month away, several teams have unveiled plans to move into the SportsRacing Prototype II class in 2002. Both G&W Motorsports and Rand Racing have announced plans to campaign the 2002 Rolex Sports Car Series season in the SRPII class.
G&W Motorsports announced this week that a deal has been finalized with Momentum Motorcars Racing Division to debut new car in the SRPII class next season -- an Italian designed chassis from Picchio SpA powered by a 3.0-liter BMW engine. Momentum Motorcars has acquired the exclusive rights to market and distribute the car through its Houston based dealership. Veteran racer Armando Trentini will not only be the lead driver in the new SRPII entry, he will also head the Picchio's marketing effort in the United States.
"G&W is proud to be associated with this program. We intend to show that this car has lots of potential, will be a competitive entry and will be a good value for the racing competitor," remarked G&W team owner Cole Scrogham. "I am sure that our new Managing Director Price Cobb can't wait to start on a development program for the Picchio."
Rand Racing entered SRPII competition with an exclamation point at the Grand-Am Finale last month when the #8 Nissan-powered Lola scored the class victory. The team entered the car as a test for next season and proved it will be a major contender for the championship in 2002. Anthony Lazzaro and Terry Borcheller, who piloted the team to its debut win, will pair up for the season in one of the team's two Nissan Lolas.
"This is truly the opportunity of a lifetime for me," said Borcheller, who won the GTO driver championship in 2000 and picked up three GT wins this year. "I'm working with the ideal team owner, with Bill Rand, management, with Risi Competizione preparing the car, and co-driver, with Anthony Lazzaro. All the pieces are put together to go for a championship."
Team owner Bill Rand will slide behind the wheel of the team's second car.
After winning two races in 2001, Porschehaus Racing plans to return to Rolex Series competition in 2002 with a new driver. Adam Merzon will join the SRPII ranks next season, co-driving with Robert Julien in the #89 Nissan Lola. Merzon ran a Porsche GT3 R in the Rolex Series GT class this season.
Porschehaus team owner Andre Gaudet also reports that he has sold his second Nissan Lola to a Toronto-based team that intends to get their first taste of the Rolex Series at the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days, Jan. 3-5.
November 29,2001 Guy Smith Rejoins Matthews For Rolex 24
Guy Smith has signed to co-drive the Jim Matthews Riley & Scott Mk IIIC at the Rolex 24. The ride will be a reunion of sorts as Smith drove for Johansson-Mathews Racing in 2000 piloting a Reynard 2KQ-Judd.
Smith co-drove with Stephan Johansson in his privateer Audi R8 in the American and European Le Mans Series in 2001, in addition to his ride with Bentley at Le Mans.
November 29,2001 Risi Driving Squad Continues To Shape Up
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Giuseppe Risi ,who is rolling out a Ferrari 333SP for another go at the Rolex 24, continues to add to what looks like will be an all-star lineup again in 2002.
Panoz Motorsports David Brabham has signed on again this year after running out front last year with Allan McNish Ralf Kelleners and Eric Van der Poele in the Risi 333SP. Previously announced to pilot the Prancing Horse this year are Eric van de Poele and IRL Champ Greg Ray ( see Nov.6 GA news).
It has also been mentioned that Stephan Johansson will join the team but nothing is official yet.
November 29,2001 Papis Considering Sportscar Options
Max Papis is still searching for a ride in open wheels but he looks to have quite a few options in Sportscars.
"I have a couple of options, but nothing specific at the moment," says Papis. "Right now people are more worried about finding money and sponsorship than about drivers."
"But I'm not standing still. I've got a couple of good options for the Daytona 24 Hours for sure, and if nothing works out in Champ Cars, then I will concentrate all my energies on Daytona and the 24 Hours of Le Mans... and then wait for some CART team owner to realize they made a mistake by not putting me in his car!"
Speculation has Papis consideing another go at the Rolex 24 with Rob Dyson and it is known that he has had some talks with Don Panoz about a possible ALMS and possibly Le Mans.
November 17,2001 Gavin Signs With Dyson For Daytona
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Oliver Gavin has signed with Dyson Racing for the 2002 Rolex 24 hours. He will share one of the teams Riley & Scott MkIIIs with James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger.
“I’ve been trying to land a drive with Dyson for the past two seasons, and this is a great opportunity,” said Gavin.
“As I understand it I will share with James and Butch, which will a fantastic chance to way to learn from top sportscar drivers in my first ever Daytona. We have a very good chance.”
November 14,2001 U.S. F2000 Champ Tests For Archangel
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
U.S. F2000 National Championship driver Memo Rojas recently tested with Grand-Am SportsRacer II champion, Archangel Motorsport Services Inc.
Rojas earned the test with Archangel Motorsport, after he completed the most laps in the 2001 U.S. F2000 season. The native of Mexico City, Mexico, completed 324 of 328 laps, en route to finishing sixth in the championship.
The test was conducted on the 2.235-mile Carolina Motorsports Park road course. Under ideal weather conditions, Rojas completed four stints in the Archangel Motorsport Nissan-powered Lola during the test. Rojas impressed the team with his feedback and speed throughout the test.
"Memo [Rojas] was very professional and easy to work with," said Archangel Motorsport Services Inc. owner, J. Michael Johnson. " He immediately set impressive times and is further testament to the U.S. F2000 National Championship developing the best young drivers.
November 14,2001 Lockie & Marcos Confirm Daytona Entry
Former British GT champion Calum Lockie will tackle the Daytona 24 hour classic for the third time in a row next February. Lockie has confirmed plans to race alongside Cor Euser in the Florida race in the latest Marcos Mantara and is determined to repeat their stunning performance in the 2001 race.
"I'm absolutely delighted," said Lockie when he announced the news. "It's great to have something already settled for next season as we go into the winter break," he added.
In the 2001 race, the Lockie/Euser Marcos took the fight to the leading Corvettes for much of the race and could have emerged as overall winners had a minor component failure not hit their progress.
Beyond the Daytona race, Lockie is pushing ahead on plans for a full season of sports or GT racing. "We are working hard on next season, but it is early days. I'm looking at national and international options."
November 13,2001 Rolex Series Payout Tops $2.5m
The purse, point fund and other prizes earned by teams and drivers in the Rolex Sports Car Series hit a new high mark for 2001, reaching a total of $2,524,525. The purse and point fund for the 10-race Rolex Series came in just under $2 million in paid awards. The additional awards came from the series’ contingency award program and Rolex watches presented at the Rolex 24 At Daytona and to the Rolex Sports Car Series driver champions.
“Money is of course a necessary part of life and we are proud of the monetary awards we offer our competitors,” Grand American President Roger Edmondson stated. “But long after that money has been spent, this year’s Rolex Series driver champions will still have an absolutely unique Rolex watch as a priceless reminder of their accomplishments.”
Grand American saw a significant increase in participation by the automotive industry in its contingency award program for 2001. Participating companies included Tosco 76 race fuel, Nitrogen by Air Products, Avon tires, BMW engines and automobiles, Bosch spark plugs, Chevrolet Corvette, Cra-Z Soap, Dunlop tires, Dynamic Suspension shock absorbers, Featherlite motorcoaches and transporters, Goodyear tires, Hawk Performance Brake Pads, Kumho tires, Mazda engines and automobiles, Mid Valley Transmissions, Mosler MT900 automobiles, Nissan engines and automobiles, Penske shock absorbers from Competition Tire, Performance Friction Brake Pads from BSR, Pi data acquisition systems, Quarter Master clutch & bellhousings, Stand 21 apparel, Tex T101 transmission and X-1R Performance Lubricants.
More than $2 million was posted by those companies for the year, with more than $350,000 earned during the season. “The competition in the Rolex Series extends to our industry supporters too,” commented Grand American Special Projects Manager Patrick Murphy. “A number of auto manufacturers and aftermarket companies offer big awards for wins and top showings in the series. Unfortunately, only one make can win at a time, so earned awards can’t match posted awards. Having said that, having 18 percent earned is above average and we’re proud of the contribution our contingency sponsors make to the series.”
A large part of the Rolex Series prize money is earmarked for the series’ Team Owner Program. The TOP recognizes teams that have committed to the Rolex Series and provides them with extra awards, hospitality and other benefits. “Teams that make the commitment to race with us all season deserve special attention,” Edmondson added. “We welcome any team that has a car that fits our rules, but the series regulars definitely deserve more reward.” The TOP program includes purse bonuses and a series point fund that are not available to other entrants.
November 13,2001 Sezio Florida Signs Mirro For 2002 Enduros
John Mirro has signed with Sezio Florida Racing for the 2002 enduros in Grand-Am and ALMS. He will be in the new 2002 Norma M 2000-02 / Ford.
Mirro has competed regulary in Grand-Am over the past few years with Intersport, TRV, and this past year with Sezio Florida.
Mirro 2002 Schedule:
Daytona 24 Hours : Jan 31 - Feb 3 (GA)
Sebring 12 Hours : March 16 (ALMS)
Road America 500 Miles : July 7 (ALMS)
Virginia 6 Hours : Aug 29 - Sept 1 (GA)
Mont Tremblant 6 Hours : Sept 13-15 (GA)
Petit Le Mans 1000 Miles : Oct 12 (ALMS)
November 12,2001 K & N Ultima GTR update
Photo Coutersy:K & N filters
The K & N Ultima GTR was launched at the recent Sema Show. More pictures from the show can be seen here.
Crew Chief George Stone says the team is now preparing for some winter testing at Willow Springs near the end of the month.
More to come!!!
November 6,2001 Greg Ray In Risi Ferrari 333SP At Rolex 24
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
1999 IRL Champion Greg Ray announced on Tuesday that he will be part of the driving squad for the Risi Racing Ferrari 333SP at the 2002 Rolex 24 Hours.
Giuseppe Risi will roll out the 333SP for another go at the twice around the clock enduro. Risi's team with Allan McNish Ralf Kelleners, Eric Van der Poele and David Brabham
ran up front for the first 12 hours last year before encountering problems.
"We’re going to roll the old girl out of the barn and go racing," Ray said. "It’s been a while since I’ve done any road racing and I’m looking forward to it very much."
November 3,2001 Four Nascar Drivers Commit To Rolex 24
Four drivers from NASCAR's Winston Cup Series have committed to race with Rolex Sports Car Series teams in the 40th Rolex 24 At Daytona, Feb. 2-3, 2002. Kyle Petty, John Andretti and Jeff Burton will team up in one of the Orbit Racing Porsches to race in the GT class, while Wally Dallenbach will slide behind the wheel of Robinson Racing's SportsRacing Prototype.
Petty joined the Orbit Racing team during the 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona, where he maneuvered the #43 Porsche GT3 R into fourth-place in the GT class on the final turn of the race, impressing both his fans and teammates. Petty was joined by Andretti in Orbit's #45 Porsche GT3 RS at the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 at Watkins Glen International. The pair scored a victory together in the GT class. Burton's interest was peaked during the event at The Glen, which shared the weekend with Winston Cup, prompting him to be added to Orbit's driver lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
"I am very close to Kyle. He is a cherished friend, as well as his family. We just had the time of our lives in the 24-hour race, with an extraordinary finish by Kyle that they will talk about for years," Orbit driver Leo Hindery said of his teammate during this year's Rolex 24. "We are thrilled that it is John Andretti, Kyle Petty and Jeff Burton as part of Orbit Racing. We are anxious to win. We are committed to being very competitive and trying to win the thing. We've got the drivers to do it. We've got some wonderful road racers mixing with these incredible Cup racers.
"I think motorsports is better off when viewed seamlessly and not as a series of silos. It's about the sport of racing cars, regardless of what kind of cars. So when you get cross over, its good for the sport at every level. It's good for Winston Cup, because it shows these aren't just oval drivers. It shows that these fellows can move a road course car like nobody alive. It shows that the guys who drive in the road cars can come to a place like Daytona, that is two-thirds an oval, and do very well. It just shows that it is about the sport and about skills. "
Dallenbach will team back up with an old friend from his road racing roots - Robinson Racing crew chief James Fraser. "I have known Wally since 1984. I won a couple of championships with him in IMSA and Trans Am," Fraser commented. "We stayed in contact and have been good friends. It's always good having a Cup guy racing with us. It's good for us. It's good for the sport. It's good for the series."
Dallenbach will join team owner George Robinson, Jack Baldwin and Steve Knapp in the team's brand new Judd-powered Riley & Scott Mark III-C, which is making its racing debut this weekend during the Grand-Am Finale at Daytona International Speedway. Dallenbach will slide behind the wheel of the prototype for the first time at the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days, January 3-5, 2002.
November 2,2001 2002 Schedule
Grand American Road Racing Association announced its 2002 schedules today for both the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series. The Rolex Series will run a 10-race schedule, while nine confirmed races for Grand-Am Cup were announced. The announcement of a 10th race is expected at a later date. Both schedules will be preceded by the traditional Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days.
“Our schedule for the Rolex Sports Car Series is our best ever,” commented Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. “We have added three new races at new venues, which expand our series with the rebirth of an historic Canadian race course, a major California presence, and a beautiful American track nestled in the heart of America’s Mid-Atlantic region.”
The 10-race Rolex Series schedule includes a balanced mix of track configurations. “We have three stops at Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56 mile road course - arguably one of the most dynamic tracks in the world,” he continued. “We have four traditional road courses with Virginia International Raceway, Le Circuit Mont Tremblant and two stops at historic Watkins Glen International. Rounding out the schedule, we have three stadium road courses at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway and California Speedway near Los Angeles, where we will bring the excitement of road racing directly into major urban market areas with purpose-built race facilities and amenities.”
Grand-Am will share its stage throughout the season, offering race fans a variety of motorsports entertainment. Races at Homestead-Miami and California Speedways will be double-header weekends with the Indy Racing League. These races will offer a unique racing weekend with Grand-Am road racing and IRL oval racing sharing a twin bill. Grand-Am will also be in front of NASCAR Winston Cup fans twice during the year - at Daytona for the Paul Revere 250 in July and again at Watkins Glen in August.
Jan. 3-5 Daytona International Speedway
open testing
Jan. 31-Feb. 3 Daytona International Speedway
Rolex 24-hour
Feb. 28 - Mar. 2 Homestead-Miami Speedway
250-mile/3-hour
March 21-24 California Speedway
400-mile/4-hour
April 18-20 Phoenix International Raceway
200-mile/3-hour
June 21-23 Watkins Glen International
600-mile/6-hour
June 29-30 Virginia International Raceway
250-mile/3-hour
July 3-4 Daytona International Speedway
250-mile/3-hour
Aug. 8-9 Watkins Glen International
200-mile/2-hour
Aug. 29-Sept.1 Virginia International Raceway
600-mile/6-hour
Sept. 13-15 Le Circuit Mont Tremblant
1000 km/6-hour
Sept. 28-29 Mosport International Raceway
Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada
250-mile/3-hour
Nov. 8-10 Daytona International Speedway
300-mile/3-hour
November 2,2001 Goodyear And Dunlop Official Tire
Grand American Road Racing Association has reached a multiyear agreement with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Dunlop Tyres Ltd., making them the exclusive tire suppliers to the Rolex Sports Car Series through the 2004 season. The agreement will take effect beginning with the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days, Jan. 3-5, 2002.
Goodyear will be the sole supplier of tires for the SportsRacing Prototype, GTS and American GT classes. Dunlop will be the exclusive tire in SportsRacing Prototype II and GT. Both companies will have a choice of tire compounds available to suit different tracks and conditions.
“This agreement represents just what can happen when people work toward a common goal. There is something in it for everyone,” Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson stated. “Most importantly, our teams will be guaranteed equal access to tires with no one having an advantage. They will be guaranteed a steady, reliable supply so the tires they want to mount at a particular track late in the season will still be available.
“Goodyear and Dunlop are also making a major financial contribution to the sport with tire awards, a point fund contribution and marketing support that will allow us to increase our publicity and promotion and attract a larger audience to watch our teams do what they do so well,” he continued.
Edmondson also explained that since its establishment Grand-Am has worked to ensure that tire distribution is open, fair and available to everyone. However, toward the end of the 2001 season a minor crisis occurred when a tire supplier had to restrict distribution due to internal production and supply problems, prompting Grand-Am to begin exploring other options.
“We are very happy to have been chosen as Grand-Am’s official tire for the SRP, GTS and AGT classes,” Goodyear Race Tire Director Greg Stucker said. “Goodyear has a proud history in sports car racing, and we are looking forward to carrying on that tradition through this agreement with Grand-Am.”
“Dunlop’s reputation for quality and performance is well known throughout the world,” noted Gary Wassell, Dunlop’s General Sales Manager - Motorsport. “As Grand-Am’s official tire in SRPII and GT, American racers and race fans will get to understand just how good our tires are. We are definitely looking to increase awareness of the Dunlop brand in America, and working closely with Grand-Am, we will be doing promotions around the country to bring more awareness to the Dunlop brand and to the Rolex Sports Car Series.”
As part of the agreement, Goodyear and Dunlop will be offering awards as tire vouchers worth $15,000 per race. In each class, the winning entry will receive a voucher for $1,000, second place will receive $500, and a $750 voucher will be given to the fastest qualifier. There will also be a lottery drawing of all other entries in each class that will award a $750 voucher to the lucky winner.
November 2,2001
Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondson announced that his organization is developing new rules for the Rolex Sports Car Series prototype division to begin in 2003. He said that Grand-Am staff has been discussing design options with various chassis and engine builders and that details of the rules package would be made public in January 2002 during the Rolex 24 At Daytona January Test Days.
“All of the world’s major sports car sanctioning bodies are currently reviewing their rules trying to overcome the negative impact that excessive speed and radical car designs have had on safety,” he noted. “Since Grand-Am’s first season in 2000, we have been emphatic that for cost containment reasons, something had to be done about the technology wars to keep the sport accessible for more than a few manufacturer teams.”
“We agree with the goals of other organizations that cars are going too fast, that aerodynamic packages need to be restudied and that the design of safety components has to be addressed,” Edmondson added. “But, we are going to go one step further. In keeping with the vision of this sport we have supported since day one, we’re going to look into affordability and availability as key issues.”
He said his staff and advisors, being led by Director of Competition Dave Watson and Race Director Mark Raffauf, are still looking at various options. “Whatever we do, it will be evolutionary, not revolutionary,” Watson commented. “We will have rules that will not obsolete our current cars. There will be a couple of years of transition as the new cars become more and more popular.”
Watson added that some of the key goals being looked at for the new car design include use of engines and chassis designs from U.S. and European manufacturers, reducing the role of air intake restrictors, and, ultimately, a high level of competition with safe, fast cars that more teams can afford to run.
November 1,2001 Robinson MKIIIC Set For Daytona Race Debut
Driver Jack Baldwin and Robinson Racing, a perennial contender to win the Rolex 24 At Daytona, are breaking in a new race car during this weekend's Manheim's Daytona Auto Auction Presents The Brumos Continental Historics and Grand-Am Finale.
Baldwin, along with Indy Racing League driver Steve Knapp, will pilot the new No. 74 Robinson Racing Riley & Scott Mk IIIC during Saturday's Rolex Sports Car Series three-hour season finale, which goes green at 6 p.m.
"We're bringing it online at this point," said Baldwin, who has competed in more than 10 Rolex 24s and posted a victory in class. "It has to be ready for next year's Rolex 24 and next season's competition. We tried to bring it on last year, but there was some issues with the car that had to be dealt with."
The Riley & Scott Mk IIIC has been tested once in Kershaw, S.C., and this weekend's Grand-Am Finale will be the first time it'll do battle in a race. Baldwin reports that the car seems to be better than the team's old Riley & Scott Mk III.
"I have no desire to drive the Mark III after I drove (the new car)," Baldwin said.
Baldwin says his team will try to win this weekend, but the focus of their effort will be on preparing for the 40th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona on Feb. 2-3.
"It's a race, but for us, it's more important to use it as a test than win the race," Baldwin said. "Obviously, we're going to race the car. During the race, if we feel the need to come in and make changes, I don't think we'll have a problem doing that. Our position is not affected by points. At this point, we're looking toward next year.
"When you bring a new car online, there's some issues. It's not like buying a new car on the street. You don't just get the keys and drive off. Having a new race car means having a whole set of procedures that you have to go through in order to bring the car to its brink of successes. When you're buying a new race car, you're committing yourself to an intensive work schedule."
The Riley & Scott Mk IIIC is so new, it doesn't even have its distinctive paint scheme.
"It's brand new," Baldwin said. "We plan on making some changes to it. There's no use in painting it and then taking a hacksaw to it. We traditionally don't paint the car until after the test so when the car comes for the Rolex 24, it's fresh."
October 31,2001 Doran/Lista Judd Dallara Officially Entered For Finale
In an unexpected yet crafty attempt to end this season explosively while priming for next season, the Doran/Lista Racing Team is unveiling its new car in the Rolex Grand American Series. The Doran/Lista Judd Dallara will make its grand entrance into the racing world in the final 2001 race at the Daytona International Speedway November 1-3.
"We knew we had to get a new car because of the age of our old Ferrari 333 SP," Car Owner, Fredy Lienhard explains. "Being able to get a car from the same manufacturer is the best solution I could think of. Even though we are taking some risk, it is very good to be able "to test" the car before the big 24 hour race next year."
With the three-month hiatus between the last race [Watkins Glen] and this race, there was time to take delivery of and prep the new Dallara, ending the long reign of the favorite champion Ferrari.
"My expectation is that we will have a competitive car and a good performance. This will be good for my company and for everybody involved - especially for our fine team," Lienhard says. "As we had a good year 2001 with two big wins, of course, the expectations are quite high! I look forward to a challenging new season and most importantly to a good friendship with our Doran-Lista Racing Team."
October 31,2001 Ultima GTR Announced For 2002
The official announcement of a new Ultima GTR entry for Grand-Am takes place at 10:30 am this morning at the SEMA show in Las Vegas.
George Stone will Crew Chief for the new outfit and passes on some insight.
"K&N racing is campaning an Ultima GTR in the US in the Grand-Am series with zero help from the UK teams. The Ultima in England is totaly different. I can tell you that we plan to run the whole Grand-Am schedule and maybe some ALMS if things go our way. Our driver lineup is Roddny Mall, Jeff Mall, RK Smith, and Doug Dwyer. John Reedy, and John Hutson of K&N are the engine builders, and Doug Dwyer is the Team Mgr."
We will have more after the official announcement.
October 30,2001 Cobb Takes Position With G&W Motorsports
Price Cobb has been named managing director of G&W Motorsports, Inc. Cobb ,whose professional driving career includes wins at the 24 Hours of LeMans and Daytona and a former winner of both the World and North American Porsche Cups.
"Working with Cole and the entire team at G&W is a wonderful progression in my career and it allows me to focus on my strengths. I have driven for them in the past and found them to be truly professional. Cole has the ability to bring out the best in everyone with a quiet calm. I am extremely excited about the chance to work with them and hopefully share my knowledge of the industry from both a driver's and team owner's perspective," said Cobb. "The G&W facility is situated on one of, if not the most amazing racing facilities I have seen in my career and it will make going to the office an even bigger pleasure than it already is," added Cobb.
In a natural progression of his Motorsports career, Cobb has accepted the position with G&W Motorsports. Cobb will assume the day-to-day management of the workshop activities as well as testing and development utilizing the pristine facilities at Virginia International Raceway.
"The idea of having someone like Price involved in our organization is a dream come true. We think he is the perfect individual to bring G&W Motorsports into some elite company through his management style, development ability and recognition in the racing community." says Cole Scrogham.
G&W Motorsports is coming off a suspenseful, consecutive winning year in the Grand American Road Racing Association's Rolex Series. The team will wrap up the season in the finale event at Daytona International Speedway Nov. 1-3 in which they hope to bring home the GT, GTS and Driver's Championships. G&W wishes to extend an invitation to welcome Price Cobb into the G&W organization at the 2nd Annual Fall Fling and Open House at VIR December 1 and 2.
October 10,2001 VIR Added To 2002 Schedule
A remarkable history of sports car racing will have a new chapter written when the Grand American Road Racing Association brings national championship racing back to Virginia International Raceway on Labor Day weekend (August 29 - Sept. 1) next season.
Reopened in March 2000 after a 25 year hiatus, VIR was host to a who’s who of racing legends for two decades, from its original opening in 1957 until its closing in 1974. Living up to its new slogan - Fun, Fast, & World Class - the modern race circuit boasts a challenging 3.27-mile full course with excellent viewing areas for race fans.
“We held a very successful AMA Superbike race weekend here in September, and now we’re ready to offer a major sports car event,” VIR’s Vickie Abbott said. “Grand-Am offers the excitement we’re looking for to entertain our fans.”
Abbott noted that the track and its staff go out of their way to ensure that everyone has a good time when they come to VIR. “We put up a large movie screen during the AMA race and showed old classic bike movies under the stars for our campers. I’m sure we’ll do something similar for our car fans on the Grand-Am weekend. We are always trying to find a way to make a race weekend more of an experience!”
The Labor Day race schedule will include twin 250-milers for the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series on Saturday, August 31, and a 500-mile/six-hour contest on Sunday for the Rolex Sports Car Series. The Grand-Am Cup races will be split into two divisions - Grand Sport and Sport Touring - with each division running a separate 250-mile race.
“We’re very pleased to be adding VIR to our Rolex Series schedule for 2002,” Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson noted. “We came here last year with Grand-Am Cup and got great reports from racers and staff. It’s an excellent race course, and it’s being run by some truly genuine people. It’s the kind of place where racers and fans are sure to have a great time.”
Come next Labor Day, more than 30 years will have passed since Peter Gregg and Hurley Heywood teamed up at VIR to win the IMSA GT “Danville 250” in April of 1972. But as surely as VIR’s 4000 feet long front straight will quicken the pulse of any true racer or race fan, the scream of championship engines will reverberate once again over those rolling hills and a new team of drivers will have their names etched into the record books as the ones who inaugurated the rebirth of sports car history at VIR.
October 4,2001 California Speedway On 2002 Schedule
California Speedway and Grand American Road Racing Association jointly announced today that Grand-Am would join with the Indy Racing League in a double-header racing weekend at the Fontana, Calif., track on the weekend of March 23-24. The Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will both be featured at the event.
“We have been working with the people at California Speedway ever since they decided earlier this year to build a road course at the facility,” Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson stated. “Now that the course is completed, we have been able to put together our first California race weekend. I have to say, it’s very exciting for Grand-Am to be involved in the rebirth of road course racing in Southern California. There is so much tradition here from tracks that don’t exist any more. We are looking forward to writing a new chapter into the history books.”
The Fontana race will be the third race on what is anticipated to be a 10-race 2002 Rolex Sports Car Series schedule. The complete schedule is expected to be released within the next two weeks.
September 19,2001 Daytona Finale Rescheduled During Brumos Historics
Grand American Road Racing Association President Roger Edmondson announced today that the Rolex Sports Car Series and Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will join Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) at Daytona International Speedway for an exciting weekend of racing in the Manheim's Daytona Auto Auction Presents The Brumos Continental Historics, Nov. 1-3.
The Rolex Series and Grand-Am Cup will practice on Thursday, Nov. 1, in both the afternoon and evening, with both series returning to the track on Friday, Nov. 2, for additional practice sessions before the four-hour Grand-Am Cup race under the lights. The Rolex Series will also run into the evening on Saturday, Nov. 3, in a three-hour race.
There will be no qualifying held for the two races. Both will be gridded by the current point standings in accordance to the Grand-Am Rule Book.
Both the Rolex Series and Grand-Am Cup races will offer race fans a visually exciting show as the race cars' headlights dart through the infield onto the banked oval under the glow of the Speedway's lights.
A complete event schedule for the Manheim's Daytona Auto Auction Presents The Brumos Continental Historics including the Rolex Series and Grand-Am Cup practice and race times will be available on Thursday, Sept. 20.
September 10,2001 Dallenbach, Skinner to Test for Rolex 24 on Wednesday
Wally Dallenbach Jr. and Mike Skinner are expected to test for the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Wednesday in Robinson Racing's 74-Ranch Judd-engined Riley & Scott. Robinson and Jack Baldwin are looking to fill the two remaining seats in the car.Dallenbach's participation in the Rolex 24 appears to be a done deal, Skinner will not make his decision until after recording some laps behind the wheel of the powerful Riley & Scott.
September 5,2001 Blackforest Motorsports Riley&Scott
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
The #28 Ford Riley & Scott formerly owned by the Intersport Team will travel to Daytona with a new owner, sponsor and driver line up. The #28 will sport the colors and name of the Eran South Corporation at the Daytona Finale. New-owner Blackforest Motorsports Group will have Floridians Allen Ziegleman, of Boca Raton, and Peter Argetsinger, of Weston, behind the wheel for the race.
August 28,2001 Team Seattle To Campaign Saleens In Rolex 24
Team Seattle Racing for Children's will be fielding two identically prepared Saleen S-7R racecars prepared and managed by Park Place Racing at the 2002 Rolex24 Hours
Park Place owners David and Chris Bingham have been involved with the Team Seattle effort over the past 5 years
Don Kitch Jr., Wade Gaughran, Dave Gaylord and Chris Bingham will return for another go at the once around the clock marathon and the four remaining seats will be filled in the near future.
August 10,2001 Chris Dyson To Drive Dyson R&S
Dyson Racing Team owner Rob Dyson, of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., is no stranger behind the wheel of the Thetford/Norcold/Goodyear-sponsored #20 Ford-powered Riley & Scott.
But today's race features a new member of the Dyson clan in the driver seat. Rob's son Chris will share driving duties with his father and Elliot Forbes-Robinson, of Sherrill's Ford, N.C., in tonight's Bully Hill Vineyards 250.
It will be the first Rolex Series race for 23-year-old Dyson, who has two years of SCCA national and pro-level experience under his belt.
August 9,2001 New Gunnar Racing 911GT-3
Photo Coutersy:Gunnar Racing
Gunnar Racing is sporting a red paint scheme this weekend at Watkins Glen on their new 911GT-3 project that is similar to that of the guitar of Eddie Van Halen. A small Van Halen logo appears on the side of the #75 Porsche GT3 R, as well as on the crew's shirts. When questioned about the paint scheme and logo, team owner Kevin Jeannette only smiled and said he could not confirm or deny the team's association with Van Halen, but that the use of the trademarked logo was approved.
You can read more about the project at Gunnar Racing.
August 8,2001 Norma Damage Update
The Norma, who hit the turn 9 wall hard at the beginning of Saturday practice at Trois-Rivieres and could not replace the gearbox and rear wing will now miss
the next round at Watkins Glen this weekend.
Edouard Sezionale :says "No spare parts for the gearbox and no other rear wing : I take the decision to cancel our race in Trois-Rivières GP and Glen 250 for we won't have reliable solutions before. Here(Trois Rivieres), Kevin Doran kindly propose us their Crawford rear wing but I think we couldn't put it on the car. We are really disappointed for we made a good first season until today and had good standings. Now, we have to prepare for Daytona Finale and 2002 season with the new Norma M2000-02-Ford. We'll have a very busy 2001 autumn and that's great !"
August 2,2001 Kumpen & GLPK Viper To Run '02 Rolex 24
Photo Courtesy:GTRacing.net
Belgian racer Anthony Kumpen has confirmed
that he will participate in the 2002 Daytona 24
Hours with GLPK Racing, driving the Belgian
team's 2001-spec Chrysler Viper GTS-R.
This will be the 22-year old's second attempt
at the Rolex classic, the first having come
courtesy of British team Cirtek Motorsport in
the ex-Dick Barbour Porsche GT3-R that now
contests the British GT series.
"The deal has just been signed off and it
means that Anthony will also race with GLPK at
Zolder in the 24 Hours race this month too,"
commented the driver's manager Andy
Woolgar.
It is likely that fellow Belgian Wim Daems will also drive the Viper in America, but
the team, which has this season campaigned their Xeikon backed car in the FIA
GT series, is keen to find another two experienced drivers to join Kumpen.
"Well, we think we will be in with a good chance of overall victory," insisted team
manager Jorge Segers, "We have done Daytona before and tasted success, and I
think that, by having Anthony on our squad, it can only enhance our chances. He
won the Zolder 24hrs last year for us along with [Marc] Duez, and is a very quick
pilot. We will give a free test two prospective serious drivers before the race."
Kumpen is about to undertake his third 24 hour race of the season at Spa this
weekend, but is ecstatic to have landed a firm Daytona deal so early.
"Of course, I always like to drive with GLPK," he said, "They're a great little team
who are very enthusiastic as well as professional. Most important of all, however,
they have the knowledge and experience of how to run a Viper in a long distance
race."
August 1,2001 Grand-Am Rule Ammendments
Grand-Am released some changes or ammendments to its constructor rules today. Here are a couple that stand out that could have some effects on certain chassis and engine manufacturers in SRP.
1)ge 65
Section 5-3 Normally Aspirated Engines Add new sentence: The complete air box and restrictors must not be more than 6 inches forward of the engine block.
2)
ge 75
Section 14-2 Rollover Structure D. Add new first sentence: The rear rollover structure (main hoop) must be made of one continuous length of tubing with only two bends, (maximum bend radii of 6 inches) and be symmetrical to the longitudinal centerline of the car.
3)
ge 80
Section 20-1 Restrictor Sizes SportsRacing Prototype Change: All turbocharged engines Restrictors size from 32.4 MM to 30.0 MM.
The last one is pretty intersting. The Champion Lola-Porsche should like this one.
July 31,2001 Petty, Andretti Team Up in Porsche At The Glen
Two of the most famous names in racing will team up to compete in the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series race at Watkins Glen International, August 10. Kyle Petty and John Andretti will share driving duties in the Orbit Motorsports #45 Porsche GT3 RS during the Bully Hill Vineyards 250 at Watkins Glen.
The race at The Glen will be the second Rolex Series race of the season for Petty, who also ran in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in February. With NASCAR's Winston Cup Series and the Rolex Sports Car Series sharing the weekend of racing at The Glen, Petty jumped at the chance to slide behind the wheel of a sports car yet again. This time he asked fellow-Petty Enterprises driver Andretti to drive with him in the 250-mile race.
"Kyle came up to me and said 'Hey, do you want to drive,' and I said yes," explained Andretti, who will be competing in his first-ever Rolex Series race. "Kyle had a great time in Daytona with the team, and he really likes them. We'll come out, have a good time and hopefully do well."
"I had a great time running at Daytona, and I'm really looking forward to running at Watkins Glen," Petty said. "It should be a cool deal running with John in a Grand-Am car. We're teammates in the (Winston) Cup deal, but driving the same car takes it to another level."
Petty was behind the wheel of Orbit's #43 Porsche at the end of the 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway and was part of an exciting battle for position as the checkered flag flew. Petty fought off current-points leader Darren Law, of Phoenix, on the final lap to finish fourth place in the GT class and seventh place overall. As the two drivers battled for position on the final lap, they encountered a mass of slow moving race cars collecting behind the overall winner as he crossed the finish line.
"As I came though NASCAR turn three to four, I looked over at four and see what looks like 15 or 20 cars running at about 40 mph, and we were racing at about 160 mph," said Petty about the final lap of the Rolex 24. "Since I'm new to this, I didn't know if I was breaking some kind of sports car rule by passing everyone, but I wanted that position for the boys on the team. "
Petty's gusty maneuvering on the final lap of the Rolex 24 impressed his Orbit teammates, who are thrilled to have him back on board for the Bully Hill Vineyards 250.
July 26,2001 Doran Buys Two Dallara Chassis
Derek Meluzio has just passed this on that Autoweek Mag. are reporting that Kevin Doran has purchased two Dallara chassis identical to
the ones Oreca ran at Le Mans. The plan calls for the cars to be equipped with the Judd V10. This was the original configuration all the development work was done in
so the cars should be quick right away. More info. to come.
July 24,2001 Intersport Racing To Run Second Lola
Clint Field has commented on what the future holds for the Intersport Banana Joes Racing Team.
"We have purchased a new Lola B2/K10 chassis, and we will start competing with it at the GA Watkins Glen race. We hope to do a few ALMS races with the car at maybe Mid-Ohio, and also maybe the PLM. "
"For next year, we will compete with two Lola B2/K10's in the GA series, and one car in the majority of the ALMS races."
July 23,2001 Two Seperate Races At Trois-Rivières
The Rolex Sport Car Series is made up of five classes that will compete in two separate races at Le Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. The SportsRacing Prototype (SRP), SportsRacing Prototype II (SRPII) and Grand Touring Super (GTS) classes will compete together on Sunday, Aug. 3 at 3 p.m., in a 92-lap sprint race, while the Grand Touring (GT) and American GT (AGT) classes will race on Saturday, Aug. 2 at 3:15 p.m., in an 82-lap sprint race.
The SportsRacing Prototypes are the premier classes in the Rolex Series and showcases purebred race cars. Prototype designs include low silhouettes, mid-engine chassis, high rear wings, and state-of-the-art components like carbon fiber bodywork and onboard electronic telemetry. There are two classes within prototypes, with the SRPII class featuring lighter weight cars with less powerful engines. In prototype racing, the car’s chassis is married to one of several available racing engines with chassis builders Ferrari, Kudzu, Lola, Norma and Riley & Scott and engine-makers BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Judd, Mazda and Nissan used in various combinations.
The prototypes will be joined on the street course during Sunday's race by the GTS cars. Turbocharged Porsches, V8-powered Corvettes and V10 Vipers compete in the GTS class against other exotic sports cars like the new Saleen S7R.
The other two GT classes of the Rolex Series will race together on Saturday. The GT class is comprised of racing versions of production sports cars including the Porsche 911, BMW M3, Mosler MT900 and Mazda RX7. The AGT class includes tube-framed race cars with American engines - Corvettes, Camaros, Firebirds, Mustangs and Oldsmobiles being among the most popular.
July 23,2001 Norma LMP Update
For the Trois-Rivières GP, the Norma will compete with a new aero fitting : a deeper front strip will appear in order to improve the general balance. The second improvement will be new push rods freshly re-designed by Norbert Santos and his team in France.
Also Edouard Sezionale has announced that the future Norma M 2000-02 / Ford V8 will be fitted out with the new brand Hewland gearbox, sequential six speeds one. That gearbox is 15 kgs lighter than other ones ans used a magnesium crankcase.
July 5,2001 Miracle Motorsports Returns
Photo Coutersy:Miracle Motorsports
This will be the first race back for the #6 Miracle Motorsports Team after an incident at Watkins Glen involving the #15 Fordahl Porsche. The chassis and tub were sent back to Riley and Scott for a crack check, when the green light was given, the crew, headed up by Chief Mechanic Bruce Holley, began rebuilding. Missing two races, the Grand Prix of Lime Rock and the ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic from Mid-Ohio, the driving team of John Macaluso, Brent Sherman (Barrington, IL), and Ross Bentley (Vancouver, BC) are excited to return to the series with the Road America 500.
July 3,2001 Gunnar Racing Planning To Run G-99
Although this news is a month old, and I don't remember hearing much about it, but Gunnar Racing posted an update on their site that work had started back up on the G-99. This is the car that is a spyder variant of a 97 911GT1-Evo.
The update states that the car will be campaigned at the end of the year in Grand-Am using an air-cooled 3.2 liter engine. This will be nice addition to the SRII class..
June 26,2001 Eric van de Poole Joins Robinson Racing For Road America
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Eric van de Poole, fresh off a fine podium finish for Bentley at Le Mans, will partner Jack Baldwin and George Robinson at Road America in the 74Ranch R&S-Judd. The team has not decided if they will run the race with the new MKIIIC chassis or the older car. The 500 mile endurance test on the scenic
4.0 mile Road America circuit will take place July 5th-8th.
June 20,2001 Pilgrim To Team Up with Team X-1R
Flis Motorsports Team X-1R announced that renowned Corvette driver Andy Pilgrim, of Cooper City, Fla., will be joining the team for the Road America 500 at Elkhart Lake, Wis., July 5-8. Pilgrim will share driving duties with Doug Goad, of Farmington Hills, Mich., and Craig Conway, of Daytona Beach, Fla., in the X-1R Performance Lubricants/Goodyear-sponsored Corvette C5.
"We have decide to add Andy to the driver line-up to help us earn our sixth-straight victory," said team owner Todd Flis, of Daytona Beach. "Andy is considered to be a Corvette expert. He has driven with both Doug and Craig in the past, and I feel it will make for a strong team."
June 11,2001 Broadfoot To Run Nascar Drivers At 2nd Glen Event:
Albert Broadfoot has passed on information that his teams Porsche 911GT3-R will have a pair of Nascar drivers in it for the second Grand-Am event at Watkins Glen. The drivers will be announced soon.
June 7,2001 Mid-Ohio Update:
Saleen Bounces Back from Electrical Problems
The Saleen S7R of Park Place Racing/Fordahl Motorsports returned to action today during a test session at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic. The Saleen retired early from the Lime Rock Grand Prix two weeks ago when it suffered severe electrical problems, whose cause the team could not pinpoint.
"We found out that we were actually having two water-induced electrical problems," car owner Chris Bingham, of Kirkland, Wash., said. "We also had a ventilation problem with the windshield that made it very difficult to see."
The Saleen S7R will take to the track for the first official practice session of the ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic on Friday at 10 a.m.
Dorsey Schroeder Returns With Dyson
Dorsey Schroeder, of Little Torch Key, Fla., will share driving duties with Elliot Forbes-Robinson, of Sherrill's Ford, N.C., this weekend in the Ford-powered Riley & Scott. Forbes-Robinson, known in the racing community as EFR, normally slides behind the wheel with either Englishman Andy Wallace or team owner Rob Dyson. However, both Wallace and Dyson had prior commitments for this weekend, opening up a spot for Schroeder on the team. This weekend will be Schroeder's first appearance in the Rolex Sports Car Series since it kicked off the season with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Robinson Returns with New Riley & Scott Mark III-C
Robinson Racing will once again attempt to debut its new Riley & Scott Mark III-C at this weekend's ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic. The team first attempted to debut the new car at the Six Hour of The Glen in May, but a stuck throttle caused team owner George Robinson, of Houston, to get into the wall, severely damaging the car. The team pulled out their old Riley & Scott car to compete in at The Glen and Lime Rock Grand Prix while the new car was being repaired. The new Mark III-C is back at the track and Robinson and co-driver Jack Baldwin, of Marietta, Ga., hope it will help them repeat their ConAgra Foods U.S. Road Racing Classic victory of last year. No other team has contested a new Riley & Scott Mark III-C in the Rolex Sports Car Series.
June 2,2001 New Enties At Mid-Ohio:
Photo Coutersy: Multimatic Motorsports
Two new entries will be racing at the Mid-Ohio Grand-Am event.
Multimatic Motorsports have enterd their Nissan Lola in SRII for Canadians Scott Maxwell and Peter Czapka
Multimatic won the LMP675 class at Le Mans with this car last year. Also entered for the event is the American Viperacing
Viper GTS-R for owner Tom Weickardt and Gene Martindale. AVR have run the early rounds of the ALMS and have been doing some extensive testing over the past couple months and should be
very competitive and Mid-Ohio.
May 14,2001 David Murry To G&W Motorsports:
David Murry has announced on his site that he will be driving for G & W Motorsports at the Glen 6 hour and Road America. He also states that Kelly Moss Motorsports has closed the doors on their race program and he is searching for a full time ride.
May 2,2001 Doran Returns To Ferrari Chassis:
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Kevin Doran has notified Crawford Race Cars that his team will be returning to a Ferrari chassis for the next three Grand-Am races. The Crawford SSC2K run by the team at the first three events of 2001 has not progressed as rapidly as hoped.
"We didn't see this coming," said Max Crawford, owner of Crawford Race Cars. "Of course we are disappointed with Kevin's decision to change cars, but we have been under the gun the entire time. This will give us a chance to go back to the wind tunnel and do some work that we could not accomplish when we were working 24/7 to develop the actual car on a race-to-race basis."
Crawford and car designer Andy Scriven plan to take a scale model of the car to the new Auto Research Center wind tunnel at Mooresville, N.C., for a full aerodynamic test, further refining and developing the aerodynamic characteristics of the car.
"Having this extra time may be a blessing in disguise," Crawford added. "We will go to the wind tunnel to re-establish the baseline, then go back once we have established the direction that we want to take the development of the car. This extra time will aid not only Kevin the next time he plans to race the SSC2K, but also any potential buyers of the car."
May 1,2001 Air Intake Restrictor Rules Revised for V8 R&S:
Grand American Road Racing Association issued a Technical Bulletin today that rescinds a special consideration for V8-powered five-speed Riley & Scott chassis regarding engine air intake restrictor dimensions. The ruling is effective immediately and will be in place for the next round of the Rolex Sports Car Series, the Six Hours at The Glen on May 18-20.
Grand-Am rules had previously made an exception for the five-speed R&S cars, allowing the teams to fit an intake restrictor that was slightly larger than the standard for all other cars with the same engines. With this announcement, the five-speed Riley & Scott models will be using the same standard units as any other chassis. This change brings Grand-Am in line with other major sanctioning bodies around the world.
The most prominent of the Riley & Scott entrants has been the championship-winning #16 of the Dyson Racing Team. While the original intake restrictor rule was based on the assumption that the older chassis would need an equalizer to be competitive, the accomplishments of the Dyson team have proven that assumption false.
"I don’t believe this change will materially affect the performance of the teams fielding this car, but it will go a long way towards insuring that they get full credit for their successes," Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson said. "Unfortunately, the achievements of the Dyson Racing Team has been tainted by some members of the press who focused on the restrictor break rather than the overall excellence of the team and driver performance. This should not be looked at as some kind of penalty for these teams as much as it a recognition of their ability to compete."
Grand-Am's Director of Competition David Watson concurred, remarking, "This chassis in a five-speed configuration has earned the pole position at 75 percent of our events and has been the race winner in most of our events. It seems quite clear that a designer capable of winning the Indy 500, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, LeMans and Sebring does not need any help from us."
April 30,2001 Grand-Am Future Plans:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Monday, April 30, 2001) Grand American President Roger Edmondson and Special Projects Manager Patrick Murphy completed a series of visits to interested automobile manufacturers last week that saw the pair offering a preview of Grand-Am’s plans for future seasons, starting with 2002.
During last week’s trip, the Grand-Am officials visited Audi, Daimler/Chrysler and General Motors. An earlier trip to California had them meeting with Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Mazda and Nissan.
"The meetings were very helpful for us," Edmondson commented. "We got the chance to let these companies know what changes we see in our schedule and class line up for next season and beyond. At the same time, we had the opportunity to hear their views on racing-related topics. It went very well."
Edmondson presented a number of topics during the discussions that covered the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, the Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series and other new competition formats set to roll out within the next two years.
The Rolex Sports Car Series will see a shift to longer race distances beginning in 2002. "The Rolex Series will still include races ranging in length from a couple of hours up to the big one the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The difference will be that we are going to encourage our event promoters to consider six-hour or five-hundred mile formats wherever possible,” Edmondson added.
The meetings also involved discussions of class formats. The performance of the current SportsRacing Prototype and GTS classes will be brought into closer parity, offering fans wheel-to-wheel excitement between the open-top SRPs and the production-styled GTS cars.
The Grand-Am Cup Street Stock Series will likely see a new class created to bridge the gap between the current Sports Touring and Compact classes. Also, the quicker SGS and GS classes will run in their own separate races at several events next year. The remaining classes will also have a matching three-hour race.
"Splitting the Cup Series into two races will make the racing more exciting to both racers and fans. The faster class cars won’t have to dodge the lower performance compacts and sedans all the time and drivers of the smaller cars will no longer have to look over their shoulder every time they go into a turn," Edmondson explained.
It was also noted that the 2002 Rolex Series schedule may expand up to as many as 12 events, with at least one new race anticipated next year in California. The 2002 schedule will also end later with the Grand-Am Finale at Daytona International Speedway moving from its September date this year to November next season. A special 1,000-mile "American Mille Miglia" race will be debuted with Grand-Am Cup cars from the current season and new models from manufacturers facing off in a race to glory.
Finally, the Grand-Am representatives presented descriptions of two new programs that could become reality in 2002 or 2003. A special sprint series for the smaller two-seater roadsters being introduced by many manufacturers is in the works with the expectation that the cars will be kept as close to stock as possible. Another proposed new series would feature tube-framed stock cars from American and international manufacturers competing in a series consisting of both oval and road course races.
April 17,2001 Miracle Motorsports Riley & Scott:
Photo Coutersy:Miracle Motorsports
Miracle Motorsports is thrilled to announce their plans to campaign the remainder of the Grand American Road Racing Series. John Macaluso (Winter Haven, FL) and Brent Sherman (Barrington, IL) will pair up to pilot the Miracle Motorsports/Serta Mattress #6 SRP entry.
Miracle Motorsports acquired the Lozano powered Riley and Scott after a merger between Miracle Motorsports and TRP Racing fell through. TRP ran the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona earlier this season. After suffering an incident on the track where the car flipped, it resulted in the car being dubbed useless. At that point, Miracle Motorsports and TRP Racing began talks of a merger involving the purchase of a new car to run in the Grand Am Series. TRP Racing then closed their doors, making all equipment and the new SRP entry available to John Macaluso and Miracle Motorsports. Miracle Motorsports then stepped up to the plate, purchased the car and equipment and will debut the #6 entry in Phoenix.
John Macaluso will bring Miracle Auto Dealerships sponsorship to the team. Macaluso began his racing career in 1977 by running club events. By 1983, he was running professionally in Formula Atlantics and Can Am events, and by the early 90's, he was running in the esteemed IMSA Camel Lights Series. John then ran in the World Sports Car Series with teams such as Scandia Racing and Brown Motorsports. Macaluso campaigned, most recently, in the BFGoodrich Tires Trans-Am Series in 2000.
Brent Sherman will co-drive the Miracle Motorsports Riley and Scott SRP entry. Sherman brings Serta Mattress sponsorship to the team. Mattress Outlet, the largest Nation wide dealer of Serta Mattresses, will co-sponsor Sherman and the Miracle Motorsports entry. Sherman was initially slated to run the entire Grand Am season with TRP Racing, however, he will now run the season with Miracle Motorsports. Brent comes to the team with an impressive competitive background. He began his racing career by winning the 1997 Russell Racing School Graduate Championship. He then ran a 2-year stint in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, consistently finishing in the top 10 throughout the 1999 and 2000 seasons. He also drove TRP Racing's Lola-Nissan to a second place finish at last years Nextel 250 Grand Am event in Homestead, FL.
Prep on the new car has been completed by Mike Gue of Essex Racing and Bruce Holley. Veteran racer, Ross Bentley, will be on hand in Phoenix to study the new car and will then co-drive at the Six Hours of the Glen, Watkins Glen, NY, May 20, 2001.
The Sun Automotive 200 will commence at 7pm Pacific Time, April 21, 2001, at the Phoenix International Raceway. The race will be aired live on Speedvision. Visit our website www.miraclemotorsports.com for continual updates and race results.
April 12,2001 Second Norma For Grand-Am:
Due to its non-selection by the ACO the Norma team has canceled its ELMS 2001 program.
"Obviously, there is actually no interest to run in this Championship if the car can't run in Sarthe" states Edouard Sezionale.
Instead the team will enter a second car in Grand-Am by June powered by a Ford V8.
April 11,2001 No R & S MKIII-C at Phoenix:
OnTrack is reporting that Dyson Racing and Robinson Racing will not have R & S MKII-C's at the Phoenix Grand-Am event.
Dyson Racing is not expected to bring their new R & S MKIII-C chassis to Phoenix due to some small problems which pertain to the driver position. There were reports by the Dyson drivers at Sebring that the cockpit was extremely warm.
The position in the new car is different due to the engine being moved forward for better balance.
Robinson Racing was scheduled to take delivery of their new R & S MKII-C today. The delivery date will not allow enough time for testing. They will instead run their older R & S MKIII-Judd at Phoenix and plan to test the new car at Mid-Ohio in early May.
"I'm a little disappointed that they didn't get it right the first time around," said Jack Baldwin. "I'm sure ultimately it's going to be a happy ending. We don't have any worries like we did last year with the Reynard."
April 9,2001 Crawford SSC2K Finds More Speed in Homestead Test:
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Denver, N.C, -- Recent chassis dyno testing, followed by
on-track confirmation at Homestead-Miami Speedway, has aided the new
Crawford SSC2K by finding more top speed and ridding the car of an
acceleration gremlin that had plagued the Doran-Lista team.
After finishing third at the Homestead race March 3, Doran and Crawford
continued development and modifications to the vehicle. What they found on
the chassis dyno surprised them, but confirmed suspicions they had as far
back as the Rolex 24 at Daytona in February, the first time the Crawford
SSC2K performed in competition.
On the dyno, Doran validated that the car accelerated rapidly, but would
soon drop off and "bog down" through certain areas of the race track, such
as the banking of the turns. It was determined that due to the design of the
gearbox, the oil would pool in the gears and overheat causing torsional
drag.
The transverse gearbox (essentially "upside down") was designed to be an
advantage with the weight low to the ground, and to give easier access for a
quick change during competition. To solve the flooding problem, Crawford
added an additional pickup pump and regulated the amount of oil squirting on
the gears by installing jets in the main gallery.
Crawford also found that the radiator intakes were collecting trash and
clogging. They relocated the intakes from underneath the body to higher up
on the nose, and fortunately incurred no drag penalty by doing so.
As the three-day test session progressed, the Crawford SSC2K gained more
speed on the straights, and chopped 1.5 seconds off the lap times from what
the Lista-Doran team had been running during the race. Behind the wheel for
the test were Didier Theys and Ross Bentley, regular team drivers.
"We went back to test at Homestead because we had just raced there (in
March)," explained Max Crawford, one of the designers of the Crawford SSC2K.
"This meant that we had hard data to use as a base for comparison. We could
prove the chassis dyno results in a controlled, real world situation."
Heading into Phoenix, Crawford is pleased and optimistic about the car.
"Obviously we should be a lot more competitive," he said. "This puts us in a
lot stronger stead. The car is extremely reliable, and the gearbox appears
bulletproof. We will make a few more minor aero changes between now and
then, but we don't have any serious issues left that we can pinpoint. All
our primary questions seem to have been answered."
March 30, Archangel Motorsport To Award Test Drive:
The defending Grand-Am SportsRacer II champion, Archangel Motorsport Services, has announced it will offer a test drive to a U.S. F2000 National Championship driver in 2001.
As part of the U.S. F2000 career options package, Archangel will offer a free test to the U.S. F2000 driver which completes the most laps during the 2001 season. The test will be conducted in one of Archangel's Nissan-powered Lola's at a track to be determined, following the completion of both the U.S. F2000 National Championship and Rolex Grand-Am Series seasons.
"We've had great success with F2000 graduates in the car," said Michael Johnson, Archangel Motorsport Services owner and a former U.S. F2000 driver. "In order to succeed in endurance racing you need to be both quick and consistent. That's why we're offering the test to the driver who completes the most laps."
In 2000, Archangel dominated the newly formed SportsRacer II class in Grand-Am. In the team's inaugural season it won six of the nine races, capturing the championship and giving U.S. F2000 graduates Ryan Hampton and Larry Oberto the driver championship. As a reward for winning the title the 2000 SportsRacer champion, Dyson Racing, offered both Hampton and Oberto a test. In early November, Hampton and Oberto drove the Dyson Racing Riley & Scott MKIII at Virginia International Raceway in a successful test.
"One reason we want to do this is because Dyson gave the opportunity to our drivers last year," said Johnson. "As a former U.S. F2000 team we have always believed in the quality of the series and we want to help drivers move up the motorsports ladder."
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
March 2, John Paul Jr. To Drive For Konrad At Homestead:
Konrad Motorsports announced John Paul Jr. will replace Charles Slater on its driver lineup to partner car own Franz Konrad in the teams
Lola B2K/10-Ford at Homestead. The drive will be Paul Jr. first sportscar ride this season.
Photo Coutersy:SCRWC
Febrary 28, Team X-1R To Debut Corvette at Homestead:
Flis Motorsports Team X-1R will debut its #09 Chevrolet Corvette in the American GT class at the Nextel 250 this weekend, after running a Chevrolet Camaro last season and at the Rolex 24 At Daytona last month.
Team X-1R finished second at the Rolex 24 At Daytona despite every obstacle imaginable including a leaky clutch, tearing the nose off, engine trouble and a severe collision with an out-of-control SRPII. By the end of the 24 hours, the X-1R Camaro had little body work left on it, but it still managed to cross the finish line for its second-straight second-place finish. The ragged-looking Camaro was retired following the race to be replaced by a Corvette.
Doug Goad and Craig Conway will pilot the car in its debut race. Flis Motorsports was the winner of the AGT Team Championship last season.
Febrary 23, Team And Driver Update:
Intersport:
Oliver Gavin has been announced as the co-driver for Jon Field in the Intersport Racing #37 Banana Joe's Lola B2K/10-Judd at Homestead. Originally Jon Fields 17 year old son Clint who made his debut at the Rolex 24 was to drive. Gavin who drove with the team last year, could possibly help lead this team to their first victory.
Schumacher:
Larry Schumacher will be partnered by Robert Nearn at Homestead. The entry list states that Schumacher will enter his proven #99 911GT2 in GTS but we should see him running the 911GT1 soon.
Orbit:
Orbit Racing tested at Homestead last week and are ready to put in another strong run with their #42 911GT3R and #43 Porsche 911GT3RS. Tommy Byrne will drive the #42 car.
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Febrary 16, Champion To Campaign A 911GT1 Also?????:
David of RealRide Racing has passed on this bit of news. Tony Callas of Reiser/Callas was asked to help the Champion Team field a Porsche GT1 in selected races. "Which races I wasn't told, but one can only assume they have to be in the GARRA GTO Class."
This could be many things. Reiser/Callas used to own the ex-Rohr Porsche 911GT1 that Larry Schumacher is to campaign in Grand-Am this season. Champion has sold their car to Wayne Jackson who has Gunnar Racing preparing it. Could Champion of bought another GT1. No matter what it would be great to see a 911GT1 in Champion Motorsports colors
running alongside their Lola-Porsche. We'll keep you posted!!!!!!!
Febrary 15, First Customer Mosler MT900 Racer:
The first racing version of Warren Mosler's new MT900 mid-engine sports coupe has been sold to veteran boat and road racer Scott Deware of Boston, vice president of motorsports marketing for Sacramento's Jilbrit Wheels, Inc. Deware has competed in NASCAR's Busch Series and in the GT, GTO and AGT classes of Grand-Am. The new car was the fastest qualifier in the GT class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but went out in the fifth hour of the race after a collision damaged the lighting system.
The car's next appearance will be at the Nextel 250 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 1-3. Tommy Morrison, director of operations for the MT900 project, said the Deware team would receive full factory support throughout the 2001 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series season. Morrison will serve as the team's manager. Mosler, the West Palm Beach entrepreneur who built the racer to accelerate development of a street-legal version he's in the process of certifying, said nine more race cars would be built this year.
Febrary 12, TRV Motorsport Heading For Homestead:
The TRV Motorsport Chevrolet R&S MKII will run at Homestead hoping for better things than Daytona. After the team had its best qualifying performance ever in the
Rolex 24 the team retired after only 3 laps with a holed piston. Tom Volk and Jeret Schreoder will drive #95 R&S.
Photo Coutersy:TRV Motorsport
Febrary 8,#43 Orbit Racing Porsche Hit With Penalty:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 8, 2001) - Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series officials announced today that penalties have been accessed against the Orbit Racing team and one of its drivers for violating regulations at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Regulations for the Rolex 24 At Daytona state that a maximum of four drivers may be used during the race, however five drivers where used in the #43 Orbit Racing team's Porsche GT3 RS. Officials have penalized both the team and fifth driver, Tony Kester, for the infraction. Orbit Racing lost 15 points in the Team Owner Championship standings and was fined $2,500. Kester was also fined $2,500 for entering a car he was not listed to drive.
The #43 car finished seventh overall and fourth in the GT class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The other four drivers used in the car were NASCAR-driver Kyle Petty, Gian Luigi Butoni, Leo Hindery and Peter Baron. A second Orbit Racing car also ran in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The #42 car finished 77th overall and 33rd in the GT class. Kester was listed with #42 car on the drivers' roster.
Orbit Racing is owned by Rodger Hawley of Jupiter, Fla.
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
Febrary 6,Hybrid Motorsport To Campaign Saleen S7R:
Chris Bingham is planning to run a Saleen S7R in the Grand-Am Championship this year, and could enter a car at Le Mans and the Petit Le Mans. The American will have his car run by the Hybrid team in the US. "The Grand-Am Championship will be our main focus this year," said Bingham. "Saleen's plan is to have one car in the American Le Mans Series and one in the Grand-Am, which will be ours." Sponsorship for the car will come from BASF, with support from Saleen.
The manufacturer has put its road car production on hold because, it says, it has too many orders from customer racing teams and needs to supply the cars and spare parts in time for the start of the season
Febrary 6,Intersport Race Report:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - (February 4, 2001). The Fields (Jon, Joel, Clint) and their co-driver, Sweden's Carl Rosenblad, finished fourth in the SportsRacer Prototype class in one of the top three endurance races in the world - the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
For this, the 39th running of the Rolex 24, there were five classes, 79 cars and 310 drivers. Actor Paul Newman, at 76, was the oldest driver and Clint Field, at 17, goes into the Daytona record books as the youngest person ever to drive in the Rolex 24. And, as the youngest person ever to finish the race.
Clint, a high school junior in Dublin, Ohio, made history as he joined his father, Jon, and his uncle, Joe (Jon's twin brother). "When I got in the car, it had just started to rain and I was a bit nervous," said the teenager. "It was really, really slippery and I was still on slicks. I got a bit loose in the chicane and went into the grass. But then I settled down and things were fine until it got dark. Between the rain and the dark, it was a bit scary going into some of the turns, I just had to guess where the apex was. But, it was lots of fun."
Jon Field, of Dublin, Ohio, owner of the InterSport Banana Joe's Judd-powered Lola B2K/10 took the early lead in the race, only to drop back because of gearbox and clutch problems. Jon was very proud of his family. "Both Clint and Joe were tremendous in their first 24 hour race. This is my sixth Rolex 24 and I'd hoped for a win, but it wasn't to be," said Jon. "We were right up front at the beginning and then we had to pit several times for mechanical problems."
Uncle Joe, who lives in Marion, Ohio, had high praise for his nephew, "Clint is very confident. He's had to deal with a couple of different race conditions (with the rain and night driving) and I think he was tremendous." Much of the race on Daytona's 3.56 mile road course was run under less than ideal conditions, with intermittent heavy rain.
Clint will be driving with the InterSport team for the remainder of the season. Current plans pair Clint with his Uncle Joe in the team's second car, a Ford Riley and Scott Mk III, although both Clint and Joe will probably join Jon in the Lola for the March 17th 12 Hours at Sebring (Fla.) which, along with the Le Mans (France) 24-hour race in June are the other to premier sports car events.
-InterSport
January 31,Team Avia/Seikel Motorsport Ready For Rolex:
Canadian race car team, Team Avia, in conjunction with Seikel Motorsport of Germany, kicks off it's second season of racing with one of the most grueling motor sports endurance races - The Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, February - Daytona Beach, Florida.
Toronto resident, Tony Burgess, along with his three co-drivers, Stefano Buttiero, Philip Collin, and Andrew Bagnall will be driving the #57 Team Avia/Seikel Motorsport Porsche GT3RS in the GT class.
"Last year at Daytona, we were running as high as 4th place in class, before teething problems with the new Porsche GT3R happened," said Burgess. "Vindication came for us four months later when we placed 3rd at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, proving that we have what it takes to get on the podium in an endurance event."
This will be the team's second season with co-drivers Stefano Buttiero and Phillip Collins on board. Stefano brings a wealth of talent and experience to the team, as a former factory race driver in Europe with Mercedes and Alfa Romeo. Phillip's consistently fast lap times at the 12 hours of Sebring last year will also be an asset and Andrew Bagnall, a New Zealand native, is a new face to Team Avia this year. Andrew's experience at Le Mans in a GT2 Porsche will give us an advantage when the sun sets and the night time driving shifts begin.
The paint has just dried on the team's brand new Porsche GT3RS. The new vehicle is a refinement over last year's GT3R.
"The new GT3RS should be faster by about 1.5 seconds per lap at Daytona than last years GT3R," said Peter Seikel, team manager. "I'm really excited about this year's Daytona driver line up and the set-up of the car. Having Yokohama on as a full tire sponsor just gives us one more advantage over the competition."
"Hopefully it won't be as cold as last year. We had just taken delivery of the new Porsche GT3R, and full windows were not in place," said Burgess. "At 176mph around the high-banking, with 0 Celsius/ 32 Fahrenheit temperatures, all of the drivers were freezing."
The team will be one of two cars campaigned by Seikel Motorsports this year at Daytona. The #56 Seikel Motorsports car will be led by the Rosa Brothers, Gabrio and Fabio who won the GT class at the 24 hours at Daytona in 2000.
Tony Burgess will be in the company of other well-know Canadian racing drivers at Daytona including Ron Fellows, David Empringham, Scott Maxwell, and Richard Spenard.
Team Avia and the Canadian assault on the 24 Hours at Daytona, can be viewed live on Speedvision, where the race will be televised in its entirety starting Saturday, February 3 at 12:00pm through to Sunday, February 4 at 12:00pm EDT.
Team Avia is a Canadian motor sports team headed by Tony Burgess from Toronto, Canada and run by Seikel Motorsports in Germany. The team competes in the Grand American Road Racing Series and the American Le Mans Series, including races in North America, Europe and Asia. Team Avia is campaigning a Year 2001 Porsche GT3RS in the GT category of the-Grand American Road Racing Series and the GT-3 category of the American Le Mans Series.
January 30,Pre Rolex Testing:
Many cars and teams were making final preperations for the Rolex 24 on Monday at Moroso Park in West Palm Beach. Tim Crete has posted some photos
of the teams including Champion and Gunnar Racing at Fast Details.
January 30,No Spec Tires:
Grand-Am has announced tire manufacturers that supply tires during the 2001 season.
Avon, Dunlop, Goodyear, Hoosier, Kumho and Yokohama are available for cars in any class. This alleviates the threat of a single tire company
supplying the whole series which had many opponents including Kevin Doran, whose team is sponsored by Yokohama.
January 29,Chamberlain Names Driving Squad For Rolex:
Chamberlain Motorsports announced its full squad of drivers for its 2 car Viper GTS/R assault on the Rolex 24 this weekend.
Car #15 will be piloted by Christian Vann, Chris Bingham, Seiji Ara, and Robert Nearn.
Its second car #114 will be piloted by David Gooding, Stefano Zonca, Raffaele Sangiuolo, Milka Duno.
January 29,Rocketsports Names Lazzaro and Pruett:
As noted here on Jan. 17 Anthony Lazzaro has been confirmed along with Scott Pruett as co-drivers for the Rocketsports Racing No.5 HomeLink Saleen S7R for the Rolex 24. They’ll share driving duties with two-time Trans-Am champion Paul Gentilozzi and his fellow Trans-Am driver Johnny Miller.
January 27,Texaco Havoline Gunnar GT1-EVO:
Well our guess was wrong for the livery on Gunnar Racing's 911GT1-EVO but the car is stunning
never the less. Check out the Texaco Havoline livery here
January 24, Lista Crawford To Run New Nose:
Doran Lista Racing's Crawford SSC2K will be running a new low downforce nosepiece for the Rolex 24.
Designer Andrew Scriven says "After looking at the results of the tests, we had too much downforce." "It's a nice problem to have, but one we had to address. The car would have been competitive in its current configuration, but it needed a little extra for Daytona.
"Based on previous wind tunnel tests, we've designed a nose that creates more balance between the front and the rear," continued Scriven. "The changes allow for higher top speeds in the straights and banking, while maintaining the right amount of downforce in the infield portion of Daytona."
January 24, Gunnar Racing News:
As we await the final announcement and graphics to be applied to the Gunnar 911GT-1EVO to see which classic Porsche it will be reminiscent of (Looks to be the Interscope Porsche: Story Below On Jan. 16)
Kevin Jeanette has posted some photos of their 911GT3RS after Graphics Master Dave Schnorr was over. Check out the pics here
January 18, Aspen Knolls Racing To Run Pilbeam In Rolex:
Aspen Knolls Racing will be campainging a Pilbeam MP 84 for the 24 Hours of Daytona. Pilbeam Racing America will be running the car. Shane Lewis, Bruno Lambert, and Toni Sieler will be driving.
The team will switch to its all new Corvette C12 and the ALMS after the event.
January 17, Rolex Driver Updates:
Seiji Ara from Japan has been announced as a driver for the Chamberlain Viper at Daytona. Ara who previosly ran for Chamberlain in 1999
drove in the All-Japan Formula 3 with TOMS in 2000. The Chamberlain team is still not listed on the official entry list, but the team is expected to name the rest of its drivers in the coming days.
Anthony Lazzaro is all but confirmed as a third driver for the #5 Rocketsports Saleen S7R which will have team principle Paul Gentilozzi and Johnny Miller in it. The addition of Lazzaro will add to an already interesting lineup on the S7R
even though this will be the first true endurance test for the car.
January 16, Gunnar Racing 911GT1-EVO Update:
The Gunnar Racing website has some new photos of its GT1-EVO having
its coat of black paint added for the Rolex 24.
Kevin Jeannette makes a statement concening the cars livery:
"All we can tell you is that it will be very reminiscent of of a great Porsche race car from Daytona's past..."
Well could this great black Porsche race car from the past be the Interscope Racing 935 ? We'll keep you updated!!!!!!
January 13, Dyson Racing Adds Papis And Jonsson For Rolex:
Dyson Racing has announced the addition of Nic Jonsson and Max Papis to co-drive the No. 20 Riley & Scott/Ford with team owner Rob Dyson and Elliott Forbes-Robinson.
Jonsson who drove BMW M3s in the American Le Mans Series GT class for PTG in 2000 was judged against three other talented drivers during the Annual Daytona Test Days. Although he logged only 15 laps, he was quickest of those vying for the seat.
"I feel very fortunate because there were a lot of good drivers testing with me," he said. "I'm very pleased to get the ride because Dyson is a top, top team and I think we have a very good chance of winning this race, or at least being on the podium."
"This car is faster than what I've been driving this past year, but it's not the first time I've driven this type of car," he said. "It's a little more sensitive and reacts more to changes. It runs a different engine package, with a much bigger volume engine and a lot of torque. It's a lot of fun to drive."
Jonsson tested and raced the Lola U.K. prototype sports car in 1997 and '98. Prior to that, he was a test driver for Reynard Formula Three and designer/race engineer Ken Andersson. Born in Bankyerd, Sweden, Jonsson has raced in Scandinavian, European, Asian and North American series. He has won championships in both open-wheel and touring cars.
January 6, Speedvision To Broadcast Entire 2001 Season -
Six Grand-Am Races To Be Aired Live:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2001) - The Grand American Road Racing Association announced that all of the races in its 2001 season will be broadcast on Speedvision, with six of the races being covered live. Grand-Am's second season will kick off on February 3, by making history at the Rolex 24 At Daytona where Speedvision will air the race from flag-to-flag in a historic 25-hour broadcast.
Other Grand-Am races to be broadcast live in their entirety include the Nextel 250 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 3, and the Sun Automotive 250 at the Phoenix International Raceway, April 21.
Two Grand-Am races will feature live broadcast of the Sports Racing Prototype (SRP) and Sports Racing Prototype II (SRPII) classes, while the GT, GTS and American GT (AGT) will be shown at a later date. The SRP and SRPII classes will be broadcast live at the Dodge Dealer's Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park (Conn.), May 28, and the Grand Prix de Trois Rivieres in Quebec, August 5.
The Grand-Am Finale, which will be raced for the first time at Daytona International Speedway, is also scheduled to be broadcast live by Speedvision, September 16.
Speedvision is the only 24-hour cable Network devoted to the millions of people who love cars, boats, airplanes and motorcycles. The Network features authentic coverage of major events, in addition to latest industry and consumer news.
For a complete listing of the Speedvision broadcasts, please see the attached 2001 Television Broadcast Schedule. More information on the Grand-Am Series is available online at www.grand-am.com. Additional information on Speedvision is available online at www.speedvision.com.
January 6, Comer Racing To Campaign Mosler MT900R:
Morrison Mosler Motorsports and Comer Racing today announced that Comer Racing will be the first team to campaign the all-new MT900R in the Grand American Road Racing series, beginning at the second event of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, March 1-4,2001. The MT900R will be the second car in the Comer Racing stable, running alongside the #18 Chevrolet Corvette competing in the American Grand Touring (AGT) class.
Team Owner Jim Comer said, "We're very excited to get involved with the Morrison Mosler Motorsports program at this early stage of its development. We fell in love with the street version the first time we saw it here at Daytona in November and feel that it fits well with our existing Corvette program. While there will be an ongoing plan of development of this car as a competitive racing machine, we are confident that its concept and design will make it a success early on."
January 4, Bob Akin Motorsports Returns To Daytona:
Bob Akin Motorsports is returning to the Rolex 24 for the first time since 1987. The team will run the #83 Riley & Scott MKIII with a Lazano Ford powerplant. The car is owned and driven by Michael Lauer. Co-drivers in the car will be Norman
Simon and Mark Simo who co-drove the Pole Team R&S-Judd in the ALMS last year along with Trans-Am racer Brian DeVries.
Bob Akin's best placing in the 24 Hours was second in 1981,1982. The team was a forced to be reckoned back in the early 80's and who can forget the teams gorgeous #5 Coca Cola Porsche 935's and 962's.
January 4, Kyle Petty To Drive MCR Porsche:
Kyle Petty will drive a brand-new Porsche 911 GT3RS fielded by Michael Colucci Racing in the Rolex 24. He will be joined in the car wearing his fathers famous No.43 by Leo Hindery (former president of TCI Cable, Global Crossing and a business partner of Richard Petty), Gian Luigi Buitoni (former president of Ferrari of North America) and Peter Baron. MCR will field a two-car team at Daytona, the other being co-driven by Richard Millman, Tommy Byrne, Tony Kester and Colucci.
January 4, Miller To Co-Drive Mustang:
Trans- Am driverJohnny Miller has been announced as a co-driver with Paul Gentilozzi in the the Saleen S7R at Daytona. Two more drivers will be named at a later date.
Gentilozzi states "To finish first, first you must finish," Gentilozzi mused. "The Rolex 24 is really more of an endurance contest than a race. You don't win this one in the first hour. You've got to discipline yourself and your teammates to be patient and protect the equipment...let the other teams and drivers make the mistakes and be in a position to capitalize on them."
January 4, Lux To Drive Pilbeam:
Cindi Lux, the inaugural 1999 Women's Global GT Series Champion, continues to forge forward in her sports car racing career. She heads to Daytona Beach, Florida this week for the annual Test Days for the Rolex 24 at Daytona race, held February 3-4, 2001, to test the new SRPII Pilbeam racer.
Lux will be piloting the Pilbeam MP 84, the 2000 European champion in the Sport Racer Prototype lights category. This will be Lux's first entry into open cockpit racing.
Needless to say, I was very interested and intrigued when Pilbeam Racing America called about having me drive their new SRPII car. It is a relatively new car in the United States, however the results in Europe have been very impressive," said Lux, of Aloha, Oregon. "I'm real excited to not only have the opportunity to drive the Pilbeam, but also to be able to help introduce it to the U.S. market. This is another advancement in my career to be able to step up to the SRPII class with the calibre of car of the Pilbeam."
"Pilbeam Racing America is working to develop an outstanding program for sports car racing and we're bringing it first to the U.S. Grand-Am Series. Testing Cindi in the car is something we wanted to try and we're looking forward to this weekend at Daytona," said Alfred Kobacker, CEO of AP Sports Group Inc., parent of Pilbeam Racing America.
December 29, Rocketsports To Run Saleen:
Paul Gentilozzi and Rocketsports Racing have announced they will run the new Saleen S7R in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Two-time SCCA Trans-Am champion Gentilozzi is no stranger to winning endurance events, having taken class victories in both the 1992 Rolex 24 and the 12 Hours of Sebring in the IMSA GTS class.
"We have always prided ourselves as being innovative racers at Rocketsports," said Gentilozzi. "The opportunity to compete in the Rolex 24 in a truly innovative race car was too much to pass up. The Saleen S7R has set a new standard for its class, and deserves a win. We intend to be part of that victory."
It will be the fourth new car in as many years for Gentilozzi, who has campaigned a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Corvette and Jaguar XKR in the past three years in the Trans-Am series.
Steve Saleen, founder and president of Saleen, Inc., is happy to have Gentilozzi in the Saleen fold.
"We're thrilled to have Paul and Rocketsports running our first customer car at the Rolex 24. Everyone who loves racing knows Paul's competitive nature, how he never backs down from a challenge. We'll be hard-pressed to find a better team to run our first customer car."
The Saleen S7R, which made its racing debut in the American Le Mans Series event at Laguna Seca Raceway in October, features a space-frame chassis to which honeycomb composite reinforcing is grafted and is powered by an all-aluminum, cam-in-block 7.0-liter V8 that generates in excess of 600hp. The S7R will fit into the production class templates of the ALMS, ACO, FIA and Grand-Am Series for the 2001 season.
The works Saleen-Allen Speedlab team will sit out the Rolex 24 in order to concentrate on research and development, but will offer support and assistance to Rocketsports. The works team will campaign two Saleen S7Rs in the entire 2001 ALMS season and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they will compete against the factory Chevrolet Corvettes and privateer Dodge Vipers in the GTS class.
December 22,Buddy Lazier To Drive R&S-Judd:
Buddy Lazier , 2000 IRNLS Champion and 1996 Indy 500 winner has been announced as the 4th driver in the
#74 Robinson Racing R&S-Judd for the Rolex 24. He will partner car owner, George Robinson, Jack Baldwin, and Irv Hoerr.
Photo Coutersy:Grand-Am
December 21,Brown Motorsports Ferrari 333SP Re-signs with Mac Tools:
The Brown Motorsports #2 Ferrari 333SP team re-signed with Mac Tools as an associate sponsor for the 2001 through 2003 Grand American Road Racing seasons.
This partnership reaffirms Brown Motorsports' and Mac Tools' commitment to excellence in the Grand-Am series.
"I am proud to have the continued support of Mac Tools," says Bobby Brown, team owner and driver. "We have increased our program with Mac Tools for the 2001 season which will increase our performance and ability to be a leader in the Grand-Am series."
Photograph Courtesty:Bobby Brown Motorsports
December 16,Grand-Am Names New Director of Marketing:
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 15, 2000) - Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson has announced the appointment of Greg Otte as Director of Marketing effective immediately.
Otte, 31, comes to Grand-Am Racing from Disney Sports Attractions where he worked at the Wide World of Sports complex as Manager, Sponsorship and Promotions for the Orlando Rays AA baseball club.
A graduate of the University of Central Florida in Orlando with a Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Otte has been involved in sports and entertainment marketing since the mid-90s, having also worked for Sea World and the All Star Cafe, a sports-themed restaurant owned by Planet Hollywood, where he developed special promotions with sports stars like golfer Tiger Woods and hockey great Wayne Gretsky.
Greg currently lives in Orlando with his wife Nancy-Ellen and is planning to relocate to the Daytona Beach area very soon.
"I'm very excited about being involved with Grand-Am, especially at this point in its development," Otte noted. "Being based at the World Center of Racing gives me a constant reminder of what we can achieve and getting involved this early in its history allows me the chance to help make it happen."
Rick Goolsby has also joined the Grand-Am staff as Marketing Coordinator. He brings a solid motorsports background to the Grand-Am marketing effort having previously worked for NASCAR and MRN Radio. Goolsby, 34, lives in Daytona Beach with his wife Sherry.
December 15,Sascha Maassen Confirmed At Champion :
Sascha Maassen has been confirmed as the fourth driver in the #38 Champion Motorsports Porsche-Lola B2K/10 for the Rolex 24HR. Sascha will partner
his reigning ALMS teammate Bob Wollek, Hurley Haywood, and Dorsey Schroeder in the car that five time Rolex Champion Haywood says is the best prepared machine he has ever come into the the race with.
Sascha who also just signed a new Works contract with Porsche has been chosen by the factory to help the works-supported effort in which Porsche has their best chance in years to claim their 20th overall Rolex 24 victory.
December 14,Bob Wollek Speaks About Daytona :
After a session of high-speed experimenting, Bob Wollek sits beside a gleaming white, state-of-the-art Sportsracer with businesslike cool. One at a time he talks with a gathering of technicians and drivers around him and you notice a different language spoken to each.
This is Wollek’s world -- racer, international traveler and gentleman. All handled with ease and grace. No matter what language he speaks, everyone around him focuses on his every word. This is the respect that a four?time winner of the Rolex 24 At Daytona commands. Wollek returns to Daytona to win again. To win because it’s possible and because Bob Wollek is a big thinker.
"Daytona’s Rolex, Monaco, Indy and LeMans are the biggest races in the world," Wollek said. "What more can you expect in racing but to win one of the biggest races in the world?"
Throughout his career, Wollek has taken the silent route to greatness. Never one to be flashy, the Frenchman has made his fortunes in sportscar racing due to unshakable focus, hard work and consummate talent. The result of his choices in life have garnered him fame and fortune.
Few men know the art of endurance racing better and fewer still know as much success in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Wollek is quick to point out that you need a few essentials to find Victory Lane at Daytona.
"To win here requires a lot of teamwork, the right car with the right engine and the right tires and quite a bit of luck really, to get you home," Wollek said. "We must work on the overall competence of the car. The suspension, the steering and smooth every detail to make the car strong enough to keep running for 24 hours."
Wollek will pilot Champion Racing’s Porsche?Lola B2K?10 Sportsracer prototype in the Feb. 3-4 twice?around?the?clock challenge. For Wollek, a fifth triumph would tie the record for all?time Rolex wins.
Win or lose, Wollek is sure that winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona is not about having the best chance.
"I’ve been racing for 30 years, driving all kinds of cars at every kind of long distance event and out of 50 long distance races, I’ve won four," Wollek said. "I should have won more but I didn’t. That speaks to how difficult it is."
December 13,Lista Crawford SCC Daytona Driving Squad :
The Kevin Doran prepared Lista Crawford SSC will have
Fredy Lienhard, Didier Theys, Mauro Baldi and Ross Bentley behind the wheel in its debut at Daytona..
Photo Coutersy:Speedvision
December 13, TRV Motorsport Daytona Driving Squad :
The TRV Motorsport Chevrolet R&S MK III will be piloted at Daytona by
Tom Volk, Jeret Schreoder, John Mirro, and Barry Waddell.
Photo Coutersy:TRV Motorsport
December 11,Earl Goddard To Join Dyson For Daytona Test :
South African Earl Goddard has been offered a chance to test for Dyson Racing at the Annual Daytona Test Days in January.
After impressing many with his pace at Kyalami in the Durango run GMS Mader the 20 year old will get a chance to show his stuff in one of the Dyson Racing R&S-Fords.
Dyson boss Pat Smith spotted the 20 year olds potential when he tested the Archangel Lola SR2 car in the States recently.
December 7,Crawford SSC Excels in Test at VIR :
Max Crawford is absolutely estatic with the way his latest creation has performed this week in testing
at Virginia Internetional Raceway. Despite cold temperatures the Crawford SSC has gotten within a second of the lap record on the short course
and this in just the first full week of testing. Didier Theys and Fredy Lienhard have been doing the bulk of the testing. Crawford states
" We don't need to find any more speed for Daytona, we just need to make the car perfect."
Photo Coutersy:Speedvision
December 7,Champion Racing Shows Dedication In Rolex 24 At Daytona Test Session :
Champion Racing is serious about winning the Feb. 3-4 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team returned to Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday for a two-day test session with its Porsche-Lola B2K-10. It’s the fourth time since September that Champion Racing has tested at Daytona and they plan on returning one final time during on Jan. 4-6 for the Annual Daytona Test Days.
"The Champion guys have done a great job", said five-time Rolex 24 champion Hurley Haywood, who tested along with his co-driver and four-time Rolex 24 champion Bob Wollek. "As everybody knows, the more testing you do, the more things you find out and the better prepared you are. It’s our fourth two-day test down here. It’s not cheap to rent Daytona so they’re serious about doing well here."
Every time we come down here, we’re finding new stuff out and making the car better. It’s paying off for us.
Haywood, whose first Rolex 24 was in 1971, says the team is prepared like no other. "I’ve never had the preparation this far in advance", Haywood said. "That’s a good thing."
Champion Racing has also assembled all-star team of drivers with Haywood, Wollek, former Trans Am champion Dorsey Schroeder and a not-yet named fourth driver.
"I couldn’t ask for a better group of people", Haywood said. Champion Racing and Intersport Racing will continue Rolex 24 testing Thursday.
December 6,2000 Gunnar Racing 911GT1 Drivers :
Gunnar Racing will resume testing of their ex-Champion 911GT1-Evo
tomorrow 12/7 at Daytona in preperation forthe Rolex 24. Confirmed drivers for this car at the race are Gunnar Jeanette,
Michael Brockman, Paul Newman, and car owner Wayne Jackson. The first three will all be testing the car on the Thursday
and Wayne Jackson will join the team next month at the Annual Test Days. This should be an interesting car to watch in GTS
and if the Corvettes have trouble, could be in line for a great run.
December 4,2000 Risi To Run Ferrari :
Michelotto say they are still building new versions of the 333SP.
John McLoughlin, team manager of Risi, has ordered a new chassis for Daytona and it will be driven by Ralf Kelleners and, possibly, Allan McNish who drove the Risi Ferrari to second place in 1999. McNish is awaiting a decision from Toyota, for whom he will test in Formula One next year, which races he will be allowed to contest and hopes to have a decision by Christmas.
McLoughlin says that he would consider running the car in the American Le Mans Series next season if the car was more competitive and the costs were lower. "I would prefer to do the ALMS, but it is more expensive and you would have to be so much more competitive," said McLoughlin last week.
November 24,2000 Intersport Racing News :
Two Generations, Three Fields in Rolex 24
Over the years, the number of offspring of top-level drivers who have
followed their fathers into the sport of motor racing is impressive. An
argument could be made for good genes or just plain opportunity. Sports
car racing, with a tradition of long endurance races requiring multiple
drivers per car, is a natural for fathers and sons and/or their siblings to
drive in the same car in the same race.
However, it is rare to have three family members in the same race, let
alone on the same team, a phenomenon that will occur when the InterSport
Racing team takes to the track at the Daytona International Speedway for
the 2001 Rolex 24.
Jon Field, InterSport's owner and lead driver for the team's #37 Lola Judd,
has entered a second car, the #28 Riley & Scott Ford, in the Rolex 24.
Driving the #28 will be Jon's twin brother, Joel (Joe), and Jon's 17-year
old son, Clint, who will be the youngest driver in the Rolex 24 field this
year.
Clint drove with the team during test days early in November on the 3.56
mile Daytona International Speedway road course. "I'm pretty impressed
with how well Clint can drive these SportsRacers," said a proud father.
"During testing in November (when Jon, in the #37, was quickest overall),
Clint was running just a few seconds behind me. Not bad for his first time
on the Daytona circuit." The team will also be testing at the Daytona
track in December and in January.
It's a dream of Jon's to have the three Fields in the same car, a feat that
will have to wait until at least next year. "Clint needs to get some more
seat time in the SportsRacers," said Field. "He's a natural and he's very
mature, but right now he just needs to get some experience running with all
this horsepower at this level of competition before we consider moving him
to the Lola Judd." Joe Field drove the Riley & Scott in several Grand Am
races last season and has done some testing in the Lola. "The Lola is a
faster, more powerful car and is less forgiving than the Riley & Scott," he
said. "I'm looking forward to running the full Grand Am season with Jon
and Clint as teammates."
Jon has been racing at sports car's top level for several seasons,
competing in the inaugural Grand Am series in 2000, where he finished 10th
in the SportsRacer class championship. He has five previous starts at the
Rolex 24 with his best finish a 10th in class in 1998. With the
acquisition of the Judd-powered Lola mid-way through the 2000 season, he
has been close to victory on several occasions, coming in second in the
Budweiser Six Hours of the Glen at Watkins Glen, N.Y. in the finale of the
2000 Grand Am season.
InterSport is sponsored by Banana Joe's Island Party Sports Bar and Grille,
a national chain of sports bars. Jon is President and CEO of the Field
Development Group (Dublin, Ohio), which builds and runs the Banana Joe's
enterprise.
Jon and Joel, identical twins, grew up in the near-by farming community of
LaRue, Ohio, where their parents, Richard and Jean, still live. Racing is
definitely a family affair for Jon who has the full support of his wife,
Wendy, son Jon (20) and daughter Taylor (2). Jean provides catering for
the team whenever possible and any number of siblings, spouses, nieces and
nephews are apt to show up at any race to cheer for the three racing Fields
- Jon, Joe, and Clint.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Fran Baser (805) 898-1602
November 22,2000 Earnhardts Test Vette At Sebring :
Sebring, Fla., Nov. 21 Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. got their first taste of the Chevrolet Corvette C5-R they will co-pilot with Andy Pilgrim in the 2001 Rolex 24 at Daytona today at Sebring International Raceway.
The Earnhardts flew in from yesterday’s NASCAR final at Atlanta Motor Speedway to join the team for a three-day test in preparation for the twice-around-the-clock season-opener.
Both Earnhardts spoke to the team members (drivers and crew) to stress that they are just part of the team and anxious to learn. The seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion was very frank with his new teammates.
"We’re both green at this road racing; if we screw up you can yell at us," he said. "Junior messed up yesterday (finishing 20th at Atlanta), and he got yelled at by me last night; that’s why he’s so quiet today. On the other hand, I did okay (finishing second in both the race and championship)!"
When asked what he saw as the biggest hurdle in making the transition to this type of racing, the "The Intimidator" said, "The weight and braking on the Corvette is so much different than our Winston Cup cars. Shoot, Fellows (Ron, teammate and lead driver of the second works Corvette) jumps in a Cup car and makes it look easy at Watkins Glen. It won’t be that easy for us. But, as I said, we’re here to learn and get as much seat time as we can."
When asked who would do the night stints with co-driver Pilgrim in the 24 Hours, Dale Sr. said, "If this thing’s got a 10-disk CD player in it, Junior might stay up all night driving it!"
The younger Earnhardt was the first to get behind the wheel of the C5-R, and ran most of the afternoon’s laps. An oil leak from an experimental Emco six-speed transaxle sidelined the car for about 30min. However, once repairs were effected, Dale Sr., turned some of the day’s fastest laps.
The team will conclude its three-day test on Wednesday.
November 17,2000 Grand-Am Rename Classes :
Grand-Am has renamed some of its classes to make it easier to compare Grand-Am classes to those on the world stage. Here is a list of the names.
2001 Class Name
Sports Racing Prototypes (SRP)
Sports Racing Prototypes II (SRPII)
GTS
GT
American GT
November 13,2000 New Point System:
New Points System For Driver Championships
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Grand American Road Racing has revised the points system used to award driver championships for the 2001 season. Last year, each driver for a car was given equal points based on the car’s finish as long as they completed a minimum of laps. For 2001, bonus points will be awarded based on actual laps driven at each event and for pole positions.
The driver who earns the pole position for each class will be awarded one bonus point. All drivers competing in an event under green flag conditions will be awarded points equal to the points earned by the car’s finish position. There will be no minimum number of laps required.
The driver completing the most laps in a car will be awarded five bonus points. The driver completing the second most laps will be awarded three bonus points. The driver completing the third most laps will be awarded one bonus point. No bonus points will be awarded for additional drivers. At most events, a single driver will be allowed to compete alone, but there will be no bonus points awarded.
"We think the new points system will be fairer to our drivers and more interesting to our fans," noted Grand-Am President Roger Edmondson. "It also will make the driver championships more real by recognizing the men and women who made the greatest contribution to their team’s efforts."
The new points system is available online at www.grand-am.com as is the entire 2001 rulebook.
June 27,2000 van de Poole To Drive For Risi at Road
America:
With Risi Ferrari driver Ralf
Kelleners unable to participate in the Grand American Road Racing Association
event at Road America on July 7-9 due to previous racing obligations, Risi
Competizione signed former team driver, and current Cadillac LMP pilot Eric van
de Poele to co-drive the historic 4-mile road course with Italian ace Mimmo
Schiattarella.
Van de Poele competed with the Risi team in 1998,
claiming seven podium finishes and two victories in Professional Sports Car
Series competition with co-pilot Wayne Taylor. The pair, joined by Fermin Velez,
co-drove to a class victory at the 24 Hours of LeMans. Van de Poele, competing
with Taylor and Emmanuel Collard of France, took the overall victory at the
inaugural Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in 1998, adding to his success in the
Ferrari.
It is always a pleasure to drive the Ferrari," said van de
Poele. "The car was not so competitive the last year, but it should be more
competitive at Road America. It will be fantastic to drive again and I really
want to do a good job. It is the perfect time for me to do this race."
Van de Poele has been driving for the highly publicized Cadillac LMP
team this season. He drove to a stellar finish of third in class in the maiden
voyage at the grueling twice-around-the-clock event in Daytona with teammates
Max Angelelli and Taylor. The trio achieved sixth overall at the 12 Hours of
Sebring.
"The Cadillac and the Ferrari are very similar," he said. "The
regulations don’t allow a lot of extravagance. The main difference is that the
Cadillac is a turbo and the Ferrari is not, but I’m sure I will be quick to find
back the feeling of the Ferrari."
"I have to rate this team very high,
he said. We had a good 1998 season, and every time I have been very successful
with the Risi team. It is always good to go back with a team you have worked
with before. I am happy to go back with the team for the Road America race. I
also want to thank Cadillac for letting me drive with another team and another
car."
Van de Poele and Schiattarella previously co-drove to a victory at
Road Atlanta in April 1999 in a Lola Judd. They started from the rear of the
grid and moved through the entire field to take the victory.
Van de Poele has competed in more than 40 different racing cars on over 70 tracks in
his 17-year driving career. He has raced in Formula series cars, including
Formula One from 1991 to 1994. He found tremendous success in touring car
racing, competing in European, British and Spanish touring car championships.
Van de Poele has competed at LeMans, either as a test driver or competitor every
year since 1991.
Schiattarella is a former open-wheel driver with
stellar performances in CART and Formula One, the two most prestigious
open-wheeled racing organizations in the world. He has competed in sports car
racing for the past four years, working on the development of BMW’s prototype
racer, as well as driving in the American Le Mans Series in 1999. Last season he
also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing sixth in a Courage Nissan.
Ferrari of Houston principal Giuseppe Risi and Technical Director John
McLoughlin, who campaigned the Ferrari 333 SP for the 1998 and 1999 seasons as
Doyle-Risi Racing, own Risi Competizione. Sponsorship for the team comes from
Enron and Coollink.com. The car competes on Goodyear Eagle racing tires.
June 23,2000 Leitzinger To Partner Schubot In Paul
Revere:
Butch Leitzinger has been signed on to
partner Scott Schubot in the #8 Creighton Motorsports Ford-Lola B2K/10
"This is an excellent opportunity, said Leitzinger. As a kid, I remember
reading about the Paul Revere 250 every year, and I always wanted to go to it.
I’m glad the Grand American Road Racing Association has resurrected that
historic race, and that I’m going to be part of it."
"I didn’t have a ride, so I called Scott (Schubot), continued the 31-year-old Pennsylvanian. I’ve
raced with him the past two years, and I asked if he needed anyone. Luckily,
there was a seat available."
Schubot is the lead driver for the Philip
Creighton Motorsports team, and is coming off a third place finish at Mid-Ohio.
His co-driver for that race was Andy Wallace, who will be co-driving with James
Weaver in the Rob Dyson Racing Riley & Scott Ford in the Paul Revere 250.
Andy and I switch off with the Dyson team, said Leitzinger, who joined
Weaver in winning the recent Grand-Am race for Dyson at Lime Rock, Conn."I
talked to Andy about the Lola, and he was very impressed with it. He had nothing
but good things to say about it."
Leitzinger is set to drive in two
races with the team, joining Schubot July 9 in the Road America 500 in Elkhart
Lake, Wis.
"The Lola has looked very good on the tight courses, and I’m
very anxious to see how it will do on the high-speed circuits like Daytona and
Road America", Leitzinger explained. "Andy and Scott had a very good run at
Mid-Ohio, and the team has done more development on the engine and air box since
then, so I think we should be in great shape. Scott and I should be out there
fighting for the lead."
After finishing 20th in the SportsRacer Class in
the Rolex 24, Schubot recorded a fourth at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the
Nextel 250, and a fifth at Lime Rock.
June 1,2000 InterSport Racing Plans Paul Revere Debut Of New
Lola B2K/10 Judd :
InterSport Racing will debut
its brand new Lola B2K/10 at the Paul Revere 250 at Daytona International
Speedway on June 26 in Round 6 of the Grand American Road Racing Association
season. Powered by a Judd V10 engine, the team expects to be a highly
competitive in both the Grand Am and the American Le Mans Series. Jon Field who
showed some great driving at Lime Rock will continue to be the lead driver.
May 31,2000 Jennifer Tumminelli To Drive Porsche At Mid-Ohio
:
San Francisco, California --(May 31, 2000) --
Jennifer Tumminelli, Tiburon, California resident will make her Grand-Am debut
at the Mid-Ohio race on June 1-4th. Campaigning the Scient sponsored Racers
Group (#67) Porsche 996 GTU entry, Jennifer will team up with Sears Point
Raceway, California based team, Racers Group (#66) driven by Kevin Buckler and
Philip Collins in a two car team debut. Along with her Grand-Am driving debut,
Jennifer will bring a fresh, unique media angle to the Mid-Ohio race weekend.
Jennifer, age 35, a single mom will be joined at the track by her 15 year old
daughter, Nicole and the Oprah Show film crew as they tape for their upcoming
show segment "Choose Your Life" to be aired on June 6th. Jennifer Tumminelli, a
former CART / PPG Pace Car Driver, Star Formula Mazda Driver and the first
pole-sitter for the inaugural Women's Global GT Series returns to Porsche
racing. In 1995, Jennifer became the first female driver to take the pole and
win her SCCA Driving School in a Porsche and soon after competed in numerous
Porsche Club races continually qualifying her less horse-powered Porsche 914-6
(her father nicknamed, Slug-go) in the top six in the fastest class and as the
only female in a field filled with Porsche 993 Daytona cars and drivers, one of
which is her current teammate and team owner, Kevin Buckler.
May 26,2000 Stanley Dickens To Drive For Bobby Brown Motorsports
:
Bobby Brown Motorsports who has aquired an
ex-Fredy Leinhardt Ferrari 333sp that will make its race debut at the Mid-Ohio
round, have aquired the driving services of 1989 Le Mans winner Stanley Dickens.
Dickens will partner Bobby Brown in the car. The #2 Ferrari was testing today at
Limerock Park in anticipation of its debut next weekend.
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Photograph Courtesty:Bobby Brown Motorsports
May 6,2000 Bobby Brown Motorsports To Run Ferrari:
5/6/2000 -
Another team has thrown their hat
into the Grand-Am Series when Stanley Ross, a long time collector of Ferraris
and vintage racecars, chose Brown MotorSports to run his new Ferrari 333SP
during the 2000 and 2001 seasons.
Ross is strictly the car owner and
will not be racing the #2 Ferrari. Ross has full ownership of the car while
Bobby Brown will be the main driver.
"We are all hoping for great
things, " says Ross. "I think that Grand-Am is a great series and this Ferrari
will add great things to the series."
Brown and the team plan to under
go an extensive testing program with the #2 Ferrari and then debut the car at
The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Race on June 4 in Lexington, Ohio. This debut
comes with more excitement as it is at Brown's home track and the home of the
Brown MotorSports shop.
"It is a dream come true," says Brown. "It is
every driver's dream to drive a Ferrari and to have such a competitive car
running in the Grand-Am Series. I have no doubt this will make for a winning
season."
"I am as excited as Bobby and eager to put the Ferrari on the
track so people can hear it and see it go," says Ross. "We want to increase the
interest in Road Racing and bring the fans out to the track." The #2 Ferrari
333SP features a six speed V-12 engine that reaches speeds of 198 mph. This car
brings with it six top five finishes, two second place finishes and a first
place finish during it's three years of competition beginning in 1997.
"With Bobby's help and a little bit of good luck, it will make for a
great season, " says Matt Zueber, team manager. "This Ferrari is definitely a
top three finisher in every race and can win a race any day. There is no reason
the car will not finish on the podium this season."
Brown has signed a
two-year agreement with Ross to run the Ferrari in the Grand-Am Series. The car
will be maintained in Brown's shop in Lexington, Ohio for those two years along
with his #9 Spice Chevrolet and #7 Tiga.
For more information about
Brown MotorSports, please visit our web site at www.brown-motorsports.com.
May 3,2000 Homestead Driver News; Hoer To Drive With
Baldwin:
Some new faces will be at the wheel of
two of the top Sports Racers at the upcoming race at Homestead this weekend.
Oliver Gavin of England will partner Scott Schubot in the new #8 Phillip
Creighton Motorsports Lola B2K-10 Ford. Gavin is a veteran of F3000 and has
driven for Opel in German Touring cars.
David Besnard 1998 US Formula
Ford Champion will partner Elliot Forbes-Robinson in the #20 Dyson Racing
Riley&Scott-Ford. Not taking anything away from Rob Dyson but this addition
should give Dyson Racing two equally qualified team to help bring home the
victory at Homestead.
Robinson, Hoerr Aim For Two In A Row At
Miami Grand-Am Nextel 250
MIAMI, Fla. (May 3, 2000) Two weeks ago,
Robinson Racing called on Irv Hoerr to drive with Jack Baldwin on the eve of the
Sun Automotive 200 at Phoenix International, and the pair drove to victory in
the Grand American Road Racing Association event.
Wednesday, Hoerr got an
early call, and the six-time sports car champion will rejoin Baldwin at the
wheel of the Informix Riley & Scott Judd for Sunday’s Grand-Am Nextel 250.
Team owner George Robinson will attend the race, but has not fully recovered
from the illness which forced him out of the cockpit at Phoenix.
"Even though I’m feeling much better, I am not physically ready to drive," said
Robinson. "I am confident that both Jack and Irv will run a good race."
"While I’ll miss co-driving with George, and would prefer to have him in the
car, there’s nobody better to have as a replacement than Irv Hoerr," said
Baldwin. "I’ve raced with Irv for the past three years, and against him for many
years before that, and I know that any time I get to drive with Irv, my chances
for winning are greatly enhanced."
April 27,2000 Homestead News:
Nextel wireless communications has been signed on as the primary sponsor.The
event will be known as the Grand-Am Nextel 250.
Homestead Motor Speedway has announced that for the first time they will have
bleachers setup around the infield road course unlike the previous FIA GT events
at the track.
Also for the first time ever a professional race will use the 11 turn 2.4
mile road course which incorporates turns 3 and 4 of the oval. No longer will
the cars make the sweep back down into the infield before turn 3 where the
Zakspeed Porsche 911GT1-98 had its monstrous accident back in 1998.
Grand Marshall for the event will be endurance racing legend Hurley Haywood.
Haywood will not be driving in the main race but he will take a lap of honor in
the #1 Copenhagen Porsche 962 that he drove with A.J. Foyt at Daytona and
Sebring in 1988.
April 22,2000 Road America Rumors:
The rumors keep recurring that the Road America round of the Grand
American schedule has or will be canceled. Roger Ebmondson, President of GARRA,
said Thursday that the rumor grows legs and can't be squelched. He categorically
denied the race will be canceled. Friday at PIR, Road America President and
General Manager, George Bruggenthies said the same thing. "The race is on, with
five support races including the SCCA US F2000 Series, ACRL, Motorola Cup, and
the Mid America Stock Car race which will include stocks and Super Trucks."
April 21,2000 Doran Switches TO Yokohamas:
For the remainder of the 2000 season, Doran/Lista Racing has decided to
switched tires and run Yokohama Tires. The move to Grand American precipitated
the switch, as Michelin is unable to provide the needed support in a different
series.
"Michelin has been a fantastic partner and clearly they have great tires and
great engineering support," stated Kevin Doran, owner and manager of Doran
Racing. "I am sure they will continue to be the tire to beat in the American
LeMans Series and wish them nothing but the best."
For now, the best for Doran/Lista Racing is the Grand American Series and
Yokohama Tires. This tire collaboration is not new. In fact, Doran/Lista Racing
has won more races with Yokohama Tires than any other tire.
"We are happy to renew our past association with Yokohama. In three years
that we were with Yokohama, we’ve shared 9 wins; 3 in 98, 3 in 97 and 3 in 96,"
Doran said. "These tires have added to our already stellar lineup of sponsors.
We expect a great rest of the year to our already notable season. We are pleased
they are going to support us in Grand American."
April 20,2000 Phoenix Wednesday Testing Notes:
Fredy Lienhard/No.27 Doran Special was fourth fastest
according to his team, and came past start-finish too hot, went high into the
marbles, and snapped around. The car rear-ended the Turn One wall with his left
rear. It broke the suspension, gear box case, and the adaptor plate between the
engine and the gear box. The car has cosmetic problems as well as internal. The
engine and monocoque are fine, but Doran had to fly back to the Cincinnati race
shop to make a new adaptor plate.
Rob Dyson's two car team only got a bit of track time Wednesday. The No.20
Riley & Scott/Lincoln/Goodyear got nine laps with Elliot Forbes-Robinson,
who was bedding in the rack and pinion. However, the fuel pump developed
problems, and the team worked the rest of the afternoon on that. EFR's teammate,
John Paul Jr., didn't get any time in the car until late afternoon. The sister
car, No.16 has Andy Wallace and James Weaver driving.
George Robinson/No.74 Robinson Racing Riley & Scott/Judd. The team blew a
head gasket this morning and changed an engine. Robinson said his new Reynard is
still in Detroit. He's been so busy with the R&S program that he hasn't had
time to send the Reynard back. But that is his plan.
Bill Auberlen/No.50 Genesis Racing BMW M3 hit the spinning Saleen Ford and
knocked off his nose.
Entry Withdrawls: No.91 RVO AGT Camaro with Roger Schramn and Werner Frank;
and No.30 White Lightning GTU Porsche GT3 R with Michael Peterson and Dale
White.
April 19,2000 Lola B2K/40 Hits The Track:
A very positive shakedown test has boosted confidence
in advance of the debut of Lola’s new B2K/40 SR2 sportscar.
The first
machine, to be raced in the Grand American Road Racing Championship,
successfully completed 150 laps of the Putnam Park circuit, near Indianapolis,
during a recent outing in the hands of Larry Schumacher and Martin Snow of
Schumacher Racing.
The car makes its inaugural race appearance in the
second round (of nine) of the Grand Am series this weekend (Saturday, April 22),
in the Sun Automotive 200, at Phoenix International Raceway, Arizona,
USA.,
Lola’s Managing Director David Bowes says: "The shakedown
test was very successful. The car completed 150 laps with no major problems. Our
engineers attended the test and were impressed with the driver feedback." The
SR2’s fastest time of the day was 1min 5.2secs - a time equal to that set
earlier this year by one of Lola’s competitors in the new prototype SR1
sportscar category. Both Schumacher and Snow said they were amazed with the high
speed grip and braking ability of the B2K/40, something achieved due to the
extensive development programme conducted in the Lola 50 per cent wind-tunnel.
The whole team is now very much looking forward to putting the car’s performance
to the real test at Phoenix this weekend.
Qualifying at Phoenix takes
place on Friday (April 21) afternoon, with the cars returning to the track early
Friday evening for a final practice before Saturday’s main event. The race,
scheduled to last a maximum three hours, starts at 7.30pm local time (2.30am
BST). Another B2K/40 will have a taste of the Putnam Park track before the
Phoenix race weekend, with the American-based TRP team testing its Lola there
later this week. Lola became the first manufacturer to see its SR2 pass the full
set of crash and structural tests, set down by the sport's governing body, the
FIA. It was also the first all-aluminium chassis to do so.
April 14,2000 New SR2 Geric W2A:
A new SRII chassis has been developed by Wiet Huidekoper, the brainchild
of former Porsche and Lola sports cars. The new chassis, the Geric W2A, has
already been sold to customer teams in the SportsRacing World Cup. The team will
run a V-6 Nissan powerplant in the car. Testing of the new chassis will begin in
late April. Project design engineer Renaud de Voghel had this to say about the
new car: "It's a new generation of car. We've really moved the boundaries
forward, and been encouraged by the interest."
April 13,2000 Schumcaher-Snow Lola B2K/40:
Larry Schumacher and Martin Snow have taken delivery
of their new Lola B2K/40 which will be powered by a Nissan V-6. The car is
entered for next weekends Grand-Am event at Phoenix in the SR2 class. The team
plans to campaign the car in the remainder of the Grand-Am and selected ALMS
events.
MARCH 9,2000 New Crawford SCC 2K SR:
Sportscar World are
reporting a new chasis that will make it's debut at Watkins Glen. Designed by
Andy Scriven, the Crawford SCC 2K SR will be powered by a Judd V10 driven by
Andy Wallace and Butch Leitzinger.Ex-Dyson race engineer Max Crawford is behind
the project Doran and Dyson have shown some interest.
MARCH 3,2000 Team Owner Program:
Press Release:
3/2/2000 - Daytona Beach, Fla. -
An innovative
Team Owner Program (TOP) that will crown two champions and provide at least
$100,000 in financial incentives to competitors regularly competing in the Grand
American Road Racing Association racing season was announced today by Grand-Am
President Roger Edmondson. A key component of the Grand-Am’s competition
concept, the TOP places an emphasis on team owners that are focusing on
full-season runs at Grand-Am’s various championships in both its inaugural
season in 2000 and the years to come. Using a points system that allows entries
from various classes to compete against each other evenly, TOP champions will be
awarded to the top SportsRacer owner (SportsRacer and SportsRacer Lights
combined) and the top point earner in the Grand Touring categories (GTO, GTU and
AGT combined).
The main purpose of the Team Owner Program is to create
an environment in which team owners competing in all Grand-Am categories realize
several incentives to race with us on a regular basis, Edmondson said. Team
owners have traditionally not been given the recognition they deserve in sports
car racing, but we believe that their regular participation in Grand-Am is key
to our success. As Grand-Am and the TOP grow, it is our goal to in turn have
team owners view participation in our racing events as essential components of
their success. A positive of the program is the opportunity for the TOP bonus
pool to grow throughout the season. The current TOP total of $100,000 will be
enhanced throughout the year with additional funds from sponsorship sales. At
the $100,000 level, the SportsRacer champion would earn $10,000 of the $60,000
set aside for that division. The top GT owner will be awarded $5,000 from the
$40,000 available to competitors in this category. Awards will be paid to the
top 20 finishers in each category with minimum payouts of $2,000 (SportsRacer)
and $1,250 (GT) for positions 11 20 in each championship. Participation in the
TOP is free for all competitors pre-entered for the Grand-Am season. Non season
entrants can participate by paying an annual subscription fee of $2,500 in
SportsRacer and $1,750 in GT.
The program is designed to financially
reward teams, Edmondson said. Even at the current $100,000 level, teams can make
money if they place fourth or better in their TOP championship. You break even
with a fifth-place finish. Of course, running the full season gives you the best
opportunity to make money in TOP, but even teams running selected races can
benefit from the program with a minimal investment.
In addition to the
financial rewards, TOP members will be provided with access to the Grand-Am/TOP
business center at each track and will receive a limited number of passes to the
Grand-Am/TOP Hospitality Center. Program participants will also be granted two
provisional race starts a season, first choices in 2001 number assignments and
discounted driver change fees. The top-five teams in each TOP championship will
also receive a 50% discount on 2001 pre-entry fees providing they rejoin the
program. The TOP points structure creates even competition within various
classes by allocating like points in each of Grand-Am’s five categories. At
every race, cars from each category will earn the same amount of points for a
first-place finish, second-place finish, etc. For example, a race win is worth
35 points for all five classes.
FEBRUARY 25,2000 SR2 Class Formally Announced:
The SR2 class now formally known as Sportsracer Lights
will start there championship in Phoenix even though one car, the Pilbeam Nissan
took part in the Rolex 24. The new class is closely aligned with the
SportsRacing World Cup, based in Europe, which has had success with its SR2
category. Numerous manufacturers such as Lucchini, Tampolli, Pilbeam (photo,
upper) and Lola's new B2K/40 (photo, lower) provide entrants with a range of
choices. Currently, over 12 constructors are producing cars or have announced
production plans for Lights/SR2s.
Turbocharging is not
allowed in the class, and engines are limited to 3.0 liters and six cylinders.
The chassis have a price cap of $159,500 and engines must not cost more than
$42,500. Nissan and Alfa Romeo are among the popular engine choices being used
in the SRWC.
FEBRUARY 24,2000 GRAND-AM FOUNDING MEMBERS:
The Grand Am Organization released a list of founders
and it is quite a list of whos who in motorsports.
The complete list of
investors:
Skip Barber Tom Bledsoe Paul Brooks Bray Cary Gary
Crotty Robert Dyson Roger Edmondson Brian France Jim France Bill
France Chris Harris Mike Helton Lesa Kennedy Raymond Mason Bruce
Mosley Glenn Padgett Greg Penske Roger Penske George Pyne John
Saunders Susan Schandel George Silbermann Bob Snodgrass Dave Watson
Todd Wilson
FEBRUARY 8,2000 SCHUMACHER RACING:
Larry Schumacher who has raced Porsches for the past six years has
placed an order for the new Lola SR2. He plans on contesting the full Grand-Am
schedule.
FEBRUARY 1,2000 DRIVER UPDATES PLUS MOROSO TESTING:
Memo Gidley Press Release:
MEMO GIDLEY 2000
Champcar driver Memo Gidley joins Stefan Johansson and Jim Mathews in their
new Reynard for his first go in The 24 Hours of Daytona on February 5-6, 2000.
Memo finished 5th in September's Le Petit Le Mans race at Road Atlanta in a
Panoz Spyder alongside Johnny O'Connell and Jan Magnussen. Gidley finished his
first Champcar season (1999) 3rd in the points for rookie of the year having run
10 of the 20 races. The season's highlights included qualifying 4th at Road
America. The Johansson-Mathews entry was 2nd fastest in practice at Daytona
three weeks ago. Ex-Audi/Le Mans team boss John Wickham will be team manager for
the JMR effort for Daytona and The American Le Mans series. Contact: Donnie
Graves
Oreca Viper has announced they will be running all three cars in the Rolex.
Drivers for the cars are #91 Olivier Beretta (MON), Karl Wendlinger (AUS) and
Dominique Dupuy (FRA) #92 Tommy Archer (USA), Marc Duez (FRA) and Vincent Vosse
(BEL) and #93 David Donohue (USA), Jean-Phillippe Belloc (FRA) and Ni Amorim
(POR). Our goal is much different than last year," said do Hugues De Chaunac.
"Last year we had one car this year we have three. Sure, our goal is to win, but
at the same time that will be difficult because GM and Corvette are now
competing at a very high level."
Tim Crete was at Moroso Park on Monday, and has posted some excellent photos
of Gunnar-Champion, MCR, Emka Racing Porsches and the Norma-BMW taking in some
final testing for the Rolex 24.
Check these out at his site: Fast Details.com
JANUARY 28,2000 DRIVER UPDATES:
RAEL, founder of CLONAID, the world's first human cloning company , will
be driving the #57 Harberthur Racing Porsche 911GT3-R. RAEL, was a professional
racing car driver in France 25 years ago before writing world wide best-selling
books about UFOs and becoming the world's most famous UFO contactee.
JANUARY 27,2000 ADAM ANRETTI / DRIVER UPDATES:
Adam Andretti ,20 yr. old younger brother of John
Andretti will drive the #52 XS Racing Olds. Aurora in the AGT class. He will
partner car owner Mark Winkelman, John Zouzelka, Mike Robertson, and Robert
Lloyd.
Bob Wollek will drive the #51 Barbour Racing 911 GT3-R with Dirk Mueller and
Luca Lohr. This car will definately need to be watched with Dick Barbour having
very strong connections to Porsche and Tony Dowe spearheading the effort.
Lyn St. James will be part of the driving core of the #30 Porsche 911 Turbo.
Also in this car will be Speedvision GT driver George Biskup.
Two of the 1995 Winners will be racing.Christophe Bouchut will drive the #59
Brumos-Larbre Porsche 911GT3-R and Marco Warner will be in the #00 Auto Sports
Racing Ferrari 333SP of Enzo Calderari and Lilian Bryner.
JANUARY 24,2000 ROLEX ENTRY LIST RELEASED:
The provisional entry list for the Rolex 24 Hours of
Daytona was released today. Though there are no real surprises on the list the
number of new Porsche 911GT3-R's(25) entered for the event is incredible. Some
of these cars will be driven by some great drivers which should make for an
interesting battle over 24 Hours. I will have a complete breakdown of the event
shortly.
JANUARY 17,2000 OVER 100 ENTRIES:
Though an official statement has not been released there are reports
circulating that Grand-Am have recieved over a 100 entries for the Rolex 24
Hours. This will certainly make qualifying very interesting this year since only
80 cars will be allowed to start the race.
Sportscar World are reporting that Franz Konrad's Porsche 911GT2 will be
driven in the Rolex 24 Hour by Calum Lockie, Jurgen von Gartzen, Peter Kitchak
and Charlie Slater
JANUARY 13,2000 DYSON GOES WITH R&S:
Speedvision.com is reporting that Dyson Racing will
park their new Reynard for the 24 Hours and run their trusty old R&S-Ford.
The article does state that they plan to run the Reynard at Sebring in March
where they feel speed will be more important.
JANUARY 12,2000 PETTY'S ENTERED IN 24HR.:
www.goracing.com has reported that Richard, Kyle, and
Adam Petty will drive a factory backed Dodge Viper in next months 24 hours of
Daytona. More details to come when available.
JANUARY 11,2000 DRIVER UPDATES:
Max Papis has signed a deal to drive the Dyson Reynard-Ford in the 24
Hours.He will partner James Weaver, Elliot Forbes-Robinson, and team owner Rob
Dyson.
Ross Bently has been signed to drive the Doran Racing Lista Ferrari at
Daytona. He will partner Didier Theys, Mauro Baldi, and car owner Fredy
Lienhard.
JANUARY 10,2000 2000 NEWS:
Daytona Test
Pics
The Daytona Tests have concluded and it looks
as if Ferrari possibly could be the car to beat in early February. With this car
being a proven machine and also showing incredible speed it may be hard to bet
against them.The Doran Lista car was fastest all week long and though later in
the week the Reynards started to show speed this car is in for one hell of a
maiden voyage. The Cadillacs ran ver consistent but the same goes for this team,
Do they have the reliability? The Konrad Lola-Ford finally showed some speed
later in the week and this team has tons of endurance racing experience. With
several Ferrari teams coming from Europe it looks like this should be a real dog
fight!!
In GTO it looks like it will be an all out fight between the Corvettes and
the Vipers. The Corvettes have found the speed with the help of their new 7
liter motors but the Vipers are a proven commodity over 24 Hours and if these
two makes fail there will be plenty of 911GT2 waiting to pick up the laurels.
In GTU it looks like this will be an incredible battle between a fleet of new
911GT3-R. Alex Job's team set fat time during the test but with teams such as
Barbour Racing(Porsches Jr. Team), G&W Motorsports, Reiser-Callas,
Champion-Gunnar, MCR, Seikel etc. and with quite a few European teams coming
over for the race this should be an all out battle. One more note is the GTU
class will have a ton of first rate drivers piloting these cars.
In AAGT the RVO Motorsports Camaros look really strong. With Stuart Hayner
turning the 13 fastest time overall of the test sessions these cars could
definately do very well.
I will have a full preview of the race as it gets closer and an intial entry
list comes out!!!
Top 10 Grand-Am times of the week:
1. Doran/Lista Racing, No. 27 Ferrari (Mauro Baldi/Fredy
Lienhard/Didier Theys), 1:41.652 (Thurs. afternoon)
2. Konrad Motorsport,
No. 31 Lola/Judd (Jan Lammers, Franz Konrad), 1:42.521 (Sat. morning)
3.
Johansson Matthews Motorsport, No. 36 Reynard/Judd (Jim Matthews/Stefan
Johansson), 1:42.748 (Fri. afternoon)
4. Risi Competizione, No. 12 Ferrari
333 SP (Mimmo Schiattarella/Ralf Kelleners/Alex Caffi), 1:42.913 (Fri.
afternoon)
5. Philip Creighton Motorsport Ltd., No. 8 R&S/Ford (Henry
Camferdam/Scott Schubot), 1:43.122 (Sat. afternoon)
6. Team Cadillac, No. 5
Cadillac Northstar LMP (Max Angelelli/Wayne Taylor), 1:43.524 (Thurs. night)
7. Dyson Racing, No. 16 Reynard/Ford (James Weaver), 1:43.618 (Sat.
afternoon)
8. Robinson Racing, No. 74 R&S/Chevy (George Robinson/Hurley
Haywood), 1:44.120 (Wed. morning)
9. Intersport Racing, No. 29 R&S/Ford
(Jon Field/Joel Field), 1:45.575 (Thurs. afternoon)
10.Team Cadillac, No. 6
Cadillac Northstar LMP (Andy Wallace), 1:47.395 (Sat. morning) (12th
overall)
Top five GTO times of the week:
1. Corvette Racing, No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C5-R
(Justin Bell/Ron Fellows/Chris Kneifel), 1:46.368 (Wed. afternoon) (10th
overall)
2. Team Oreca, No. 91 Dodge Viper GTS-R (Olivier Beretta), 1:47.321
(Thurs. afternoon) (11th overall)
3. Corvette Racing, No. 4 Chevrolet
Corvette C5-R (Kelly Collins/Franck Freon/Andy Pilgrim), 1:48.662 (Wed.
afternoon) (14th overall)
4. Team Oreca, No. 92 Dodge Viper GTS-R (David
Donohue/Jean-Philippe Belloc), 1:49.402 (Wed. afternoon) (17th overall)
5.
Schumacher Racing, No. 99 Porsche 911 GT2 (Larry Schumacher/John O'Steen/Martin
Snow), 1:54.612 (Thurs. afternoon) (25th overall)
Top five GTU times of the week:
1. Alex
Job Racing, No. 23 Porsche 911 GT3-R (Mike Conte/Bruno Lambert/Randy Pobst/Bobby
Carradine), 1:53.697 (Fri. afternoon) (22nd overall)
2. Dick Barbour Racing,
No. 51 Porsche 911 GT3-R (Lucas Lohr/Dirk Müller), 1:54.558 (Fri. afternoon)
(23rd overall)
3. G&W Motorsports, No. 81 Porsche 911 GT3-R (Uwe
Alzen/Duncan Huisman/Patrick Huisman/Darren Law), 1:54.584 (Sat. morning) (24th
overall)
4. Alex Job Racing, No. 21 Porsche 911 GT3-R (Mike Conte/Bruno
Lambert/Randy Pobst/Bobby Carradine), 1:54.686 (Fri. afternoon) (26th overall)
5. Bell Motorsports, No. 72 BMW M3 (Boris Said/Matt Drendel/Scott
Neumann/Ron Johnson/Terry Borcheller), 1:56.058 (Wed. morning) (28th overall)
Top three AAGT times of the week:
1. RVO Motorsports, No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro (Frank
Werner/Stuart Hayner/Roger Schramm/John Miller/Marty Miller), 1:48.559 (Thurs.
afternoon) (13th overall)
2. RVO Motorsports, No. 18 Chevrolet Camaro (Frank
Werner/John Miller), 1:49.200 (Wed. afternoon) (16th overall)
3. The Spirit
of Daytona, No. 09 Chevrolet Camaro (Craig Conway/Todd Flis/Troy Flis/Doug
Goad/Tommy Riggins), 1:55.345 (Sat. morning) (27th overall)
DECEMBER 16,1999 2000 NEWS:
The
new Reynard sportscar has been undergoing some nagging problems trying to fit
the different powerplants that teams will run(Judd, Ford, Chryser). Reynard cars
feels confident they will have everthing worked out soon but this has caused
Dyson Racing to decide to only enter one car for their team at Daytona.
The first entry for the Rolex 24 Hours and the first ever entry for the new
Grand American racing Series was recieved by the 74 Ranch-Robinson Racing Team.
They will run a Reynard-Judd with Jack Baldwin, Irv Hoer, George Robinson, and
endurance racing king Hurley Haywood.
Dick Barbour has confirmed that Paul Newman will be behind the wheel of one
of his 911GT3-R's at Daytona and selected ALMS races in 2000.
Martin Henderson has entered his Pilbeam Nissan
for the Rolex 24.This car is powered by a normally aspirated six will run in the
SR2 class for smaller LMP cars.
DECEMBER 8,1999 2000 NEWS:
G&W Motorsports has reached an agreement on driver lineup and tire
manufacturer for its 2000 assault on the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.The brand new
Porsche 996GT3-R will be piloted by Super Cup and Le Mans Champion Patrick
Huisman, Le Mans winner Uwe Alzen, rising Super Cup star Duncan Huisman and
Darren Law of North American Touring Car fame. Michelin Tire company has agreed
to supply the team with a brand new compound of Michelin tires for the event.
This team looks to be another favorite for the GTU class with two former Le Mans
winners anchoring the attack.
DECEMBER 4,1999 2000 NEWS:
I
just recieved this from Kurt Maxwell:
Joe- Just got in from LAX. I don't
know if you have heard this already but I understand that Jim Matthews will run
his own operation out of Stefan J.'s shops in Indy.They may still run the 333
now that Michelotto is ready to do some upgrades. I am going to call Jiim
tomorrow and confirm these rumors.
Doran will still run Lienhard-Theys and
another gentleman-pro combo. They will be the ones running the Reynard-Judds.
Dams is getting two Cadillacs. Semi-factory deal with Motorola sponsorship
to continue. More Euro events than US.
The Kopf team will run an R&S
Ford. (ex-Dyson?)The newest .com millionaire will bring $$$ and co-drive with
Kris Wilson who drove for Kopf last year.
That's the latest that I have
heard. Kurt
PS-Small world dept.- as I headed for my gate at LAX I ran into
John Morton. I asked if he was doing Daytona and he said that it was likely. I
guess after EFR won the ALMS title it has given alot of over 50 guys hope!
This is a report I recieved from MCR Racing:
Mike Collucci will prepare a 996GT3-R owned by Bob Mazzuoccola. The car should
be delivered sometime in early December and begin Testing in early January.
Shane Lewis and another driver to be named will drive with Mazzuoccola at
Daytona
NOVEMBER 26,1999 DAYTONA NEWS :
This news was posted my Malcom Cracknell:
Tom Volk at TRV Motorsport reveals that, "we will be running our R & S with
Chevy power for 2000. We are testing at Roebling road on Dec 8-9. Jeret
Schroeder and I will be joined by Peter Boss along with Barry Waddell and
perhaps another driver that we are looking at for Daytona. We will run the car
in Daytona trim with a Daytona motor. Our goal is to put lots of miles on the
car and give some new guys some seat time. The car is virtually a new car since
our devastating fire at Mid-Ohio this year. We look forward to a great finish at
this year's Daytona 24!"
The crack French team Larbre Compétition will be racing at Daytona with two GT3R
Porsches - and will repeat the exercise at Le Mans, perhaps with three cars.
Christophe Bouchut, Patrick Huisman, Patrice Goueslard and Jean-Luc Chéreau are
expected to drive. A new lease of life for the talented Bouchut, who had a very
unsatisfactory 1999.
NOVEMBER 24,1999 CADILLAC-DAYTONA NEWS :
Cadillac has announced that Andy Wallace who has been
testing the car at Sebring has been signed to drive one car with Wayne Taylor
and Max Angelleli. Also the two single roll hoop cars that have been testing are
chassis numbers 001 and 002. Numbers 003 and 004 are being completed at the
shops right now and will have the full roll hoops that will be used at Daytona.
Derek Bell will be a driver in Steve O'Rourkes Porsche 911GT3R at
Daytona!!!
NOVEMBER 21,1999 MORE DAYTONA TESTING PICS :
Check out these Images by Tim Crete from Daytona
Testing.Only way to describe it is AWSOME!!!!!
Testing
Pics
Reynard Testing
Pics
Cadillac
Testing Pics
NOVEMBER 19,1999 DAYTONA TESTING :
This article is by Malcolm Cracknell at Sportscar World. Photos are by
Russell Wittenberg: "With two Cadillacs, the first Reynard to arrive in the US
(Robinson Racing - with a Judd), an Oreca Viper and an Alex Job 996, Daytona on
November 18 was an eventful place to be. The Reynard suffered new car gremlins
in the dashboard area, so prototype running was limited to the two Cadillacs -
and the newer version (in carbon black) had a steering fault, so just the silver
version on the track. This was a single roll hoop chassis, Ron Fellows at the
wheel - much of the time spent making a promotional video. It apparently sounds
superb, but no times set with the cameras on board. Apparently one chassis has
been tested for 750 miles, and the new one for zero miles. Neither is the Rolex
24 race car; two new ones are being built. The team apparently have a helicopter
circling overhead so they can do real-time telemetry. Friday ought to see some
more serious action from this car, the bare chassis and hopefully the Robinson
Reynard. The #23 Alex Job Porsche set a 1:54.55 & the Oreca Viper (no
number) a 1:50.48."
NOVEMBER 3,1999 :
Trois-Rivieres Added to Schedule Daytona Beach, Nov. 3 Officials of the
new Grand American Road Racing series announced today that, in addition to other
recent schedule changes for their inaugural season (see "A Little Schedule
Shuffling" dated Oct. 28), the series has added the Grand Prix at Trois-Rivieres
in Quebec, Canada. The Trois-Rivieres event, a staple on the SCCA Trans-Am
series’ calendar for many years, is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 4-6. "We
are pleased to see the prestigious and traditional Canadian sports car event
join us in our efforts to create a viable North American championship," said
Grand-Am president Roger Edmondson. "The history and tradition of the
Trois-Rivieres Grand Prix weekend place it right at home alongside our other
races at Road America, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock Park, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
and Daytona." Final details of the event format and supporting races will be
announced in a press conference at Trois-Rivieres next week
Daytona 24 Hour News-
News of possible entries for 24 Hours of Daytona continues to fly in.Long time
sports car owner from the late 70's, early 80's Dick Barbour has set up shop in
Atlanta and will enter two new Porsche 911GT3R's.Drivers have yet to be
announced but rumours have it that there will be interesting driver lineup for
these cars.
Cor Euser has made it clear that he once to enter one of his Marcos LM600.This
car will be gladly welcomed back to the high banks of Daytona.
Rob Schirle of Cirtek Motorsports has made the anouncement that they will have a
Lister Storm on the grid with backing from Lister.This car is always popular in
America and one needs not to forget that this car in GT1 trim led the race
overall at the 11 hour mark back in 1996.
NOVEMBER 1,1999 :
The
regulations for the new Grand-Am series have been relesed.Go to their site to
view them.Grand Am
October 28,1999 :
DAYTONA TEST
DAYS ANNOUNCED
Daytona International Speedway - January 5-8, 2000
PRELIMINARY
SCHEDULE
Wednesday, January 5
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Registration
9:00 AM Paddock Opens to SportsRacer and Grand-Am GT teams
10:30 AM
Paddock Opens for Motorola Cup teams
12:00 Noon - 1:00 PM GT Practice
1:10 PM - 2:10 PM SportsRacer Practice
2:20 PM - 3:20 PM Motorola Cup
Practice
3:30 PM - 4:10 PM GT Practice
4:20 PM - 5:00 PM SportsRacer
Practice
Thursday, January 6
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Registration
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM Motorola Cup Practice
9:55 AM - 10:55 AM GT Practice
11:05 AM - 12:05 PM SportsRacer Practice
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Motorola Cup
Practice
1:50 PM - 2:50 PM GT Practice
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM SportsRacer
Practice
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM Motorola Cup Practice
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Dinner Break
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM Combined SportsRacer/GT Practice
Friday, January 7
9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Registration
9:00 AM
- 9:45 AM Motorola Cup Practice
9:55 AM - 10:55 AM GT Practice
11:05 AM
- 12:05 PM SportsRacer Practice
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Motorola Cup Practice
1:50 PM - 2:50 PM GT Practice
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM SportsRacer Practice
4:10 PM - 5:00 PM Motorola Cup Practice
Saturday, January 8
9:00 AM to 1:00 PM Registration
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM Motorola Cup Practice
9:55 AM - 10:55 AM GT Practice
11:05 AM - 12:05 PM SportsRacer Practice
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Motorola Cup Practice
1:50 PM - 3:00 PM Combined
SportsRacer/GT Practice
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