Monday, February 1, 2010
Delay in Publishing Grand Am Rolex Series 24-hour of Daytona Recap
Action Express Racing Porsche Wins Rolex 24 hour of Daytona, Mazda takes GT honours
Photo Source: Grand Am
With rain pelting Daytona International Speedway, the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona starts single file behind the safety car (DP cars following a Mazda RX-8 and GT cars were packed behind a Mazdaspeed3). While there are a number of rain-driving experts in the Grand Am Rolex series, 19 minutes past until the Rolex Series field were set loose.
As the green flag was finally given to the competitors, the first lap saw some serious jockeying for position. Even as the green first lap of a 24 hour race will count for little on Sunday afternoon, DP cars challenged the polesitting #10 SunTrust Racing Dallara Ford by the second turn with the Crown Royal pulling along the side of lead car. Driven by Angelelli through the first stint, the #10 SunTrust car would be under heavy attack due to less than stellar handling which saw him settle in 7th place after 10 minutes under green.
Photo Credit: Grand Am
Wheeling the #01 Target/Chip Ganassi Racing BMW Riley, one of the spotlight prototypes for the weekend, Scott Pruett flew from fourth to first as the tightly-packed Daytona Prototypes stormed down the backstretch to lead the first green flag laps on the race. The #01's team car, the #02, was a who's who of Chip Ganassi Racing's IndyCar and NASCAR empire for 2010, the #02 lineup consisted of Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Moytona and Jamie McMurray. Taking the lead early, this BMW-powered Riley would be a consistent placeholder in the early stages of the race. However, the #02 car did not go uncontested as 5 different Daytona Prototype teams held the top spot at some point in the endurance race's first 3 hours. Taking turns in the lead were the Doran Racing #77 in the hands of Memo Gidley, the #59 Brumos Porsche, a #2 Crawford Chevy driven by Dane Cameron and the #02 BMW Riley.
The GT class also saw a quick fight for the as the #30 Mazda RX-8 shot past the class leading #69 SpeedSource entry early. An eclectic variety of vehicles which ranged from the race proven Porsche GT3s, the hard-working Mazda RX-8s as well as the GT newcomers BMW M6 and Chevrolet Camaro all had their class leading moments. As the race endured through the initial hours, one of the newer cars would demonstrate the common new race car bugs. The #94 BMW M6, campaigned by Turner Motorsport, had one driver reporting intense heat around the foot pedals. Prepared to remedy his with a NASCAR trick, teammate driver Boris Said carves up a foam foot container as an insole for his upcoming driving stint. More problem crept forward as an air flow restriction took the BMW out of the lead GT position. Recovering the obstruction, the Turner Motorsport #94 continued the full race since for a respectable 8th place in GT.
Photo Credit: Grand Am
A tough race for all racing machines, as the race extended beyond midnight (about 8 hours, 30 minutes into the event) the 3.56 mile road course wore hard on the Daytona Prototypes in particularly. The first and major casualty was the #02 Target/Chip Ganassi Racing car which suffered a terminal engine failure after leading over half of the event up to that point before 12:20PM. With other Daytona Prototype contenders leading in the night following the #02 retirement, the #75 Krohn Racing car and the #59 Brumos Racing Porsche had opportunities to light the way around the Daytona high-banks. Both vehicles encountered problems shortly after leading with the #75 requiring an extended pit stop to address body damage and a brake pad change knocking the Krohn Racing team out of winning contention.
The Brumos Racing Porsche #59 were the defending overall winning team running drivers Raphael Matos, David Donohue, Butch Leitzinger and, for the last team in Rolex 24-hour of Daytona competition, Hurley Haywood after a career which saw 6 class victories come for the racer. Preventing Haywood's 7th win was misfortunes that slowed the Porsche engined Riley overnight with 20 laps lost in a garage stop to replace a rear end gear. The #59 Porsche would eventually retire from competition claiming 11th in DP class and 26th overall in the event's final standings.
At midpoint, the GT battle had also seen a fair share of excitement with the #57 Chevy Camaro entered by Stevenson Motorsports running second behind defending GT class Daytona winning #67 TRG/Flying Lizards Motorsports Porsche GT3 team. The pole-sitting SpeedSource #69 Mazda RX-8 was still in contention through the halfway point of the event despite the car being nosed into a tire barrier after sliding off-course.
While the DP leaders suffered setbacks through the 8-12 hour mark of the 24-hour of Daytona, the 18-hour mark claimed to be savage on the GT field. Interrupting the hotly-contested class battle were a slew of mechanical gremins. The first car to be slowed was the #57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro which was leading past the 3/4 mark of the race. Spending a long-time behind the wall as a result of transmission issues, the new Grand-Am Rolex Series GT car lost the chance to take a debut victory.
The #57's main competitor, the #67 TRG/Flying Lizards Motorsports Porsche GT3, would be the next to fall to the grueling 24-hour run. A throttle spring break required two unscheduled pit stops during the course of the race. While the #67 Porsche continued to be stay in contention until the end, the #69 SpeedSource Mazda was not as lucky as a water leak slowed the RX-8.
While the 2010 Brumos Racing team fell from competition, the #9 Porsche by Action Express Racing (built from the team which was last year's second Brumos team) rose to the front in a fight between the #6 Michael Shank Ford Riley and the remaining Target/Chip Ganassi Racing #01 car.
Surrounded by considerable media attention at Daytona, the #99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley faced an uphill battle since the first practice on Thursday when Jimmie Johnson misplaced the car while passing a GT runner. Through Thursday night, an entire team went into refurbishing the rear end of the #99 car, named the 'Red Dragon'. An example to teamwork and effort, the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing returned on Friday placing some competitive laps in the final two practice sessions leaving some to think the #99 'Red Dragon' could be a contender through the 24-hour race duration. While maintaining a healthy pace through the first half of the race, The fire was ultimately lifted from the Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing team by an oil pump failure.
Further consolidating the survivors in the Daytona Prototype class, two more engine casualties claimed the vehicles of #55 Crown Royal/NPN Racing and the #6 Michael Shank Racing into the noon time hours on Sunday.
Judged as a race-changing move, the #01 Target/Chip Ganassi car, being piloted by IndyCar driver Justin Wilson, made an abrupt drive down pit road turning behind the wall. Probably acting in caution after the loss of the #02 car, after two laps mechanics of the red and blue #01 BMW Riley found no problems with the machine sending the car back out into competition. From this point, the #9 Action Express Racing Porsche Riley took a firm grip of the race lead. Portugal Grand-Am driver Joao Barbosa took the wheel through the final two plus hours of the race never setting a wheel wrong. Despite the best efforts from a charging #01 BMW Riley being hustled by Scott Pruett which saw the Target/Chip Ganassi Racing car close over 40 seconds in the final two hours, the Action Express Racing #9 Porsche Riley crossed the line first as a little mentioned underdog before the green flag fell on Saturday afternoon.
Photo Credit: Grand Am
Overcoming early setbacks the second SpeedSource car, the #70 Mazda RX-8, succeeded in winning their 2 GT class title at the Rolex 24 hour of Daytona in 3 years shared by Jonathan Bomarito Nick Ham, David Haskell and team principal Sylvain Tremblay. Taken through the final stage of the 24-hour race by Bomarito, the SpeedSource #70 ended up crossing the finish line 4 laps ahead of the #67 Porsche GT3.
Photo Credit: Grand Am
Once again on this most prestigious of North American endurance races, it was proven the difference a day can make.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Day 2: Daytona 24 hour race preparations
Photo Credit: Grand-Am
The day before the Rolex 24-hour of Daytona is the final preparation to set up for a rain or shine competition on a challenging 3.56 mile road course. The Rolex Series field full of veteran, rookie, full-time and part-time drivers will receive a challenge which even their race machines may not be able to persevere.
Morning practice for the Rolex Series Daytona prototypes and GT cars consisted of a lighter presence on-track based on the fact that some of the front-running teams wanted to conserve their race cars for Saturday. Nonetheless, many teams those the 45 minute session as a time to fine tune their sports cars including the embattled #99 GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley.
The determined work of GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing crew member reignited the "Red Dragon" by replacing the rear end damage after a Thursday morning practice crash with Jimmie Johnson in the vehicle. Staying in the pits with the GAINSCO crew members until midnight, Johnson made every effort to acknowledge the hard work. "These guys are top notch and I am fortunate to drive here at GAINSCO and look forward to a good race" Jimmie Johnson said. Jimmy Vasser added "It was a great job by all of the guys on the GAINSCO team".
With the #99 Daytona prototype repaired, drivers Jimmie Johnson, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser were all able to get seat time in the "Red Dragon" clocking a 3rd fastest time in the practice session. Top speed in the morning belonged to a pair of Porsche powered Rileys led by the #59 Brumos car with an Action Express Racing #9 Daytona Prototype's lap just over 3/1oths of a second slower. A large contingent of the durable GT class cars made use of the morning weather including the #23 Alex Job Racing Porsche GT3 which lead on speed ahead of the #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 squad car.
Splitting an uneventful final qualifying which required only 8 of the GT cars to take time, a fifth and last practice was the final preparation before the 24-hour race commences. The Daytona Prototypes were led by the #60 of Michael Shank Racing Riley ahead of the #10 SunTrust Dallara. While Ford power led the final practice, as they did in qualifying yesterday, the Chevy power in the GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing appears ready to challenge the blue oval pairing. In GT, another Chevrolet team also made a statement in the 5th practice. The Chevrolet Corvette C6.R of Godstone Ranch Motorsports achieved a time to led the session ahead of a Mazda RX-8 and BMW M6.
Throughout the final day, both Target/Chip Ganassi Daytona Prototypes sat quiet with a long distance ahead for the BMW-engined Rileys to survive. A 3-time winner of the Rolex 24-hour of Daytona, the Target/Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has their #02 car starting in 4th place, one place ahead of the #01 teammate.
The 52nd running for one of the earliest sports car races, the 2010 race is the 47th time that the event will run a full day's distance at Daytona International Speedway which has seen past entrants log more than 4,000 kilometers (roughly 2,485 miles). The field for the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona will take the green flag at 3:30PM Saturday with the SunTrust Dallara Ford Daytona prototype leading a field of 45 cars through a one-day journey. Spoiling the warm weather and sunshine that beamed on the improvised road course within the famous speedway, weather forecast in the Daytona Beach area calls for lingering rain showering as well as the possibility of thunderstorms through Saturday. As for Sunday, it is predicted that the sun will greet the survivors after enduring what will be a guaranteed harsh night to competitors whether their jobs are in the car or in pit lane.
As the ears of sports car fans absorb the majestic sounds of mechanical creations running at the edge of their limits, it will not be until after 3:30PM on Sunday that the engines around Daytona International Speedway will fall to silence again.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 1: Thursday Practice and Qualifying for Rolex 24-hour at Daytona
The First practice for the Rolex Series, occurring in the late morning under a Florida sun saw the #6 Daytona Prototype of Michael Shank Racing outrunning the SunTrust #10. With Ford engines powering those two leading entries, a Porsche powerplant allowed the #59 Brumos Racing car to achieve a 3rd fastest time. One of the drivers of the #59 will be sports car legend Hurley Haywood who has pledged this to be has final 24-hour of Daytona event. Running nine seconds slower than the Daytona Prototype leaders, both Mazda RX-8 GT cars sandwiched the Porsche GT3 campaigned by TRG/ Flying Lizard Motorsports.
Besides the speeds, the first practice was spotlighted by the day's misfortune of 2009 Rolex Series Daytona Prototype champion team GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing. After regular sports car driver Alex Gurney performed the first shake-down laps for the Chevrolet-powered Riley chassis, the #99 car (nicknamed Red Dragon) was turned over to reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson. Having placed some laps, Johnson misjudged a slower GT class car on an infield portion of the Daytona road course. Passing the GT car, the #99 spun out and slid back into a safety barrier.
While the team posted a time fast enough for 4th overall in the session, the rest of the Thursday had the GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing Riley sidelined until a replacement rear bulkhead could be frown from Charlotte to Daytona. For sports car fans who might be under the impression that a NASCAR guy like Jimmie Johnson is merely running some sort of 'cameo appearance' in the Rolex Sports Car Series, he committed the resource of his airplane to have the replacement parts as well as an installation jig sent to the speedway Thursday evening. Planning a long night of at least five hours of work, the crew of #99 GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing will have their Riley Chevy back in competition on Friday.
The Rolex Sport Car Series GT and Daytona Prototypes, less the entry of GAINSCO/ Bob Stallings Racing, were unleashed for the first round of qualifying amidst a bright, 70 degree farhenheit afternoon. Setting the top 20 grid position for each class, the pressure in of qualifying is enhanced by the tight 15 minute per class sessions.
At the end, the #10 SunTrust Racing Dallara Ford swept to the pole position. This car, driven by the collective racing talents Max Angelelli, Wayne and Ricky Taylor as well as former F1 driver Pedro Lamy, has shown consistent speed through all of 2010 at Daytona. The SunTrust Dallara Ford outran the Crown Royal sponsored #60 car of Michael Shank Racing by almost half a second. The rest of the top five features the second Michael Shank Racing vehicle in 3rd followed by the two Chip Ganassi Racing BMW-engined Rileys, the #02 car preceding the #01.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Media
The GT Class featured a domination of the Mazda RX-8 in qualifying for the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona. Led by the #69 car for the SpeedSource team, the Racers Edge Motorsports car divided the SpeedSource's team #70 Mazda from the GT pole-sitting teammate. The Godstone Ranch Motorsport/ Team MBR entry, an all-new Chevrolet Corvette C6R GT is built by the same Pratt & Miller organization behind the Chevrolet-factory's American Le Mans Series car. Fifth place in time is the world-class TRG Porsche GT3 car, 2009 GT Class winning team of the Rolex 24-hour race.
3 Daytona Prototypes and 2 GT cars have not posted times in through the Thursday qualifying. Qualifying on Friday will finalize the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Media
In the 3rd and final practice after qualifying, the Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates team topped the top chart with the superstar #02 team of Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Jamie McMurray and Juan Montoya ran faster than the Michael Shank Racing #6 car. Unable to run a lap in Thursday qualifying due to damage caused by a tangle with a GT car in the 2nd round practice, the #95 Crown Royal/ NPN Racing car presented themselves in a strong 6th place position. SpeedSource again led the GT class in speed. Followed by the Porsche of TRG/ Flying Lizard Motorsports, the 3rd fastest spot went to an emerging #32 BMW M6.
For Friday, final round qualifying and two more practice sessions will be the prelude to the 2010 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Grand Am Rolex Sports Car: Entry List for 2010 24 Hour of Daytona
Please click on the list and let me know if they are not readable.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Race Engines Come to Live in 2010: 24-Hour of Daytona Testing
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Road Racing
Amidst unseasonably cool Florida temperatures, three days of Grand-American Road Racing cars begin to heat up Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the first major race weekend in North America, the 2010 Rolex 24-Hour of Daytona. With a temperature measurement of 53 degrees Fahrenheit on Friday represented the warmest weather for entire weekend test session, drips near the freezing point combined with precipitation actually created icy conditions that postponed morning testing on Saturday for the Rolex Sports Car Series.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Sports Car
the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototypes and GT cars took turns around the 3.45 mile road course formulated from the Superspeedway complex. blazing around the track fastest has been the Suntrust-sponsored Dallara Ford wheeled by Max Angelelli. The 2005 Rolex 24-hour of Daytona overall race winning team and driver, the #10 Daytona Prototype clocked a lap of 1 minute, 40.466 seconds. Besides posting the quickest pass around the Daytona International Speedway, Angelelli has shown pace throughout the test weekend leading two of the three days on the time sheets. 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Daytona Prototype series champion GAINSCO Racing Chevrolet driven by Alex Gurney, a Scott Dixon-wheeled Chip Ganassi Racing Riley breaking their new BMW powerplant and the Michael Shank Racing Riley-Ford piloted by Michael Valiante (who led the messy Saturday session in driving weather accustomed to Canadians) also showed nearly comparable speed through testing.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Sports Car
In the sampling of Rolex Sports Car GT cars, an Alex Job Racing-owned Porsche GT3 took top speed honours. Driven by 22 year old Austrian Martin Ragginger, the Porsche logged a lap at 1 minute and 49.627 seconds. With the factory-backed Pontiac Racing effort gone with the demise of the GM brand, the rock-steady Porsche squad's main nemesis for 2010 will be a race-hardened group of Mazda RX-8s. With one RX-8 driven and owned by actor Patrick Dempsey, another car campaigned by SpeedSource will offer a season-long fight for the German sports car powerhouse.
Dialing in race cars within weather which barely reached average temperature lows for the Daytona Beach area for the late January event, horsepower was peak but tire grip was at a premium for the sports cars. In spite of this, the sessions endured only minor incidents such as spins and blown engines from select vehicles with all categories of drivers exercising caution.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Sports Car
Serving as a test session for the prestigious Daytona Prototypes and GT class machines of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge vehicles are also unleashed in preparation for a 200-mile race to roll on the Friday before the day-long headline event. This year, the all-new competition versions of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger will meet making with a 5.0 liter Ford Mustang Boss 302R resembling a modern revival of the SCCA Trans-Am series (In fact, a #6 Camaro and #15 Mustang showed up with paint schemes iconic with the late 1960s to early 1970s glory days). Split into two classes of competition, the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge features their faster, more powerful car in the GS (Grand Sport) class and the ST (Sport Tuner) Class for smaller race cars which will include the MAZDASPEED3 and Subaru Impreza WRX STI as newcomers for 2010. With 54 cars total showing up for the Daytona test, the 2010 race for the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge guarantees to be a well-contested affair.
Photo Credit: Grand-Am Sports Car
The perennial kick-off to the 2010 racing season in North America, the clock for the Rolex 24-Hour of Daytona will start at January 30th at 3:30 PM Eastern time.