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[h=2]Shank reveals new Acura liveries[/h] Saturday, 30 December 2017


MSR



Michael Shank Racing revealed a new look for its pair of Acura NSX GT3 entries in next year's 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

MSR recently announced the driver line-ups for its cars, with the No. 93 Acura NSX GT3 set to be driven by Lawson Aschenbach, Justin Marks, Mario Farnbacher and Come Ledogar, while Katherine Legge, Alvaro Parente, Trent Hindman and A.J. Allmendinger will share the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 entry.
With coordinating colors, the No. 93 – numbered after the 1993 founding year of Honda Performance Development – will sport a striking red design with a gray and black "spray painted graffiti" look. The sister car – numbered after the birth of Acura in 1986 – will coordinate with a similar design but with gray primary coloring.
Both designs – which were originally created for MSR team driver suits by Jessica Karp – were so eye-catching to team owner Mike Shank, that they were soon transformed for the two car Acura NSX GT3 line-up.
"We had some awesome designs last year, but this season we are not carrying the Acura branding so that gave us a bit of a clean slate to come up with something all-new, and when we saw the renderings for the driver suits it was something that we wanted to go even further with and put on the cars," said Shank. "It came out even better than we were hoping it would! We are all packed and ready to get to work down in Daytona and hopefully everyone is as excited about these cars as we are."
The Michael Shank Racing Acuras will debut at the annual 'Roar Before the 24' test at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 5.

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Auction: Rolex 24 sign with 250 autographs to benefit Wilson Children's Fund

Saturday, 30 December 2017


By Marshall Pruett


Courtesy of the amazing sports car fan Michael Goodwin, who creates custom metal signs each year for the Rolex 24 At Daytona and spends days pursuing drivers to add their autographs to the piece, his sign from the 2017 race is being offered for sale for charity fundraising to benefit the Wilson Children's Fund.

Winners from all four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes, including NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon who was part of the overall winning team at Wayne Taylor Racing, are represented. Drivers from IMSA's Continental Tire Series, members of the media and TV broadcasting team, and legends of the sport also signed Goodwin's 2-foot x 3-foot sign.
His tireless efforts secured hundreds of signatures – likely the most comprehensive assembly of driving talent on any single piece of Rolex 24 memorabilia – at the 55th running of America's longest endurance race. It's IndyCar stars, Indy 500 winners, Le Mans winners, WEC champions, IMSA champs, and all manner of professional racers who lent their names to Goodwin's benevolent project.
Michael's sign from the 2016 Rolex 24, which featured fewer signatures, raised $4500 on eBay. We're hoping the incredibly awesome 2017 sign will provide similar financial blessings, this time for the little girls of the late Rolex 24 winner Justin Wilson. It cost Michael $78 to ship the sign to me, so I'm doing a flat rate of $75 to anyone in North America.
Below is a list assembled by Goodwin of all the 250 or so autographs captured on the sign:
Drivers: Prototype Winners: Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli, Jeff Gordon. GT Le Mans Winners: Dirk Mueller, Joey Hand, Sebastien Bourdais. PC Winners: James French, Patricio O'Ward, Kyle Masson, Nicholas Boulle. GT Daytona Winners: Carlos de Quesada, Daniel Morad, Jesse Lazare, Michael de Quesada, Michael Christensen. Pippa Mann, Liam Dwyer, Kenton Koch, Mikey Taylor, Spencer Pumpelly, Ben Devlin, Mark Miller, Kyle Marcelli, Ted Giovanis, Guy Cosmo, Russell Ward, Damien Faulkner, Hugh Plumb, Al Carter, Charles Espenlaub, Nick Longhi, Drake Kemper, Jim Norman, Jeff Mosing, Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel, Luis Felipe Derani, Brendon Hartley, Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque, Sebastien Buemi, Nick Heidfeld, Neel Jani, Stephane Sarrazin, Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek, Bruno Senna, Dane Cameron, Eric Curran, Michael Conway, Seb Morris, Michael Guasch, Jose Gutierrez, RC Enerson, Tom Kimber-Smith, Tristan Nunez, Jonathan Bomarito, Spencer Pigot, Tom Long, Joel Miller, James Hinchcliffe, Henrik Hedman, Nicolas Lapierre, Ben Hanley, Loic Duval, Chris Miller, Stephen Simpson, Misha Goikhberg, Mathias Beche, Marc Goossens, Renger Van Der Zande, Rene Rast, Robert Wickens, Sean Rayhall, Chris Cumming, John Falb, Remo Ruscitti, Conor Daly, Don Yount, Buddy Rice, Mark Kvamme, Chapman Ducote, Gustavo Yacaman, Tom Papadopoulos, Johnny Mowlem, Adam Merzon, Trent Hindman, David Cheng, James Davison, Alex Popow, Tommy Milner, Oliver Gavin, Marcel Fassler, Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen, Mike Rockenfeller, Bill Auberlen, Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg, Kuno Wittmer, Augusto Farfus, Bruno Spengler, John Edwards, Martin Tomczyk, Giancarlo Fisichella, James Calado, Toni Vilander, Ryan Briscoe, Richard Westbrook, Scott Dixon, Stefan Mucke, Olivier Pla, Billy Johnson, Harry Tincknell, Andy Priaulx, Tony Kanaan, Patrick Pilet, Dirk Werner, Frederic Makowiecki, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Richard Lietz, Christian Engelhart, Rolf Ineichen, Ezequiel Perez Companc, Mirko Bortolotti, Scott Pruett, Sage Karam, Ian James, Jack Hawksworth, Dominik Farnbacher, Gustavo Menezes, Corey Lewis, Jeroen Mul, Kaz Grala, Brett Sandberg, Emmanuel Anassis, Zach Claman De Melo, Anthony Massari, Brandon Gdovic, Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, Frank Montecalvo, Pierre Kaffer, Lawrence DeGeorge, Cedric Sbirrazzuoli, Paolo Ruberti, Luca Persiani, Raffaele Giammaria, Connor De Phillippi, Christopher Mies, Jules Gounon, Jeffery Schmidt, Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Mario Farnbacher, Adam Christodoulou, Emanuele Busnelli, Fabio Babini, Emmanuel Collard, Francois Perrodo, Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, Bryce Miller, Dion von Moltke, Cooper Macneil, Shane Van Gisbergen, Gunnar Jeannette, Thomas Jaeger, Peter Mann, Maurizio Mediani, Alessandro Pier Guidi, Davide Rigon, Rino Mastronardi, Jonathan Bennett, Colin Braun, Patrick Long, Nic Jonsson, Lawson Aschenbach, Andrew Davis, Matt Bell, Robin Liddell, Steve Smith, Reinhold Renger, Harald Proczyk, Seven Muller, Matteo Cairoli, Christian Engelhart, Rolf Ineichen, Roberto Pampanini, Christoper Lenz, Milos Paviovic, Christina Nielsen, Alessandro Balzan, Matteo Cressoni, Sam Bird, Patrick Lindsey, Jorg Bergmeister, Mathew McMurry, Norbert Siedler, Kenny Habul, Boris Said, Tristan Vautier, Maro Engel, Paul Morris, Jeff Segal, Oswaldo Negri Jr., Tom Dyer, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Andy Lally, Katherine Legge, Mark Wilkins, Graham Rahal, Justin Marks, Jens Klingmann, Maxime Martin, Paul Dalla Lana, Pedro Lamy, Mathias Lauda, Santiago Creel, Mike Hedlund, Wolf Henzler, Jan Heylen, Timothy Pappas, Jesse Krohn.
Legends: Hurley Haywood, Ron Fellows , Johnny O'Connell, Jack Baldwin, Stefan Johansson, Didier Theys, Tommy Kendall, Memo Gidley, John Pew, Jim Pace.
Media: Justin Bell, Andy Blackmore, Jaime Little, Chris Neville, Marshall Pruett, Brian Till.
Team Owners: Bill Riley, CJ Wilson, Wayne Taylor, Sylvain Tremblay, Peter Baron, Chip Ganassi, Michael Shank.

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2018 Team-By-Team: Prototype


Wednesday, January 3, 2018


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As the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship swings into action with this weekend’s Roar Before The Rolex 24, a busy offseason for teams and drivers has already begun to move into the rearview mirror. Here’s a quick, team-by-team look at what’s in store for each entry in the Prototype class:
No. 2 Tequila Patrón ESM
Nissan DPi
Scott Sharp/Ryan Dalziel/Olivier Pla
The No. 2 team closed out 2017 with a victory in the Motul Petit Le Mans. Returning as full-season co-drivers are Sharp and Dalziel, with a new endurance racing teammate for 2018, the ultra-fast Pla. Sharp owns a pair of Rolex 24 victories, the most recent coming in 2016, while Dalziel won the event in 2010.
No. 5 Mustang Sampling Racing
Cadillac DPi
Joao Barbosa/Filipe Albuquerque/Christian Fittipaldi
The biggest news for the No. 5 team heading into the 2018 season is the addition of Albuquerque as Barbosa’s full-time co-driver in the No. 5 machine, forming “Team Portugal.” Fittipaldi moves from full-time driver to become the team’s sporting director, but will continue to drive in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup rounds. Barbosa, Fittipaldi and the No. 5 team have won every Patrón Endurance Cup since its inception in 2014.
No. 6 Acura Team Penske
Acura DPi
Dane Cameron/Juan Pablo Montoya/Simon Pagenaud
Cameron, the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype co-champion, joins the new-for-2018 WeatherTech Championship team alongside Montoya, a two-time Indy 500 winner, IndyCar champion, three-time Rolex 24 overall winner and race winner in both Formula 1 and the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, who is moving to full-time WeatherTech Championship status this season. Pagenaud, the 2016 IndyCar Series champion, joins the team for endurance races.
No. 7 Acura Team Penske
Acura DPi
Ricky Taylor/Helio Castroneves/Graham Rahal
Taylor will defend his 2017 WeatherTech Championship Prototype title with a new team, as he moves to the No. 7 Acura DPi to join three-time Indy 500 winner Castroneves as new car’s full-time co-drivers. Rahal, a full-time IndyCar racer who already has a Rolex 24 win on his résumé, joins the team for the longer races.
No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R
Cadillac DPi
Jordan Taylor/Renger van der Zande/Ryan Hunter-Reay
The 2017 WeatherTech Championship Prototype champion team – which won the first five races of the season, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona – will feature a new look this season. Van der Zande has joined the No. 10 squad, replacing the Acura Team Penske-bound Ricky Taylor, and will look to help Jordan Taylor and the team successfully defend their 2017 title. Indy 500 and IndyCar champion Hunter-Reay joins the team for endurance races.
No. 20 BAR1 Motorsports
Multimatic/Riley LMP2
Joel Miller
The BAR1 team closed out the 2017 season as the final race-winners for the WeatherTech Championship Prototype Challenge (PC) class, which concluded after the Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in October. In 2018, the team steps into the Prototype class with a heavily revised Multimatic/Riley LMP2 race car. Joel Miller, who spent the past several years with Mazda, is the lone driver entered thus far for this week’s Roar Before The Rolex 24 test.
No. 22 Tequila Patrón ESM
Nissan DPi
Johannes van Overbeek/Pipo Derani/Nicolas Lapierre
Van Overbeek and Derani own the distinction of being the co-drivers for the Nissan DPi’s first victory, which they accomplished last year at Road America. This year, Derani – who joined the team as a full-time driver at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen last year – will contest the full WeatherTech Championship season alongside van Overbeek. The pair of drivers will look for their second Rolex 24 win in three years and will do it with Lapierre, a two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner, as their co-driver.
No. 23 United Autosports
Ligier LMP2
Phil Hanson/Lando Norris/Fernando Alonso
The No. 23 garage and pit area figures to be a busy place during the Roar and the Rolex 24 as two-time F1 World Champion Alonso makes his Rolex 24 At Daytona debut alongside Hanson, the 2017 Asian Le Mans Series LMP3 champion, and 18-year-old McLaren F1 Test & Reserve driver Norris.
No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing
Cadillac DPi
Felipe Nasr/Eric Curran/Mike Conway/Stuart Middleton
Brazilian Nasr joins the 2016 WeatherTech Championship Prototype champion team as Curran’s new full-time teammate in 2018. The ex-F1 racer previously raced with the team in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona as winner of the Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona Challenge. This year’s winner, Middleton, joins the full-timers along with Conway, who is back for another season of endurance racing for the No. 31 team.
No. 32 United Autosports
Ligier LMP2
Will Owen/Hugo de Sadeleer/Paul di Resta/Bruno Senna
The strong, two-car lineup for United Autosports is bolstered by the No. 32 entry. Owen was runner-up in the 2017 European Le Mans Series LMP2 championship, while di Resta is a veteran of Formula 1 and DTM competition. De Sadeleer won 2017 ELMS “Rookie of the Year” honors, while Senna – 2017 FIA World Endurance Championship LMP2 champion and nephew of the Formula 1 legend – makes his second consecutive Rolex 24 start after racing last year with Tequila Patrón ESM.
No. 37 Jackie Chan DCR JOTA
ORECA LMP2
Lance Stroll/Felix Rosenqvist/Daniel Juncadella/Robin Frijns
This year’s Rolex 24 will feature two active F1 racers as Williams driver Stroll returns for his second Rolex 24 appearance after competing in 2016 aboard a Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Daytona Prototype. Swedish driver Rosenqvist is a full-time Formula E racer, while Frijns brings Formula 1, Formula E and sports car experience. Juncadella is a Mercedes-AMG factory driver.
No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports
ORECA LMP2
James French/Kyle Masson
The final PC class championship-winning team – which won seven of eight races – moves to the Prototype class for 2018. Thus far, the team has named two drivers, both of whom were part of the team’s 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona class victory. French also won the season championship for Performance Tech, while Masson joined French and 2017 co-driver Patricio O’Ward as Patrón Endurance Cup champions.
No. 52 AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports
Ligier LMP2
Sebastian Saavedra/Gustavo Yacaman/Roberto Gonzalez/Nicholas Boulle
In mid-December, Saavedra and Yacaman were introduced as full-season drivers for the team, which combines longtime IMSA participants PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports with the former AFS Racing IndyCar program. While Saavedra and Yacaman form “Team Colombia,” they’ll be joined at the Rolex 24 by Mexican driver Gonzalez and American Boulle, who won the PC class in last year’s Rolex 24.
No. 54 CORE Autosport
ORECA LMP2
Jon Bennett/Colin Braun/Romain Dumas/Loic Duval
After a year of GT Daytona (GTD) class competition in a Porsche, longtime CORE teammates Bennett and Braun return to their Prototype racing roots in 2018. For the Rolex 24, the team has stacked the deck with a pair of drivers with extensive experience as factory drivers. Dumas was a longtime Porsche works pilot, while Duval remains part of Audi’s program.
No. 55 Mazda Team Joest
Mazda DPi
Jonathan Bomarito/Harry Tincknell/Spencer Pigot
Longtime Mazda factory racer Bomarito rejoins a Mazda Prototype program sporting a whole new look in 2018 under the Mazda Team Joest banner. He’ll be joined full-time by British racer Tincknell, who also drives for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s FIA WEC program, and IndyCar racer Pigot.
No. 77 Mazda Team Joest
Mazda DPi
Oliver Jarvis/Tristan Nunez/Rene Rast
Another longtime Mazda factory racer, Nunez will be paired with former Audi factory driver Jarvis on a full-time basis in 2018 with Mazda Team Joest. Rast, who won the 2017 DTM title as an Audi factory driver, joins the lineup as endurance driver.
No. 78 Jackie Chan DCR JOTA
ORECA LMP2
Ho-Pin Tung/Alex Brundle/Antonio Felix da Costa/Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen
Tung and the team won the LMP2 class and finished second overall in the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing one spot ahead of the team’s other Le Mans entry, which included Brundle in its driver lineup. Brundle competed in several WeatherTech Championship events in 2014, but has focused on European racing since 2015. He won the 2016 ELMS LMP3 championship. Da Costa currently races in Formula E, while Habsburg raced FIA Formula 3 in 2017.
No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports
ORECA LMP2
Simon Trummer/Robert Alon/Austin Cindric/Devlin DeFrancesco
Swiss driver Trummer, who owns previous experience in the FIA WEC and Europe’s VLN Series, moves to full-time WeatherTech Championship competition in 2018 aboard the rechristened “Banana Boat.” He’ll be joined by Alon, who returns to Prototype racing this year after a year of GTD competition in the 3GT Racing Lexus in 2017. Alon is a past race-winner in WeatherTech Championship PC class competition. Versatile racer Cindric, who has been a top performer in everything from the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series to Global Rallycross, joins the team for the Rolex 24, as does 17-year-old Canadian DeFrancesco, who won races in FIA European Formula 3 and the Spanish Formula 3 championship.
No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing
Cadillac DPi
Matt McMurry/Tristan Vautier
Spirit of Daytona joins the Cadillac DPi ranks in 2018 with an all-new driver lineup. Vautier, a veteran of IndyCar competition, moves to the Prototype ranks after driving for SunEnergy1 Racing in the GTD class in 2017. McMurry, who became the youngest driver in 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 at the age of 16, will race full-time alongside Vautier for the full 2018 WeatherTech Championship campaign.
No. 99 JDC-Miller Motorsports
ORECA LMP2
Stephen Simpson/Misha Goikhberg/Chris Miller/Gustavo Menezes
Simpson and Goikhberg impressed WeatherTech Championship fans throughout 2017 with their strong performances as co-drivers of the JDC-Miller team’s “Banana Boat,” but in 2018, they’ll move to another storied sports car livery, as the No. 99 GAINSCO “Red Dragon” returns for the first time since 2014. The full-time teammates will be joined by their regular endurance co-driver, Miller, as well as Menezes, a 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and FIA WEC champion in the LMP2 class.

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Stacked Continental Tire Challenge Field Roaring into Daytona

Thursday, January 4, 2018
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With new teams, new cars and a new class, the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge returns to Daytona International Speedway bigger and better than ever.

The Roar Before the Rolex 24 will bring a wealth of Continental Tire Challenge teams to the World Center of Racing for testing ahead of the series’ season opener – the four-hour BMW Endurance Challenge on January 26.

Twenty-eight cars are entered for the Roar in the Grand Sport (GS) class. With seven different manufacturers, this class has experienced tremendous growth, as 2018 marks its first year with all race cars using international GT4 technical regulations.

The defending GS champions, RS1, return with two Porsche Cayman GT4 MRs and will look to begin its quest for a third consecutive title after winning the Street Tuner (ST) class championship in 2016.

Also returning is Motorsports In Action with its two McLaren GT4s piloted by Jesse Lazare, new teammate and previous Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama driver Corey Fergus, Rod Randall and Kenny Wilden. This Canada-based team will look to carry its momentum to the new year after winning the season finale at Road Atlanta in October. C360R also is planning to field a McLaren with returning drivers Matt Plumb and Paul Holton.

Alan Brynjolfsson and VOLT Racing are back for its sophomore season with a Ford Mustang GT4 with Trent Hindman, who brings a previous series championship to the table. Automatic Racing, which scored the underdog win at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in September, also returns with two Aston Martin Vantages.

Ford will continue to be well represented at the Roar with four cars between KohR Motorsports, which scored three wins in 2017, as well as long time partners Roush Performance, and Multimatic Motorsports with series veteran Scott Maxwell.

The Roar also will be the first showing for a few teams making the jump from ST to GS, including BimmerWorld Racing in the new BMW M4 GT4 and Murillo Racing in a Mercedes-AMG GT4. The same holds true for several drivers as well, such as Owen Trinkler, now part of the Team TGM Mercedes-AMG lineup, and longtime duo Stevan McAleer and Chad McCumbee who will be racing for different teams in 2018, Bodymotion Racing and Multimatic Motorsports, respectively.

New teams on the scene include Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport with two Mercedes-AMG GT4s, Classic BMW/Vess Energy Group with a BMW M4 and AWA with a Ford Mustang.

However, the growth of the Continental Tire Challenge is not only seen in the GS class. Making its Continental Tire Challenge debut this season is TCR, which slots in between GS and ST in performance and has seven race cars on the entry list. Volkswagen, the newest manufacturer to the series, is represented with one Golf GTI, while the remaining teams are fielding Audi RS3 LMS racecars.

Three teams familiar with the series – Murillo Racing, JDC-Miller Motorsports and C360R – are fielding TCR cars this year and are joined by three newcomers – eEuroparts.com Racing, RS Werkes Racing and Rumcastle LLC.

Rounding out the entry list is the ST class, with five cars and all from returning teams. Murillo Racing completes the trifecta with a car in each class, and will be racing alongside two MINI JCWs from the MINI JCW Team, Bodymotion Racing and BimmerWorld Racing in the class.

The Continental Tire Challenge kicks off the Roar weekend with a morning and afternoon practice session on Friday, followed by two additional sessions per day on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for the event can be purchased on www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

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IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda Kicks Off 2018 Season This Weekend At Daytona

Thursday, January 4, 2018
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Racing is back and it’s the IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda that kicks off the 2018 North American motorsports calendar with its season-opening event this Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.

A total of 25 prototypes are set to embark in the historic event that features several firsts for the series. Not only is the race a part of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend for the first time, it is the inaugural event for the IMSA Prototype Challenge presented by Mazda at Daytona and the first with its new 1-hour, 45 minutes endurance race format. The race can be seen live on IMSA.com at 1:25 p.m. ET.

Entered are a total of 13 LM P3s from a trio of constructors, with the Norma M30 of Forty 7 Motorsports and the Ave-Riley AR2 of Ave Motorsports joining 11 Ligier JS P3s. Among those are a trio of entries apiece from P1 Motorsports and Extreme Speed Motorsports, as well as entries from ANSA Motorsports, Charles Wicht Racing, Gilbert LMP3 Racing, K2R Motorsports and Performance Tech Motorsports.

The longstanding MPC class that uses the Élan DP02 chassis powered by Mazda engines also returns with 12 entries, including four from Performance Tech Motorsports, three from Eurosport Racing, two apiece from ODU Motorsports and ONE Motorsports, and a solo entry from Wolf Motorsports.

The new endurance format will allow teams to run a single or two-driver combination with a required pit stop.

“I think that’s what the series needs as it is kind of the feeder into WeatherTech [SportsCar Championship],” said Corey Lewis, who will co-drive alongside Matt Dicken in the No. 17 P1 Motorsports Ligier JS P3. “You get the feel for what the WeatherTech show is like and having experienced that series and now bringing up the drivers and teams, I think it is a real good thing for the series overall that IMSA put together.”

“Yeah, I think it’s awesome,” added Robby Foley, who will co-drive P1 Motorsports’ No. 42 entry with Jim Garrett. “Especially for myself, looking to move up, the endurance format is nice because going to WeatherTech or something like that, you’ll be in an endurance format. … It’s good practice for the future for me hopefully.”

The race rounds out a jam-packed weekend for IMSA at Daytona. Joining the IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda are the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, each with several test sessions which serve as a prelude to the Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month.

Race day events for fans of the IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda include a fan walk on the grid prior to the event at 12:45 p.m. and an autograph session in the UNOH Fanzone at 10:30 a.m.

For more information about the IMSA Prototype Challenge Presented by Mazda, visit www.imsa.com, follow hashtag #IMSAPC and @IMSA on Twitter or IMSA on Facebook.

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CORVETTE RACING AT DAYTONA: Gearing Up For Championship Defense in 2018

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Tuesday, January 2, 2018




A new calendar year also brings a new season for Corvette Racing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. It all begins this weekend at the annual Roar Before the 24, which serves as a prelude to the Rolex 24 At Daytona and opening round of the IMSA season.

For Corvette Racing, the three-day test is a chance to gear up for its chance at a fourth class victory at the twice-around-the-clock endurance race at Daytona International Speedway. Both Chevrolet Corvette C7.Rs will be on-track along with its full complement of three drivers in each car.

Defending GT Le Mans (GTLM) Antonio Garcia and Jan Magnussen team up again with Mike Rockenfeller in the No. 3 Mobil 1/SiriusXM Chevrolet Corvette C7.R. In the No. 4 Corvette, full-season teammates Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner will drive with Marcel Fässler in hopes of replicating their 2016 class victory.

Corvette Racing celebrates its 20[SUP]th[/SUP] season of competition in 2018 – longevity not matched by any other team in the IMSA paddock. The Chevrolet/Corvette Racing partnership is the most successful in professional North American endurance racing with 98 victories in the United States and Canada. Add eight Le Mans victories, and Corvette Racing’s global tally is 106 during the last 19 seasons.

The roll of honor for Corvette Racing also includes 12 Manufacturer and Team championships, as well as 11 Driver titles. In 2017, Garcia and Magnussen won three times and won their second IMSA title together. Gavin and Milner also posted a victory of their own last year.

Since the start of the 2014 season – the first under the ALMS/GRAND-AM merger – no manufacturer or team has won more often in the WeatherTech Championship than Chevrolet and Corvette Racing. Team Chevy has 35 victories with 15 coming in GTLM with Corvette Racing.

The Rolex 24 served as the first event for the Corvette Racing program in 1999, and one of the team’s Corvette C5-Rs finished fourth. Two years later, Corvette Racing won the race overall. Fast forward to the current era, and the program added class victories in both 2015 and 2016. The latter was the thrilling 1-2 finish that saw the No. 4 Corvette beat its sister entry by just 0.034 seconds.

That is just one of more than 40 victories for Chevrolet across all motorsports events at Daytona, making it the most successful manufacturer at the World Center of Racing.

ANTONIO GARCIA, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It has been a busy period since the end of last season. Corvette Racing has put a lot of effort into testing for our 20[SUP]th[/SUP] season in 2018 – both on the track and in our simulator. We can make use of every piece of data we can find. Hopefully that helps us at Daytona. We were disappointed not to win last year’s Rolex 24 after we led twice after pit stops in the final hour. After missing just a little pace then, I hope we can find what we need after these three days of testing.”

JAN MAGNUSSEN, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “With everything we accomplished last year, one of the disappoints we had was not winning Daytona. So we will go into the Roar with that goal in mind. We are there for three days but there is a huge amount of items we need to run through for the Rolex 24. Winning there would be the best way to start Corvette Racing’s 20[SUP]th[/SUP] year.

MIKE ROCKENFELLER, NO. 3 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “It will be great to get back in the Corvette C7.R at Daytona. As a team, we have a lot to work toward to give both our cars the best possible to chance to win this race. That means we need to get everything we can out of testing this week. I am continually impressed by the level of racing in GTLM with the number of great manufacturers, drivers and teams. So it is imperative we start strong with a good showing at the Roar.”

OLIVER GAVIN, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m very eager to get this year started off right. Tommy, myself and everyone on the No. 4 Corvette side want to put last season out of our minds and focus on having a good, positive weekend at the Roar. This stands to be a big year for Corvette Racing… our 20[SUP]th[/SUP] season and going for three straight GTLM championships. Checking off all the items on our testing list would be a great start.”

TOMMY MILNER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “This is a huge year for everyone at Corvette Racing. It’s our 20[SUP]th[/SUP] season and from the competition standpoint, this will be the biggest challenge we’ve faced. There’s additional motivation for our side of the garage after last season’s tough going. The best thing about our team though is the talent and experience we have working together for so many years. We need to use that advantage this weekend to get us in the best possible shape heading into the Rolex 24.”

MARCEL FÄSSLER, NO. 4 MOBIL 1/SiriusXM CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R: “I’m ready to get back to the track with Corvette Racing. Daytona is a big event and one that we have been lucky to win before. For me personally, my comfort level in the Corvette is higher than it has ever been. I was fortunate enough to participate in a couple of test days after the 2017 season that proved to be very beneficial. Our confidence is very high going into Daytona so hopefully that will mean a successful start to the season for Corvette Racing.”

DOUG FEHAN, CORVETTE RACING PROGRAM MANAGER: “Well, 2018 is dawning with some new and exciting things for Corvette Racing and the entire WeatherTech Championship fan base. For the first time, the Roar will actually have some impact on the Rolex 24 as we will be ‘qualifying’ for our pit lane and garage assignments. This can have a direct impact on the race itself when you consider the GTLM margin of victory in 2016 was a scant 0.034 seconds between our two Corvettes. In addition, the Roar will mark the first time for a variety of new machinery, including new cars in GTLM. The 2018 season looks like pretty darn exciting from where we sit.”

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[h=1]UNITED AUTOSPORTS HEADS STATESIDE FOR ROAR BEFORE THE 24[/h]
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Tuesday, January 2, 2018








United Autosports will kick off their 2018 season this weekend with the ROAR before the 24 – the official test for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Anglo-American squad will be fielding two Ligier JS P217s in the 56[SUP]th[/SUP] running of the 24-hour race in Florida, USA. Their driver line-up features some of the most famous names in motorsport as Fernando Alonso teams up with Lando Norris and Phil Hanson in the #23 car, while Bruno Senna and Paul Di Resta join United’s regular LMP2 racers, Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer in the #32 Ligier.

Six of United Autosports’ seven drivers have tested with the team prior to the ROAR, Alonso getting to grips with the Ligier at Aragon in November, while Norris and Di Resta tested at Paul Ricard. Will Owen and Hugo de Sadeleer completed a full season in the European Le Mans Series with the team in 2017, finishing second in the championship. Phil Hanson also has experience of the Ligier JS P217, having raced in the ELMS and selected rounds of the World Endurance Championship in 2017. He has also completed an extensive testing programme with United Autosports since joining the team in October. Bruno Senna is the only driver not to have completed any laps in the United-run Ligier, although he is no stranger to LMP2 and prototype racing, having won the 2017 WEC LMP2 Championship.

On track action begins on Friday 5[SUP]th[/SUP] January with two test sessions. Further test sessions will be held on Saturday 6[SUP]th[/SUP] and Sunday 7[SUP]th[/SUP] with a 15-minute qualifying shootout being held on Sunday afternoon. This shootout will determine the garage layout for the Rolex race week.
Phil Hanson, driver car #23, United Autosports:
“I’m really looking forward to getting my first laps in 2018 under my belt. The last time I was in the US racing was in Las Vegas for the kart Super Nationals. It should be cool to go from what was the toughest US kart race to without doubt the toughest and biggest US car race.”

Lando Norris, driver car #23, United Autosports:
“I’m really looking forward to the ROAR and to go and meet all my team mates properly. I’m looking forward to being back in a car after a bit of a break, which is one of the many things I’m excited about. I’m heading out to America for the first time ever, which will be a new experience for me. It will be good to prepare properly with United and my team mates for the 24-hour race and really get to grips with the car and the track. We can start putting everything together as one team so we can try and maximise the test days we have going into Daytona.”

Fernando Alonso, driver car #23, United Autosports:
“It’s a true pleasure to go back racing in the States, in front of the US fans. In less than a year I will have competed in two legendary races, which makes me very proud. I have always wanted to challenge myself in other categories of motorsport, as this is what you need to become a better driver. Going out of my comfort zone by taking part in such an iconic race as the Daytona 24 Hours is just amazing. I am looking forward to racing for United Autosports, the reigning European LMP3 Champions. At the test we had in Spain in November, everyone made me feel extremely welcome and part of the family and I’m happy to be spending more time with the team and my team-mates in a few days, at the ROAR. I just cannot wait to jump in the car again and drive on the famous oval. In the last couple of months I have been spending time watching several Daytona 24 Hours, which made me even keener to go out there and try myself. It’s going to be fun!”

Will Owen, driver car #32, United Autosports:
“I have had a nice little break for the past month or two, but it is time to get back down to business. I am really excited to get together with the whole United crew, Hugo and all the new drivers! Since practice is always limited and we have four drivers, we will have to be as efficient as possible during the test to try all of the car setups that we want. As everyone knows, this year is going to be wildly competitive, so the ROAR will be a good place to get a feeling for the competition. I am also excited to show my United friends some fat, southern American food and culture in Daytona, returning the favour for all the nice, healthy restaurants they showed me in Europe. We are all feeling great about the Ligier package this year, and it is an honour to be able to represent United Autosports and Ligier at this fantastic event.”

Paul Di Resta, driver car #32, United Autosports:
“I’m really looking forward to starting the 2018 season so early on. I have never done this before in my career and it's something new to me – endurance racing, in the US, at Daytona. I had a small taste of the LMP2 car in early November and really liked how it was, now the real business will begin. I have to start working hard with the team and my teammates to make the best of this race with United Autosports. I liked what I saw in the team and I hope it only works better when the pressure is on.”

Hugo de Sadeleer, driver car #32, United Autosports:
“I'm really excited to be racing at Daytona, It's first time racing in the United States and I'll need to learn a new style of racing. United Autosports is the only team in the world that can deliver the most amazing drivers in the world. It will be such a privilege to be able to learn from Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta and Fernando Alonso and I'm hopeful that Ligier's development throughout winter, will give us a very competitive car.”

Bruno Senna, driver car #32, United Autosports:
"Not long now, before the all-important ROAR. There's a lot to learn with the United Autosports Ligier-Gibson for me and the integration with the team, as well as getting to see how strong the competition is looking ahead of Daytona! Can't wait for the New Year's!"

Zak Brown, Team Owner and Chairman, United Autosports:
“I think we have two really strong driver line ups for our Rolex 24 at Daytona campaign. We have a great mix of talent, that includes experienced drivers and quick racers. I can’t wait to get out there and see how we get on.”

Richard Dean, Team Owner and Managing Director, United Autosports:
“I’m excited for the ROAR. It will be the first time our full Daytona 24 Hours crew and drivers will be together and I’m looking forward to it. We have two very strong line ups, but we are also under no illusion that we have some very tough competition throughout the Prototype field. Some of our drivers have never driven at Daytona so it will be a good chance for them to get to grips with the circuit before the big event later this month.”

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Alonso gets first look at Daytona
Thursday, 04 January 2018


By J.J. O'Malley / Image by United Autosports



2.1k Shares Above: United Autosports teammates Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Phil Hanson at Daytona on Thursday.
Fernando Alonso drove through the tunnel at Daytona International Speedway for the first time on Thursday morning, beginning preparations for this weekend's Roar Before The Rolex 24 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship test.
"It was quite impressive – a similar feeling to Indianapolis – coming to a huge speedway for the first time and seeing all the grandstands, the facilities, the size of everything," said the Spanish two-time World Champion and driver for McLaren in Formula 1 competition. "This is obviously very, very big, and gives the feeling that you are in a race that is very unique, an iconic motorsports event.


"I'm really looking forward to jumping in the car," added Alonso, who will join McLaren reserve driver Lando Norris and Phil Hanson (above) in the No. 23 United Autosports Ligier JSP217 LMP2 Gibson.
The Roar test and subsequent Rolex 24 on Jan. 27-28 will produce many firsts for Alonso, including his first time racing on a high-banked circuit.


"Many new things for me. I saw the corners, and the banking is quite steep here compared to Indianapolis," said Alonso, who raced in the American open-wheel classic last May. "I'm really looking forward to experiencing how it feels in the car. Also, you have to share the car, the setup, the seat position, there's many things you need to compromise. It's a good challenge, with many new things – traffic management, tires, driving at night. I'm looking forward to it. I'm with the right team and the right teammates, it's a nice experience. I'm sure when we close the visor we will try to win the race."


Alonso is also looking forward to the competition.
"I'm happy to be here," Alonso said. "Not only Juan Pablo [Montoya], but there are many other very strong drivers racing this year. I think the Prototype class is the best this year for Daytona, and we see all the teams participating this year. It will be a big challenge for us, but we will be on the track racing against the best. That's all so good."
The Roar test will bring together 20 Prototype and 30 GT cars (nine GT Le Mans, 21 GT Daytona). A 75-minute pening combined practice for the WeatherTech Championship competitors is set for 11 a.m. ET on Friday, with a second two-hour session from 3:30-5:30 p.m.


The Rolex 24 will be Alonso's second iconic American event in less than a year. Does he have any ambitions to compete in Daytona's other major race, NASCAR's Daytona 500?


"Not yet, I think that's a very different driving technique," he said. "The NASCAR cars are unique in the way they drive, so no thoughts at the moment. But Indianapolis in May, the U.S. Grand Prix in October [at Austin's Circuit of The Americas] and now the Daytona 24, it means in the last six or seven months I've been in America three times for three big events. That puts a smile on my face."

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[h=2]Cadillac DPi teams to race with smaller engine[/h] Thursday, 04 January 2018


By Marshall Pruett / Images by Pruett, Barry Cantrell/LAT




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The three teams representing Cadillac will go into the 2018 season with redeveloped engines installed in the back of their Dallara-based DPi-V.Rs.

Following a year where the Cadillacs from Action Express Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing won 70 percent of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship events with a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8 powerplant, the brand – with a new car added in for Spirit of Daytona – will pursue another title using a 5.5-liter V8.


The loss of 700ccs of capacity from the combustion chambers, which equates in volume to approximately two 12-ounce cans of Coke, will take some power and torque away from the two AXR Cadillacs and the pair of SDR and WTR DPi-V.Rs. The de-stroked 6.2-liter engine will also bring the Cadillacs closer to the general performance figures found in the other DPis from Acura, Mazda, and Nissan, and the spec Gibson V8 engines that power the WEC LMP2s in the Prototype field.



Cadillac tells RACER its DPi-V.R powertrain (approximately) meets the IMSA-mandated power level, generating 580hp at 7,050 rpm.

It features an Earnhardt Childress Racing-designed semi-stressed engine mounting system with integral oil lubrication (a self-contained dry sump lubrication system), a dynamic pressure (ram-air) intake system with IMSA-mandated sonic air restrictors, and in terms of exhaust has a rear-facing, top exit, dual outlet, multi-branch exhaust header system.


From IMSA's side, having the four DPi models and all of its P2s in the same Balance of Performance hemisphere should make its job easier and, in theory, prevent the need to apply heavy BoP restrictions to the DPi-V.R or other cars to establish parity.
"I think it will be a performance difference, and there are pros and cons with it. It's a little bit smaller, so you lose some torque, but you also gain drivability, so it balances out," defending Prototype champion Jordan Taylor told RACER. "As a driver, it will be interesting to learn how it will affect working through traffic, and how it will change tire life with the different energy being put through the rear tires.


"But the thing we've been talking about the most as a team is how the engine lines up a little better with the other engines in the class, so when IMSA is looking at making BoP adjustments, they're not looking at this big 6.2-liter engine; they're looking at a more relatable 5.5-liter engine."
This weekend's Roar Before the 24 will give Cadillac teams a first look at the performance attributes of the motors prepared by ECR.


"We haven't run the engine yet, so we're as curious as anyone to see what it's like," said AXR engineer Iian Watt, whose team won three consecutive Prototype titles from 2014-2016. "It's a Cadillac engine, so we know it will be good. I think of it like a new tool, like a golfer getting a new putter. You learn how to work the tool to the best of your ability, and then go compete with it. It's a plug-and-play kind of thing."


Taming the Cadillacs required some extraordinary measures from IMSA's technical department in 2017. As Taylor found in his Wayne Taylor Racing DPi-V.R, tiny air restrictors, fixed first and second gear ratios and low downforce made the car increasingly difficult to drive. The anticipation of what's ahead with the smaller engine has been a relief of sorts for the Floridian.
"There were some creative things done last year – taken to an extreme level – to pull the Cadillacs back, so if there's a need so slow us down or speed us up, I think it will be done in the same kind of way used with the other prototypes," Taylor said.


"I think we'll find horsepower and torque will be in line with everyone else, so for us, we know we can go as hard as we can and don't have to worry about the BoP side so much. ECR builds great engines, so the only thing we're going after now is more mileage on the 5.5-liter engine at the Roar to get ourselves ready for the big race."

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[h=2]Magnus Racing returns to IMSA in 2018[/h] Thursday, 04 January 2018


By RACER Staff / Image by Peirce Williams/LAT



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Magnus Racing is putting the band back together for the 2018 IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship season.
Having renewed its relationship with Andy Lally in October, the team will reunite him with John Potter to drive the No. 44 Audi R8 LMS GTS and add Andrew Davis for the North American Endurance Cup (NAEC), as well as Markus Winkelhock for the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona. The news comes on the heels of an imminent announcement from Audi Sport.
"We're excited to return to IMSA competition and our endurance roots," said Potter, Magnus Racing's team owner. "Obviously Magnus has enjoyed a number of successes throughout the years of IMSA and formerly GRAND-AM, and in our first season with Audi in 2016 we had one of our best seasons to date.
"Returning to the series for 2018, we feel stronger than ever, not only with an incredibly fast car but also the same crew that took us to victory in 2016, as well as an incredible lineup in Andy, Markus and Andrew. The support from Audi over the years has obviously been a big factor, from winning in our first race together at Daytona, to helping the secure the Intercontinental GT Challenge title last October, it's been a relationship that has proven fruitful and instantly competitive.
"With our team, I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by such an incredible group, and we hope we can begin with immediate success."


Davis, the 2011 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Championship winner, joined Potter for last season's PWC SprintX championship. Davis and Stevenson Motorsports teammate Lawson Aschenbach were the most recent IMSA drivers to win for Audi with a GTD win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
"I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity to join Magnus and contend for all four NAEC rounds," said Davis, who drove for the team during its American Le Mans Series debut in 2010. "I've known many of the guys on the team even further than [2010], so to be engaged in the full Endurance Cup is something I really look to perform in. The Audi R8 LMS GT3 is an incredible car, and given my experience in the same machine over the last two years, I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel."
After securing the GTD class win at the 2016 Rolex 24, two disqualifications – one for a ride height infraction and one for a drive time error – factored in the decision to take a hiatus from IMSA in 2017 and run a two-car effort in Pirelli World Challenge. In October the No. 44 Audi Sport R8 drove to a late-race victory in the team's Intercontinental GT Challenge debut during the California 8 Hour race at Mazda Raceway Laguna, running as a fully supported effort with Audi Sport and drivers Pierre Kaffer, Winkelhock and Kelvin van der Linde.
Magnus Racing has produced consistent success in IMSA competition. In Lally's debut drive for the team in 2012, Magnus Racing took its first victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, following that up with winning the Brickyard Grand Prix en route to a debut title in the North American Endurance Cup. Since then, the team has scored four more victories, including the 2014 12 Hours of Sebring, 2016 Rolex 24 and 2016 North American Endurance Championship.