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2019 Daytona Rolex 24 articles are starting here
This thread is for 2019 Rolex 24.......................
There are over 100 postings...you will be asked to "click here" at post #40 to see the last 60 posts, including the hour by hour accounts and many others. https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/a...ting-here.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2018 Rolex 24 is posted here: https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/a...-articles.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSIGHT: Zanardi's Rolex 24 preparations for 2019 Look at the steering wheel...... Thursday, 19 April 2018 George Tamayo / Images by BMW; Hawkins/LAT http://www.racer.com/components/com_...-14th-to-1.jpg Alex Zanardi has accomplished a lot in his remarkable life. From CART championships to Paralympic gold medals [[I]below] to New York City Marathons, life both before and after his accident at the Lausitzring in 2001 has been about competing, and winning. After a few years away from competitive motor racing, he's ready to get back behind the wheel for another big challenge: a tilt at the GTLM class in the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona driving a factory-backed BMW M8 GTE. Final plans are still being made, including which team will run the program and who his co-drivers will be, but in the meantime, preparations go on as Zanardi confers with BMW Motorsport on adapting the car to simultaneously suit his needs as well as those of his co-drivers. Zanardi makes it clear that this isn't feel-good story fodder. He's doing this because his appetite for winning is insatiable. This won't be Zanardi's first try at a 24-hour race. In 2015, driving a BMW Z4 entered by ROAL Motorsport, Zanardi co-drove with fellow BMW works drivers Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock to finish in 25th place overall out of 57 entries. "After the 24-hour race at Spa in 2015, we all felt it was a kind of unfinished business because it was a great experience with a bittersweet ending," says Zanardi. "The car had a technical problem with only one hour to go. "It was a decent surprise to do that well. We can't say it was a 'big surprise' because that would mean that there was no expectation of doing well, when in reality the expectation was there all along – but probably not to do that well. In the middle of the night we were in a position to win. The huge talent of Bruno Spengler and Timo Glock had a big role in allowing us to have that aim. Still, for me to have role in achieving that goal and turning out competitive lap times was a big surprise to the people [at BMW] in Munich. http://www.racer.com/images/2018/Mar...31-17suuip.jpg "So they were all very, very excited," Zanardi continues. "And after a few days we spoke about trying to do this again, but in a better way. In 2016 there was the Olympics, and Jens Marquardt asked me if I wanted to [race] again, but I chose to focus on the Olympics. But right after the games, I got the chance, with only two weeks preparation, to drive in the final of the Italian GT Championship at Mugello, and everything went so well that I won! The following day Jens was so happy and he called me and said, 'Hey Alex, we have to organize something,' so we talked about it and it was announced – much to my surprise because it wasn't yet official in my mind – at the year-end BMW Motorsport party in December of 2017." When discussing the plans, Zanardi says that other races including Le Mans were considered. But from boyhood, when he first fell in love with motorsport, one name was etched in his mind: Daytona. He last drove there on the oval as part of the 1997 International Race of Champions (IROC). "Le Mans is a great event, but Daytona takes place in a country that changed my life and happens in front of fans who are going to remember what I've done here," he says. Currently, Zanardi has been spending time behind the wheel of a BMW M6 GT3 trying to optimize the system he will use to drive the M8 GTE in Daytona while incorporating the lessons learned from his Spa 24 Hour experience. Chief among those is figuring out a way for Zanardi to drive without the use of his prosthetic legs, which he says isn't a problem for a sprint race, but they are an impediment in endurance racing. BMW Motorsport has developed a steering wheel and braking system that Zanardi has already tested extensively, having completed approximately 450 miles, including a triple-stint, on a recent test day. ------------------- This is continued at Post #11 |
F1 Alex Zinardi former World Champion
The pass they are all talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBthxGThBkc Unignorable Anomaly That was a spectacular move, although a little cheeky. He passed him and THEN went off the track after the move was done. Of course he knew he wouldn't stay within the track limits to pull it off. He did not break any rules in place at the time, and therefore this is a perfectly legal overtake. This was before Zanardi lost his legs in a later race. Alex Zanardi still races and still kicks butt! **************************************** Zinardi has raced many cars and also bicycles since he lost his legs. As Dom Toretto says......."ask any racer....any REAL racer...." http://www.racer.com/components/com_...00205aece8.jpg INDYCAR: Zanardi claims another Paralympic gold RACER staff Ex-IndyCar star Alex Zanardi has claimed his second gold medal of the 2016 Paralympics. The 49-year-old was part of the three-man Italian team that dominated the H2-H5 mixed team relay at Pontal in Rio de Janeiro. Zanardi was third in the rotation on the three-man team, taking over for the first time on the third leg of the race after Vittorio Podesta and Luca Mazzone completed the first two. Podesta ended the opening leg in third place, with Mazzone then moving into the lead when he took over before handing over to Zanardi. Zanardi extended the lead over the USA from 13 to 21 seconds before Podesta took over again as the trio rotated in the same sequence. The Italian team went on to consolidate its lead, with Zanardi maintaining the 40s advantage he was given on handover during his second stint. Zanardi then closed out victory in the final leg, taking over with a minute in hand over the USA team's Oscar Sanchez and crossing the line to win by 47s. This is Zanardi's second gold medal of the 2016 Paralympic games, the first coming in Wednesday's HT time trial. It takes Zanardi's Paralympic gold medal tally to four, having won two at London 2012. http://damcdn.autosport.com/editoria...638f42031c.jpg ZANARDI 'COLLAPSED' IN ROAD RACE Zanardi also claimed a silver medal on Thursday competing in the H5 road race after being pipped to victory in a sprint finish by South African Ernst van Dyk. Following that race, Zanardi admitted he had not recovered from the time trial the day before, but he was always confident he would be "back in the racing mood" for Friday's relay. "It was a difficult race," he said after winning the road race silver medal on the 15th anniversary of the Champ Car accident that led to his legs being amputated. "Sometimes you cannot control your emotions and when I had won gold, I was very proud but psychologically I simply collapsed. "All the pressure I had put myself under, but that I tried to ignore all the time, fell off my shoulders. I was not in the racing mood that normally pushes you, that makes you forget that you have less sleep and that helps that you don't feel the pain in the muscles. "I felt empty in the beginning and it was a very tiring race for me. To bring home the silver medal under these circumstances is a great and fantastic achievement." This was Zanardi's second Paralympic silver medal, as he also claimed one in the H1-H4 team time trial at London 2012. |
Christian Fittipaldi to retire after 2019 Rolex 24
Christian Fittipaldi to retire after 2019 Rolex 24https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Levitt/LAT52 sharessharetweetemail By: RACER Staff | August 5, 2018 7:55 AM Two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champion and three-time Rolex 24 winner Christian Fittipaldi will retire from top-level racing after the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona.The 47-year-old Fittipaldi, whose next race will be the 2018 IMSA season-ending Petit Le Mans, took on the role of sporting director for Action Express in January, stepping aside from full-time competition to allow Filipe Albuquerque to join the No.5 Cadillac DPi team full-time.“Everything in life has a beginning, middle, and end — and I am at the beginning of the end of this stage of my career and competing at this level,” said Fittipaldi. “All that I can say is that it has been an awesome trip. Thank you to mom and dad, and to my whole family. Without them I couldn’t have had the opportunities that I have had all through my career. My wife and daughter have given me so much motivation, especially in the later stages of my racing career.” RelatedAlon's IMSA track record puts JDC-Miller on Road America poleJDC-Miller on top in final Road America practiceJuncos explores IMSA optionsPRUETT: Split decisionIMSA unveils 50th anniversary plans, logoIMSA extends PC endurance races for 2019IMSA to split Prototype classes from 2019IMSA releases 2019 scheduleFittipaldi’s third Rolex 24 win, which came this year in the No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R with Filipe Albuquerque and his longtime co-driver, Joao Barbosa, with whom he shared the championships and the majority of his IMSA wins, was what started him thinking about retirement from driving.“I think one of the last items of it – and it was a huge weight that came off my back – was Daytona this year,” he said. “After what happened in 2017 – and don’t take me wrong, I’m not here to point fingers if Ricky (Taylor) should be disqualified or if he shouldn’t. I’m way beyond that. If he pulled a good move or a bad move, at the end of the day, we lost the race and they won the race, and I thought we would have won the race. So, we kept that for almost a year and it was heavy inside the team.“When we managed to pull it this year, I said, ‘Wow, three is a cool number.’ Obviously, four, five or six would be even nicer, but three is a cool number. I think that started generating the little snowball. From that point onward, I went to Long Beach and it was the first time I was out of the car and I was spotting for the team and helping out the team technically. Then something else clicked in.“My relationship with my family, my daughter, my age, so it’s the package. It’s not one thing. It’s not that I went out there, I had a huge accident and said, ‘Whoa, now I’m afraid of doing this. I can’t do this anymore.’ It wasn’t that. It was the package and I think the timing is correct. I’m going to respect the timing a lot.” Fittipaldi made a name for himself in Formula 3000 before three years in Formula 1 with Minardi and the Footwork Arrows teams. He arrived on the North American open-wheel scene in 1995 with Walker Racing and immediately scored a runner-up result in his first-ever Indianapolis 500. He moved to NASCAR competition with Richard Petty Racing before racing in A1GP, American Le Mans and Brazilian stock car competition.Fittipaldi joined Action Express in 2011, winning the 2014 and 2015 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championships as well as the North American Endurance Cup titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. With co-drivers Joao Barbosa and Filipe Albuquerque, he claimed two Rolex 24 overall wins in 2014 and 2018, adding to his Rolex victory with Bell Motorsports in 2004. “I wanted to give it a shot,” he said of ending his career after Daytona. “I owe a lot to Daytona. I owe a lot to the France family and Daytona has brought me a lot of happiness. I have had a lot of success there. We won three times. I think I have six or seven podiums in total. Maybe it’s not Scott Pruett’s statistics, but it’s not bad.”As sporting director at Action Express, Fittipaldi has raced in the endurance events while also being on site for IMSA event weekends as part of the performance engineering effort for the team and serving as a liaison with team sponsors. “To IMSA, thanks for all the great opportunities,” said Fittipaldi. “Jim France has once again built something really incredible and has been key to making everything happen, from his original vision to this great upward path of growth. This is an amazing paddock with very strong teams, so many manufacturers and great tracks on the entire schedule. To Cadillac and ECR, thank you for all the horsepower and downforce.” |
PRUETT: Split decision
PRUETT: Split decisionhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Dole/LAT578 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett | August 3, 2018 6:17 PM It won’t make every entrant happy, but IMSA’s decision to split the Prototype class into separate championships was the smartest option available to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series. Announced Friday at its State of The Series event, the adjustment comes after two seasons of largely unsuccessful attempts to balance IMSA’s custom Daytona Prototype internationals and the FIA World Endurance Championship-spec LMP2s. With a win tally of 14-3 in favor of DPis, the recent upturn in fortune for the P2s with back-to-back wins wasn’t enough to halt the mounting wave of frustration expressed by the auto manufacturers and teams supporting DPi. RelatedIMSA unveils 50th anniversary plans, logoIMSA driver rating review panel establishedIMSA to split Prototype classes from 2019IMSA releases 2019 scheduleOn average, DPis have been responsible for two-thirds of the Prototype grid, giving Acura, Cadillac, Mazda and Nissan (by way of Tequila Patron ESM) a strong voice when addressing concerns with IMSA. Citing the endless Balance of Performance restrictions applied to the DPis in an effort to give the P2s a shot at winning, something close to a mutiny formed leading into the May race at Mid-Ohio.With a quick brokering of peace happening before tensions hit a breaking point, the first whispers of the split emerged later in the Mid-Ohio weekend. Adding fuel to the topic in July, DPi manufacturers were less than enthused to see Pro-Am privateer P2 teams come out on top at Watkins Glen and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. For the sake of unity and positivity, a split became inevitable. The last note, if not the entire premise of DPi entrants being displeased with the BoP restrictions and losing to P2s, has been a source of amusement for some of the Pro-Am entrants. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...age.jpg?w=1000Image by LePage/LAT “Didn’t they sign up in the beginning knowing they’d be balanced with us?” one team owner said on the condition of anonymity. “How can anybody be upset since they knew what they were getting themselves into?”It’s a completely valid point, and speaks to the shared disenfranchisement on both sides of the Prototype divide. A promise that P2s would be able to vie for victories was not delivered (barring one race) in 2017, and has only become a reality in the middle of the 2018 championship. For those who bought P2s with the expectation of giving its drivers and sponsors regular visits to the podium, the promise will finally be fulfilled at every round once the new season arrives. And how many Pro-Am P2 teams will sign up for the new class next year? That’s going to be the big topic to follow as the Rolex 24 At Daytona approaches in January. Some P2 entrants like United Autosports have made use of all-pro lineups, and going forward, it will not be an option if they wish to continue using their Ligier JSP217s. To race with Pros, UA and every other team with that aspiration will need DPis. It takes us back to the old question of whether privateers will be granted access to buy factory-blessed prototypes. UA owner Zak Brown has the type of connections to land DPis. Through new sponsor/partner Bob Stallings, the JDC-Miller Motorsports team could be closing in on a DPi if the extra funding can be found. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...g?w=1000&h=667Image by Levitt/LAT If they’re unsuccessful, will they come back to P2? Will an AFS/PR1-Mathiasen Motorsports or a Performance Tech Motorsports do the same? That’s the adjustment P2 entrants will need to make. Without divine intervention, overall wins will not be possible as DPis are set to have the BoP shackles taken off.Can P2 owners find enough non-pro drivers with deep pockets to sign up for running behind DPis? The class split was never going to be a cure-all. It’s freed the majority of the Prototype entrants — the well-funded factories — from the areas that created constant grousing. But will it open up new problems for P2 entrants if they can no longer offer headline-making wins to its customers? And will there be enough P2 cars on the grid to keep two classes afloat? Daytona 2019 will be a mightily important State of The Series update for IMSA’s privateer P2 owners. |
IMSA to split Prototype classes from 2019
IMSA to split Prototype classes from 2019https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Dole/LAT346 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett | August 3, 2018 4:45 PM IMSA will split its Daytona Prototype internationals and spec LMP2s into separate classes starting in 2019.The factory DPis will no longer receive Balance of Performance adjustments in relation to the privateer P2s, which should unleash a decent amount of speed that has been dialed back under the current DPi/P2 balancing practice. Starting next season, DPis from Acura, Cadillac, Mazda, and Nissan will have a class-specific BoP designed to created parity solely within the DPi class.More IMSA!Performance Tech mourns death of crew chief ParzychCORE autosport flying high after Road America winDriver chemistry set up 'perfect weekend' for Long, NielsenRahal rues GTLM troublesCORE autosport wins at Road America; class wins for Ganassi, Wright MotorsportsIn P2, a shift to full Pro-Am status will take place, which creates further alignment with the FIA World Endurance Championship P2 category. At present, IMSA’s P2 teams are permitted to use Pro-Pro driver lineups, and once the new season gets under way, it will transition to the required use of one Bronze- or Silver-rated driver to go with a driver of any rating—most likely a Gold- or Platinum-rated professional—for the standard rounds.For the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds, up to five drivers will be allowed in P2. Drive-time restrictions will be announced at a later date for Gold- and Platinum-rated drivers in the class for Daytona, Sebring, Watkins Glen, and Petit Le Mans at Road America.With the adoption of full Pro-Am rules in P2, the Jim Trueman Award will be given to the Bronze- or Silver-rated driver who finishes the highest in the championship; an entry to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans will also be granted. In the Pro-Am GT Daytona class, the same program will continue under the Bob Akin Award banner. IMSA has developed a new plan for GTD Bronze and Silver drivers that will provide extra track time prior to qualifying, and a policy change has also been implemented where Am drivers who qualify GTD cars must start the race. Ams taking part in the special practice session will be able to purchase an extra set of new dry Michelin tires. “As we continue to evolve the WeatherTech Championship, we’ve engaged in extensive dialogue with our stakeholders to consider appropriate refinements,” said IMSA Vice President, Competition Simon Hodgson. “The changes we will implement in 2019 are based upon the feedback we’ve received from all WeatherTech Championship class stakeholders in the paddock. We expect the changes will be popular with participants and IMSA fans alike.” |
Farano, RLR looking to add Rolex 24, Le Mans to 2019 schedule
Farano, RLR looking to add Rolex 24, Le Mans to 2019 schedulehttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1sharetweetemail By: Stephen Kilbey | 8 hours ago RLR Msport and Canadian driver John Farano are working on racing in the 2019 running of the Rolex 24 Hours and the 24 Hours of Le Mans with their new ORECA 07 Gibson, RACER has learned.The team, which currently leads the LMP3 class standings in the European Le Mans Series with just one race to go, has announced that it is going to enter its new ORECA 07 Gibson with Farano in the full ELMS season next year. The team hopes part of its 2019 season will include Le Mans, should it obtain an invite.More Le Mans/WEC!CEFC TRSM Ginetta withdraws from FujiPodcast: The Week In Sports Cars, Sept. 26'Hypercar' regs could herald new Le Mans golden era – Brown“I’ve driven Le Mans three times in the past, but not in the main race, so I hope we can race there in 2019 as I love the track and the whole event,” Farano told RACER at Snetterton during his second LMP2 test with regular RLR driver Job Van Uitert.“We hope to put the 24 Hours of Daytona on our list for 2019, too. If we do that, we won’t have any other testing time after the end-of-season ELMS test at Portimao, but we’ll get the Roar in January and the late test in December at Daytona.”“We’re working on it,” he continued when asked about his pre-2019 ELMS preparation schedule.“I’ve run at Daytona many times, and there’s a lot I like about it. The car is well suited to the track, and it’s a great way to prepare for the season, we’ll almost be using the Rolex as a test. It suits everybody in the team and other drivers we hope we can have come along too.“As a Gentlemen, I like what they’ve done with splitting the classes, it’s perfect. IMSA recognised that they needed the change. I’m now interested in doing an IMSA program with the long races; one day maybe we’ll do that in the future, too.” |
Zanardi completes first BMW M8 test in Rolex 24 prep
https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Images by BMW Motorsport 221 sharessharetweetemail By: Alison Sneag November 9, 2018 10:20 AM Alex Zanardi has completed his first test in the BMW M8 GTE as he prepares for the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona.Zanardi has been racing BMW cars since 2003, but earlier this year – and essentially by accident – he began driving without his prosthetic legs. BMW M Motorsport has made extensive modifications to Zanardi’s cockpit, including a hand-operated braking system for the first time. Using the same modified in-car system, the 52-year-drove a BMW M4 to an emotional fifth-place finish in a August DTM race in Misano. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...g?w=1000&h=667Zanardi drove over 400 miles this week over three days at Miramas in southern France. Despite some rain, Zanardi was able to familiarize himself with the M8 GTE while BMW M Motorsport evaluated how the specially modified car was functioning.RelatedZanardi's fifth-place DTM finish 'feels like a gold medal' Eriksson wins first DTM race; Zanardi fifth in guest drive Zanardi tests modified BMW M4 ahead of DTM race INSIGHT: Zanardi's Rolex 24 preparations “I think I made huge progress during this test,” Zanardi said. “Particularly when you consider that the conditions were very tough. Miramas is not an easy circuit anyway, and then we had the rain to deal with too. It was a challenge getting to know the car in these conditions, and at the same time finding out what I need to do when whilst driving.“However, it was a very productive test. My feel for the car improved all the time and I soon found out what I need to be doing with my hands and how I can control the car’s various electronic functions. We are now very well prepared for the next test at Daytona. I have to say, the BMW M8 GTE is a real beauty. It was a privilege for me to take it out onto the track and drive it for so many laps.”Braking is performed using a lever, which he operates with his right arm. The special steering wheel allows Zanardi to accelerate using a gas ring and to change gear using shift paddles. The gas mechanism at the steering wheel, proven in DTM, has been adapted to the much more complex steering wheel in the BMW M8 GTE. The brake lever also has a button, with which Zanardi can shift down through the gears when braking into corners. Based on the knowledge gained at Misano, the system has been optimized for the BMW M8 GTE.Another part of the test included practicing a driver change, as Zanardi will share the M8 with other drivers at Daytona. Zanardi practiced the procedures with BMW works driver and Rahal Letterman Lanigan IMSA driver Jesse Krohn (below). https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...di4.jpg?w=1000“It is impressive what we achieved,” he said. “You have to bear in mind that, as well as the usual driver changeover, we must also swap the steering wheel. We consistently achieved that in under 20 seconds, and a few times we even managed the changeover in about 15 seconds. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...992.jpg?w=1000Zanardi with Nathalie McGloin, president of the FIA Disability and Accessibility Commission “When you observe how quickly a ‘normal’ driver like Jesse jumps out of the car, it is a bit different when you then see somebody like me getting out. Undo the harness, remove the steering wheel, pass it to somebody and jump out of the car – all in less than three seconds. Then turn around, wait until Jesse is in, climb back into the car, hook my leg into the frame, help Jesse with the radio and harness, pass him the other steering wheel, close the net and get away from the car…It is really impressive and looks a bit like a dance. We will now continue to work on perfecting the driver changeover.”The 24-hour endurance race will mark Zanardi’s first competitive race in the U.S. since the CART race on August 19, 2001 at Road America, a month before he lost both his legs at the Lausitzring. BMW M Motorsport is working with the FIA, ACO and IMSA to gain approval for a car adapted to Zanardi’s needs for GTE races. |
ytona Rolex 24 2019 Michelin encouraged by feedback on ‘multitasking’ IMSA tires
Michelin encouraged by feedback on ‘multitasking’ IMSA tires https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Michael Levitt/LAT 367 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett | November 20, 2018 10:10 AM Michelin continues to receive encouraging feedback while finalizing its new IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship tires.“In the time we’ve had with teams across all the classes in IMSA, a theme that we keep hearing emerge when they try our tires is that they’re very good at multitasking,” said Ken Payne,Michelin North America’s technical director for motorsports. “If you want to trail-brake in while cornering or start rolling in the throttle mid-corner to exit, apparently they’re finding our tires are pleasantly capable of doing such things.”For Michelin’s existing teams in IMSA’s GT Le Mans category, 2019 should feel no different from recent years where the brand’s approach to tire compounds will be unchanged. Teams in Prototype, for example, will need to adjust to Michelin’s methodology, which differs from the usual grip model of soft, medium, or hard provided by other endurance racing tire manufacturers.Michelin’s mindset targets ambient temperature ranges first — making it easier to pick a compound based on the environment faced by the tires on any given day — and once that decision has been made, teams can select the desired durability characteristics offered within that compound choice. It’s a new level of customization that extends beyond previous norms.“It very much is in that domain of temperatures,” Payne said. “You could really characterize the one tire as a medium that is in the cooler to medium temperature range window, and then the other tire is for the higher, hotter conditions. We’ve factored in the unique characteristics of places like The Glen and CTMP in the summer months. What we’re going to have in terms of our hot tire for LMP2 is maybe a bit more of a hard hot than a medium hot that we would have, say, in GTLM.“Our philosophy definitely is targeting tires that are intended to work in temperature ranges and pretty broad temperature ranges as well. That’s one of the changes that we may see with the slight revision for the IMSA spec tires versus the WEC tires, is that they’ll probably wind up having little bit broader functional range in terms of the temperature windows that they can work in. ”Prototype teams will have plenty of time to log miles in testing at Daytona International Speedway before the new Michelin era officially begins at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in late January. With memories of repeat and worrisome high-speed tire failures during the 2018 race, Payne says he does not anticipate similar dramas with its product. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...pg?w=800&h=534United Autosports Ligier LMP2 was among those to have tire trouble at this year’s Rolex 24. (Image by Scott LePage/LAT) “Carcass durability or casing endurance, tire endurance in general, is a first-order consideration for Michelin no matter what the domain or track is,” he added. “The tire we’re starting with, the LMP2 tire, is quite a robust design and in fact, we will not have a Daytona-specific tire for the prototypes. Just as within GTLM today, there is not a Daytona-specific tire.But what we do is we have a very rigorous protocol to validate our tire constructions for the different tracks and load and operating conditions that we use. It starts with simulation testing.“It goes into machine testing with very proprietary, confidential algorithms and controls to the processes of that testing. All of that is rolled into determining what the tire design should be and then into the matrix that we provide the teams of pressure and camber recommendations. I say recommendations, but actually, requirements might be a better word to use. We’re very specific in that we’ll give a team and say, ‘OK, you’re going to Daytona. If you want to run that tire for one stint, here is the different camber settings you can use, and here is the corresponding minimum hot pressure that you have to run at in order to use that camber setting.’“We do that for all the different tracks that we operate at. That’s one of the ways that we manage those conditions at the tracks, is by giving the teams different boundaries to operate in with respect to camber and pressure settings on the cars. We [recently] had a session down at Daytona with two of the DPI teams, and it was a very productive session, and tire durability was a nonissue.” |
Alonso set to make Rolex 24 returnhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=546&crop=1 Image by Michael Levitt/LAT1.4k sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett November 26, 2018 8:28 AM Fernando Alonso’s second attempt to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona will come from inside a Cadillac DPi-V.R entered by Wayne Taylor Racing.RACER has confirmed the Spaniard will share the No. 10 WTR entry with Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande for IMSA’s season-opening WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event in January with the 2017 Prototype champions. Although it’s unclear whether the team will go with three or four drivers for the event, Alonso’s seat at WTR will likely come at the expense of Ryan Hunter-Reay, who has filled the third-driver role.https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...pg?w=800&h=534Alonso made his Rolex 24 debut at the beginning of the year with United Autosports (pictured), the endurance racing team owned by McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown. Saddled with an uncompetitive chassis, the two-time Formula 1 champion, who completed his final grand prix race for McLaren on Sunday, had a forgettable introduction to Daytona.Finishing 38th in the 50-car field, Alonso turned his attention to a dual F1 and FIA World Endurance Championship calendar that added an overall win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota which completed the second leg of racing’s ‘Triple Crown.’RelatedJohnson keen to partner Alonso at Rolex 24Johnson impresses Alonso with F1 test debutAlonso, Johnson enjoy car swap day in BahrainA recent announcement from McLaren has Alonso in the frame to complete the Triple Crown in May when he attempts to win the Indy 500 on his second try in a Chevy-powered Dallara DW12 chassis that will be run by McLaren with technical support from Andretti Autosport.WTR closed the 2018 IMSA championship with a win at Petit Le Mans, and with its 2017 win at the Rolex 24, the team can be expected to feature when WeatherTech Championship action resumes. |
Continued from post #1
http://www.racer.com/images/2018/Mar.../go11-2129.jpg With that system, Zanardi will control the car via a steering wheel-mounted throttle in the form of a ring of the same diameter as the steering wheel, which he will pull towards himself to accelerate. Upshifts are engaged through a right-hand paddle as normal. The brakes will be operated via a lever on his right, akin to the rear brake handle typical found on rally cars. That lever will also house a trigger that will allow Zanardi to brake and downshift simultaneously with his right hand while controlling steering and throttle with his left. A redundant downshift button on the steering wheel will allow Zanardi to quickly drop a gear in circumstances where braking is not required. The M8 GTE will use a centrifugal clutch, eliminating the need for a hand control to operate it. During pit stops with a driver change, Zanardi will swap the steering wheel for his own. Although BMW is yet to determine all the choreography of having him change places with the his co-drivers, he suspects that it will be faster without legs, and that he may even attempt to exit the car through the passenger side into a waiting wheelchair. "The decision is not yet 100 percent made [about driving without his prosthetics], but in the testing we have done I was able to stay in the car all day after a year and a half of not being in a racecar with no problems, so that is the way to go in my view," says Zanardi. "I've been able to drive the car at a very good speed, but I want to go faster. So the engineers in Munich are working to improve the systems, especially around the braking feel in the lever. Very good is not enough, it has to be right." Developing the car just for Zanardi is one thing, but the task is to create a solution that works on equal terms for Zanardi and his co-drivers. Until now, Zanardi has always driven with his prosthetic legs because he's used one leg for braking, mostly in an effort to free up his hands from doing too many things, which in the beginning included driving a car with an H-pattern gearbox. While this method has served him well for shorter sprint races, the physical toll during endurance races is substantially higher. Plus, there are complications with the prosthetic legs on driver changes and car set-up. http://www.racer.com/images/2018/Mar...-14th-to-1.jpg "Up until 2015 for the 24-hour race at Spa, using my legs to brake worked so well that I was able to win multiple races," says Zanardi. "But at Spa, in order for the other drivers to feel like the car worked for them too, we decided to add a second brake pedal for me to the right of the throttle pedal. "This brake pedal was linked to the main brake pedal so that they would both work at the same time. Timo and Bruno had their brake and throttle pedal as normal, and I had mine to the far right, with a foot rest on the far left. The difference with that brake pedal compared to what I had used before was in the connection to my prosthetic foot. Whereas before the brake had a kind of socket that my prosthetic shoe would slide into, we opted instead [at Spa] to create a connection via a rod that came up from the brake pedal and would connect with with the prosthetic where your fibia would be. "So when I jumped into the car, I would simply center my leg with this rod and it would slide right in. In this way, my shoe wouldn't move off of the pedal. To get out, I just ejected myself straight up and the rod would slide out naturally. In addition, because the connection of my leg to the pedal was metal to metal, it eliminated any of the flex that was not ideal. However, as Zanardi goes on to explain, the system used in Spa was not without its drawbacks. "The problem with my prosthetic legs while driving is the socket of the prosthetic leg fills with perspiration, which then detaches from my skin and I lose my connection with it. So there is this valve designed to expel the accumulation of liquid, which I would have to open and operate through my driving suit while driving down the straight at 175mph! At 51, Zanardi feels like he is in far better shape today, than he was when driving before his accident. Despite this, the prosthetic legs do require more physical effort, so he feels that liberating himself from them while driving puts him closer to being on an even keel with other drivers. But more than that, Zanardi feels a particular obligation to his co-drivers. They are not on the team to support his efforts. Rather, in his view, they are all part of one effort to win the race, and as such, his desire is that the car must work for all of them in equal measure. That sentiment even extends to the team and to BMW that is supporting his effort to compete at this level. "Spa was my first experience with endurance racing, and immediately there was a bond with Bruno [below, left] and Timo [below, right], and the whole team. When you share a car other drivers, it makes you look at every team member in a different way and realize how essential everyone is to the success of the effort," says Zanardi. http://www.racer.com/images/2018/Mar...03-highRes.jpg In that vein, Zanardi says he won't hesitate to forego a stint if he is not on pace with his teammates in his quest to win. "I would never start a race without knowing we haven't done everything we can to be in a position to win," he says. "But, I'm going to do everything I can to be that guy, to have them need me to be the driver to make that gap and go for the win." If you've followed Zanardi's career closely, then you'll know this attitude is pretty much what sums up the man. His disability is not an impediment, merely a challenge that requires a solution, however unique it may be. And following the Lausitz accident, he acknowledges that life changed, yet he can't say if it was for the better or the worse, just that it changed as it life is wont to do for any us at anytime. He never would have had the opportunity to participate in two Olympic Games, and who knows if we have had the chance to drive in the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona. All he knows is that life is a privilege, and he counts himself fortunate to have a life to live. ------------------ This is post #1 continuation...... |
Johnson keen to partner Alonso at Rolex 24
https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Sam Bloxham/LAT 502 sharessharetweetemail By: Chris Medland November 26, 2018 9:26 AM Jimmie Johnson says he wants to partner Fernando Alonso at next year’s Rolex 24 At Daytona if the Spaniard secures a seat as expected.Alonso started his final Formula 1 race in Abu Dhabi on Sunday before heading to Bahrain to carry out a car swap with seven-time NASCAR champion Johnson on Monday. After the event, Alonso was asked about his hopes of returning to Daytona in January after making his debut this year, and says he is working on his options.“Yeah, potentially it is possible,” Alonso said. “I think still looking at the options together with McLaren as well. At the end of the day, I am a McLaren driver also next year and as I have said, the full priority is the Indy 500. So we need to accommodate a few things — it is not that I want to go by my own in all the decisions. I want to have the support from everyone.”RACER reported earlier today that Alonso will share the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R with Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande for IMSA’s season-opening WeatherTech SportsCar Championship event in January.RelatedJohnson impresses Alonso with F1 test debutAlonso, Johnson enjoy car swap day in BahrainAfter impressing in his first run in a single-seater car at the Bahrain International Circuit, Johnson says he would be open to some open-wheel racing in future “without a doubt,” specifically highlighting the Rolex 24.“2020 is my last year under contract with Hendrick, and I’ve been approached many times about the Indy 500. I’m not overly excited about those fast ovals, but I think with my status and relationships I could put together some road course races in IndyCar,” Johnson said. “I’d look at anything.https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...pg?w=800&h=416Johnson shared the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Riley-Chevy Daytona Prototype at Daytona in 2010. (Image by Greg Aleck/LAT) “I’ve done sports car races in the past, I’ve finished second in the Rolex 24 a couple of times in the prototype division, I’d love to get back to doing that. Anything’s open. I’m far from done, I want to keep driving and hopefully I can find some good opportunities.”When it was put to Johnson that he could potentially join Alonso at the Rolex 24 in January, the 43-year-old admits he would love to partner the two-time F1 champion.“I would go anywhere to run with him in the same car, man! Absolutely. yes! The reason I paused is because I have to convince my wife that I have to be gone a few more weeks to work on it, but I think I can get there.” |
Jimmie Johnson also here:
https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/a...ml#post9413492 |
WTR confirms Alonso, Kobayashi for Rolex 24
WTR confirms Alonso, Kobayashi for Rolex 24 https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Godet/LAT 121 sharessharetweetemail By: RACER Staff | November 27, 2018 12:21 PM Wayne Taylor Racing has confirmed that Fernando Alonso Kamui Kobayashi will join its Rolex 24 line-up, partnering full-time co-drivers Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande in the No.10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R.The addition of Alonso and his World Endurance Championship Toyota stablemate to the line-up leaves out IndyCar veteran Ryan Hunter-Reay, who joined WTR for the 2018 endurance races at Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans and for Road Atlanta in 2017.As RACER previously reported, the 37-year-old Spaniard will get a second shot at winning the 24-hour endurance race after finishing 38th overall in his Rolex 24 debut with United Autosports in 2018.“I am very happy about joining the Konica Minolta Cadillac team and Wayne Taylor Racing to race together at the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Alonso, whose confirmed 2019 schedule will also include a return to the Indy 500.“This is undoubtedly one of the greatest races in American and world motorsport. Returning to the United States is always special. The atmosphere created by the fans is unique throughout an incredible weekend. I really hope to fight for the win, as well as having fun and putting a smile on the fans’ faces.More IMSA!No cuts planned for GM racing programs Starworks returns with Audi GTD program Dwyer races to remember “I made my debut last year both in endurance races and with these sports car prototypes, as well as on this track. I was left wanting much more after a brake issue ended our hopes of stepping on the podium. After an intense year in which I’ve competed in both Formula 1 and the WEC, I’m really looking forward to 2019 and attempting to conquer one of the most important races in the world. I’m brimming with hunger and desire and I can’t wait for the first race of next season and going out on track to battle with my Konica Minolta Cadillac teammates.”The 32-year-old Kobayashi co-drives Toyota Gazoo Racing’s No. 7 TS050 HYBRID, earning back-to-back wins at the 6 Hours of Fuji and 6 Hours of Shanghai in his third season with the team. Kobayashi, Mike Conway and Jose Maria Lopez sit second in the WEC Super Season standings on the strength of one win and second-place finishes at Spa and Le Mans.“First of all, I would like to thank the Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R team and Wayne Taylor for giving me this wonderful opportunity to race at the historic Daytona 24-hour,” Kobayashi said. “It is one of the most popular endurance races and I am so excited to have my Daytona debut with the 2017-winning team. This will also be my first race in the U.S. and I’m really looking forward to having a good race with the Konica Minolta Cadillac team.”Team owner Wayne Taylor admitted finalizing his 2019 Rolex line-up took “a long time.”“Both Fernando and Kamui are the cream of the crop of world-class driving talent, not only in F1 but as current sports car drivers,” he said. “It’s taken a long time to put this all together and I’d like to thank everybody who made it all happen. Fernando drove at Daytona last year, and it’ll be the first time at the 24-hour for Kamui, who is a superstar driver who will figure it out quickly.“We have plans to integrate both drivers into our program very efficiently and successfully. I’m absolutely ecstatic that we have been able to make this happen, and I can’t wait to get to Daytona.” https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Godet/LAT |
Zanardi, RLL partnership in the works for Rolex 24https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Gasperotti/LAT567 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett November 27, 2018 10:38 AM BMW’s service provider for IMSA’s WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will learn the names of its full-time and endurance event drivers next week during the brand’s traditional revealing of its plans for the following season, and if it includes Alex Zanardi for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, BMW Team RLL co-owner Bobby Rahal won’t be surprised.“Obviously we’re going to be there, but we don’t know who’ll be driving the cars; those decisions are made by BMW, not us,” he told RACER. “It would be really cool to have Alex with us – he’s a good friend – but at this stage, we’re waiting to hear who we’ll have in the M8 GTEs.”More IMSA!No cuts planned for GM racing programsStarworks returns with Audi GTD programWTR confirms Alonso, Kobayashi for Rolex 24In December of 2017, BMW announced Zanardi as a driver for its 2019 Rolex 24 effort, and during a recent test at the Miramas circuit in France, the Italian driver learned to use some of the new steering wheel-based controls in a FIA WEC BMW M8 GTE fielded by the MTEK outfit. With RLL having long been viewed as the logical entrant for Zanardi’s Daytona program, it is not anticipated that an additional entry would be required to accommodate him within the team.Although unconfirmed, a dedicated test in the U.S. for Zanardi using an RLL M8 GTE with the new steering wheel controls could also be in the works prior to official Rolex 24 testing in January. |
DragonSpeed expands to two-car Rolex 24 effort
DragonSpeed expands to two-car Rolex 24 efforthttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by LAT207 sharessharetweetemail By: Stephen Kilbey | December 4, 2018 9:35 AM American-flagged WEC and ELMS team DragonSpeed has revealed to RACER that it will enter two cars in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.The second car marks an expansion for team boss Elton Julian, as the team originally planned to enter a single ORECA 07 Gibson. DragonSpeed debuted the current ORECA in the 2017 Rolex 24.The team’s first entry, which was previously confirmed for the Florida endurance classic, will be driven by Nicolas Lapierre, Ben Hanley and Henrik Hedman.More IMSA!Porsche confirms 2019 Le Mans, IMSA programsIMSA revises 2019 LMP2 schedule; drops Long Beach, DetroitBMW RLL signs Blomqvist, confirms ZanardiThe second car currently has two confirmed drivers, Roberto Gonzalez and Pastor Maldonado, who are competing together full-time in the FIA WEC ‘Super Season’ in the LMP2 class.The news means that a trio of European-based ORECAs look set to join the Daytona race for what will be the first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race with the DPi and LMP2 teams racing in different classes. The third European LMP2 comes from RLR MSport; the team told RACER earlier this year that they intend to run in 2019 with its newly acquired ORECA Gibson. |
JDC announces Cadillac DPi drivershttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=11.0k sharesharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett December 5, 2018 10:33 AM The JDC-Miller Motorsports team will return in 2019 with two new Cadillac DPi-V.Rs and a number of new drivers to wage its efforts to secure an IMSA championship.The Minnesota-based team has also shuffled some of its existing drivers to fill the No. 84 Cadillac which will have 2018 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship race-winner Stephen Simpson and Simon Trummer in the car for the full season. The duo will have Chris Miller on board for the endurance events, and Mazda Road To Indy veteran Juan Piedrahita will complete its Rolex 24 at Daytona lineup.More IMSA!Porsche confirms 2019 Le Mans, IMSA programsIMSA revises 2019 LMP2 schedule; drops Long Beach, DetroitBMW RLL signs Blomqvist, confirms ZanardiJDC’s use of the No. 84, rather than No. 99 as seen last season, comes in the wake of former sponsor GAINSCO opting to withdraw from all racing activities.With Trummer slotting in alongside Simpson, JDC’s Misha Goikhberg has moved to the No. 85 where he’ll have former Spirit of Daytona Cadillac DPi driver Tristan Vautier as his new season-long teammate. For the Rolex 24, the two will have Formula 1 iron man Rubens Barrichello making his first appearance with JDC, and Devlin DeFrancesco, who contested two round with the team last year, taking the final roster position.After Daytona, Piedrahita will move into the third-driver role at the remaining endurance rounds in the No. 85.“We are very excited about our driver roster for the Rolex 24 and the whole season,” said JDC-Miller MotorSports team owner John Church. “We announced our purchase of the Cadillacs in September. We’ve been working steadily all fall to put together a stealth group of drivers to compete for race wins in 2019. Chris, Misha, Stephen and Simon were very competitive last year.“Devlin had two great runs with us in 2018, and Juan and Tristan have raced with us in the past as they developed their driving careers. It’s great to welcome all of them back. Last, but certainly not least, we’re thrilled to welcome Rubens to the team. It’s an honor for us, it’s a great opportunity for our team and we look forward to providing him with a very competitive effort.” Simpson, who emerged as one of IMSA’s breakout stars in recent years, welcomes the changes.“I am very excited to have Simon as my team mate for the new season,” he said. “Simon had some very strong performances in his debut season in IMSA and showed his potential. We get along very well, we have good chemistry and I am looking forward to getting to work. It will be great to have Juan join us for the Rolex 24 in the No. 84. I have known Juan for a handful of years and was previously his coach when he raced in Indy Lights. I know he is going to be a strong addition. Additionally, I am very happy to be continuing to share the car with Chris for the long races. Chris is quick and a great teammate. This will be our sixth season driving together in the long races, we will both miss Misha but are excited for the whole team and driver pairings.” JDC’s highest profile driver is looking forward to having a solid shot at winning his first Rolex 24.“I am super excited to compete in the Rolex 24 again, I love this race,” Barrichello said. “In fact, I love the series and I almost won the Rolex 24 once with the Taylor brothers. I know JDC-Miller had a good event last year with sixth place, so I hope we can really enjoy our weekend and give our best for the best possible position. I am really excited, and I can’t wait for it!” |
Juncos adds Argentina's Canapino to Rolex 24 lineuphttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1sharetweetemail By: RACER Staff | December 5, 2018 5:49 PM Juncos Racing has finalized its Rolex 24 lineup by adding Argentinian ace Agustin Canapino to drive the No. 50 Cadillac DPi-V.R entry. He will join Kyle Kaiser, Will Owen and Rene Binder in the team’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut.The 28-year-old Canapino is the winningest active driver in Argentina with 12 championships in the past 11 years. He has recorded 81 race wins across several series, including the Top Race Championship, the 2018 Campeonato Subamericano y Argentino del Super TC2000, and the Turismo Carretera Argentina Championship, of which he is the defending series champion.“I am very grateful for Carlos Zarlenga, Jorge Maiquez, and all of General Motors Mercosur, along with my sponsors YPF, Banco Patagonia, and Hector Martinez Sosa,” said Canapino. “These people have given me the opportunity for the biggest challenge of my career. I will give my 100% every time I am behind the wheel of the Cadillac DPi and I am very excited to have the chance to race in one of the biggest races in the world, the 24 Hours of Daytona.More IMSA!Porsche confirms 2019 Le Mans, IMSA programsIMSA revises 2019 LMP2 schedule; drops Long Beach, DetroitBMW RLL signs Blomqvist, confirms Zanardi“I would like to thank Ricardo Juncos for giving me the opportunity to join his team and to all of Juncos Racing for the hard work they have put into the build of their new DPi. I am ready to get on track this week as we begin testing.”Said team owner Ricardo Juncos, “We are very happy to complete our Rolex 24 line-up with a great driver like Agustin Canapino,” said Juncos. “He is a very dedicated and passionate man, competing almost every weekend of the year in a race, and is one of the top drivers in Argentina. We are looking forward opportunity and to this new adventure with Agustin. We will be working very hard as we face this new challenge as a rookie team competing in the highest level of the IMSA series. I want to thank Agustin Canapino, Jorge Maiquez and Carlos Zarlenga, CEO of General Motors Mercosur for this opportunity in joining our team for this prestigious event in the IMSA championship.” |
Meyer Shank sets two-car GTD lineup with Hindman, Farnbacher
Meyer Shank sets two-car GTD lineup with Hindman, Farnbacherhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Abbott/LAT175 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett | 14 hours ago With its all-female No. 57 Acura NSX GT3 lineup previously confirmed, Meyer Shank Racing will complete its two-car IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona effort with Trent Hindman and Mario Farnbacher in the No. 86 entry.MSR veterans AJ Allmendinger and Justin Marks will join the team for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with Marks staying on for the three remaining Michelin Endurance Cup rounds after January’s season opener.More IMSA!Risi's Molina pleased with test, waiting on ’19 plansTucker loses appeal over $1.2 billion fineMichelin gets positive feedback after IMSA test“It’s been five years of scrapping in GS, Super Trofeo, and various other categories to finally be in a position to run in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship full time,” said Hindman who, like Farnbacher, shifts from an endurance role with the team last season to full-time status.“This is absolutely a dream come true and I owe the world to Mike [Shank] and the entire Meyer Shank Racing team for the opportunity of a lifetime. This is a team that I’ve come to grow very close with in my role in the endurance races in 2018. Now, seeing where we will be in 2019, makes me even more grateful to be working with this group. I am honored and I am thankful to be driving an MSR prepared Acura NSX GT3 Evo for 2019 in phenomenal company.”Farnbacher added: “I am super happy to be back with MSR and then to drive the full season is a mega bonus. I am so happy and thankful for this opportunity. The Acura NSX GT3 is a great platform, and I am convinced the Evo will be a really competitive ride for 2019. I will definitely do my best, like I always do, to be successful in 2019 with MSR and my teammates and I can’t wait for the season to start.”Having two confirmed Acura entries for every round is a point of pride for Shank.“We are happy to continue with the Acura program and the new Evo improvements have shown well at our tests,” he said. “There’s a sense of ease having both of our cars go full season from the start. Both Mario and Trent really impressed me last year. Being a third driver is a difficult thing and they both knocked it out of the park so I’m happy to have them come back for the full season. It’s also great to have Justin back for the endurance races and of course I am always honored to have AJ race in my cars. He’s part of the MSR family and we will always have a seat ready for him.” |
Alonso, Kobayashi 'willing to work hard' for Rolex win - Taylorhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by J.J. O'Malley228 sharessharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley 10 hours ago Jordan Taylor admits that having Formula 1 and World Endurance Championship veterans Fernando Alonso and Kamui Kobayashi as co-drivers for the 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona will bring plenty of media attention to the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R he shares with Renger van der Zande.However, that was not the main reason they’re in the lineup.“We wanted them because they want to win the race, just like we do,” Taylor said. “They want to win that Rolex, and they’re willing to work hard to do it. I think it’s a pretty strong lineup.”More IMSA!Risi's Molina pleased with test, waiting on ’19 plansTucker loses appeal over $1.2 billion fineMichelin gets positive feedback after IMSA testTaylor ran solo in the No. 10 Cadillac on Tuesday for the Michelin tire test at Daytona International Speedway, which saw cars from all four IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship classes in addition to representatives from the Michelin Pilot Challenge and Prototype Challenge series. The test was held in un-Florida-like conditions, with temperatures dipping into the 40s.“Daytona is a very unique track, so whenever you can get track time here, you try to make the most of it,” Taylor said. “We’re trying to run as many miles as we can do on Michelin tires to learn what it takes to make that tire perform at its best to prepare for the Rolex. It’s our Super Bowl of the year. You want to get the car right for this race. We’ll do a lot of long runs later today on the car to see how the tire drops off, and the team will keep making little setup adjustments to extract the best out of the tire.” To maximize the test, the team opted to go with one driver to best learn how the car reacted to the new tire.“We wanted to go with one driver to run through our plan,” Taylor said. “That way, you can make back-to-back changes all day to see how the car’s changing. It’s a lot different going to Michelin, and we’re seeing how the car adjusts to the new tires. The other guys will come in for the Roar (January 4-6). They’re all professionals; they’ll come up to speed.” |
WeatherTech Racing adds Vilander to GTD programhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=592&crop=1 Images by Dole/LAT45 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett 14 hours ago Finnish Ferrari ace Toni Vilander has been signed as Cooper MacNeil’s new teammate in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa/WeatherTech Racing Ferrari 488 GT3. Vilander’s return to IMSA, where he starred in Risi Competizione’s GT Le Mans Ferraris, comes after a successful foray in the Pirelli World Challenge series.With MacNeil and Vilander set for full-season duty, the team will rely on Dominik Farnbacher and Jeff Westphal to round out its Rolex 24 at Daytona roster.More IMSA!Risi's Molina pleased with test, waiting on ’19 plansTucker loses appeal over $1.2 billion fineMichelin gets positive feedback after IMSA test“It was a short off-season for me,” MacNeil said. “We just finished up the Ferrari Challenge season in Italy where I won the championship and now, we are off to Daytona to prepare for the 24. It is great to have Toni in the WeatherTech car for the season. He is a great asset in regard to set-up and, of course, speed behind the wheel. Dominik and Jeff will be great to have for the Rolex 24 and our goal is win it. There will be a lot of good cars with great drivers. We’ve come close in the past, but I really like our chances this year.”https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...517.jpg?w=1000Competing in IMSA’s GT Daytona category on a regular basis will be the only new aspect of Vilander’s 2019 plans.“I have run the Rolex 24 hours ten times,” he said. “It has been a tough race for me as far finishes go. In those ten starts I only have one podium, a third place in the GTLM class. It is nice to join the WeatherTech Racing team. I have driven with Scuderia Corsa before, so I am familiar with the team. The competition in the GTD class is very strong. There are a lot of good teams and driver line-ups. I am looking forward to having good preparation and a strong race next month.” |
Lally, Pumpelly reunited in Magnus Lamborghini for Rolex 24https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Levitt/LAT131 sharessharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley 11 hours ago Andy Lally confirmed on Tuesday that he will co-drive with long-time Atlanta buddy Spencer Pumpelly in the new No. 44 Magnus Racing Lamborghini Hurcan GT3 EVO for the Rolex 24 at Daytona.“The last time we were teammates at Daytona, we won the 2011 Rolex 24,” said Lally, a five-time class winner of the event. “In fact, that was the last time we co-drove together.”https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...mbo.jpg?w=1000Image by Michelin North America Lally and car owner/co-driver John Potter were testing their new Lamborghini at Daytona for the first time in preparation for a full season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class.“Today was a very important day for us,” Lally said. “It was great to be able to roll out the new Lamborghini at a low-pressure setting, and slowly get up to speed without being out there with 50 other cars, worrying about lap times and trying to break in other drivers. We’ve got a good group that’s been working hand-in-hand with Lamborghini since before we even took delivery of the new car. It made for the first few laps to be very easy. It took me about three laps to be comfortable in the car.”More IMSA!Risi's Molina pleased with test, waiting on ’19 plansTucker loses appeal over $1.2 billion fineMichelin gets positive feedback after IMSA testWhile he admits that the Lamborghini has a similar feel to the Audi the team campaigned last year, the new car comes with a special mystique.“It’s quite an impressionable name,” Lally said. “Over the years, I’ve raced for Porsche; I’ve raced for Audi; different prototypes and stuff, and when you say the name, people say, ‘cool.’ But when you respond with ‘Lamborghini,’ it’s always an eyebrow raiser. I learned what a Lamborghini was when I watched ‘Cannonball Run’ when I was five, so I always thought that was pretty cool. So to actually race a Lamborghini in the IMSA WeatherTech Championship is very cool. I was very fortunate to race with Robby Benton and Change Racing in 2015 in my first taste of a Lamborghini, and it was a success. I’m looking to have a similar finish with a different team in the 2019 Rolex 24.” |
Hardwick joins PMR for IMSA GTDhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Richard Dole/LAT141 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett December 10, 2018 6:05 AM Paul Miller Racing will return to defend its 2018 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona title with team veteran Bryan Sellers, newcomer Ryan Hardwick and endurance racing ace Corey Lewis. The same No. 48 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 that led Sellers, Lewis, and former teammate Madison Snow to the GTD crown will be utilized, albeit in an updated EVO configuration.Hardwick, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North American and world champion, comes to PMR with considerable experience racing the Italian machines, and with the addition of 1st Phorm International as the team’s new primary sponsor, team owner Paul Miller says heading back to IMSA to defend its championship was his primary goal.More IMSA!Risi's Molina pleased with test, waiting on ’19 plansTucker loses appeal over $1.2 billion fineMichelin gets positive feedback after IMSA test“Ryan brings a lot of talent, success, and determination to our team and will be a big asset to Paul Miller Racing,” Miller said. “In the coming season, we expect he will be a big help to us in defending our title! Having driver champion Bryan Sellers back as our team leader is also very exciting for our whole team.”For Sellers, who worked hard to keep PMR moving forward with as few changes as possible, having Hardwick on board should ease the departure of Snow.“I’m very honored to be returning to Paul Miller Racing for my fourth season,” Sellers said. “This will be a new program for us and I am extremely excited about pairing with Ryan Hardwick for the season. I was able to watch him race in Super Trofeo last season, and his growth and commitment through the year was impressive. He will be a great fit within our team.”With Hardwick, who brings the 1st Phorm International sports nutrition brand to the program, the chance to plug into the GTD title-winning team ranks as the greatest opportunity he’s received in the sport.“I could not be more excited about moving up to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship and joining Paul Miller Racing in 2019,” Hardwick said. “When I started my journey into racing sports cars, my goal was to one day compete in IMSA. I am honored to have the opportunity to realize that goal by joining such an accomplished team with Paul Miller Racing.“I’m also extremely grateful for the opportunity to drive with, and learn from Bryan Sellers. None of this would be possible without confidence that Mr. Miller and Lamborghini Squadra Corse have put in me, and I’m dedicated to helping defend their class championship from last season.”Maintaining PMR’s all-American line-up by keeping Sellers in place as the team pro and driver coach, adding Hardwick as a rising amateur, and continuing the relationship with a proven pilot like Lewis should bode well for the Georgia-based outfit.“I am honored to be back with Paul Miller Racing for all endurance rounds for the 2019 IMSA championship,” Lewis said. “I want to extend a big thank you to Mr. Miller for the opportunity! The team is still cruising on a high from their driver, team, and manufacturer championships, and I look forward to helping to carrying that momentum to help achieve the same success.“It’s great to be working with the duo of reigning GTD champ Bryan Sellers and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Am U.S. and world champion Ryan Hardwick to help them get the overall drivers title! I just can’t wait to get to work with all the crew and engineering staff at Paul Miller Racing.”The new-look PMR team, minus Sellers, will turn its first laps during this week’s one-day Michelin tire test at Daytona International Speedway. |
Daytona an eye-opener for AIM Vasser Sullivan
Daytona an eye-opener for AIM Vasser Sullivanhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Images by Michelin North Ameirca442 sharessharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley | December 11, 2018 1:45 PM It’s going to be hard to miss the new AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3s when the team returns to Daytona for the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.The team’s two cars will carry striking bright day-go yellow liveries, making them easy to spot, both on and off the racetrack.More!The Week In Sports Cars, Dec 13PR1 Mathiasen nears full-time LMP2 returnIMSA video: 50th Anniversary Celebration, Episode 11 - Bobby Rahal“We want to come in with a strong identity,” said veteran sports car owner Andrew Bordin, whose AIM Autosport is partnering with winning IndyCar owners Jimmy Vasser and James “Sulli” Sullivan. “We want to make a statement with the new team, and we think we will achieve that. We’re excited to be here with the new Lexus.”To finalize the livery, the team ran a unique double-sided paint scheme for drivers Jack Hawksworth, Townsend Bell and Frankie Montecalvo, joined at Tuesday’s Michelin test by Richard Heistand. The car was painted black and yellow on one side (below), and silver and yellow on the other. Following the test, while the team engineers study the test data, their marketing folks will analyze which of the two schemes look best. https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...2a.jpeg?w=1000 https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...ca.jpeg?w=1000The drivers were happy with the car, which tested for the first time on Tuesday.“It’s a very comfortable car to drive,” said Bell, who will join Montecalvo in the No. 12 Lexus. “I like the seat position a lot, and I’m looking forward to coming back to the Roar and taking everything we’ve learned here and see if we can continue to tweak it to get it even better. It’s a winning car; it’s a fast car. I’m excited to get settled in with everyone, finally getting the car on track for the first time.” Hawksworth and “TBA” will co-drive the No. 14.Bordin’s AIM Autosport has logged many laps competing in the Rolex 24, running both a Daytona Prototype and Ferrari 458 in the GT category. Vasser has driven six times in the event, finishing second in 2008 for GAINSCO co-driving with Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmie Johnson. A veteran of open-wheel competition, Sullivan has never competed at Daytona.“Before this, we considered the Indy 500 an endurance race,” Sullivan said. “This is a new experience for us – and the first hurrah for this piece.” |
Risi confirms Rolex 24 Ferrari GTLM entryhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Jake Galstad/LAT191 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett 15 hours ago Risi Competizione will be back for another shot at the Rolex 24 At Daytona using its familiar Ferrari 488 GTE in IMSA’s GT Le Mans category. Spain’s Miguel Molina is the only driver confirmed so far for the Houston-based endurance racing outfit.“We are pleased to return to Daytona for another 24-hour race,” said team principal Giuseppe Risi. “We’ve been coming here nearly every year since the team started in 1998, except for the years we focused on ALMS, and it is always an important endurance race. We’ve yet to win this one, although we’ve been on podium a few times, so that’s a goal we’d like to accomplish.”More IMSA!The Week In Sports Cars, Dec 13PR1 Mathiasen nears full-time LMP2 returnIMSA video: 50th Anniversary Celebration, Episode 11 - Bobby RahalThe team undertook an abbreviated WeatherTech SportsCar Championship bid last season as it filed entries at Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans while continuing its search for the funding to return to its normal full-time status.Unlike 2018 where Risi added a GT Daytona Ferrari to its effort, the team will concentrate solely on GTLM at the Rolex 24. |
47 cars on Roar Before The Rolex 24 provisional entry list
47 cars on Roar Before The Rolex 24 provisional entry listhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Dole/LAT1.3k sharessharetweetemail By: IMSA Wire Service | December 21, 2018 12:01 PM IMSA’s 50th anniversary season will get off to a ‘Roaring’ start on the first weekend of January with 47 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship entries slated to participate in the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona three-day test session on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.Of the 47 cars on the provisional Roar entry list released today, 37 have confirmed plans to compete full-time in the 2019 WeatherTech Championship as season-long, “premium” entries. Today’s provisional entry list includes all teams and cars that have been entered for the Roar. An updated entry list with driver lineups will be released on Jan. 2.Entry listThe Roar test on Jan. 4-6 is mandatory for any team expecting to compete in the 57th Rolex 24 At Daytona on the weekend of Jan. 24-27.The premier Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class features 11 entries from four different manufacturers: Cadillac (6), Acura (2), Mazda (2) and Nissan (1). Leading the way is the defending Rolex 24 champion No. 5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. The team announced this week that the car will be shared by 2018 co-drivers Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque and Christian Fittipaldi – who will retire from driving after the 2019 Rolex 24 – and FIA World Endurance Championship ace Mike Conway.The No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi-V.R that won the 2018 WeatherTech Championship Prototype title with co-drivers Felipe Nasr and Eric Curran also returns at the Roar. In September, the team announced that Curran is shifting his driving focus to the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds in 2019, with Brazilian racer Pipo Derani – a 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona overall winner – stepping in as Nasr’s new season-long teammate.The GT Le Mans (GTLM) class features nine race cars from five manufacturers: Chevrolet (2), BMW (2), Ford (2), Porsche (2) and Ferrari (1). Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, which has won each of the past two Rolex 24s in the GTLM class, returns with its familiar pair of entries.The No. 66 Ford GT – which took the 2017 Rolex 24 victory as well as a win in the 2016 24 Hours of Le Mans – is back as well as the No. 67 entry that won the 2018 Rolex 24. The No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, which won both of the past two WeatherTech Championship GTLM season-long titles, leads the two-car effort for the Corvette.The GT Daytona (GTD) class again boasts the largest number of entries with 23 international GT3-spec race cars on the list from eight different manufacturers: Lamborghini (5), Audi (4), Porsche (4), Ferrari (3), Lexus (2), Mercedes-AMG (2), Acura (2) and BMW (1). In a new-for-2019 change, GTD cars only will participate in the first two days of testing – Jan. 4-5 – at the Roar.Back to defend its 2018 Rolex 24 GTD victory is the No. 11 GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3. Also returning are 2018 WeatherTech Championship GTD champions Paul Miller Racing. The team recently announced that driver Bryan Sellers, who won the 2018 GTD season championship with Madison Snow, now will share the No. 48 Lamborghini on a full-time basis with 2018 Lamborghini Super Trofeo AM class world champion Ryan Hardwick.Corey Lewis also returns to the No. 48 driver lineup for the four IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup rounds. He teamed with Sellers and Snow, to win the 2018 Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts.The LMP2 class for Pro-Am prototype driver lineups, features a four-car entry list. All four are ORECA chassis powered by Gibson V8 engines.On-track testing for WeatherTech Championship machines at the Roar begins at 11 a.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 4, 2019. The DPi, GTLM and LMP2 classes will have a total of seven practice sessions between Jan. 4 and Jan. 6, with five practice sessions set for the GTD class on Jan. 4-5.As was the case for the first time in 2018, qualifying for garage allocations and pit lane assignments again will take place for all classes in 2019. The 15-minute GTD qualifying session starts Saturday, Jan. 5 at 4:30 p.m. ET. GTLM qualifying runs from 11:50 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 6, followed by DPi and LMP2 qualifying from 12:15 to 12:30 p.m. ET.In addition to WeatherTech Championship testing, the Roar also includes six test sessions for the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge throughout the three days of on-track activity. Also, the IMSA Prototype Challenge opens its 2019 season with the three-hour Scouts of America race beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 5. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com.All three days of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona are open to the public, with free admission for 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticket holders. |
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British F3 champ Lundqvist set for PPM GTD Lamborghini effort at Rolex 24
British F3 champ Lundqvist set for PPM GTD Lamborghini effort at Rolex 24https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by LAT32 sharessharetweetemail By: Graham Goodwin | December 21, 2018 9:41 AM Reigning British F3 champion Linus Lundqvist is set to join Precision Performance Motorsports’ Lamborghini Huracan GTD effort for the 2019 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, a prize drive after the Swede won the points chase to take the 2019 Sunoco Whelen Challenge, a joint venture between Whelen Engineering and AAOC, UK distributors for Sunoco Racing Fuels.Lundqvist’s PPM drive marks a shift in emphasis for the prize winner away from the premium Prototype class with all of the past winners racing in first Daytona Prototype and more recently DPi machinery.For 2019, Lundqvist sees the prize drive in the GTD Pro-Am category aboard PPM’s new Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo.More IMSA!G-Drive/TDS mulls IMSA 2020 DPi entryThe Super Long Holiday Travel Companion PodcastThe Week In Sports Cars, Dec. 22“I am really excited to have everything confirmed; I can’t wait to get on that plane and fly across the Atlantic to race in the States for the first time,” said Lundqvist.“It’s going to be a real adventure. I’m super happy to be given the trust and opportunity to drive the Lamborghini GT3 Evo for Precision Performance Motorsports at Daytona! It will be a lot to learn considering it will be my first endurance race but I’m going to do my best and try to learn and enjoy it as much as possible.”“Having a talented young driver like Linus join our Rolex 24 driver line-up is a massive win for PPM and complements our focus on driver development, and of course it’s an honour to campaign the long-standing Sunoco Whelen Challenge program,” said Precision Performance Motorsport team manager Sunny Voelker. The decision to bring Lundqvist to PPM marks a shift in class for the Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner.“For the last four years, thanks to support from Sonny Whelen of Whelen Engineering, we have been placing the Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner in the No.31 Whelen-sponsored Action Express run Cadillac DPi race car,” said AAOC managing director Anders Hildebrand.“However, with the increasing level of competitiveness in the top class we feel that the pressure imposed on our winner will take out the enjoyment of this, maybe once in a lifetime experience. Sonny and I therefore decided for 2019 that we should place our winner in the GTD (GT3) class which has a mix of PRO and AM drivers and a class that would really make our Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner shine.”The Sunoco Whelen Challenge is in its 10th season, conceived to help raise the international profile of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, with a unique prize on offer to drivers in UK National competition that has given a range of talented Pro and Gentlemen drivers the opportunity to gain a free seat in the IMSA season opener in a car with real potential for success.It has attracted real talent, with past winners including current Aston Martin works driver Jonny Adam, current Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory man Phil Keen, and former F1/current IMSA DPI driver Felipe Nasr.“When the first Sunoco Daytona Challenge was put together it was thanks to the support of Jim France who wanted to increase the international awareness of the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” Hildebrand said.“Today, ten years later it seems ridiculous that the Rolex 24 star-packed grid has not always been a massive international race on the bucket list of every racing driver.“The Sunoco Daytona and Whelen Challenge winners have brought talent, speed and excitement to the race and not disappointed the teams they raced for. 2018 Sunoco Whelen Challenge winner Stuart Middleton bettered Felipe Nasr’s Challenge winners’ previous third place record by taking the checkered flag in second overall — quite a feat! |
Prototype Challenge set for three-hour enduro at Daytona
Prototype Challenge set for three-hour enduro at Daytonahttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1sharetweetemail By: IMSA Wire Service | 4 hours ago While teams and drivers in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge descend upon Daytona International Speedway this week for the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test days, it’s the IMSA Prototype Challenge that takes to the track’s famed high banks for the first IMSA race of its highly anticipated 50th anniversary season in 2019.A total of 19 LMP3 prototypes are entered for the season-opening race that will go green on Saturday, Jan. 5 at 12:15 p.m. ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.tv and can be heard on IMSARadio.com and RadioLeMans.com.For the second consecutive season, the race at Daytona continues to evolve with a new look for the rapidly growing series and its popular LMP3 platform. Among the enhancements made to the IMSA Prototype Challenge in 2019 is the evolution of the endurance racing format that debuted at Daytona in 2018.One year after shifting from two 45-minute sprint races per weekend to a single one-hour, 45-minute endurance race, the series will extend to a three-hour race format for select events this season, including Daytona. Teams are required to have two drivers for endurance races with the option of using a third driver.The IMSA Prototype Challenge also moves to Michelin tires and LMP3 cars exclusively in 2019 with many of the top drivers and teams from the longstanding MPC class moving to the LMP3 class.Among the teams and drivers moving from MPC to LMP3 is ONE Motorsports – which won at Sebring one year ago with Dave House – and defending MPC driver champion Jon Brownson, who drove for ANSA Motorsports in the offseason IMSA Michelin Encore at Sebring and recently took part in a Michelin on-track opportunity with the team at Daytona.“IMSA has done such a remarkable job bringing the coming season’s format to the Prototype Challenge series, with the Encore at Sebring and the Michelin on-track opportunity,” said Brownson. “The depth of experience, professional dedication and enthusiasm in the drivers coming to this series is truly awesome. I think it’ll all look just great from the podium this season.”Teams making their LMP3 debuts at Daytona include Robillard Racing and a partnership from existing teams Alianza Motorsports and Gilbert Motorsports. Both teams will campaign Norma M30s, joining a trio of Forty7 Motorsports prototypes as the field’s Norma M30 contingent.Simraceway Motorsports and Sean Creech Motorsports are also set to make their debuts, as will former IndyCar and American Le Mans Series team Conquest Racing. They will join a strong field of Ligier JS P3 prototypes fielded by ANSA Motorsports, Performance Tech Motorsports, Polestar Motor Racing, K2R Motorsports, Wulver Racing and P1 Motorsports.All three days of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona are open to the public, with free admission for 2019 Rolex 24 At Daytona ticket holders. Tickets are available now at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com. |
Davis set for 17th straight Rolex starthttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Levitt/LATsharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley 3 hours ago Quick, which driver has the longest streak of consecutive starts in the Rolex 24 At Daytona?If you said Andrew Davis, you’re correct. Davis will race in the event for the 17th straight year when he pilots Moorespeed’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 in the endurance classic on Jan. 26-27.The 17-year streak ties Hurley Haywood for second on the all-time Daytona list, trailing only Boris Said, who raced in the event for 18 straight years.More IMSA!Mazda MX-5 Cup champ Nikko Reger moves up to IMSA PCTill, Howe join IMSA RadioBarrichello relishing Rolex 24 return“Running in the Rolex 24 for the 18th time – my 17th in a row – is an astonishing stat for me,” said Davis, 41, who has taken part in the event since 2003 after making his debut in 2001. “I remember watching the Camel GT series as a 5-year-old kid. Now to be here and part of this for so long means a lot.”Davis will join Will Hardeman, Alex Riberas and Markus Winkelhock in the No. 19 Moorespeed Audi in the GT Daytona class for the four races in the Michelin Endurance Cup. Davis and Winkelhock raced a Magnus Racing Audi in last year’s Rolex 24, finishing sixth in GTD.“This Moorespeed opportunity is great,” Davis said. “Our test here last month went really well, we were running things in. I think we’ve got a great lineup, with a lot of familiar faces and a familiar ride.”Davis made his Rolex 24 debut in 2001, driving a Nissan Lola for Mike Johnson’s Archangel Motorsports in the SRP II class. He drove a Porsche for The Racers Group in 2003, and has been an event regular ever since.“I remember being on the grid as a young guy in the open-cockpit Lola [in 2001], and thinking to myself, ‘What in the world am I doing here?’ Now, 20 years later, I’m still doing it. The fan base keeps getting bigger and bigger. This is a very big international race, and a who’s who is here. The driver field this year is amazing.”Davis’ favorite memory was finishing third in GT in the 2012 event, co-driving the No. 59 Brumos Porsche with Haywood, Leh Keen and Marc Lieb.“Standing on that podium with Hurley Haywood in the Brumos car, to share the podium with Hurley in his last race,” Davis said. “I finished second with Leh in Alex Job’s WeatherTech car three years later, but nothing is going to compare to standing on that podium with Hurley.” |
Westbrook admits last year's Rolex 24 glory tough to tophttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Images by Richard Dole/LATsharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley 7 hours ago It’s going to be extremely difficult for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing to top last year’s performance in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.The two Ganassi Ford GTs led all but 10 laps en route to a 1-2 finish in the GT Le Mans category in the 2018 event, giving event Grand Marshal and team boss Chip Ganassi his 200th triumph as a car owner. The Fords ran 1-2 for the final 18 hours, 47 minutes, with the No. 67 of Richard Westbrook, Ryan Briscoe and Scott Dixon won by 11.18 seconds over teammates Joey Hand, Dirk Mueller and Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 66 entry. Despite those statistics, Westbrook said it was a flat-out battle all the way.“Last year, we had the pace,” Westbrook admitted. “But pace doesn’t mean anything if you can’t execute in a 24-hour race. We definitely had the reliability, and we executed really well. We had no issues on the track or in the pits for both cars.” https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...pg?w=800&h=534Dominance aside, Westbrook looks back at last year’s event as a solid two-car battle.“It was a straight fight between two Fords,” Westbrook recalled. “We had no team orders. It was flat-out racing for 24 hours. Even though it was Ford-Ford, I thought the race was fascinating from my point of view. We were trying to outsmart our teammate in the pits. Chip’s a racer, and he wanted us to race. We could have taken each other out, but we didn’t. It seemed like ages that we were one second apart. It was fantastic to be part of it.” More IMSA!Mazda MX-5 Cup champ Nikko Reger moves up to IMSA PCTill, Howe join IMSA RadioBarrichello relishing Rolex 24 returnWestbrook expects a different scenario for the 2019 edition of the Rolex 24.“I don’t expect it to be the same this year,” he said. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a better race. The balance of performance is different. We had an advantage here last year. Maybe it was a grip thing; we seemed to be able to take off when the others couldn’t get that foot down coming out of the corners, which is so important here. It’s going to be closer this year.We’ve got a new tire this year, and it’s going to be important to see which manufacturer, which team is going to make that tire work.” |
Riley Motorsports honors Wynn’s with throwback liveryhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1216 sharessharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley | 24 hours agoBen Keating and Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports will honor Wynn’s in 2019 with a throwback livery.The team’s No. 33 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will carry the multi-color scheme that Hotchkis Racing ran in 1987, when team drivers John Hotchkis, John Hotchkis Jr. and Jim Adams began the season with a fifth-place overall and GTP finish in that year’s SunBank 24 At Daytona, driving a purple Porsche 962 in the Camel GTP class.More IMSA!Mazda MX-5 Cup champ Nikko Reger moves up to IMSA PCTill, Howe join IMSA RadioBarrichello relishing Rolex 24 returnThe livery is in honor of the 50th anniversary for Wynn’s, the automotive products technology company celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2019. Wynn’s has entered into a partnership with Keating and Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Motorsports for this year’s 50th anniversary IMSA season, and will carry the new scheme beginning with this weekend’s Roar Before the 24 and continuing through the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.The Wynn’s automotive technology products line started in 1939 and continues a heritage of automotive excellence today with an array of products designed to effectively treat and improve a car’s engine. |
Catching up with Wayne Taylorhttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image by Michael Levitt/LAT743 sharessharetweetemail By: Marshall Pruett January 3, 2019 5:58 AM How did Wayne Taylor sign Fernando Alonso and Kamui Kobayashi to drive his Cadillac DPi-V.R at Daytona? What does he think of his son Jordan’s social media profile? Is he interested in fielding an IndyCar Series effort, and will his team assist McLaren at the Indy 500? And would Wayne Taylor Racing continue if both his sons left to drive for other IMSA teams?The South African WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team owner pays a visit to the Marshall Pruett Podcast to answer those questions an more ahead of the Roar Before The 24.International audio link: https://marshallpruett.podbean.com/e...-wayne-taylor/ |
Alonso's expectations high for WTR's Rolex line-uphttps://racerdigital.files.wordpress...0&h=600&crop=1 Image courtesy Alonso/Twitter409 sharessharetweetemail By: J.J. O'Malley January 3, 2019 11:50 AM A year ago, two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso made his first visit to Daytona International Speedway for media day festivities that kick off the Roar Before the Rolex 24.Alonso went on to finish 13th in the Prototype class in his sports car debut, driving a Ligier-Gibson LMP2 for United Autosports in the 2018 Rolex 24 At Daytona.Thursday, Alonso returned to Daytona for media day leading up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship opener, wearing a brand-new black with blue trim uniform for Wayne Taylor Racing. On Friday, Alonso and co-drivers Kamui Kobayashi, Jordan Taylor and Renger van der Zande will get behind the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R, joining a 47-car entry list for three days of testing on the 3.56-mile circuit.More IMSA!Kobayashi paces afternoon Roar session for WTRMazda MX-5 Cup champ Nikko Reger moves up to IMSA PCTill, Howe join IMSA Radio“This year, I’m coming to Daytona with a lot more experience,” Alonso said. “It’s not my first time in an endurance race [like a year ago]. Now, I know the traffic, I know the night, I know the circuit as well. This year, I’m in a very competitive environment with a very competitive team that’s had a lot of success here at Daytona. I’m hoping to be more competitive, and enjoy the race more this year.”Team owner Wayne Taylor began negotiations to land Alonso shortly after the checkered flag on the 2018 event. The announcement didn’t come until mid-December.“I met Fernando at last year’s race, and shortly after the event [United Autosports team owner] Zak Brown and I started talking about it,” Taylor said. “Fernando seemed really interested, but there was some stalling, so we started talking to other drivers. Then all of a sudden, Zak asked if we still had a seat for Fernando, and we said sure.”While negotiations for Alonso dragged on for many months, the deal for Kobayashi quickly fell into place.“We were studying available drivers, and comparing average lap times, and I came upon Kamui Kobayashi,” Taylor said. “So I called him at home one night — it was around 3 a.m. his time. So I put the phone down and he called me straight back. I asked if he would like to drive for us at Daytona, and he said, “Yes, very much.” So we did the deal on the telephone.” Kobayashi visited the WTR shop in Indianapolis for a seat fitting.“He’s a superstar, and he’s down to earth,” Taylor said. “After this test, he’s going to the Konica Minolta headquarters in Japan, which is a big deal.”After racing for five seasons in Formula 1, Kobayashi went to endurance racing, finishing second overall in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in two of the last three years.https://racerdigital.files.wordpress...g?w=1000&h=750Jordan Taylor, Renger van der Zande, Fernando Alonso and Kamui Kobayashi are (almost) ready for their close-up. (Image by J.J. O’Malley) “This is a good opportunity for me, to come to race a sports car in America,” Kobayashi said. “I think the United States has a different type of sports car racing, and it’s going to be quite interesting. I know Wayne Taylor Racing is one of the best teams in the States, so I’m quite happy to join. I knew Fernando from Formula 1, along with being teammates in the sports cars in Europe. He’s fast; he’s good; he’s a world champion. It’s a good package for the 24-hour race. Cadillac has been quite strong here, but obviously I think the driver lineup is probably the strongest part for us.”Jordan Taylor won the Rolex 24 in 2017 for his father, joining a lineup that included NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon in the debut of the Cadillac DPi-V.R.“Today was the first time I met Fernando,” Jordan Taylor said. “Kamui came up to Indianapolis for a seat fitting, so I got to spend time with him there. Having Fernando as a teammate is exciting, and having both of them is super exciting. They bring all the experience to our team from Formula 1, Super GT, Super Formula. They also have tons of tire testing behind them, so they can really expedite our learning process for our first time with the Michelin tires.” The car owner expects to have good chemistry among his regular drivers and the visiting veterans.“I think this is going to be a great experience for Jordan and Renger, because both of these guys are superstars,” Wayne Taylor said. “I’ll think they’ll learn some things. I don’t see anyone being miles faster than anyone else. I think everyone will settle in and be comfortable, and we’ll find out during the race who’s the quick one, and then we’ll decide how to go.” |
4,736 views Save Wander through IMSA's GT Daytona paddock with RACER's Marshall Pruett to look at the cars and hear from some of the interesting players in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Pro-Am GT class. Subscribe to The Racer Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/theracerchanne... |
9,563 views Save Take a Roar Before The 24 garage tour of IMSA's DPi and LMP2 entries with RACER's Marshall Pruett. Subscribe to The Racer Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/theracerchanne... |
Rolex 24 2019 Roar Before the Rolex 24 Day 116,406 views Save The Roar Before the Rolex 24 kicks off the racing season at DAYTONA as the three-day test serves as the final dress rehearsal before the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA. Access to cars and drivers at the pre-season extravaganza is an event trademark, as fans annually enjoy the public debut of several new sports cars. |
0:24 / 8:53 2019 Rolex 24 Roar Test Session 126,172 views Save Teams from the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship testing at Daytona International Speedway to prepare for the 2019 Rolex 24 Hours. Check out my new Facebook page
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2019 Rolex 24 Roar Test Session 213,175 views https://yt3.ggpht.com/a-/AAuE7mCglWS...ffffff-rj-k-no Published on Jan 4, 2019 Teams from the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship testing at Daytona International Speedway to prepare for the 2019 Rolex 24 Hours. Check out my new Facebook page
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2019 Rolex 24 Roar Test Sessions 3&43,441 views Save |
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