Rolex 24: Daytona International Motor Speedway

	November 2008

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Chip Ganassi Racing Pulls Off Rolex 24 Three-Peat

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates continued its dominance of North America’s most prestigious sports car race winning their third straight overall victory on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway.

The team of Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas and Dario Franchitti in the No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley won the 46th anniversary of the Rolex 24 by a margin of three laps.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s win is the first time a team has won the overall Rolex 24 in three consecutive years.

While it’s a third straight victory for Ganassi, it’s the second straight Rolex 24 win for Montoya and Pruett and the third career overall Rolex 24 win for Pruett.

“This is over the top to come here and win this thing overall, now back-to-back and three in a row for Chip,” said Pruett, who was behind the wheel for the checkered flag. “Wow, this is unbelievable.”

Franchitti, who is making the jump to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Ganassi beginning with the 50th running of the Daytona 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, becomes the third Indy 500 driver to win the Rolex 24 the following year.

“It’s been a helluva year,” Franchitti said. “These guys, the preparation they put into this car is the reason why we’re here. We just tried to stay out of trouble and here we are -- bloody brilliant.”

Montoya was behind the wheel of the No. 01 running second to the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley in Hour 21 when the No. 6 car encountered suspension problems and was forced to make repairs. From that point, the No. 01 was in cruise control.

“It’s was pretty hard until the last stint,” said Montoya, who was Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2007. “We were pretty close with the 6 car. They had a problem and after that it was more of bringing the car home.”

Two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and 2006 Daytona 500 champion Jimmie Johnson came close to that elusive first Rolex 24 win again finishing second in the No. 99 Lowe’s/GAINSCO Pontiac Riley with co-drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser.

Rounding out the podium was the No. 9 Penske-Taylor Racing Pontiac Riley with drivers Helio Castroneves, Kurt Busch and Ryan Briscoe.

The competition was tight throughout the Rolex 24. There were a record 15 different leaders and 695 laps were completed in the race.

The finish was shaping up to be a special one for the No. 59 Brumos Porsche team. With just under five hours remaining in the race and Joao Barbosa behind the wheel with the overall lead, the rear suspension failed coming off NASCAR Turn 4. The car spun out, made contact with the inside retaining wall and caused significant front end damage to the car.

“Joao had a great restart and going around the banking coming out of (NASCAR Turn) 4, the lower tie rod broke,” No. 59 co-driver and five-time Rolex 24 champion Hurley Haywood. “The bolt that holds it on broke and it just sent him right into the wall. There was nothing he could do about it. You want to cry almost.”

Patrick Dempsey, star of the hit ABC show Grey’s Anatomy, made his first career start in the Rolex 24 finishing 39th overall co-driving Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster, Romeo Kapudija and Scott Maxwell.

“We had a lot of bad luck but the team has really rallied to keep the car out there,” Dempsey said. “We wanted to finish this race. We had a great time and I can’t wait to do it again.”

The pole winner of the Rolex 24 – the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley driven by Oswaldo Negri – led the 66-car field to the green flag on Saturday afternoon and finished sixth overall.

In the GT class, the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda with drivers Sylvain Tremblay, David Haskell, Nick Ham and Raphael Matos finished ninth overall and captured the class victory by a margin of seven laps.

“It was pretty special,” Tremblay said. “I’ve dreamt of this since I’ve started racing. To win at Daytona has been a dream of mine for a long, long time. When I first talked of getting a Mazda running against the Porsches, it seemed like a joke back then. There was so much that had to happen, so many pieces we had to build. Then we had to convince other people to believe in our dream, and pull on from there.”

Before the Rolex 24 went green on Saturday afternoon, the crowd was treated to a flyover by three Navy F-5 Tigers based out of Key West and Rolex 24 Grand Marshal Dan Gurney’s starting command, “Drivers, start your engines.”

Luhr Puts No. 23 Car On Rolex 24 Pole

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Jan. 26, 2006) -- Lucas Luhr put the No. 23 Alex Job Racing/Emory Motorsports Porsche Crawford on the pole on Thursday for the 44th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at historic Daytona International Speedway.

Luhr toured the legendary 3.56-mile road course in one minute, 44.009 seconds, 123.220 mph in the sleek and stylish Daytona Prototype which he’ll co-drive with Mike Rockenfeller and Patrick Long.

The pole-winning lap was a new Daytona Prototype track record for the Rolex 24.

“I’ve had plenty of pole positions in my career, most of them were class wise not overall,” Luhr said. “It’s a big one for me here being on the pole for such a big race. It’s also good for the guys. We have a brand new package with the Crawford and Porsche. They guys at Alex Job Racing worked really hard.”

Securing the outside pole for the twice-around-the-clock challenge was Scott Dixon and the No. 02 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley with a lap of 122.513.

Max Angelelli and the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley, the defending Rolex 24 champions, were on the outside pole but were disqualified for a technical violation.

Rounding out the top five were the No. 99 Gainsco/Blackhawk Racing (122.436), the No. 78 Doran Racing Ford Doran (122.417) and the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing Lexus Riley.

With Jan Lammers behind the wheel, the No. 2 Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, which will also be driven by Rusty Wallace, Danica Patrick and Alan McNish, qualified 19th with a speed of 120.959.

“This is new for me,” said Wallace, who has retired from NASCAR and will make the Rolex 24 his final race. “Everybody knows I retired from NASCAR racing and I’ve been dying to run the Rolex 24. This is a great team. I probably feel like I am one of the weakest links but I’ve got 24 hours to figure it out and I’ll be working really hard to keep it on the course. This will be a fun weekend.”

Said the IRL star Patrick: “I think it’s a fun race and something different, we’ll see how my night vision is.”

The No. 72 Tafel Racing Porsche GT3 Cup and driver Wolf Henzler captured the pole for the GT class with a lap of 113.080 mph.

Tickets are still available for the 44th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Registration Begins For Daytona 5K

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Oct. 11, 2005) -- Pre-registration has begun for the second annual Daytona 5K, scheduled on Saturday morning, Jan. 28 before the prestigious 44th Rolex 24 At Daytona Rolex Sports Car Series race.

Between now and Jan. 1, competitors can pre-register for the Daytona 5K at www.daytona5k.com for $20. The registration fee between Jan. 2 and Jan. 27 is $25. Race day registration is $30 and Fun Walk registration is $20.

Besides being able to run/walk on the historic pavement of "The World Center of Racing," each Daytona 5K participant will receive an official T-shirt, free admission ticket to the Rolex 24 at Daytona and admission to DAYTONA USA. A portion of the proceeds from the Daytona 5K will benefit United Way of Volusia-Flagler Counties.
The Rolex 24 At Daytona is the kickoff event to the international motorsports calendar as well as Speedweeks 2006. The 2005 edition of the twice-around-the-clock challenge featured a record field of competitive Daytona Prototypes and a star-studded cast of drivers that represented more than 100 major driving championships.

Tickets for the 44th anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona are available online at or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

SunTrust Racing Victorious In Rolex 24

2005 Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona team winner - Photo courtesy Daytona Motor Speedway - All rights reserved.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 6, 2005) -- The No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley survived the most competitive twice-around-the-clock challenge in history and captured the 43rd anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Sunday at historic Daytona International Speedway.
The No. 10 SunTrust Pontiac Riley, driven by Wayne Taylor, Max Angelelli and Emmanuel Collard, were swapping the lead with the No. 20 CITGO Howard Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford in the final hours of the season-opening Rolex Sports Car Series race.

With about two hours remaining, the No. 20 car, driven by Tony Stewart, Jan Lammers and Andy Wallace, were put behind the pit wall with transmission problems. After about 20 minutes of repairs, the team was able to return to the track in the fourth position, 14 laps behind the leader.

But there was no catching the No. 10 SunTrust Racing team, which Taylor is listed as the car owner and resides in nearby Altamonte Springs, Florida.

Taylor says the victory against the most competitive field of championship drivers and cars in Rolex 24 history easily tops his first Rolex 24 triumph in 1996.

"The standard of the competition was so much higher," Taylor said. "There were 15 cars that could have won this race on pure speed, not on retirements and so on. So this was really a good one to win. Especially being my hometown, and SunTrust's home base, it couldn't be better.

"It's a big relief for me. I can relax a little now. It's always hard putting these programs together. You've got to manage your expectations. Now, we can get on with trying to win a championship."
The SunTrust Racing victory was the second straight victory in the Rolex 24 for a Pontiac-powered car and the first overall Rolex 24 victory for Riley Daytona Prototype chassis. This year's Rolex 24 featured a Rolex Series record 43 lead changes.

The winning No. 10 car completed 710 laps, which is the approximately distance between Daytona Beach, Fla., and Los Angeles.

Finishing in the overall second position was the No. 4 Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford with drivers Butch Leitzinger, Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Jimmie Johnson. Rounding out the podium was the No. 20 Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford of Stewart, Lammers and Wallace.

Johnson, who drives the No. 48 Lowe's Home Improvement Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, was thrilled to be a part of the runner-up team.

"Yes I'm a racer and I wish I would've won, but for myself to finish second in this race is a huge, huge accomplishment," Johnson said. "I'm very happy with that. I always want to win races but to be this close and be here in the media center and to be on the podium and work with such great teammates, I'm thankful for that.

"It's a great way to start the season and it's so much fun to come down and meet all the different drivers and different champions. The Crawfords make racing so much fun. It's a family run team. They work very hard. All the crew guys are a lot of fun to be around. It's just a great time. I'll definitely be back."

Stewart, who drives the No. 20 Home Depot Chevrolet in the NEXTEL Cup Series, enjoyed the high level of competition in the Rolex 24.
"I could feel the difference from last year to this year as far as intensity and pace," Johnson said. "Everybody seemed to be flat out and everybody was running a pretty strong pace all day. It was fun, it made for a fun race. You didn't feel like you were out riding around giving it 98 or 99 perfect the whole time."

While the competition for the overall title in the Rolex 24 was tight, the fight for the GT class honors wasn't as close. The No. 71 Farnbacher Racing Porsche GT3 Cup and drivers Wolf Henzler, Dominik Farnbacher, Shawn Price and Pierre Ehret held the GT class advantage for much of the race and took the top honors as well as an impressive 10th-place finish overall.

The Grand American Road Racing Series will return to Daytona International Speedway for the Paul Revere 250 presented by Brumos Porsche on June 30, part of the Pepsi 400 Weekend. Tickets for any events at "The World Center of Racing" are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-PITSHOP.

Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona Race Results

Race Stats - time of race: 24:01:19.877, distance: 710 laps, 2528 miles, average speed: 105.204 mph, victory margin: 11 laps.

1. (10) Max Angelelli, Monaco; Wayne Taylor, Altamonte Springs, Fla.; Emmanuel Collard, France, DP, SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley, 710.

2. (4) Butch Leitzinger, Rebersburg, Pa.; Elliott Forbes-Robinson, Sherrills Ford, N.C.; Jimmie Johnson, El Cajon, Calif., DP, Howard - Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, 699.

3. (20) Andy Wallace, England; Jan Lammers, Netherlands; Tony Stewart, Rushville, Ind., DP, CITGO - Howard - Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, 699.

4. (02) Stefan Johansson, Sweden; Jamie McMurray, Joplin, Mo.; Cort Wagner, Los Angeles, Calif., DP, New Century Mtg/ Chip Ganassi w/Sabates Lexus Riley, 698.

5. (77) Fabrizio Gollin, Italy; Matteo Bobbi, Monaco; Didier Theys, Belgium, DP, Doran Racing Lexus Doran, 697.

6. (03) Scott Dixon, New Zealand; Darren Manning, England; Casey Mears, Bakersfield, Calif., DP, Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley, 694.

7. (01) Scott Pruett, McMinnville, Oregon; Luis Diaz, Mexico City, Mexico; Ryan Briscoe, Australia, DP, CompUSA Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley, 688.

8. (58) David Donohue, Malvern, Pa.; Darren Law, Phoenix, Ariz.; Lucas Luhr, Monaco; Sascha Maassen, Belgium, DP, Red Bull/ Brumos Racing Porsche Fabcar, 680.

9. (44) Jan Magnussen, Denmark; Bobby Labonte, Corpus Christi, Texas; Bryan Herta, Valencia, Calif.; Terry Labonte, Corpus Christi, Texas, DP, Doran Racing Pontiac Doran, 675.

10. (71) Wolf Henzler, Germany; Dominik Farnbacher, Germany; Shawn Price, Santa Clara, Calif.; Pierre Ehret, Santa Rosa, Calif., GT, Farnbacher Racing USA Porsche GT3 Cup, 664.

11. (37) Mike Fitzgerald, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Manuel Matos, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Emil Assentato, Locust Valley, N.Y.; Nick Longhi, Locust Valley, N.Y., GT, TPC Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 661.

12. (61) Robert Nearn, England; Dave Lacey, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; David Shep, Caledon, Ontario, Canada; Greg Wilkins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Mark Wilkins, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, GT, TRG East Porsche GT3 Cup, 659.

13. (73) Jack Baldwin, Marietta, Ga.; Jim Tafel, Atlanta, Ga.; Craig Stanton, Long Beach, Calif.; Robin Liddell, ; Andrew Davis, Bogart, Ga., GT, Baldwin-Tafel Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 659.

14. (65) Andy Lally, Dacula, Ga.; Marc Bunting, Monkton, Md.; Kevin Buckler, Sonoma, Calif.; Carlos de Quesada, Coral Gables, Fla.; Hugh Plumb, Chadds Ford, Pa., GT, TRG Porsche GT3 Cup, 656.

15. (14) Leh Keen, Dublin, Ga.; Cory Friedman, Charleston, S.C.; Steve Johnson, Bristol, Va.; Al Bacon, Kingsport, Tenn., GT, Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup, 654.

16. (66) Max Papis, Miami Beach, Fla.; Jorg Bergmeister, Germany; Oliver Gavin, England, DP, Krohn Racing/ TRG Pontiac Riley, 653.

17. (16) Ross Bentley, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Colin Braun, Ovalo, Texas; Adrian Carrio, Monument, Colo.; Brad Coleman, Martinsville, Va., GT, TRG Porsche GT3 Cup, 650.

18. (67) Nic Jonsson, Buford, Ga.; Tracy Krohn, Metarie, La.; Buddy Rice, Phoenix, Ariz.; Boris Said, Carlsbad, Calif.; Jimmy Morales, Mexico, DP, Krohn Racing/ TRG Pontiac Riley, 642.

19. (74) Wally Dallenbach, Spring Branch, Texas; George Robinson, Houston, Texas; Paul Dallenbach, Basalt, Colo.; Johnny Unser, Sun Valley, Idaho, DP, Robinson Racing Lexus Riley, 641.

20. (63) Dave Master, Santa Fe, N.M.; Marc Sluszny, Belgium; Derek Clark, Corona Del Mar, Calif.; Pat Flanagan, Aliso Viejo, Calif., GT, TRG Porsche GT3 Cup, 639.

21. (43) Ron Zitza, Maitland, Fla.; Brad Blum, Winter Park, Fla.; Eric Lux, Buffalo, N.Y.; Victor Gonzales Jr., San Juan, Puerto Rico; Wes Allen, Lexington, Ky., GT, Team Sahlen Porsche GT3 Cup, 637.

22. (5) Chris Dyson, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; Rob Dyson, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; James Gue, Athens, Ga.; Harrison Brix, Campbell, Calif., DP, Essex Racing Ford Crawford, 630.

23. (3) Darius Grala, Poland; Mark Patterson, Bronxville, N.Y.; Bohdan Kroczek, Winnetka, Ill.; Quentin Wahl, Santa Barbara, Calif.; Shane Lewis, Jupiter, Fla., DP, Cegwa Sport/ Southard Motorsports Lexus Fabcar, 630.

24. (52) Luca Drudi, Italy; Gabrio Rosa, Italy; Luis Monzon, Spain; Maria DeVillota, Spain, GT, Mastercar Ferrari 360 Challenge, 627.

25. (11) Matt Plumb, Newport, R.I.; Peter Boss, Narragansett, R.I.; Jim Michaelian, Long Beach, Calif.; David Gooding, England, GT, JMB Racing USA Ferrari 360 Challenge, 623.

26. (04) Gene Sigal, Los Angeles, Calif.; Troy Hanson, Los Angeles, Calif.; Nikolas Konstant, ; Jay Wilton, Los Angeles, Calif.; Miroslav Konopka, , GT, Sigalsport Porsche GT3 Cup, 599.

27. (49) Scott Maxwell, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Kurt Busch, Las Vegas, Nev.; Matt Kenseth, Cambridge, Wis.; Greg Biffle, Vancouver, Wash., DP, Multimatic Motorsports Ford Multimatic, 588.

28. (75) Johannes van Overbeek, San Francisco, Calif.; Lonnie Pechnik, Pacific Grove, Calif.; Seth Neiman, Burlingrove, Calif.; Jon Fogarty, Petaluma, Calif.; Patrick Long, Las Vegas, Nev., GT, Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup, 582.

29. (80) Don Kitch Jr, Bellevue, Wash.; Don Gagne, Redmond, Wash.; Chris Pallis, Mercer Island, Wash.; Don Pickering, Seattle, Wash., GT, Team Seattle/ Synergy Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 582.

30. (78) Paul Bonham, Phoenix, Ariz.; Paul Fairchild, Tempe, Ariz.; Bruce Phillips, Albuqerque, N.M.; Ray Williams, Vienna, Va.; Paul Orwicz, New Canaan, Conn., GT, Farnbacher Racing USA Porsche GT3 Cup, 581.

31. (53) Roberto Ragazzi, Italy; Giuseppe Chiminelli, Italy; Costantino Bertuzzi, Italy; Jesus Diaz, Spain, GT, Mastercar Ferrari 360 Challenge, 553.

32. (41) Wayne Nonnamaker, Massillon, Ohio; Joe Nonnamaker, Massillon, Ohio; Will Nonnamaker, North Canton, Ohio; James Jakes, Orlando, Fla., GT, Team Sahlen Porsche GT3 Cup, 544.

33. (2) Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Milka Duno, Venezuela; Dan Wheldon, England; Marino Franchitti, Scotland, DP, CITGO - Howard - Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, 528.

34. (8) Burt Frisselle, Adventura, Fla.; Brian Frisselle, Aventura, Fla.; Tommy Erdos, England; Mike Newton, England, DP, Rx.com/ Synergy Racing BMW Doran, 523.

35. (55) Zach Arnold, Tiffin, Ohio; Kurt Thiel, Switzerland; John Stevenson, Swansboro, N.C.; Ken MacAlpine, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada; Scott Turner, Merritt Island, Fla., GT, ASC Motorsports Corvette, 507.

36. (36) Randy Pobst, Gainesville, Ga.; Michael Levitas, Baltimore, Md.; John Littlechild, Medfield, Mass.; Spencer Pumpelly, Mason Neck, Va.; Jean-Francois Dumoulin, Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada, GT, TPC Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 495.

37. (9) BJ Zacharias, Cincinnati, Ohio; Joe Foster, Atlanta, Ga.; David Donner, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Blake Rosser, Henderson, Nev.; Rick Skelton, Atlanta, Ga., DP, Hyper Sport Infiniti Doran, 493.

38. (06) Dwain Dement, Laguna Hills, Calif.; Steve Bernheim, Beverly Hills, Calif.; Anders Hainer, Hidden Hills, Calif.; Kevin Roush, Upland, Calif.; Jack Lewis, Norcross, Ga., GT, Bernheim Porsche Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 488.

39. (81) David Gaylord, Graham, Wash.; David Murry, Cumming, Ga.; Mae Van Wijk, Kingwood, Texas; Rod Emory, McMinnville, Oregon, GT, Team Seattle/ Synergy Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 477.

40. (23) Charles Espenlaub, Lutz, Fla.; Kris Szekeres, Hartland, Mich.; Todd Hanson, Atlanta, Ga.; Frank Del Vecchio, Trumbull, Conn.; Al Villamil, Medford, N.J., GT, Horizon Motorsports LLC Pontiac GTO, 476.

41. (62) Takashi Inoue, Japan; Hiroshi Wada, Japan; Akira Hirakawa, Japan; Akira Fujita, Japan; Kiichi Takahashi, Japan, GT, TRG Porsche GT3 Cup, 468.

42. (19) Memo Gidley, Novato, Calif.; Michael McDowell, Charlotte, N.C.; Michael Valiante, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Jonathan Bomarito, Salinas, Calif., DP, Ten Motorsports BMW Riley, 465.

43. (29) Josh Vargo, Cordova, Tenn.; Tim Vargo, Cordova, Tenn.; Jake Vargo, Memphis, Tenn.; Brady Refenning, Stuart, Fla., DP, Brumos Racing Porsche Fabcar, 463.

44. (59) Hurley Haywood, Ponte Vedra, Fla.; JC France, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Mike Rockenfeller, Germany; Timo Bernhard, Germany; Romain Dumas, France, DP, Brumos Racing Porsche Fabcar, 432.

45. (51) Karl Wendlinger, Austria; Dieter Quester, Austria; Johnny Mowlem, England; Vincent Vosse, Belgium, GT, Red Bull Ebimotors Porsche GT3 Cup, 409.

46. (6) Mike Borkowski, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Paul Mears Jr, Orlando, Fla.; Larry Connor, Dayton, Ohio; Duncan Dayton, North Salem, N.Y., DP, Michael Shank Racing Pontiac Riley, 399.

47. (85) Grant Phipps, Wichita, Kansas; Armando Trentini, Houston, Texas; Eddie Nahir, Woodland Hills, Calif.; Don Mayer, Wichita, Kansas; Mike Hardage, Kingwood, Texas, GT, Condor Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup, 355.

48. (08) Keith Goldin, Miami, Fla.; Steve Goldin, Miami, Fla.; Scott Finlay, Miami, Fla.; Martin Shuster, Daytona Beach, Fla., GT, Goldin Brothers Racing Mazda RX-8, 336.

49. (54) Terry Borcheller, Gainesville, Ga.; Paul Tracy, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Christian Fittipaldi, Brazil; Forest Barber, Fort Worth, Texas; Ralf Kelleners, Germany, DP, Kodak - Bell Motorsports Pontiac Doran, 328.

50. (18) Johnny Miller, Gray, Tenn.; Chris Bingham, Bellevue, Wash.; Roger Scotton, Boca Rotan, Fla.; Steve Ivankovich, Chicago, Ill.; Vic Rice, San Rafael, Calif., DP, Chase Competition Eng/ CB Motorsports Pontiac Chase, 297.

51. (79) Sebastien Bourdais, France; Michael Brockman, Milford, Conn.; Paul Newman, Westport, Conn.; Cristiano da Matta, Brazil, DP, Pixar/Newman Production Ford Crawford, 290.

52. (64) Pedro Couceiro, Portugal; Miguel Amaral, Portugal; Jay Policastro, Latrobe, Pa.; Joe Policastro, Latrobe, Pa.; Cyrille Sauvage, France, GT, TRG Porsche GT3 Cup, 276.

53. (00) Paul Morris, Australia; Marcus Ambrose, Australia; Craig Baird, Australia; John Teulan, Australia, GT, Aussie Assault Porsche GT3 Cup, 271.

54. (39) Marc Goossens, Belgium; Jim Matthews, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Guy Smith, England; Scott Sharp, Tequesta, Fla., DP, Orbit Racing Pontiac Riley, 239.

55. (50) Jeff Bucknum, Lake Havasu City, Ariz.; Tom Nastasi, Stamford, Conn.; Henry Zogaib, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Travis Duder, Los Altos, Calif.; Doug Peterson, Bonita Springs, Fla., DP, Blackforest Motorsports Ford Multimatic, 223.

56. (48) Toni Seiler, Switzerland; Robert Dubler, Switzerland; Hans Hauser, Switzerland; Anthony Puleo, St Augustine, Fla., GT, Xtreme Racing Group Corvette, 218.

57. (21) Bill Auberlen, Redondo Beach, Calif.; Ian James, Kissimmee, Fla.; Chris Gleason, Johnstown, Pa.; Joey Hand, Sacramento, Calif., GT, Prototype Technology Group BMW M3, 199.

58. (09) Doug Goad, Farmington Hills, Mich.; Stephan Gregoire, France; Bob Ward, Casselberry, Fla.; Roberto Moreno, Brazil, DP, Spirit of Daytona Racing Pontiac Crawford, 194.

59. (22) Justin Marks, San Francisco, Calif.; RJ Valentine, Braintree, Mass.; Tom Milner, Winchester, Va.; Kelly Collins, Newport Beach, Calif., GT, Prototype Technology Group BMW M3, 168.

60. (86) Peyton Sellers, Danville, Va.; Steve Marshall, Christiansburg, Va.; Jason Workman, Flowery Branch, Ga.; Archie Urciuoli, Casey Key, Fla.; Shawn Bayliff, Pelham, N.C., DP, Synergy Racing BMW Picchio, 134.

61. (93) Guy Cosmo, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Rob Stewart, York, Pa.; Gary Stewart, York, Pa.; Bob Gilbert, York, Pa.; Dave Stewart, York, Pa., GT, TPC Racing Porsche GT3 Cup, 85.

62. (46) Michael Baughman, Clear Spring, Md.; Mike Yeakle, Clear Springs, Md.; , GT, Michael Baughman Racing Corvette, 20.

MORE THAN 40 IMS VETERANS HITTING ROAD IN ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA

INDIANAPOLIS, Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 – More than 40 drivers who have competed in oval or road-course events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will race in the most prestigious American sports car race, the Rolex 24 At Daytona, on Feb. 5-6 at Daytona International Speedway.

A total of 43 drivers with starts in the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, and United States Grand Prix Ferrari Challenge, Formula BMW USA and Porsche Supercup support races will compete in the round-the-clock endurance race.

The 43rd Rolex 24 starts at noon (EST) Saturday, Feb. 5 and ends at noon, Sunday, Feb. 6. Teams of drivers take shifts on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona, which includes segments in the infield and on the famed 2.5-mile, high-banked oval.

Speed Channel will provide live coverage from noon-7 p.m. and 8-11 p.m. (EST) Saturday and from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Seventeen drivers with Indianapolis 500 experience are scheduled to start the Rolex 24, the largest group of Speedway veterans participating in the race this weekend. All of the Indy 500 veterans will race in the premier Daytona Prototype class.

Among the veterans of the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” competing at Daytona are defending champion Buddy Rice and current IRL IndyCar® Series drivers Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Bryan Herta, Darren Manning, Scott Sharp and Dan Wheldon.

Rice is the first defending Indianapolis 500 champion to compete in the Rolex 24 since Arie Luyendyk drove on the winning team in 1998.

Dixon, Manning and brickyard 400 veteran Casey Mears comprise an all-Indy veteran team in the No. 03 Target Lexus Riley car fielded by Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing, while Franchitti will team with his brother, Marino, and Wheldon and female Grand-Am series standout Milka Duno in the No. 2 Citgo Pontiac Crawford.

Herta will team up with 2000 Brickyard 400 winner Bobby Labonte and his brother, Terry Labonte, and Formula One veteran Jan Magnussen in the No. 44 Doran Racing Pontiac Doran.

Tony Stewart and Scott Pruett, veterans of the Indianapolis 500 and Brickyard 400, will race in the Daytona Prototype category. Pruett won the pole Feb. 3 in his No. 01 CompUSA Lexus Riley fielded by Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing at 119.856 mph.

Stewart just missed winning the race last year, crashing only 20 minutes from the finish due to a broken suspension. Stewart will pair again this year with Andy Wallace, with Jan Lammers also in the driving lineup for the No. 20 Citgo Pontiac Crawford.

Brickyard 400 veterans Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Matt Kenseth will comprise three-fourths of the driving team for the No. 49 Crown Royal Ford Multimatic Daytona Prototype. Sports car veteran Scott Maxwell will join them behind the wheel.

All 11 of the Brickyard 400 veterans in the Rolex 24 will race in the Daytona Prototype category.

Notable IMS veterans in the GT production car category include multi-time United States Grand Prix Porsche Supercup support series winners Jorg Bergmeister, Wolf Henzler and Sascha Maasen. Henzler won the pole for the GT class Feb. 3 at 110.523 in the No. 71 Farnbacher Racing USA Porsche GT3 Cup car, the same type of car that competes in the Porsche Michelin Supercup series during the United States Grand Prix.

A rundown of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway veterans in the Rolex 24, by event, with the class in which they are competing this weekend in parentheses:

•Indianapolis 500 (17 drivers): Scott Dixon (Daytona Prototype), Dario Franchitti (DP), Stephan Gregoire (DP), Hurley Haywood (DP), Bryan Herta (DP), Roberto Moreno (DP), Stefan Johansson (DP), Darren Manning (DP), Max Papis (DP), Scott Pruett (DP), Buddy Rice (DP), Scott Sharp (DP), Tony Stewart (DP), Didier Theys (DP), Paul Tracy (DP), Johnny Unser (DP), Dan Wheldon (DP).

•Brickyard 400 (11): Greg Biffle (Daytona Prototype), Kurt Busch (DP), Wally Dallenbach Jr. (DP), Jimmie Johnson (DP), Matt Kenseth (DP), Bobby Labonte (DP), Terry Labonte (DP), Jamie McMurray (DP), Casey Mears (DP), Scott Pruett (DP), Tony Stewart (DP).

•United States Grand Prix Ferrari Challenge (4): Darius Grala (Daytona Prototype), Mark Patterson (DP), Doug Peterson (DP), Quentin Wahl (DP).

•United States Grand Prix Formula BMW USA (1): Brian Frisselle (Daytona Prototype).

•United States Grand Prix Porsche Supercup (12): Jorg Bergmeister (Daytona Prototype), Timo Bernhard (DP), David Donohue (DP), Dominik Farnbacher (Grand Touring), Patrick Flanagan (GT), Wolf Henzler (GT), Steve Johnson (GT), Darren Law (DP), Patrick Long (GT), Sascha Maasen (DP), Randy Pobst (GT), Cyrille Sauvage (GT).

Pruett Puts No. 01 Back On The Pole In Rolex 24 At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Feb. 3, 2005) -- For the second straight year, sports car veteran Scott Pruett drove the No. 01 CompUSA Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley to the pole position for the 43rd anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona at historic Daytona International Speedway.

Pruett, who'll share the driving duties on the Lexus Riley Daytona Prototype with Luis Diaz and Ryan Briscoe, toured the demanding 3.56-mile road course on Thursday in one minute, 46.928 seconds, 119.856 mph.

"For me that was pretty ragged," Pruett said. Qualifying is about taking some pretty big chances that you feel like you can get away with. That was about as much as I was comfortable with going into a 24-hour event."

Capturing the outside pole for Saturday's Rolex 24 was Max Angelelli, who posted a speed of 119.837 mph in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley, which also sat on the outside pole for last year's Rolex 24.

"I'm happy to be on the front row, especially this year in front of so many famous drivers, quick drivers and good cars," Angelelli said. "But it's disappointing when you cannot get the pole and you've basically been fastest all day long, so my enjoyment is cut 50 percent. This race is so different to the others because it can be anything. It can be good, it can be bad. Of course, we have a good car, I think we're fast, but the race is 24 hours-one day-and anything can happen."
Rounding out the top five was the No. 66 Krohn Racing/TRG with driver Max Papis, the No. 02 New Century Mtg/Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley with driver Stefan Johansson and the No. 03 Target Chip Ganassi Lexus Riley with driver Scott Dixon.

Said Papis: "It was a very, very good effort. It was the first time we've actually ran the No. 66 car in qualifying trim. We have in front two of the most recognized and most experienced teams in endurance racing. We had a fantastic effort. I'm really, really proud of all of our guys."

In GT qualifying, German Wolf Henzler placed the No. 71 Farnbacher Racing Porsche GT3 Cup on the GT class pole position. Henzler logged a best lap of 1:55.958, 110.523 mph, topping the next closest qualifier by more than half a second.

"Last year I raced in Europe in the Porsche Supercup and the German Porsche Cup," Henzler said. "This is my first race at Daytona. My first time here was in the test four weeks ago, and that was also my first time running on banking. It is fantastic. When I first saw it I felt it would be easy to learn, but after a few laps I realized it was really difficult."

In Grand-Am Cup qualifying for Friday's race, Justin Marks in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 clocked a time of 2:04.019, 103.339 mph to take the pole position overall and in the Grand Sport class. Marks will share the front row with Jep Thornton in the No. 09 Automatic Racing BMW M3 who starts second with a time of 2:04.791, 102.700 mph.

In the Sport Touring class, defending class co-champion David Haskell in the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 will start first in class thanks to a best lap of 2:12.798, 96.507 mph. Starting second on the ST grid will be Tim Pappas in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW 330i following a lap of 2:12.994, 96.365 mph.

Unprecedented Field in American Sports Car History Set for Historic Rolex 24 At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Jan. 27, 2005) - Drivers representing more than 100 major auto racing championships and a record 29 Daytona Prototypes will make up the strongest starting grid in American sports car history for the 43rd anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona on Feb. 5-6 at historic Daytona International Speedway.

"Without exaggeration, you would have to say this is probably the best depth of a field that I've ever seen, even in the GTP heyday when there were probably 15 or so (Porsche) 962s. There weren't this many cars within this tight of a group," said Butch Leitzinger, a three-time Rolex 24 champion who'll co-drive the No. 4 Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford. "If you're a little bit off in the setup, as we've seen on the time sheet (during testing), instead of being fourth, you're all of a sudden 16th. It's going to be something where the team is going to have to work incredibly hard and the driver is going to have to work incredibly hard just to keep on pace with everyone."

The list of drivers features high-profile names such as five NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champions - Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Bobby and Terry Labonte - open-wheel stars Paul Tracy and Dario Franchitti and 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice.
The field also includes Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman, two more Champ Car World Series champions (Cristiano da Matta and Sebastien Bourdais) and two Indy Racing League IndyCar Series champions (Scott Sharp and Scott Dixon).

Sports car stars looking to guard their home turf include five-time Rolex 24 champion Hurley Haywood, 2004 Daytona Prototype co-champions Scott Pruett and Max Papis, Leitzinger, Andy Wallace, Terry Borcheller, Boris Said, Wayne Taylor and Rob and Chris Dyson.
"This is without a doubt a star-studded cast of drivers and cars," Speedway President Robin Braig said. "We're thrilled that our newly renovated infield will serve as the backdrop to a competitive Rolex 24 that will surely go down as a historic weekend in the sports car world."

And unlike previous Rolex 24 events, the elite drivers competing in this year's twice-around-the-clock challenge will be spread out among the 29 entries in the Daytona Prototype class, the premier division of the Grand American Rolex Series.

"I recognize a lot of faces for sure from all different areas in the world," said Franchitti, an Indy Racing League IndyCar star who'll co-drive the No. 2 CITGO Howard-Boss Motorsports Pontiac Crawford in his first Rolex 24 start. "I think to have them all here in one place *you just look through the entry list, it's pretty intimidating but I'm looking forward to the challenge. Just look at any of the cars, you're going to see one or more guys in there that have done amazing things in their careers."

Said Haywood: "This is undoubtedly the best driver lineup I've seen for a 24-hour race, anywhere. It has representation from all of the different fields of motorsports and it's going to be a heck of a show."
One of the most exciting Rolex 24s will be presented in front of a festival atmosphere in the new Daytona International Speedway infield. Last July, the Speedway underwent a multi-million dollar, multi-faceted infield renovation, which included new garages, new Turn 1 tunnel, new Gatorade Victory Lane, waterfront specialty vehicle parking and a uniquely designed FanZone.

Besides enjoying the thrilling side-by-side racing on Daytona's legendary 3.56-mile road course, sports enthusiasts attending the Rolex 24 will also enjoy the largest Ferris Wheel on the East Coast in the Midway, a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, car corrals and a wine and cheese tasting and participate in the Daytona 5K run.
Tickets to the Rolex 24 At Daytona are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or call 1-800-PITSHOP.

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