Flying Lizard announced today that the team has received two entries for the 2012 24 Heures du Mansin Le Mans, France, on June 16-17, 2012. The full entry list was unveiled today by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) in a press conference in Paris.

The Flying Lizard entries will be the No. 80, which will compete in the GTE Pro class, and the No. 79, which will compete in the GTE Am class. Both racecars will be Porsche 911 GT3 RSRs.

Flying Lizard team principal Seth Neiman commented, “It’s an honor to be invited to participate at this prestigious event. 2011 was our first year fielding two entries and we are pleased to be able to return in 2012 with the No. 80 and No. 79 Porsches.”

Flying Lizard has competed in the 24 Heures du Mansfor seven consecutive years: 2005 to 2011. The Flying Lizard No. 80 finished third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008 and sixth in 2011.

The driver lineup will be announced later this Spring.

Source: Flying Lizard Motorsports

Photo: Chapman Autosport Image

Porsche Teams Fill Top 3 GT Podium Spots at the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 at Daytona

The 24 hour race in Daytona remains Porsche territory: At the cliff-hanger 50th anniversary of the long distance classic in Florida/USA, the Zuffenhausen sports car manufacturer celebrated a convincing triple triumph in the GT class against strong opposition from the likes of Audi, BMW, Corvette and Ferrari. Victory went to Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria) in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Magnus Racing with teammates René Rast (Germany) as well as Americans Andy Lally and John Potter. After a thrilling finale in front of record crowds on the Daytona International Speedway, Lietz saw the flag 9.412 seconds ahead of his factory pilot colleague Wolf Henzler. The previous year’s winner from Germany shared the cockpit of TRG Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands), Marc Goossens (Belgium), Spencer Pumpelly (USA) and Steven Bertheau (USA). Scoring third place was Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) with Americans Hurley Haywood, Leh Keen and Andrew Davis in the legendary starting number 59 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by the Daytona-winning squad Brumos Racing.

“Today we all witnessed why Daytona is one of the world’s most fascinating races,” said Wolfgang Hatz, Board Member for Research and Development at Porsche AG. “For me that was a 24 hour sprint. The front-runners were incredibly close right to the flag. I’m very pleased to see that we had virtually no technical problems with our cars and the teams and drivers did such a magnificent job under difficult conditions. Congratulations and well done to you all.” Porsche’s head of motorsport, Hartmut Kristen, commented after this latest success: “The 50th running of this classic was unbelievably exciting. For much of the time, there were ten GT cars in one lap. The spectators were again treated to some fantastic motorsport. And it’s great of course to celebrate an impressive victory in front of such spectacular crowds. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup again brilliantly underlined its outstanding reliability at this extremely difficult race.” With its latest win, Porsche has now scored 22 overall and 74 class wins, making it the most successful manufacturer in the history of this race.

The anniversary race of the endurance classic in Florida, at which the new Porsche 911 ran as the safety car, was stronger than ever before. In the GT class alone, 45 cars lined up to start. “To beat so many great drivers, the crème de la crème of GT pilots, is simply awesome,” said the winner Richard Lietz. “Winning this race for Porsche is a highlight of my career, comparable only to my two victories in Le Mans.” His teammate René Rast, the two-time champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, to whom Porsche gave the chance to compete at Daytona in recognition of his excellent performance last season, said: “Everything ran smoothly. We didn’t experience a single technical problem. That was only the second 24 hour race of my career and undoubtedly the toughest. During one of my stints I spent three and a half hours at the wheel. That was incredibly exhausting.”

In the gripping final phase, Wolf Henzler again pulled out all stops, but the leading Richard Lietz managed to stave him off to the flag. “He was just too quick today,” Henzler stated. “But to climb the podium again after my win last year is a huge success for me.” With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by Brumos Racing, which took off into the race from pole position, Marc Lieb pitted shortly before the flag for a ‘splash and dash’ refuelling stop. Despite having led the race for long distances up until this point, he was unable to rejoin the fight for victory. “We experienced a bit of bad luck towards the end with our race strategy,” he said. “But although I was rather disappointed initially, it’s still a great team effort to come third against such an incredibly strong GT field.”

Turning the fastest race lap of the entire GT field, Porsche factory pilot Marco Holzer (Germany) turned heads at the classic on the Daytona International Speedway. He didn’t, however, manage to reach the flag. “Everything was running beautifully with our car until the retirement,” he commented. “But we had a bit of bad luck under the yellow flag. Three times we came in to refuel just before a caution phase and lost laps because of it. That’s rough.”

Lady Luck wasn’t with Porsche works drivers Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) either. With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup of Flying Lizard Motorsports, which they shared with American Seth Neiman and Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland), they were holding their own with the front-runners early on, but fell back and had to settle for 15th place at the flag. “Early on in the race we were running in the top three,” said Patrick Long. “Our pace was very fast. But Seth’s collision with a Daytona prototype put us out of serious contention.”

Race result

GT class

1. Lietz/Lally/Rast/Potter (A/USA/D/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 727 laps
2. Henzler/Bleekemolen/Bertheau/Goossens/Pumpelly (D/NL/USA/B/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 727 laps
3. Lieb/Haywood/Davis/Keen (D/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 726 laps
4. Edwards/Bremer/Liddell (USA/DK/GB), Camaro GT.R, 726 laps
5. Beretta/Bertolini/Vilander (MC/I/SF), Ferrari 458, 726 laps
6. Franchitti/Bomarito/Hinchcliffe/Tremblay (GB/USA/CAN/USA), Mazda RX-8, 722 laps
7. Pilet/Farnbacher/Keating/Simonsen (F/D/USA/DK), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 721 laps
11. Armindo/Curtis/Lewis/Sofronas/Willsey (F/USA/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 713 laps
14. Avenatti/Faieta/Poordad/Sweedler/Wagner (USA/USA/USA/USA/USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 707 laps
15. Bergmeister/Long/Neiman/Rockenfeller (D/USA/USA/D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 706 laps

Source: Porsche

The new partnership calls for the Pirelli P Zero racing slick to become the official and series-standard tire in all Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship events.  Pirelli will also work closely with series organizers in enhancing both competitor incentive programs and series-related marketing and advertising initiatives in the new relationship.

The announcement of the new title sponsorship comes a little over one week after the unveiling of the 2012 Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship race event schedule, which begins with the Palm Beach Grand Prix, at Palm Beach International Raceway, February 16 – 19. This year marks the third full season of competition for the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship, and its first with a title sponsor the caliber of Pirelli.

“Our international motorsports programs have expanded extensively the last couple of years, but all of that time we have also been keeping a close eye on this great Cayman racing series,” said Tom Gravalos, Pirelli Tire North America Vice President of Marketing, Motorsport and Original Equipment.  “As a company that takes pride in our more than 100 years of motorsports history, we love the fact that the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship is also a rolling celebration of Porsche’s rich racing heritage.  At the same time, the outstanding competitors and superbly prepared Cayman S race cars that are at the very foundation of the series provide the perfect complement to our latest Pirelli P Zero racing tires.  We have the technology to make our own race tires and are proud to put our name on the sidewall of each tire. This is a great new partnership in every respect and we look forward to a long and successful relationship.”

The Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship is open only to 2009 to 2012 Porsche Cayman S models that are raced in near-stock configuration by a competitive group of emerging and established drivers that typically own the cars they drive.  A connection to Porsche’s rich racing heritage is made through each Cayman’s livery that has a direct and visible link to a legendary Porsche race car from the past. Each Cayman’s throw-back color scheme is also matched with a corresponding Cayman chassis number, which means the history of some of the most memorable Porsche race cars will symbolically continue with an all-new chapter in the Cayman Interseries.  Napleton Porsche of Westmont is the exclusive supplier and preparation shop for the Porsche Cayman S race cars used in the series, although the series is open to any team or driver that wants to purchase a car from Napleton and get in on the action.

“Without question, Pirelli’s partnership to form the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship is the biggest development we have had in the series since we announced the concept in 2009,” said Ron Barnaba, Napleton Porsche General Manager and Cayman Interseries Founder. “We have worked closely with Pirelli in creating a new format and sponsorship package that works not only for them, but also for our valued series competitors and the increasing number of fans the series is attracting around the world.  We can’t wait to start the 2012 season in just under a month’s time in Palm Beach.”

Living up to its new billing, the 2012 schedule of events for the Pirelli Cayman Interseries Endurance Cup Championship places an emphasis on longer-distance races suitable for a team of co-drivers. While each of the year’s eight points-championship weekend events will continue to have at least a pair of sprint races, the featured events will be enduros that, in most cases, will range in length from 90 minutes to two hours, and possibly longer.  Season champions will be crowned for the third-consecutive year in the both the sprint and enduro divisions.

The 2012 Pirelli Cayman Interseries schedule combines legendary U.S. road courses with North America’s top country club circuits, including such iconic tracks as Sebring International Raceway, Road Atlanta, Daytona International Speedway (DIS) and Road America. In addition to Palm Beach, new additions to the 2012 schedule include Virginia International Raceway (VIR) and the Monticello Motor Club, in Monticello, New York, not far from Pirelli Tire North America headquarters in New York City.

After running an introductory schedule of proving races in 2009, the first official Cayman Interseries racing seasons were run the last two years.  After also taking the Enduro title in 2010, Lee Davis won both the Sprint and Enduro Championships in 2011 in his No. 33 Cayman S that carries the black and red colors of Luna-C Clothing and the Brun Motorsport Porsche 956s and 962s that carried the same paint scheme. This past season also saw Sprint and Enduro Championships for sportsman drivers and Bill Riddell captured both titles in his No. 80 green and white-striped Cayman S themed after a David Piper Racing Porsche 917K.

Source: Cayman Interseries

Daytona 24 Hours Qualifying: Porsche Starts From Pole Position

Setting the fastest time in qualifying, Porsche pilot Andrew Davis (USA) secured pole position in the strongly-supported GT class at the Daytona 24 Hours. For the 50th anniversary of the long-distance classic in Florida/USA, he shares the cockpit of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the winning Brumos Racing squad with Porsche works driver Marc Lieb (Germany) and American Hurley Haywood. With five overall wins and six class victories, Haywood is the most successful pilot in the history of this race. On board the car with the legendary starting number 59 is Leh Keen (USA) as the fourth driver.

“The Brumos team managed to get me out on the track before any of the others. With a field of 46 cars, this would normally be a huge advantage,” said Andrew Davis, who relegated Jeff Segal (USA) in the Ferrari to the second grid spot. “But my first lap wasn’t so good. I actually set the top time towards the end of the session. My Porsche was prepared perfectly.”

With the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup run by Magnus Racing, Andy Lally (USA) turned the third quickest lap. His teammates for the race are Porsche works driver Richard Lietz (Austria), John Potter (USA) as well as René Rast (Germany), the two-time champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Porsche factory pilot Patrick Long (USA), who shares driving duties with his works driver colleague Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) as well as Seth Neiman (USA) and Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland) in Flying Lizard Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, posted the fourth quickest time.

Seventh fastest was Porsche works driver Marco Holzer (Germany). “We changed a couple of things on the car before the qualifying and that paid off,” said the teammate of Emmanuel Collard (France), Butch Leitzinger (USA) and Cooper MacNeil (USA). “I had to overtake two cars during my fastest lap and that cost several tenths of seconds. Still, we have a good starting position for the race. We’ve worked very hard on the car following our tests and I’m certain that we’ll do well over the distance.”

The 24 hour race starts on Saturday at 15.30 hours local time (21.30 hrs CET).

Result GT Qualifying
1. Andrew Davis (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 1:49.342 minutes
2. Jeff Segal (USA), Ferrari 458, + 0.015 seconds
3. Andy Lally (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.046
4. Patrick Long (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.208
5. Gianmaria Bruni (I), Ferrari 458, + 0.319
6. Wayne Nonnamaker (USA), Mazda RX-8, + 0.358
7. Marco Holzer (D), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, + 0.424
9. Martin Ragginger (A), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 0.549
10. Bryce Miller (USA), Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, 0.702

Source: Porsche

The venue is New Jersey Motorsports Park on the Thunderbolt Circuit. The date is October 20 & 21. The 944 Cup will have a Cup only dedicated run group. SCCA is comping all drivers with a SCCA weekend membership and will accept current comp licenses and log books from SCCA, PCA, and NASA for this event. This event will also feature the Cup’s annual awards banquet during which the newly designed 944 Cup trophies will be introduced for the first time.

Having won this event in 2002, 2003 (overall), 2009 and 2011, TRG is no stranger to the top step of the Daytona podium. Returning as defending champions, places a huge target on TRG’s back.

The team shares its successes with its manufacturer of choice, Porsche, who has elevated itself to the winningest manufacturer in the 49-year history of the event. Racing five identically prepared 2011 and 2012 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, TRG feels more than adequately equipped to do battle come the drop of the green flag on Saturday afternoon.

“We are ready!” exclaims TRG team owner Kevin Buckler. “In every sense of the word- we are ready. The whole team has come together, day-after-day, long-night-after-long-night. Countless hours of work on the cars, on the computers, livery, pit equipment with the drivers and all of the folks on the business, marketing and PR end of TRG. They say that there’s no such thing as luck in racing. I believe you make your own luck. We certainly can’t predict the future, but we can go in confident knowing that we have done absolutely everything in our power to prepare for this race… our signature event, The Rolex 24. We are ready to defend our 2011 victory!”

TRG’s lineup of drivers will include defending champions, current veterans, Porsche Factory drivers and more. According to team owner Kevin Buckler, this is the strongest five-car team TRG has ever fielded.

In early December, the team put all five Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars through the tests on the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the Rolex 24, leading nearly all sessions in the GT category. TRG returned January 6-8th for The Roar Before the 24, where they backed up their initial findings and again led nearly all of the sessions.

The 2011 GT champions, No. 67 Sargent & Lundy/TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, will be driven by TRG regulars Spencer Pumpelly and Steven Bertheau alongside Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler, Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Champion Jeroen Bleekemolen and prototype veteran Marc Goossens, who recently celebrated four wins in the 2011 Belgian GT Championship. The No. 67 was at the top of the charts in both of the official test weekends and will certainly be in contention in the Rolex 24 with this driver lineup.

Pumpelly and Bertheau who each started 2011 with the Daytona 24 victory, had career seasons in 2011. Pumpelly celebrated three ALMS wins (among seven podiums), two GRAND-AM wins and a trip to Le Mans for the 24-hour European race. Bertheau had a break-out GRAND-AM season with two wins in the GT Category in his inaugural season.

The TRG No. 64 car will be driven by Formula One veteran, Eliseo Salazar, who will be sharing driving duties with TRG regular and Venezuelan touring car champion, Emilio Di Guida and his Venezualean co-driver Gaetano Ardagna. They will partner with Salazar’s fellow Chilean racer Eduardo Costabal and Columbian native Santiago Orjuela, making the No. 64 an all South American entry. Salazar looks to make history, by being the only driver to compete in Monoco F1, Dakar Rally, The Indianapolis 500, Le Mans and The Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The TRG No. 65 will be piloted by experienced racer and owner of one of the Northeast’s largest tuning shops, Spencer Cox; Mike Hedlund, who recently earned his first GT3 Challenge win and showed his strength in the early tests; Jack McCarthy, a PCA standout who’s enjoying a bit of family rivalry with his cousin who is in one of the team competitors’ rides; Jim Michaelian, sports car veteran and President of the Long Beach Grand Prix, who just competed in the 24 hours of Nurburgring finishing 36th of 160 teams; and Dr Joe Castellano, returning to TRG and a veteran of over 20 major endurance races and just finished running the 24 Hours at Dubai in preparation. All of these drivers have been working extremely hard in the off season preparing for this years event.

TRG’s famed No. 66 Porsche will be driven by Viper Cup Champion Ben Keating, Dominik Farnbacher, Allan Simonsen and Porsche factory driver Patrick Pilet. Farnbacher and Keating shared the pole-sitting GT car at Daytona last season, and anticipate another strong attack. Keating, who recently announced plans to run the GRAND-AM Endurance Championship, has been very strong in the official test sessions. He earned the 2011 Dodge Viper Cup Championship and had an impressive drive at the 2011 Petit Le Mans with TRG.

Keating will run not one, but two entries in this year’s race, sharing the seat of the No. 68 911 with 2011 GT3 Challenge Series standouts Carlos Gomez and Chris Cumming, Kevin Estre, 2011 Rookie Champion of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, and one of Ireland’s top International racing drivers, Damien Faulkner. The No. 68 showed that it certainly has the speed to compete in this years endurance race. This group will be one to watch to contend for the podium at this year’s historic event.

TRG’s full driver lineup:

Car 64: Gaetano Ardagna, Eduardo Costabal, Emilio Di Guida, Santiago Orjuela, Eliseo Salazar
Car 65: Dr Joe Castellano, Spencer Cox, Mike Hedlund, Jack McCarthy, Jim Michaelian
Car 66: Dominik Farnbacher, Ben Keating, Patrick Pilet, Allan Simonson
Car 67: Steven Bertheau, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Marc Goosens, Wolf Henzler, Spencer Pumpelly
Car 68: Chris Cumming, Kevin Estre, Damien Faulkner, Carlos Gomez, Ben Keating

Source: TRG

The race track combines the tri-oval banking of the NASCAR stock car track with a challenging infield course for a unique 3.56-mile, 12-turn circuit.  Jens Walther, president of Porsche Motorsports North America, pointed to the challenging course, along with the stout construction of the Porsche race car and the quality of the drivers for the Porsche teams that gives his company a good chance to win the 46-car GT class the end of January.

“The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, like its predecessors which found success at Daytona, is built for endurance racing.  This year, with our 24 entries featuring some of the world’s best GT drivers and teams, we think we have an excellent chance for the top step of the podium once again,” said Walther.

He did point out that Porsche’s main competitors last year in the Rolex Grand-Am GT class – Mazda, Camaro and BMW – all have strong entries, along with newcomers Audi and Ferrari – but Porsche’s success at the Rolex 24 has included a record 22 overall victories and 73 class wins (events from the Daytona Continentals that started in 1962 and ran through 2011, when Porsche again won the GT class).  Porsche 911 based race cars have 38 overall and class wins, also a Rolex 24 record.

“At the official test in early January, different manufacturers each took their turn posting the fastest lap of the session, showing how even the field really is,” said Walther, “but lap speed is only part of the answer to winning the Rolex 24 – durability, strategy, teamwork, and error-free driving all come into play before anyone can earn a victory in the event.”

The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is the most successful race car ever built by an auto manufacturer, with more than 2300 units sold since its introduction in 1989. The 2012-spec Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racecar is based on the lightweight, 911 GT3 RS street sports car. The power unit is largely identical to the production engine from that car with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm. A race exhaust system with a controlled catalytic converter helps keep emissions to a minimum.  It is the only GT racer built on the same assembly line by the manufacturer as the street version on which it is based.

And drivers for the Porsche teams entered in this year’s event represent Porsche factory drivers, former and defending Rolex 24 champions, Le Mans winners, international champions, and national title holders from every continent.

Porsche factory drivers Patrick Pilet (France) – #66 TRG Porsche; Marco Holzer (Germany) – #23 Alex Job Porsche; Wolf Henzler (Germany) – #67 TRG Porsche; Patrick Pilet – #66 TRG Porsche; Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) – Flying Lizard Porsche; Richard Lietz (Austria) – Magnus Porsche; and Marc Lieb (Germany) – Brumos Porsche all will lend their Porsche expertise to America’s top Porsche customer teams.

Last year’s GT champion in the Rolex 24, the #67 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, has three returnees from the 2011 winners circle (Wolf Henzler, Steve Bertheau, and Spencer Pumpelly) and they will be joined by Supercup veteran Jereon Bleekemolen (The Netherlands) and Marc Goosens (Belgium).  TRG has also entered four other Porsches, and they all have sports car driving stars on their roster, including former Formula I pilot Eliseo Salazar (Chile), Jim Michaelian, president of the Long Beach Grand Prix Association, Patrick Pilet, Porsche factory driver, Dominik Farnbacher, pole sitter for the race in GT last year; and Kevin Estre, Porsche Supercup Rookie of the Year.

Last year’s Rolex GT season class champions Brumos Racing has their entire driver line-up in tact from last year’s race – season champions Andrew Davis and Leh Keen, with team manager Hurley Haywood – making his 39^th Rolex 24 start – and Marc Lieb.

Last year’s second-place finishers, in the hunt for almost the whole race for a victory, is also back with the majority of its driver line-up from 2011.  Paul Miller Racing has entered a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with Bryce Miller, Englishman Rob Bell, veteran Porsche racers Sascha Maassen and Canadian Mark Wilkins.

Flying Lizard Motorsports, multi-time champions in the American Le Mans Series, will try to win its first Rolex 24 with the Wright Motorsports Porsche with Porsche factory drivers Patrick Long and Joerg Bergmeister, team owner Seth Neiman, and current Audi factory driver-on-loan and 2010 Rolex 24 DP winner Mike Rockenfeller. Alex Job Racing, also seeking their first Grand-Am Rolex 24 win, enters its lead Weather Tech Porsche with multi-time Daytona winner Butch Leitzinger, Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer, former Porsche factory driver and Rolex 24 champion Emmanuel Collard, and Cooper McNeil.  Alex Job Racing is one of the few GT teams which also have Daytona Prototype wins to their credit as well, including a DP pole.

John Potter’s Magnus Racing has a two-car Porsche entry, with strong contingents in both cars.  Porsche factory driver Richard Lietz, NASCAR and sports car star Andy Lally, Porsche Supercup champion Rene Rast, and team owner Potter in one car, and SPEED TV commentator Justin Bell, Ron Yarab, jr., Ryan Eversley, and Daniel Graeff in the second car, which will be turning miles to earn dollars for Seattle’s Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Team owner Claudio Burtin has also put together a strong line-up in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, with ageless veteran Jack Baldwin, last year’s GT runner-up Bryan Sellers, former Porsche factory junior driver Martin Ragginger, Sebastian Asch, and himself (Burtin).

Two well-known Porsche race preparers as well as street tuners – Orbit Racing and GMG Motorsports, have combined for a two-car entry, with the leading car featureing GMG owner James Sofronas, his regular co-driver Bret Curtis, veterans Lance Willsey and Shane Lewis, and Frenchman Nicolas Armindo.

Newcomers to the event, but certainly not new to the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car are the Miami-based NGT Motorsports, defending champions in the IMSA GT3 Challenge series.  They have combined two of their champion drivers – Carlos Kauffmann and Henrique Cisneros – with two British Porsche Supercup and Carrera Cup stars – Nick Tandy and Sean Edwards – for the event this weekend.

Other Porsche drivers who sports car fans might recognize include Darryl O’Young, from Vancouver, B.C., who ran for several years in Carrera Cup in the Far East – now entered with the Canadian-based Bullet Racing team; veteran Porsche driver – and later IndyCar star Davy Jones – driving for the Belgian-based Muehlner Racing; David Murry, from Atlanta, on the podium at Le Mans this past year in a Ford GT, in the Mitchum Motorsports Porsche; Bob Faieta. IMSA GT3 Challenge Champion – in the second Alex Job Racing entry along with ALMS GT Challenge star Bill Sweedler and former IMSA and Grand-Am GT front-runner Cort Wagner; Frank Delvecchio – perhaps second to Hurley Haywood in Rolex 24 starts – and two-time Rolex 24 GT winner Randy Pobst – in the Acumen Motorsport Porsche; up-and-coming Irish racer Damien Faulkner in the #68 TRG Porsche; and Dick Greer Racing’ Porsche entry for himself; former Super Vee competitor John Finger and vintage racer Mark Hottchkis .

A complete, up-to-date entry list can be found at the following link:

http://www.grand-am.com/print-entrylist.cfm?series=r&eid=3428

Source: Porsche

The Florida-based team has been busy putting the finishing touches on their two entries for the 50^th running of the historic race to be run at the World Center of Racing.  The No. 23 WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche will have drivers Cooper MacNeil, Butch Leitzinger, Emmanuel Collard and Porsche factory driver, Marco Holzer; and the No. 24 McKenna Porsche/Battery Tender/Kensington/Koss Stereophones/Alex Job Racing GT3 Cup will be driven by Michael Avenatti, Bob Faieta, Bill Sweedler, Fred Poordad, and Cort Wagner.

The No. 23 WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche had two strong tests in preparation for the big race this weekend. The 23 guys were the fastest Porsche at the Roar test three weeks ago and also put in quality miles at Daytona in December.  The team of four has experience, is in shape and is ready to win.

“With it being the 50th anniversary of the 24 at Daytona, I really want to do well,” MacNeil said.  “Before the race I like to be both physically and mentally prepared. I make sure that I’m healthy and in shape. After each stint it is extremely important to sleep. Sometimes it’s hard to fall asleep, but it is necessary.  My goal for the race is to go fast and make sure I hand the car off to the next driver in one piece. The last time my dad did an endurance race with the AJR team, they were at the 12 hours of Sebring in 1999. They finished second. The goal is to one-up my dad!  I drove at the 24 last year and had a rough race. I am confident this year’s run will turn out much better. This past year I won with Alex in the Porsche, I won with the Risi team in the Ferrari, and I won with Fall-Line in the BMW. It was a great year and I am looking forward to this year.”

“For the 24 hour, I try to get something to eat as soon as I get out of the car, and then get back to the R.V. to lie down,” Leitzinger said.  “I can usually get in a couple of hours of sleep before I have to go again.  It’s not really much of a sleep, but at least it gives your eyes a chance to rest.  I started coming to the Daytona 24 in 1985, working as a crewman for my Dad’s (Bob) team.  The first 24 that I drove was in 1988 with my Dad, and my brother, Chuck Kurtz.  We had a pretty horrible race, losing about two hours for various repairs, but we still finished fifth.  Although everyone calls this a 24-hour  sprint race, you still have to keep something in reserve, and be ready for the unexpected, because any time lost due to damage is going to put you out of contention.”

The No. 24 McKenna Porsche/Battery Tender/Koss Stereophones/Alex Job Racing GT3 drivers Avenatti, Faieta, Sweedler, Poordad, and Wagner are ready for the twice around the clock race.  Each has prepared their body, have faith in the AJR prepared Porsche and share similar goals.

“Alex Job Racing does the most important job in a 24-hour race – preparation,” Sweedler said.  “Alex and the team have had amazing success in endurance racing around the world.  They have the experience and dedication to make sure that the car has the best odds for a trouble-free race.  As a driver, I’m focused on running trouble free, one lap at a time.  It’s a long race and the team that makes the least mistakes will have a chance for a Rolex in the end!  With Battery Tender as our sponsor all the drivers on our team will be charged and ready during their stints.”

“As far as prep for the 24, I take physical conditioning very serious,” Faieta said.  “I train everyday doing uphill mountain-bike rides with my wife. We do an eight-mile steep uphill ride and spend about an hour a day in the gym.  We have modified our diets the past two months and am at my target weight of 150 lbs.  Once we arrive in Florida, I will start a hydration regimen leading up to the race.  My personal plan for the 24 is to give 110% for my team and support them in any way I can. We will have a conservative approach in the beginning and turn it up on Sunday. Our goal is a podium finish.  We have the best in the business in Alex Job Racing and should have a great run.”

“I physically prepare by running 15 miles per week, core workouts focusing on shoulders and abdomen and neck,” Poordad said.  “Shifter karts also help me to stay in shape. Mentally, watch a lot of film, review data, get plenty of sleep and remain focused!  I will eat after my driving stint, and then try to sleep for two to-two-and-a-half hours, and then back to the pits to start focusing on the next stint.  My personal goals are to bring the car back safely after each stint, run consistently and take what the track gives me. I want us to have a strong showing and aim for a top-10 finish. Stay out of the pits and out of trouble!”

“This is about the 15th time I have run this race; I’ve won it with Alex, have finished second twice, third once, and fifth twice,” Wagner said.  “My training consists of a lot of high rep weight training versus lower reps and higher weight throughout the rest of the year.  I take up my cardio about 30%, so I am doing about an hour of high interval intermittent training five days a week now.  The key to the 24 hour is to be able to unplug when you are not on deck or when you get out of the car after a stint.  It’s paramount that you get out of the pits, take off the wet suit, get something to replenish the electrolytes, get some nourishment, shower, get a rub down and or just put some ear plugs in and check out.  Lay down and rest, close the eyes, and save your energy for the next stint.  So many people get caught up in the hype of the event, which I do too, as it’s incredibly exciting and really an amazing race, but you have to force yourself to detach from the happening and rest.  The goal is to win.  I am only going to win, otherwise I would stay home.  That’s why I am with Alex Job Racing.”

Team owner, Alex Job, knows that the race begins in the shop.  His crew has meticulously prepared the two Porsches and is ready to put them in the hands of his nine drivers.

“We have done all the work we can in the shop, now it is time to put them on the track,” Job said.  “We will take a conservative approach at the Rolex 24 practices this weekend.  The drivers will all get a lot of time in the cars and get comfortable with the track and the traffic.  If we think we have a shot at the pole we will go for it.  That is a nice one to get because qualifying is on Thursday and you have two days of bragging rights for your drivers, sponsor, crew and Porsche.”

Alex Job Racing is one of the most successful teams in sports car racing with 39 wins, including a 1999 Rolex 24 GT Class win.  This record is supported by 46 pole positions and 84 podium finishes.   The team has won three championships (GT in 2002, 2003 and 2004) complimented by their two GT class wins at Le Mans.  The team also boasts seven Sebring 12-hour wins.

The GRAND-AM category suits one of the most popular factory produced racing cars in the world, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.  Developed for Porsche’s one-make series around the world, the new version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is based on the road-going 911 GT3 RS. The power unit featured in the new 911 GT3 Cup is largely identical to the production engine of the 911 GT3 RS with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm.

Source: Alex Job Racing

As the GRAND-AM Rolex Series kicked off 2011 with the Rolex 24 at Daytona, one of the most closely watched teams was Brumos Racing. Following the team’s decision to return to their GT roots, all eyes were on the familiar #59 Brumos Porsche 911 GT3, curious to see how the revamped team of 2011 would compare to their legendary predecessors. The Jacksonville, Florida – based team did not disappoint, closing out their debut season as GT Champions.

As the 2012 season gets underway, Brumos drivers Andrew Davis and Leh Keen are looking ahead and hoping to score the ultimate victory with a Rolex 24 win. As Daytona International Speedway celebrates the 50th anniversary of their classic 24 hour race, Brumos legend Hurley Haywood marks a milestone of his own, making his 40th Rolex 24 start. Rounding out the Brumos lineup is Porsche factory driver Marc Lieb, returning for his 2nd Rolex 24 competition as a Brumos driver.

For two-time champion Leh Keen, the 2012 season opener has added significance. “This year is not only the 50 th anniversary race, this may be one of the most competitive GT fields in the world,” he explained. “We are all really excited about this race as a team. We have momentum and we feel strong. Having Marc join us again is a big plus – we accomplished a lot at the Roar Test, so we are ready to race against the best in the world. I think there is actually less pressure than last year, because we all know that we are capable of winning races and winning a championship. It feels great to arrive for the new season as the previous year’s champions.You know every other driver will be going after you, but you want to be the team with the target on your back, and I think we are those guys.”

Andrew Davis was thrilled with the success of last season, but now turns his attention towards a new goal – winning the Rolex 24. “The best way for Brumos to work towards another championship is to win this event,” he said. “No one on the team has rested in the off-season. We have all been working non-stop to make sure we hit the track in the same fashion we ended last season. The field this year is amazing and the competition extreme, but Brumos is up for the challenge. We fought tooth and nail all last year, so we are ready to do it again. We have proven that we are champions and we are fully focused on this great event. We are ready to add a new chapter to the winning history of Brumos Racing.”

When it comes to history, no one can match Brumos’ own Hurley Haywood. In his previous 39 Rolex 24 starts, Haywood has seen it all, but goes into 2012 with added confidence. ”We have a great car, a great crew, and a strong driver line-up,” he said. “There are a record number of entries this year and any one of those entries has a chance of winning this race. It’s not necessarily the track speed, but it’s running a smooth, trouble-free race that will put you in Victory Lane. I am really looking forward to 2012. Last year we were a brand new team and it took us a while to find our feet.

This year, everything has come together and we are going to hit the season running full tilt.” Marc Lieb, rejoining Brumos for the first time since last year’s 24 hour race, notes many positive changes in the team this season. “I can see that the team has really developed over the last year,” the former Porsche Cup winner observed. “Brumos has become a true team – everyone works together and knows that the goal is to win this race. Every person on the team is professional and totally focused and that is the most important thing in a 24 hour race. This year is definitely one of the most historically significant 24 hour races and sharing a car with Hurley is special as well. With all the history Brumos has at Daytona, it’s very exciting to be here as a Brumos driver.”

Source: Brumos

The Race

The endurance classic, which kicks off the Grand-Am Series season, started out in 1962 as a three hour race. At 1,250 miles in 1964, the race grew to double the distance of the classic 1,000 kilometre races of Spa, Monza and the Nürburgring. The maiden 24 hour event in Daytona took place in 1966. Due to the oil crisis in 1974 the race was not run. Taking their places on the winner’s list are Formula 1 champions like Phil Hill and Mario Andretti as well as legendary Porsche pilots like Hans Herrmann, Rolf Stommelen, Hurley Haywood and Bob Wollek.

The Circuit

The Daytona International Speedway is one of the world’s most famous race tracks. The 24 hour race is contested on the 5.729 kilometre track combination of oval with banked corner and the infield. The circuit is also the venue for the famed NASCAR Daytona 500 race with over 250,000 spectators annually.

The Porsche Drivers

In the traditionally very competitive GT class, seven Porsche works drivers have victory in sight with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup: Title defender Wolf Henzler competes for TRG Racing, Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) line up for Flying Lizard Motorsports, their winning team from the American Le Mans Series. Alex Job Racing has Marco Holzer (Germany) onboard, with Patrick Pilet (Franc) taking the wheel of the second TRG-Porsche. Magnus Racing competes with Richard Lietz (Austria), whilst his teammate in the new World Endurance Championship, Marc Lieb (Germany), lines up for Brumos Racing. One of the partners of the Porsche works driver is the US racing legend Hurley Haywood (USA). With five overall and six class victories, Haywood is the most successful pilot ever in Daytona. On 4 May he celebrates his 64th birthday. Also taking up the race with the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is Audi factory pilot Mike Rockenfeller (Switzerland). In recognition of their brilliant performances in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Porsche AG gave the two-time champion René Rast (Germany) as well as “Rookie of the Year” Kévin Estre (France) the chance to compete at Daytona.

What They Said Before the Race

Hartmut Kristen, Head of Porsche Motorsport: “Daytona is always a very special race for Porsche. Our Porsche teams have already yielded many great results here with the Porsche 911. And with 21 vehicles we are very well represented again this year. For teams like Brumos who compete in 2012 as title defenders of the Grand-Am Series, it is particularly exciting that the most important race of the year is also the start of the season. And it will be particularly interesting to see the new competitors who compete with modified and, in fact, more powerful GT3 vehicles.”

 
Jörg Bergmeister: “After the long break over winter, this race is a great way to get ready for the new season. Porsche was always very strong in Daytona. I last won the race here in 2009 and I’m feeling quite confident that we’ll be good for a win again this year. The competition was never this strong. It’ll be a tough fight from start to finish.”

Patrick Long: “Our excursion into the prototype class last year was an interesting experience. But now I’m looking forward to racing a 911 again in Daytona. The fact that our GT-class rivals are not only much stronger in sheer numbers makes the task for us and our team even more interesting.”
Marc Lieb: “Our tests ran well in Daytona and I’m sure that we’ll be competitive in the race. The 24 Hours of Daytona is always a cool event, and added to this is the unbelievably big grid for the 50th anniversary. I’m looking forward to driving for such a well established and successful team like Brumos Racing with the legendary starting number 59.”
Wolf Henzler: “When we tested I was really impressed by the strength of our competition. With 42 GT cars on the grid, it’ll certainly not be an easy race. I imagine things will get really tough right from the start flag. I’m driving again for TRG, the team with which I won last year. My teammates are very strong and of course I’ll do my best to repeat my victory from last year.”

Marco Holzer: “It’s a fantastic challenge to start the season with a 24 hour race, and a classic like Daytona at that. I very much like this circuit. It’s demanding but real fun. We did a great deal of work on the car with my team Alex Job Racing. I’m quite optimistic for the race.”
Richard Lietz: “Great that the season finally gets underway. The GT class booms, the competition is stronger this year than ever before. That will surely be an interesting race. We always had a good car in the last years and we are keen to continue the success streak of Porsche in Daytona.”

Patrick Pilet: “Driving in Daytona is something very special for us all. This race is a legend and a great challenge, particularly in its anniversary year. Manufacturers send the best GT teams with very strong driver contingents to Daytona. The fight for victory is open like never before.”

Porsche Successes

With 22 overall and 72 class victories, Porsche is by far the most successful manufacturer in the history of the Daytona 24 hour race. The first overall win for Porsche was in 1968 with Vic Elford, Jochen Neerpasch, Rolf Stommelen, Jo Siffert and Hans Herrmann with the Porsche 907. The latest win in 2010 went to Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Ryan Dalziel and Mike Rockenfeller with the Porsche-Riley. In 2003, Joerg Bergmeister, Timo Bernhard, Kevin Buckler and Michael Schrom clinched a sensational overall win with the near-standard Porsche 911 GT3 RS against more powerful Daytona prototypes. In the previous year, Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler secured the GT class victory at the wheel of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

The Schedule

The 24 hour race in Daytona starts on Saturday, 28 January, at 15.30 hrs local time (21.30 hrs CET).

Other Interesting Facts

• Marking the longest winning streak in the history of the race, Porsche notched up a total of eleven overall victories between 1977 and 1987. Add the class victories to this and Porsche has 21 wins in succession between 1966 and 1987 (in 1974 the race was not contested due to the oil crisis).
• According to statistics, Porsche veteran Hurley Haywood has turned more than 18,800 laps from his 37 Daytona starts to date and with this has completed almost 110,000 kilometres – that’s far more than two and a half times the circumference of the earth. For this, the Porsche dealer from Jacksonville/Florida has spent 476 hours behind the wheel and used around 1,100 sets of tires.
• Right behind front-runner Hurley Haywood with five overall wins (1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1991) in the all-time list of winners at Daytona are two further Porsche pilots: Rolf Stommelen (1968, 1978, 1980, 1982) and Bob Wollek (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991) each with four overall victories.

The Calendar

Thirteen races in the USA and Canada make up the calendar of the Grand-Am Series for 2012:

28/29.01. 24 Hours Daytona/Florida
01.04. Birmingham/Alabama
29.04. Miami/Florida
13.05. Millville/New Jersey
03.06. Detroit/Michigan
10.06. Lexington/Ohio
24.06. Elkhart Lake/Wisconsin
01.07 6 Hours Watkins Glen/New York
29.07. Indianapolis/Indiana
12.08. Watkins Glen/New York
19.08. Montreal/Canada
09.09. Laguna Seca/California
28.09. Lime Rock, Connecticut

Source: Porsche