The GRAND-AM Rolex Series is riding a wave of momentum following a successful and well-attended test session at Daytona International Speedway. The "Roar Before the Rolex 24" gave teams the opportunity to prepare for the 49th Rolex 24 At Daytona, which opens the 2011 season on Jan. 29-30.
An estimated 5,000 fans attended the test, held from Friday through Sunday. Activities included Saturday night practice under the lights and a series of Fan Forums, including drivers Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Patrick Dempsey.
Defending Rolex 24 Winner Shatters Track Record
Ryan Dalziel served notice that Starworks Motorsport is a team to watch in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The native of Scotland who now resides in Orlando was fastest in the "Roar Before the Rolex 24," unofficially breaking the track DP record with a lap of 128.194 mph.
Dalziel won the 2010 Rolex 24 with Action Express Racing, and then joined Peter Baron's Starworks Motorsport for the remainder of the season. Dalziel finished second in the Rolex 24 for Baron in 2007, and give the South Florida-based team its first victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2008. He will be joined by regular co-driver Mike Forest plus Colin Braun of the NASCAR Camping World Series, Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic and Jim Lowe.
Pruett, Rojas Take Three-Race Winning Streak To Rolex 24
Defending DP champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won nine of 12 Rolex Series races of 2010 - including the final three - and led Friday and Sunday morning at the "Roar" testing at Daytona.
Pruett bettered the track record Sunday morning with a lap of 127.740 mph in the TELEMX/Target BMW/Riley co-driven by Rojas, Joey Hand and Graham Rahal.
Pruett and Rojas won back-to-back Rolex 24 victories in 2008-2009, and finished second the last two years by a combined margin of less than one minute.
Johnson Has Second Home In Rolex Series
Jimmie Johnson won an unprecedented five consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and the 2006 running of NASCAR's premier race, the Daytona 500. He was at Daytona testing in a bid to join A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Rolex 24 At Daytona. Johnson has two near-misses in the Rolex 24, finishing second in 2005 and 2005. He returns to GAINSCO/Bob Stallings racing for the fourth consecutive year, joining two-time DP champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty.
Porsches Take Nine Of Top 10 Places At Daytona
Porsche took nine of the top 10 positions in the test session at Daytona, led by Leh Keen in the Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup with a lap of 116.649 mph. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based team is making its return to its historic GT roots, and will have five-time winner Hurley Haywood in its Rolex 24 lineup.
The nine Porsches were joined in the top 10 by the new Turner Motorsport BMW M3, with Bill Auberlen fifth-fastest in the car he shares with Boris Said, Paul Dalla Lana and Matt Plumb.
Strong Turnout For Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Testing
The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge prepped for the 2011 season with 52 cars participating in the three-day session. A field of 90 cars is expected when the street stock series opens the season with the GRAND-AM 200 at Daytona.
Eric Curran led the Grand Sport class in a CKS Autosport Chevrolet Camaro, running a lap of 108.771 mph. He was followed by the Frederick Motorsports Mustang of Todd Snyder and the Stevenson Motorsports Camaro of Matt Bell.
Sam Schultz led Street Tuner testing with a lap of 100.017 mph in the Trade Management Racing Porsche Boxster.
With his father - NASCAR legend Jack Roush - watching from the pits, Jack Roush Jr. was 10th fastest in new Ford Mustang Boss 302R co-driven by Billy Johnson.
