TRG and TRG East have combined for a major assault on the Rolex 24 At Daytona, set for Feb. 5 and 6 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. TRG is fielding five Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars; TRG East adds a sixth to the roster. Together with the two Pontiac-powered Riley Mk XI cars of Krohn Racing/TRG, the effort has produced some big numbers: eight cars, 35 drivers, 87 crew, 545 hotel room-nights, 365 team shirts, 7344 hours of car preparation and 17 blue paint colors tested. The teams communicate on 34 channels on 87 radios. If all eight cars finish the 24-hour race, they will cover 20,000 miles using 134,400 gear changes, 840 tires and 4608 gallons of fuel.
"Just reading the statistics makes me tired!" said TRG owner Kevin Buckler. "It's going to be a monumental effort for everybody involved, but I know we're up to the challenge. We've been running multi-car teams for many years and we've assembled some of the best and brightest to run the program. In so many ways, our large effort has an advantage over the smaller teams and we plan on using that to its fullest. I'm looking forward to the challenge."
TRG East moved from start-up planning to top speed in 23 days. Team owner Peter Baron was aiming for a March Porsche Club of America event when TRG owner Kevin Buckler offered an opportunity for the Rolex 24. Baron quickly bought equipment and hired staff, picked up the No. 61 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car on Dec. 25 and was on track on Jan. 7. The new team didn't miss a lap of the three-day Rolex 24 test. Baron also assembled a second crew to run the No. 69 Krohn Racing/TRG Porsche 996 in the Grand-Am Cup Series. They rebuilt the car from a post-crash state and finished the test fastest of the 31-car field.
"Nothing existed in the middle of December," Baron reported. "The shop was just an empty space in a warehouse. We inherited a car that was disassembled and turned it around in a week. We put on all-new suspension, added our own modifications and the car was the guinea pig for the first set of cockpit-adjustable swaybars. We also added the Grand-Am Cup car on New Year's Eve, rebuilt it and took it to the fastest time of the test!"
The TRG and TRG East drivers have been in training to combat the rigors of the 24-hour race. Colin Braun trains on a quarter-mile track in a 125cc shifter kart he built into a go-kart chassis. Derek Clark works out with a professional boxer. Brad Coleman practices on a race simulator. Pat Flanagan shares go-kart sessions with his young daughter and son. Takashi Inoue focuses on mental preparation to increase his concentration. Andy Lally engages in intense cardiovascular workouts. Dave Master duplicates race stints, alternating 70-minute workouts with rest. Hugh Plumb is training for a half-triathlon and adds yoga for focus. Jay Policastro trains in high heat to match race conditions. Marc Sluszny skips in the sauna.
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TRG and TRG East drivers
No. 16 (Team16)Ross Bentley Redmond, Wash.Colin Braun Ovalo, TexasAdrian Carrio Monument, Colo.Brad Coleman Houston, Texas
No. 61 (TRG East)David Lacey Toronto, Ont.Robert Nearn London, EnglandDavid Shep Caledon, Ont.Greg Wilkins Toronto, Ont.Mark Wilkins Toronto, Ont.
No. 62 (Porsche Club Japan)Akira Fujita Yokohama, JapanAkira Hirakawa Hiroshima, JapanTakashi Inoue Tokyo, JapanKiichi Takahashi Tokyo, JapanHiroshi Wada Tokyo, Japan
No. 63 (traders)Derek Clark Corona del Mar, Calif.Pat Flanagan Aliso Viejo, Calif.Dave Master Houston, Texas, and Santa Fe, N.M.Marc Sluszny Antwerp, Belgium
No. 64 (Daytona defenders)Miguel Amaral Lisbon, PortugalPedro Couceiro Lisbon, PortugalJay Policastro Latrobe, Pa.Joe Policastro Latrobe, Pa.Cyrille Sauvage Cannes, France
No. 65 (champions)Kevin Buckler Sonoma, Calif.Marc Bunting Monkton, Md.Hugh Plumb Chadds Ford, Pa.Andy Lally Dacula, Ga.Carlos de Quesada Coral Gables, Fla.
