The years-long struggle for supremacy in the U.S. sports car racing is hotter: 2012 could be a big year for the Grand-Am. And it starts with the golden jubilee of a great race.
2008 celebrated the 50th NASCAR Edition of the Daytona 500 with the debut of the Car of Tomorrow - four years later, the Grand-Am to celebrate since that year, part of the NASCAR empire, now the turn of this very special birthday of its own major events. And here is a new type of vehicle is waiting in the wings: the Daytona Prototype of the third generation, in short DPG3. This has the Rolex Sports Car Series, the top series of the Grand-Am, finally a handsome race car. Although the old DPs with their chunky appearance or allowed to start, but their era is coming to an end. And also in the GT class, there are plenty (both new and familiar) cars on display.
60 cars are reported, 14 Daytona Prototypes and 46 GT's believe it or not! Such a field Daytona has not seen for many years. First, however, is the anniversary as an opportunity to serve for a brief glimpse into the history of this venerable race.
The story
NASCAR has always been a purely American opportunity, but with this sports car event, Bill France won in 1962 in addition to the domestic and international drivers and cars in his few years earlier, built cliff-temple, called the Daytona International Speedway. Dan Gurney won an American in a British Lotus-Climax, the first race, which still went on just three hours. In 1964 the distance was extended to 2,000 kilometers, which corresponds to about 12 hours, another two years later it was the first time twice around the clock - along the lines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In addition, the 24 Hours of Daytona part of the World Sportscar Championship.
There, Ken Miles and Lloyd Ruby won in a Ford GT40 Shelby. The duel vs. Ford. Ferrari has shaped the second half of the 60 years in sports car racing in 1966 with the better end for the Detroit who drove in Le Mans, even a triple victory. 1967 Ferrari hit back with a beautiful 330 P4: Lorenzo Bandini and Chris Amon took a hat-trick on home turf at the Ford.
After Porsche took over power. 17 times in 24 years - with the race time was the oil crisis of the victim and was reduced again for the same reason - won models from Zuffenhausen, the prototype legends 907 and 917 over the 911-variants Carrera RSR and 935 through to 962 Group C / IMSA GTP era in the 80s. Counting the victory of a Porsche fired March 1984 to the rate rises to 75%. The list of victorious driver is more than respectable: Mario Andretti, Jacky Ickx, Rolf Stommelen, Bobby Rahal, AJ Foyt, Derek Bell, Al Unser Jr., Martin Brundle, just to name a few.
The 90s were a volatile time for the race: since 1982, it was no longer part of the World Cup, but was part of the IMSA GT series, which now had to contend with different owners and changing regulations. Also in Daytona changed the winner, reached in 1992 with Nissan with a work used as the first Japanese manufacturer to the first place, and twice won the Dyson Racing and in 1996 the late Gianpiero Moretti as team manager and driver in the Ferrari 333 SP after a chase that his teammate Massimiliano Mad Max Papis earned the name.
Then came the other split. In Le Mans, the LMPs introduced as the new top category and Don Panoz stamped in cooperation with the ACO, the American Le Mans Series from the ground, being considered as the successor of the IMSA GT Championship - but how did the better-known open-wheel split, there are some who held a fixed series on the USA for better, was a couple of corners, the Grand American Road Racing Association - in short, Grand-Am - founded with the Rolex Sports Car Series as the top series.
Teams were initially in two series - and with the classics of Sebring and Daytona - compete, was the break with the introduction of the "Daytona Prototypes" for the Grand-Am in full: This was a completely separate class, which nothing in common with the old or the new LMPs had GTPS. Low cost and simple and they should be slightly slower, to avoid on the oval at Daytona too dangerous speeds - the result: prototypes, which are more like an upside-down bathtub as a race car.
The presence
In the early years, the GT-Porsche steal the show even the monsters, but eventually took over the helm, the DPs, including through adjustments to the regulations. And, soon, a new era: from 2005 won in each year a Riley chassis, four times in the hands of the Ganassi team, which also won the Rolex Series three times. In the last three years, returned with Porsche and BMW, German companies as an engine supplier to winning ways.
The driver's field has changed: Renowned riders from North and South America are usually only for the 24 Hours of Daytona by international sports car stars like Mike Rockenfeller and Pedro Lamy and IndyCar and NASCAR drivers like Jimmie Johnson, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti added. The GT class in which Porsche with Mazda, Chevrolet and other measures, has declined in significance. U.S. team with a local pilot of the second and third guard set the tone, while the top teams and riders cavort in the ALMS.
The race lost in an international comparison since the end of the IMSA GT series shrank slightly in weight and the fields of around 70 to 35 cars. Also, the audience response was weak, even if the already over the past 50 years has often been the case. This is also the fact that losing a few thousand spectators at the optically designed for 150,000 people stands.
But the exciting race at Daytona was always in the past few years, the highlight is certainly the narrow victory of the traditional Brumos Porsche team led by David Donohue in 2009 call, 40 years after his father, Mark. But the tension is no accident: on the one hand guarantees the DP rules a balanced field at the cost of engineering, as no development and no technical finesse are allowed, on the other hand there was the named 2009er race with 25 Full-Course Cautions over safety car periods hours of racing, which takes the endurance race, and his character actually turns him into a series of short sprints. But this is certainly a matter of taste ...
The DP Team
Now in 2012 the year of upheaval is coming: the new technical regulations for Daytona Prototypes is mainly one purpose: to make vehicles more attractive and to strengthen the brand identity for manufacturers. Under the newly tightened skin, the car is a simple steel tube instead of expensive carbon fiber construct remain. Utilization has this mainly with the General Motors Chevrolet Corvette DP, which is truly a feast for the eyes.
But: not all cars come from GM. It is merely a silhouette that is placed over old chassis modified by Riley, Lola and Dallara. This shows once again that when it comes to the new regulations purely external appearance. Among the DPs remain simple and old-fashioned as ever.
Five of the chic Corvette DPs will be this weekend at Daytona at the start and try to break through Riley's dominance in recent years. Action Express Racing, the winning team of 2010 to be replaced with two cars, one of which is occupied by David Donohue, Christian Fittipaldi and Darren Law to, all former Daytona champions. The second Action Express prototype is equipped with three former winners Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller and Mad Max Papis, assisted by JC France, grandson of the Daytona 24 - and NASCAR founder Bill France and certainly weak point of this team.
Max and Ricky Taylor Angelleli brought last year for SunTrust Racing in second place in the championship and will be supported in the new car of the Australian IndyCar ace Ryan Briscoe. The trio was the first workout is always at the top with it. Also not to be underestimated are the Corvette factory driver Antonia Garcia, Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen and Richard Westbrook, the access for Spirit of Daytona in the steering wheel.
And then there are the eternal rivals of the dominant Ganassi team: Jon Fogarty, Alex Gurney and Memo Gidley for GAINSCO / Bob Stallings Racing. They were champions in 2007 and 2009, but the victory at Daytona is missing from the team yet. They are the only ones put under their skin a Riley-Corvette, the car of the toughest competition.
For Chip Ganassi replaces the DPG3 model that was designed by Riley himself and withdraw behind the optically schonmal Corvette DP must. Should Judging by the test and training sessions to keep up the Riley from the performance point, however, with the Chevy competition, but how strong are both ultimately, will only become clear in the race. Much latitude to the rules anyway.
Ganassi is based on two BMW-motorized Riley: four times the three times champion and Daytona winner Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the # 01 Graham Rahal and BMW works driver Joey Hand, who will compete in 2012, the DTM and the ALMS for the Munich supported, in the # 02 sits the all-star combo of the Indy Car Champion Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti, NASCAR husband Jamie MacMurray and now to be designated as a multi-talented Juan Pablo Montoya.
Starworks uses two Riley-Ford, one of said second and third generation belongs. The new car, however, is occupied with an all star lineup: the Le Mans legends Allan McNish and Lucas Luhr and former Champ Car driver Ryan Dalziel share the car with Enzo Potolicchio and Alex Popov. The crew of the second car was for financial reasons in the short term thrown overboard. This car will be driven now Scott Mayer, Miguel Potolicchio, Maurizio La Scala and IndyCar ace Ryan Hunter-Reay and Lucas Luhr, who thus takes a double layer. Tony Kanaan has to suspend the benefit of the newly added Pay-driver unfortunately.
A new and an old Riley-Ford is a Michael Shank Racing, but with fewer big names: only AJ Allmendinger and Justin Wilson are internationally known, Felipe Nasr has gained his place by winning the Sunoco Challenge, which spans several British junior series; NASCAR Michael McDowell and husband is unfortunately a lack of success primarily due to the severe accident in Texas, announced that he survived unscathed.
Should not be underestimated and the Lola-Ford of Krohn Racing with driver / owner Tracy Krohn and Nic Jonsson, who won in a Ferrari, the GTE-Am championship the ILMC 2011, and Ford's young driver Colin Braun and ex-F1 driver Ricardo Zonta, who already has some Grand-Am experience.
Only three engine manufacturers so this year at the start: Corvette, BMW and Ford have a chance to win all three. All five Corvette DPs are enormous and very busy since the car is not a completely new development, there should be no more life problems than the competition. The two Ganassi Riley-BMW will be her toughest competitor. But thanks to numerous caution periods in Daytona and always surprises are possible.
The GT team
Basically, even more spectacular than the new vehicles in the DP category, the GT-newbies, to raise the field to 46 cars. This time also including: Audi, and Ferrari, who want to break up the structures and send specially developed versions of their current GT sports car across the Atlantic.
Has big plans mainly Ferrari: the US-based quasi-works team Risi Competizione two F458 brings to the starting line, with two full pro-trios: Bruni / Fisichella / Matos in the # 62 Berreta / Bertolini / Vilander in the # 63rd Since no two cars or Paydriver gentleman sit down, they are likely among the top favorites in the class. This requires, however, by keeping the Ferrari. The Grand-Am version is a downgrade of the GT3 version with simplerer electronics and aerodynamics.
The anniversary edition of the race attracts over yet another Ferrari alongside teams from the ALMS: Scott Sharp's Extreme Speed team will compete with the boss himself, and van Overbeek / Cosmo / Brown. The business partner Michael Waltrip NASCAR and Robert Kauffman and Rui Aguas and motocrosser Travis Pastrana will be driven by an AF Corse / Waltrip-Ferrari.
Audi, however, is only two small private teams at the start, in which up to Steven Kane (Oryx Racing Racing # 74) and Emanuele Pirro and veteran Dion von Moltke (APR Motorsport # 51) no known names. This is surprising, as Audi is among the 24-hour race at Spa and the Nurburgring is always taken up with full factory support and the appropriate driver line-up in order - whatever the cost - to get the win. Perhaps it is because the GT is missing the chance of overall victory, but with these crews should Audi also missing the chance to win the class versus the amount of heavily occupied cars.
Namely with BMW is also another German manufacturer several works drivers ready, and indeed for Turner Motorsport, which use two BMW M3. The master pilot Dalla Lana / Marsal / Johnson are with Bill Auberlen, Dirk and Jörg Müller and Dirk Werner and Boris Said alternate. The M3 GT built by Riley, the team has already been used with some success last year, two wins and one third place, the balance sheet.
Only a victory it gave last year for Mazda, but missed the Japanese manufacturer titles in the GT just because they were conspicuous by their constancy. Their car is probably the strongest of the Speed Source team, with Jonathan Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay, who were last year in the close-GT drivers championship third parties, and the prominent support of Marino Franchitti and James Hinchcliffe.
Three RX-8 is the Team Sahlen one, compete for the various members of the family experienced racing team boss Joe Sahlen and Nonnamaker itself. Two other cars are coming from Dempsey Racing, sits next to the actor, especially Grand-Am drivers experienced personnel at the helm, is the only internationally known Ian James. And at a major U.S. race, must of course be Andretti's at the start: John and his son Jarrett will drive for a Yellow Dragon Motorsports Mazda.
Could Autohaus Motorsport including Tom Milner and narrowly defeated last year's runner-up Jordan Taylor, a word a say about the award of the podium; Stevenson Motorsports has indeed eusgeglichenenes, Grand-Am: The U.S. flag hold otherwise highly, especially the Chevy Camaro team -experienced personnel should, however, to do all the big names but heavy. The Rick Ware Ford Mustang with Dale Earnhardt's grandson Jeffrey, and others once each Chevy Corvette and Dodge Viper are among the clear outsiders.
But all of them faces an armada of Porsches: 24 911 GT3 are reported. Only five of them uses TRG, with European GT aces such as Dominik Farnbacher, Patrick Pilet, Allan Simonsen, Bleekemolen and Wolf Henzler should include the # 66 and # 67 are among the favorites. Also extremely strong is the Flying Lizard team from the ALMS with factory drivers Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long and Mike Rockenfeller and Seth Neiman.
For the Brumos Racing team tradition sitting next to works drivers Marc Lieb and the erfolgreichse with five wins Daytona 24-driver Hurley Haywood behind the wheel. Sascha Maassen and Rob Bell to replace Paul Miller Racing, Richard Lietz and Rene help stop the Americans from Magnus Racing. Marco Holzer, Emmanuel Collard and Butch Leitzinger driving for Alex Job Racing.
Even Franz Engstler, otherwise go in the WTCC, set in an environment with Mitchum Motorsports Porsche-sponsored a Liqui Moly, he will also be driven by itself. Other German pilots Sebastian Asch and Martin Ragginger are Burtin Racing / Goldcrest Motorsports. Sentimental favorite is likely to include the NGT Porsche Sean Edwards and Nick Tandy (known in the Porsche Supercup) be competing with MOMO sponsorship, MOMO-founder and Gianpiero Moretti Daytona 24 winner passed away just this month.
The results of the first training in the GT class were mixed, but above all they were one: namely tight! They were each about a dozen cars within one second, of course, always including some Porsche, but also the Ferrari, BMW and Camaros could be forward looking. Among these four brands (at least about 30 cars) should also be the favorites for the top places to be, it just seems to be lacking a little Mazda to Pace as the two weakly occupied Audi team.
When and where?
The oval of Daytona is world-famous: a tri-oval, 2.5 miles long, 31 ° slope in the steep curves, slightly less in the crease, where is the start / finish line. The circuit turn shortly after the start line from the left into the infield and basically consists of four (but different from driving) 180-degree turns before going into turn 1 again leads back to the oval. On the back straight fast chicane is installed to reduce the speed before the second steep curve, and the harassment, however, leads often to problems, as it will give them at all with so many cars and so many riders of different quality and different experience level. Although the weather will be good, but with 20-25 yellow flags should pay for itself. Will keep the race but also to the end exciting products to come round because so rare about.
The race starts on Saturday evening at 21:30 German time clock. In the United States Speed TV transmits a large part of the race (except at night), MotorsTV assumes these transfers. The exact times are to be found in the TV schedule, which started broadcasting on Saturday at 20:30 clock. Those who receive no MotorsTV can look at thanks to Euro Sport 2 start, the finish line and some interim reports of 45-60 minutes. In the U.S. overnight hours when there is no TV coverage, there will be a stream of SpeedTV, but probably will fall back on state cameras.
In order for all the vehicles not to lose track, there are also back by Andy Blackmore a Spotter Guide finishes with all 60 cars.
(Photo: Porsche)
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Grand Am is really fantastic, I look now is not the formula 1, it is just so much better! :)
I really liked the dog kennels. They were a lively contrast to the vehicles that otherwise are on the racetracks of the world on the go. Since one in Europe really only the 24-hour race takes note of the DPs, one could not overlook it.
Well, now they are just beautiful ...
thank you for this great summary, especially because of the history
In this regard I could not understand the Americans than ever before. The GT series I find extremely exciting. Maybe it will work again in the broad field in this direction.
Leaving aside a few exceptions, they have not, however, before the most exciting race tracks.