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Thread: 2014 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

  1. #31
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    ANOTHER PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR TOM KRISTENSEN

    Tom Kristensen was presented with the BT Guld Award. The Danish Audi driver was recognized with the tradition-steeped sports accolade of his home country for his ninth victory in the 24-hour race at Le Mans. The BT Guld Award has been presented since 1930. The winner is annually selected by Denmark’s leading athletes. Kristensen, after 2001 and 2002, was recognized for the third time.

    The FIA World Endurance Champion donated the 25,000 Danish crowns of his prize to the Allan Simonsen Mindefond, a foundation that assists the family of Allan Simonsen who was killed in an accident at Le Mans last year.
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  2. #32
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    FIA WEC DRIVERS COMPETE IN THE ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA THIS WEEKEND

    21/01/2014 - 15h11

    Over forty drivers who raced in the FIA WEC in 2013, or who have already been announced for the 2014 season, will be on the grid for the first big combined Prototype and GT endurance race of the new season. The Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening round of the new Tudor United Sportscar Championship, will take place in Florida this weekend (25/26 January) and will feature four classes – Prototype (P), Prototype Challenge (PC), GT Le Mans (GTLM) and GT Daytona (GTD).

    In the Prototype class reigning LMP2 World Champion Oak Racing is fielding a Morgan-Nissan with Olivier Pla and Roman Rusinov (G Drive) forming part of the driver line up. Alex Brundle (Oak Racing) will be joining the Muscle Milk Pickett Racing team and John Martin (G Drive) and Fabien Giroix (Delta-ADR) will be racing for Action Express Racing.

    Newly announced Porsche LMP1 driver, and ELMS race winner, Brendon Hartley will be racing a Starworks Motorsport Riley DP in the Daytona 24.

    In the Prototype Challenge class LMGTE World Champions 8Star Motorsports will be fielding an ORECA FLM09 with Enzo Potolicchio and Tom Kimber-Smith forming two thirds of the driver line up. Pierre Kaffer (Pecom Racing) joins the Starworks Motorsport team in the nr8 ORECA and David Heinemeier-Hansson (Oak Racing) will race the nr09 RSR Racing FLM09.

    2013 FIA World Endurance LMGTE Driver Champion Gianmaria Bruni will be joined by Giancarlo Fisichella and Matteo Malucelli in the nr62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 458 Italia that will be entered into the GT Le Mans Class.

    Bruni and Fisichella will face their main rivals in the 2013 championship as Darren Turner and Stefan Mücke will race a Vantage V8 for Aston Martin Racing. The pair will be joined by Pedro Lamy, Richie Stanaway and Paul Dalla Lana, who all raced for Aston Martin last season. Former AMR drivers Rob Bell will also be present in the nr93 SRT Viper.

    FIA WEC Porsche drivers are also well represented on the 24 Hours of Daytona grid, with Nick Tandy, Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet racing the nr911 Porsche 911 RSR for Porsche North America, while Jörg Bergmeister will join the nr912 Porsche.

    Krohn Racing is also joining the GT LM ranks at Daytona with the team’s Ferrari 458 Italia, team owner Tracy Krohn being joined by Nic Jönsson, Andrea Bertolini and Peter Dumbreck.

    More FIA WEC regulars will compete in the GT Daytona class. Marc Lieb is joining Patrick Dempsey in the nr27 Dempsey Racing Porsche while Nicki Thiim swaps Aston Martin power for Porsche this year, joining the driver line up in the nr30 NGT Motorsport Porsche 911 GT America for the coming weekend.

    Emmanuel Collard (AF Corse) will join the nr33 Riley Motorsports SRT Viper, while James Walker (Delta-ADR) will race the nr46 Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8 LMS alongside Audi Sport driver Oliver Jarvis.

    Gianluca Roda, Paolo Ruberti (Proton Competition) and Davide Rigon (8 Star) will join the Spirit of Race Ferrari team in Florida and Matt Griffin, Marco Cioci, Michele Rugolo and Jack Gerber (all AF Corse) will also join the Spirit of Race team in the second F458 Italia.

    Toni Vilander (AF Corse) will race the nr63 Scuderia Corsa F458, while Maurizio Mediani (Krohn Racing) will compete in ELMS GTC Team Champions SMP Racing’s Ferrari. Porsche factory driver Timo Bernhard will compete in the Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911, while Finland’s Markus Palttala will compete in the sole BMW Z4 in the race for Turner Motorsport.

    The Rolex 24 at Daytona is due to start at 14:10 (EST) on Saturday 25 January with ACO President Pierre Fillon being granted the honour of waving the starting flag.
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  3. #33
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    TUSC AND LE MANS - DISCOVERING THE CORVETTE C7.R

    Petit Le Mans 2013: Corvette C6.R farewell to the competition and took a well-deserved retirement. 24 Hours of Daytona 2014 Corvette C7.R between track, thirteen years after the overall victory of his grandmother, the C5-R

    With 90 wins to competition since its inception in there fifteen years, the American manufacturer wants or can not disappoint where the care given to the development of new sports car designed around the Z06 road car with which C7.R sharing the aluminum frame. Once the assembly (accelerated in the video below speed) of the finished car, private tests were therefore made by Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen, official drivers on the route of Daytona, scene of the first round of TUDOR United SportsCar
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  4. #34
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    Grazie mia amica Rosella Locatelli at Scuderia Corsa Racing with Ferrari team for sending me team press releases. And good luck this weekend.


    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    MOTORSPORTS VETERAN STEFAN JOHANSSON JOINS SCUDERIA CORSA FERRARI AS SPORTING DIRECTOR

    January 22, 2013 – Daytona, FL. Giacomo Mattioli, team principal of the 2013 Grand-AM Rolex GT champion Scuderia Corsa racing team, has announced that legendary driver Stefan Johansson has joined the team as Sporting Director.

    "I met Stefan in a pizzeria in Modena back in 1986 after he signed up with the Ferrari F1 team, he was young and I was younger. We have finally found a way to collaborate on a business level and I am very happy that Stefan is joining Scuderia Corsa. In his capacity as Sporting Director I'm confident that he will be instrumental in the continuous growth of the team,” said Mattioli.

    In his new role, Johansson will oversee team driver development, manage the sponsor relationships and work with both existing and potential clients in Scuderia Corsa’s GT and Ferrari Challenge programs. Of his new position, Johansson said, “It is a great honor for me to join the Scuderia Corsa Team in my new role as Sporting Director. Giacomo Mattioli has been a friend ever since my days as a Ferrari Formula One driver and it is with great pleasure I am now looking forward to us also working together. I hope my experience and knowledge from my various racing activities over the last 30 years will help to contribute to the teams continued success both on and off the track.”

    For almost three decades Stefan Johansson has been one of the top drivers in the world of international motorsports. He has been successful in Formula One, IndyCar and Le Mans style sports car racing, winning both the 12 hours of Sebring twice and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Swedish born Johansson is also an accomplished painter and designer. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

    Next on the racing calendar is the legendary Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 25-26, 2014. This will mark the beginning of the newly formed Tudor United Sportscar Championship series, the entity created from the 2013 merger of Grand-AM and ALMS.

    Scuderia Corsa will field three Ferrari 458 Italias in the GT-D class at Daytona for the ultimate North American endurance race - the #63, driven by 2013 Grand-AM GT champion Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal, Toni Vilander and Lorenzo Case’. The #64 car piloted by Dr. Rod Randall, Ken Wilden, David Empringham and John Farano, and the #64 car in association with Brazil’s Via Italia Racing driven by Francisco Longo, Daniel Serra, Xandinho Negrao and Marcos Gomes.


    About Scuderia Corsa
    The 2013 Grand-AM Rolex GT championship-winning team Scuderia Corsa was founded in 2011 by Giacomo Mattioli and Art Zafiropoulo. The team was created for the sole purpose of supporting the racing needs of Ferrari clients and includes turnkey programs, GT endurance racing, the North American Ferrari Challenge Series and track events. Giacomo Mattioli is the owner of Ferrari Maserati Beverly Hills and South Bay and partner in Ferrari Maserati Silicon Valley with Art Zafiropoulo. Follow Scuderia Corsa on Twitter @Scuderia_Corsa, on Facebook at Scuderia Corsa, Instagram at #Scuderiacorsaferrari and ScuderiaCorsa.com
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  5. #35
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    ASTON MARTIN RACING KICKS OFF 2014 WITH RETURN TO DAYTONA

    Daytona, 23 January 2014 - Aston Martin Racing will be on the starting grid for the world famous Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona this weekend (23-26 January), for the first time since 1985.

    Three Aston Martin Vantage race cars will compete in the first round of the inaugural Tudor United SportsCar Championship (TUSCC), with the V8 Vantage GTE running in the new TUSCC GTLM class, and a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s - entered by AMR official partner team TRG-AMR - in the new GTD class.

    The Aston Martin Racing NorthWest-liveried V8 Vantage GTE returns to the track following a successful run in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) last year and will present a strong challenge for overall GT honours as it competes in the highest GT class, GTLM.

    No strangers to the GTE charger, Aston Martin Racing works drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT), Paul Dalla Lana (CN) and Richie Stanaway (NZ) will use their extensive GT racing skill and expertise to negotiate the #97 through the 66 other cars on the technically challenging track and amid changing light and heat conditions.

    “It's a hard circuit to get the right balance between the straight-line speed required for the banking and enough downforce to let the car work on the infield section”, explains Turner. “The biggest challenge will be getting the tyres up to temperature during the night as Daytona can be very cold once the sun goes down.

    “Testing went very well and I think we have a reasonably good set up for the race that should only need a little fine tuning before the start. Daytona is such a cool 24-hour race and I'm really pleased we are going to be racing the V8 Vantage GTE there.”

    Joining the GTE on track will be two Vantage GTDs prepared and run by Aston Martin Racing partner team TRG-AMR, which has four 24 Hours at Daytona class victories under its belt. Aston Martin Racing works driver Jonny Adam (GB) will join the team as it aims for a repeat success this year. The Vantage GTD is based on the highly-successful Vantage GT3, which has won multiple races and championships around the world since its launch two years ago.

    Dan Sayers, Chief Engineer at Aston Martin Racing, said: “The Vantage GTD is based on the Aston Martin V12 Vantage road car. It is very similar to our Vantage GT3, which recently won the British GT Championship in that it shares the same V12 engine but runs a slightly different aero package and set-up to comply with the new TUSCC regulations.”

    In addition to the main endurance event, the popular and closely fought support race, the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) will see a further two Vantages – this time the close-to–production V8 GT4 - entered by TRG, along with two further customer entries from Mantella Autosport and Automatic Racing.

    The GS-class cars are based on the V8 Vantage GT4, the car to be used in the inaugural GT4 Challenge of North America, which starts on 13 April at Road Atlanta. The series builds on the success of the British version of the challenge, which will be the support series to the 2014 British GT Championship.

    “It’s fantastic to see seven Vantages out on track,” said Aston Martin Racing Team Principal John Gaw. “To have the full range of Vantage-based race cars on track over one weekend demonstrates Aston Martin Racing’s commitment to racing at all levels. We come to North America with the support of our partner team TRG-AMR and hope to be extremely competitive in all GT classes with the aim of taking home some silverware.”

    Racing is in Aston Martin’s DNA and the Vantage remains firmly at the forefront of the brand’s motorsport activity. The Vantage first went racing in 2006, when members of the company’s engineering team campaigned a near-standard V8 Vantage in the gruelling Nürburgring 24-hour race. Since then GT4, GT3 and GTE versions of the V8 and V12 Vantage have experienced race and championship wins around the world.

    The race-derived and motorsport proven technology – used routinely in Aston Martin Racing’s race-winning Vantage competition cars – runs right through the Vantage road car range in particular the most extreme Vantage built to-date, the exceptional new V12 Vantage S.

    The current era of racing commenced in 2004 with the formation of Aston Martin Racing. With its strongest-ever line up of products and partner teams, the company intends to celebrate its first ten years with racing success across the globe and special events throughout the year.

    The Daytona 24 Hours starts at 1410 local time on Saturday 25 January. Follow the team’s progress on www.astonmartin.com/racing, on Facebook www.facebook.com/astonmartinracing or on Twitter using @amr_official

    - ENDS -
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  6. #36
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    Pickett Racing set to kick off 2014 season from the sixth row

    Lucas qualifying at Daytona Daytona Beach, Florida (January 23, 2014) - Muscle Milk Pickett Racing will be making their debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona from the 11th spot on the grid when the green flag falls on the 2014 season Saturday afternoon.

    No one knew quite what to expect in this year's first qualifying session of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season, but as many had predicted the Daytona Prototypes did out-qualify the P2 cars in the Prototype Class.

    The #6 Muscle Milk ORECA/Nissan was the quickest of the P2 cars in class with 10 Daytona Prototypes ahead of them.

    German Lucas Luhr, who has a class victory at Daytona International Speedway in 2001 and a couple of second overall finishes, was in charge of qualifying duties for the Muscle Milk team.

    After posting a best lap of one minute 41.032 seconds in practice, the six-time American Le Mans Series champion posted a fastest lap of one minute 39.829 seconds in qualifying, which was 1.6 seconds off of pole position.

    Despite the gap, the team came out satisfied with the their performance and the improvements they've made since the test.

    After a night practice session on Thursday, the team will be back in action on Friday, January 24 for a final one-hour practice session ahead of the weekend's race.

    The Rolex 24 at Daytona, the opening round of the TUDOR Championship goes green at 2:10 pm ET on January 25, 2014.

    The race will be broadcast live starting January 25 on FOX from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET, FOX Sports 2 from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm ET, IMSA.com from 9:00 pm to 7:00 am ET and FOX Sports 1 from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm ET on January 26, 2014.

    For more information on Pickett Racing please visit www.pickettracingteam.com

    Muscle Milk Pickett Racing Quotes:

    Lucas Luhr Lucas Luhr, driver Muscle Milk Pickett Racing
    "It was the first qualifying of the year, the good thing is that we are by quite a bit the fastest of the P2 cars. The thing is that the DPs are just too quick for us at the moment. I think they have to have a second thought on the balance of performance, especially on a high-speed track like we have here and later in the year at Road America.
    "In regards to our performance, our car was good. We made a lot of improvements since the test today. We did the best we could, therefore I'm happy with our performance at Muscle Milk Pickett Racing, and in relation to the others, that's not really in our hands."



    Race Facts:

    52nd Annual Rolex 24 at Daytona
    Daytona International Speedway, 3.56-mile road course, Daytona Beach, FL
    January 23 - 26, 2013

    TUDOR United SportsCar Championship: Round #1 of 11
    Race Duration: 24 hours
    Where to watch:
    Race
    January 25, 2014
    FOX: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
    FOX Sports 2: 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    IMSA.com: 9:00 PM - 7:00 AM
    January 26, 2014
    FOX Sports 1: 7:00 AM - 3:00 PM


    Schedule (All times Eastern):

    Friday, January 24, 2014:
    Practice 4: 11:30 am - 12:30 pm (All Classes)

    Saturday, January 25, 2014:
    Autograph Session: 11:30 am - 12:15 pm
    Race: 2:10 pm (24 hours)
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  7. #37
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    SRT Viper Captures Pole..

    MANUFACTURER SCORES TOP SPOT AFTER 14-YEAR ABSENCE

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2014) – While it’s been 14 years since a factory-backed SRT Viper raced in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, it still knows the quickest way around Daytona International Speedway.

    Marc Goossens captured the GT Le Mans (GTLM) pole for Saturday’s 52nd Rolex 24, the opening race of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Goossens ran a lap of 122.634 mph (1:44.506) in the No. 91 SRT Motorsports SRT Viper GTS-R while Jonathan Bomarito qualified third in the team’s No. 93 entry, sandwiching the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR of Nick Tandy.

    “We had a good run at the end of last year, and we’re carrying it over,” said Goossens after capturing his first pole position in North American endurance sports car competition. “It’s awesome to be on the pole for the first race of the year. It’s a great way to start the season, and it’s a great boost of confidence for the whole team.”

    Now, Goossens and co-drivers Dominik Farnbacher and Ryan Hunter-Reay will be looking to follow up the showing of the ORECA Viper GTS-R in the 2000 edition of the Rolex 24, when the French-based team took the overall victory with drivers Olivier Beretta, Dominique Dupuy and Karl Wendlinger.

    “It’s not the most important thing to be on the pole for a 24-hour race, but it obviously helps,” Goossens said. “It’s good for Viper, especially with Jonathan third in a very competitive field. It’s great for Viper to be at this level after only a year and a half.”

    Bomarito will be joined by Kuno Wittmer and Rob Bell in the No. 93 Pennzoil Ultra SRT Viper GTS-R after qualifying at 122.504 mph (1:44.617). Nick Tandy qualified the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR second in GTLM with a lap of 122.545 mph (1:44.582). He will be joined in the race by Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet.

    After running fastest for much of the 15-minute session, Oliver Gavin wound up fourth in the No. 4 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R co-driven by Tommy Milner and Robin Liddell. The team’s sister car of Antonio Garcia, Jan Magnussen and Ryan Briscoe did not participate in qualifying due to a throttle problem.

    “The car was solid in the infield, and I was fortunate to get a tow in the banking by (Porsche driver) Patrick Long,” Gavin said. “We’ve got a solid race car. It’s very comfortable to drive, and predictable on the braking.”

    No. 63 Ferrari Moved To GTD Pole After No. 48 Audi Time Disallowed
    The ultra-competitive GT Daytona (GTD) field will be led by the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia after post-race technical inspection revealed an unapproved rear wing endplate on the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS that had originally qualified on the class pole position.

    Finnish driver Toni Vilander turned a best qualifying lap of 119.744 mph (1:47.028) in the No. 63 Ferrari. He is sharing the car with 2013 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT champion Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal and Lorenzo Case.

    “I missed the Roar [Before The Rolex 24 test}, because I was busy doing other racing,” said Vilander. “Even with the track time being so little, I was confident, I got in the car and was on the pace immediately. When I got in it, the car was already good. We didn’t need to change the balance that much. It’s good to see so many manufacturers so close. At the same time, I’m confident for the race. We drivers and the crew have to do a good solid job, and I think we’ve got a good chance.”

    The No. 46 Fall-Line Motorsports Audi R8, which originally qualified third in GTD, was also moved to the rear of the grid due to a ride-height violation. The No. 65 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 shared by Brazilians Francisco Longo, Daniel Serra, Xandinho Negraõ and Marcos Gomes will start second on the class grid with a best qualifying lap of 119.718 mph (1:47.052). The No. 007 TRG-AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage shared by David Block, Al Carter, Brandon Davis and James Davison will start third in GTD with a lap of 119.714 (1:47.055).
    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/srt-vip....ImRCviPc.dpuf
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    Braun Secures Prototype Challenge Class Pole for Core Autosport..

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 23, 2014) – There is no shortage of racing history when it comes to the last name, “Gurney,” but Alex Gurney added another entry in the record books by winning the TOTAL Pole Award for this weekend’s 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona (FOX, Saturday, 2 p.m. ET), the first event in TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup history.

    Gurney turned in a best lap of 130.416 mph (1:38.270) in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP he shares with Jon Fogarty, Memo Gidley and Darren Law to earn the pole position for this weekend’s twice-around-the-clock event on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road circuit. It was the second Rolex 24 At Daytona pole for Gurney, who took the No. 1 starting position in 2007 as well. His father, Dan Gurney, won the first Daytona Continental, the precursor to the Rolex 24 At Daytona, in 1962.

    “I’m obviously really happy and excited about it all,” Gurney said. “(It’s) been a really difficult offseason and I have to say a big thank you to (team owner) Bob Stallings and everybody on the team. I think most of the teams worked straight through Christmas and New Year’s with no real time off with all the rules changes and a lot of challenges there, so this means a lot to all of us and our team. We’re not set for the whole season so this is one of our times to shine. It feels really good to have pulled it off.”

    Qualifying second was Richard Westbrook in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Racing Corvette DP with a best lap of 130.219 mph (1:38.487). Westbrook will share the ride with Canadian Michael Valiante and 2010 Rolex 24 overall winner Mike Rockenfeller.

    Taking third on the overall and Prototype (P) class grid will be the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP after the third-quickest qualifying time posted by Brendon Hartley in the No. 78 Starworks Motorsport Dinan/Riley was disallowed. Post-race technical inspection showed that the No. 78 failed ride height measurements and had an unapproved aerodynamic device installed.

    Christian Fittipaldi qualified the No. 5 machine, turning a best lap of 129.903 mph (1:38.658). Fittipaldi’s co-drivers are Joao Barbosa, Sebastien Bourdais and Burt Frisselle.

    BRAUN SCORES PC POLE IN FINAL MINUTE
    Colin Braun clearly knows the quick way around Daytona International Speedway in a variety of race vehicles and track configurations, which he proved again in Prototype Challenge (PC) qualifying on Thursday. Braun posted a best lap of 125.922 mph (1:41.777) in the No. 54 CORE autosport ORECA FLM09 to take the PC class TOTAL Pole Award.

    Last fall, Braun set a Daytona International Speedway record around the 2.5-mile oval with a lap of 222.971 mph in a Michael Shank Racing-prepared Ford EcoBoost/Riley DP. In 2009, he qualified on pole for a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on the Daytona oval. Braun is sharing the No. 54 entry this weekend with Jon Bennett, James Gue and Mark Wilkins.

    “It’s great to be on the pole here in Daytona,” Braun said. “It’s a really cool race and [you know] as soon as the green flag drops everybody forgets it, so we’ve got to enjoy it while we can. But I’m really proud of the guys; I think it comes down to preparation here. It’s all about the work they do in the offseason over the time we have off because you show up and you only get an hour and a half of practice; you’ve got four or five drivers to run through and lots of red flags, lots of traffic, so it’s all about being prepared and ready to go execute or game plan once we get here.”

    Second in PC qualifying was Renger van der Zande in the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport ORECA FLM09. Van der Zande turned in a best lap of 125.875 mph (1:41.815) in the car he shares with Mirco Schultis, Eric Lux and Sam Bird.

    Bruno Junqueira was third in PC with a lap of 125.731 mph (1:41.932) in the No. 09 RSR Racing ORECA FLM09. Junqueira’s co-drivers are Duncan Ende, David Heinemeier-Hansson and Gustavo Menezes.

    FOX network will air the first two hours of Rolex 24 At Daytona action on Saturday, Jan. 25 beginning at 2 p.m. ET, anchoring 15 total hours of FOX Sports coverage of the event.
    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/gurney-....r6w6DlKZ.dpuf
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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    SCUDERIA CORSA FERRARI SWEEPS FRONT ROW IN QUALIFYING AT DAYTONA
    Vilander on pole, Serra takes P2 in GT Daytona. Cheung and Becker earn class poles in Ferrari Challenge

    January 23, 2014 – Daytona Beach, FL. Expectations were high for the 2013 Grand-AM Rolex GT champion Scuderia Corsa racing team and they did not disappoint as they were awarded first row from race officials after today’s afternoon qualifying session. This marks the first time in eleven years that a team has taken the front row of the 24 Hours of Daytona. Scuderia Corsa also earned two class poles in Ferrari Challenge.

    Of his team’s performance, team principal Giacomo Mattioli said, “What a great day! I am very proud of what Scuderia Corsa accomplished today. Our drivers did a fantastic job! GTD was a very close qualifying session and in the Ferrari Challenge Harry and Jon had a perfect run. It is an honor to have scored 3 pole positions within an hour in such an iconic race track like Daytona International Speedway”
    Factory driver Toni Vilander, who earned pole result said, “with so little track time I was still pretty confident. I got in the car for practice and was on the pace immediately. The car was already good and we didn’t need to change the balance much. It’s good to see so many manufacturers so close in lap times. At the same time I’m really confident for the race. We drivers need to do a clear, solid job and so do the crew. We have a good chance for the race.”

    Vilander in the #63 Ferrari joins 2013 Rolex GT champion Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal and Lorenzo Case’. The #63 will be joined on the grid by both the #64 and the #65 run in association with Via Italia racing which was awarded P2 with Daniel Serra behind the wheel.

    Of his pole Harry Cheung said “Qualifying couldn’t have gone any better today. The combination of a reasonably fast time and a well-timed red flag got me pole for the first race. I am stoked to try it again in tomorrow’s qualifying for Race 2”. Jon Becker who scored pole in Coppa Shell said “what an accomplishment to score P1 in the first qualifying session during Ferrari North America 60th anniversary at one of the world most historic venues!”
    Ferrari Challenge pole sitters Harry Cheung (Trofeo Pirelli) and John Becker (Coppa Shell) are joined by fellow drivers Chris Ruud (Coppa Shell) and John Farano (Trofeo Pirelli). Tomorrow at 9am EST will be Qualifying 2 with Race 1 at 10:30-11:45am. Race 2 will take place on Saturday at 9:35am EST.

    With qualifying complete, the legendary Rolex 24 At Daytona will start at 2:30pm EST on January 25, 2014. This will mark the beginning of the newly formed Tudor United Sportscar Championship series, the entity created from the 2013 merger of Grand-AM and ALMS. FOX will air the race from 2-4pm. Fox Sports 2 will air from 4-9pm. IMSA.com will stream from 9pm-7am. Fox Sports 1 will air from 7am-3pm.

    Scuderia Corsa will field three Ferrari 458 Italias in the GT-D class at Daytona for the ultimate North American endurance race - the #63, driven by 2013 Grand-AM GT champion Alessandro Balzan, Jeff Westphal, Toni Vilander and Lorenzo Case’. The #64 car piloted by Dr. Rod Randall, Ken Wilden, David Empringham and John Farano, and the #64 car in association with Brazil’s Via Italia Racing driven by Francisco Longo, Daniel Serra, Xandinho Negrao and Marcos Gomes.
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  10. #40
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    Audi Sport ‏@Audi__Sport 56s
    Positions after 13h: 1 Ferrari No.555 2 Ferrari No.63 3 Audi No.48 4 Porsche No.58 6 Audi No.45 … 10 Audi No.35
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    Ferrari Races ‏@FerrariRaces 7s
    #Rolex24 @Level5Racing car no. 555 leading the race in GTD Class after 13 hours. @Scuderia_Corsa no. 62 in P2
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    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA – 9 HOUR REPORT
    SCUDERIA CORSA FERRARI #63 RUNNING TOP THREE THROUGH FIRST NINE HOURS. LEADS CLASS OVER 50 LAPS.
    #64 and #65 running well despite penalty and traffic


    Daytona Beach, FL – January 25, 2014. After an action packed nine hours, Scuderia Corsa #63 continues to battle for the GTD lead. The race has seen seven yellows and a 56 minute red flag. The #64, which also held the lead, is working back through the field after being assessed a major penalty for passing on the wave-by prior to a restart in the fifth hour. All cars have pitted nine times including fuel, tires and driver changes.

    The race was red flagged prior to the 3 hour mark due to a serious incident involving the the #62 Risi Ferrari GTLM and #99 Gainsco Corvette DP. Both drivers were transported to the hospital where they are under further observation but are awake and responsive.

    Drivers report
    Toni Vilander having ended his second turn behind the wheel at lap 187 holds the teams fastest lap so far at 1:48.088. During his opening 40 minute stint behind the wheel he reported the car was handling well although a warm track caused grip issues for the entire field. On his second stint he remarked that traffic issues and aggressive driving are the big concern. “The 24 is about consistency but you need luck as well.”

    Lorenzo Case’ on his second turn behind the wheel has been running consistent 1:49 lap times and at the front of the GTD pack for over 30 laps.

    Alessandro Balzan put up some of the fastest GTD lap times 1:48.899 and led in the third hour despite what he called a major bottleneck at turn one due to the crowded track. “The car setup is good but I need to watch out for traffic and stay out of trouble. The spotters are a big help and it is easier for them to see us at night with our lights and the red car.”

    Jeff Westphal spent over an hour sitting in the car under red in the third hour and now awaits his second turn behind the wheel. He will take over from Alessandro Balzan next.
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    Daytona 24 Hours – Good news after the scare.

    Daytona, 26 January –When there’s a serious accident on track, everything else becomes of secondary importance and the wellbeing of the drivers is the priority, especially for the team-mates.

    The accident which took place just coming up to the three hour mark and involved the prototype Corvette of Memo Gidley and the 458 GT of Matteo Malucelli, was horrifying and both drivers required treatment on the spot before being taken to hospital in Halifax. Gidley underwent an operation on his left arm and leg, while Malucelli remains under observation with severe cerebral concussion, but the situation is not critical, as the doctors told his wife and Antonello Coletta, head of Ferrari Corse Clienti, who are both with him in Halifax. Matteo’s team-mates, Gianmaria Bruni and Olivier Beretta also rushed to see him and only when hospital staff confirmed the positive evolution of the Risi Competizione driver’s condition, did they return to the race track.

    Everyone got a very big scare, but things are calmer now in the team’s garage, because while necessarily remaining cautious, the worst seems to be over. Naturally, that sense of relief is more important than the disappointment on the racing front. The early stages of the race had confirmed the potential of Giuseppe Risi’s team, because even though it had started from the back of the grid, thanks to the efforts of Bruni and Malucelli, car number 62 had fought it’s way up to the front end in the GTLM class.

    Still fully in the fight for victory are the Level 5 Motorsport 458 GT number 555 and the number 63 car run by Scuderia Corsa, which are in first and third places respectively in the GTD class after 13 hours racing.
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    GAINSCO Racing ‏@GAINSCOracing 2h
    Memo Gidley underwent surgery on his left arm and left leg and he is currently under observation and further evaluation at Halifax Health. We will continue to provide updates as they are available.
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    TeamSRT ‏@TeamSRT 23s
    Has to start race's 15th hour with a penalty. A wheel nut flew into adjacent Porsche pit during a previous stop. Rob Bell in and out of box
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    I just read that the Daytona officials took back the penalty they wrongfully placed on the 458 and
    declared them the winner in GT. It was a bad call to begin with.

  18. #48
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    Ferrari first in GTD at the Daytona 24 Hours

    Maranello, 27 January –The first of this year’s major endurance races ended with a great win for the Ferrari 458 GT in the Daytona 24 Hours. The American Level 5 Motorsport team triumphed in the GTD class at the end of a race that was, to say the least, exciting. Car number 555 with Italy’s Alessandro Pier Guidi at the wheel at the time, was first past the flag, having always been in contention for victory.

    A heart stopping finale, featuring a duel between the Ferrari and an Audi brought the closing laps to life. Then, a penalty imposed by the Stewards for an incident that occurred on the last lap then robbed Alessandro Pier Guidi, Townsend Bell, Bill Sweedler, Scott Tucker and Jeff Segal of the chance of celebrating on the podium. However, after the race, IMSA then overturned the decision restoring the well deserved win to the team.

    “It was a great win, at the end of a very intense day. To come out on top ahead of very strong opponents such as Audi, Porsche and Aston Martin, shows how competitive is the 458, not just in GTD but also in GTLM, where it could certainly have been in the fight for the win, confirming that it is bound to be a front runner again in 2014. I want to thank Level 5 Motorsport and the whole team at the track for this first round of the USC Championship,” commented the Director of Ferrari Corse Clienti, Antonello Coletta. “It’s thanks to the efforts of the private teams that Ferrari can hold its head high in the field of GT racing all over the world.”
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    Glad to see that the Daytona accident doesn't sound as serious as initial reports, private Ferrari teams making their mark too, bravo! Loved the piece on the old Daytona races, Rob, I followed Bandini/Scarfiotti/Amon/Parkes in my youth with those beautiful sportscars and incredible noise! Happy memories indeed so please keep them coming.

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    HYBRID AT THE HEART OF TOYOTA RACING IN 2014


    TOYOTATOYOTA Racing can reveal the first details of its participation in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), in which it will push the limits of hybrid powertrain technology in motorsport.



    TOYOTA Racing entered two cars for the WEC season, including the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest is scheduled to confirm the full grid on 13 February.

    For the third consecutive year, Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre, Kazuki Nakajima, Anthony Davidson, Sébastien Buemi and Stéphane Sarrazin will drive for TOYOTA Racing. They are joined by test and reserve driver Mike Conway.

    The TS040 HYBRID prototype has been designed according to new regulations intended to keep the WEC and Le Mans at the forefront of road-relevant technology development.

    Its first public appearance will come at the WEC official test session on 28-29 March when it will take to the track alongside prototypes from Audi and Porsche for the first time.

    After the TS030 HYBRID established TOYOTA Racing as a pioneer in the field of hybrid powertrains for motorsport, its successor, the TS040 HYBRID, takes the technology to the next level.

    The addition of an Aisin AW motor/generator on the front axle, in combination with the DENSO unit at the rear, means the TOYOTA HYBRID System - Racing now provides power to all four wheels.

    Under deceleration, the motor/generators apply braking force in combination with traditional mechanical brakes to generate energy, which is transferred via a DENSO inverter to the Nisshinbo super-capacitor. During acceleration, the motor/generator reverses its function, acting as a motor to deliver a significant power boost.

    That four-wheel-drive hybrid power is allied to a petrol-powered V8 engine, both having been developed by Motor Sports Unit Development Division at the Higashifuji technical centre, where next generation TOYOTA road car technology is also under development.

    Such a link between motorsport technology and future road cars is fundamental to TOYOTA Racing, with the TS040 HYBRID, like its predecessor, acting as a real-life test bench for TOYOTA’s latest hybrid concepts. TOYOTA has already sold 6million hybrid road cars since the launch of the Prius in 1997.

    The TS040 HYBRID chassis is designed, developed, manufactured, built and operated by TOYOTA Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne. It represents a major evolution on the TS030 HYBRID thanks to advanced aerodynamics and lightweight design.

    New regulations with revised dimensions have made the 2014-generation LMP1 cars narrower by 10cm while measures such as wheel tethers and a rear crash box have further increased safety.

    Intensive simulation and calculation work at TMG has refined the TS040 HYBRID, utilising hardware-in-the-loop technology to test individual components based on real track data and powerful calculation computers to optimise designs.

    Such cutting-edge techniques are significantly more efficient than track testing, allowing TMG engineers to continue optimising all aspects of the TS040 HYBRID chassis and lay-out for longer than rivals relying on traditional methods.

    Development of the TS040 HYBRID has been completed alongside a range of external motorsport and automotive projects running concurrently at TMG, for third-party clients and Toyota Motor Corporation.

    The car completed a successful roll-out at Paul Ricard earlier this month (21-23 January), with Alex Wurz and Anthony Davidson driving. Further testing is planned prior to the season-opening Six Hours of Silverstone (20 April).

    More details about the TS040 HYBRID, including technical specifications, will be released immediately prior to the 28-29 official WEC test.

    Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Team President: “We are very much looking forward to this new season with our new car, the TS040 HYBRID. The 2014 season is an important one for TOYOTA Racing; after two years we have built up a lot of experience and now, with new regulations, all teams start from a level playing field. This is an exciting challenge for us and one we are determined to succeed in. Those new regulations confirm that the FIA World Endurance Championship is the proving ground for advanced road-relevant technology in motorsport and this fits perfectly with our approach. We are competing in order to test the latest hybrid technology in the most extreme motorsport environments and this has a direct influence on future road car technology. This year we will benefit from a four-wheel drive hybrid system using our proven super-capacitor storage solution and this will provide a very substantial acceleration boost. It will be fascinating to see how the various solutions compare; personally I can’t wait to get started.”

    John Litjens, Chassis Project Leader: “The TS040 HYBRID is the result of more than one year of development at TMG. We started the first design studies back in November 2012 and gradually increased our efforts on this car, with our energies becoming fully focused on the TS040 HYBRID soon after Le Mans last year. We are very lucky at TMG to possess such advanced calculation and simulation technology which allows us to develop a car in the virtual world. This enables more pure development work to be completed on the design before a car is even built and this is even more significant when managing a major regulation change like we faced for 2014. The TS040 HYBRID is a major evolution compared to its predecessor, which was already very efficient aerodynamically and mechanically; we have high hopes for it and we’re looking forward to the start of the season.”

    Full profiles of TOYOTA Racing’s drivers, including career histories, are available here: http://goo.gl/VeuLyS Racing can reveal the first details of its participation in the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), in which it will push the limits of hybrid powertrain technology in motorsport.
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    MATTEO MALUCELLI RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL

    Risi Competizione’s driver of the No.62 Ferrari 458 Italia, Matteo Malucelli, spent a comfortable night at Halifax Health following his admission yesterday afternoon after his high speed accident during the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

    After being fully assessed by the medical staff, he has now been released from hospital and will be travelling back to Italy tomorrow.

    Matteo MalucelliMatteo, his family and Risi Competizione wish to thank everyone at Halifax Health and IMSA Medical Liaisons for their excellent and comprehensive care over the past 24 hours. The team also sends its best wishes to Memo Gidley, driver of the No.99 Gainsco entry, and we join the entire motor sport community in wishing him a full and speedy recovery.

    There is no further information available at the present time as to what caused the Ferrari to slow on track, but details will be released in due course.
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    FINAL AMENDMENT TO THE 2014 FIA WEC CALENDAR


    Following a meeting of the FIA Endurance Commission today the definitive calendar for the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship has been confirmed.

    In a change to the previously announced 2014 calendar the FIA World Endurance Championship will now visit Brazil at the end of November instead of August due to a request by the local promoter, Emerson Fittipaldi. The 6 Hours of Sao Paulo will now take place on the 30th November and will become the season finale.

    The change to the Brazilian date was requested for two reasons. The first was because the earlier date in August would’ve made it difficult to market the event properly as the country will be in the grip of the soccer World Cup in June and July. All media attention will be focused on this very important event and would only leave four short weeks to market the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo to the Brazilian fans. The second reason was the change in the F1 calendar with the Brazilian Grand Prix now taking place on the 9th November and the Interlagos circuit being unavailable on the original date in August as the circuit has to be prepared for the arrival of Formula One well in advance.

    The 6 Hours of the Circuit of the Americas has been confirmed on Saturday 20 September following an agreement at last weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona between COTA, IMSA and the ACO.

    The grid for the 2014 FIA WEC will be unveiled in Paris on Thursday 13 February along with the grid for the 24 Heures du Mans

    The definitive 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship calendar

    Official Test Le Castellet FRA 28-29 March
    Silverstone GBR 18-20 April
    Spa-Francorchamps BEL 02-03May
    24 Heures du Mans Test FRA 01 June
    24 Heures du Mans FRA 14/15 June
    Circuit of the Americas USA 18-20 September
    Fuji JPN 10-12 October
    Shanghai CHN 31 October -2 November
    Bahrain BHN 13-15 November
    Sao Paulo BRA 28-30 November
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  23. #53
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    LE MANS - PRODRIVE CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

    The numbers are dizzy: 651 runs, 130 wins, 6 titles in the World Rally Championship and three class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is the ranking that can boast David Richards, former co-driver Ari Vatanen, with whom he won the title of World Champion Rally in 1981, and founder of Prodrive.

    We remember the blue Subaru, who led the late Richard Burns under the World Rally Champion in 2001, but the Homeric battles between Ferrari 550 Maranello, modified and prepared in the workshops of Banbury (Great Britain) and Corvette late in the GTS class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans Series in the early 2000s.

    To the chagrin of Ferrari, the ranking of the 550 "Maranello" badged Prodrive is as impressive as the 575 developed by the transalpine constructor itself is thin. The career of the beautiful Red reach its peak in 2003 with victory in the GTS class at Le Mans and the honorary title of vice-champion in the American Le Mans Series, with four wins on the odometer. Prodrive then gradually entrust the operation of the car for private teams to concentrate on the development of its replacement, the Aston Martin DBR9.

    The latter made his first appearance at Le Mans in 2005 became a GTS class GT1, returning again Corvette Racing on its way. Between 2005 and 2008, American (2005 and 2006) and British (2007 and 2008) have won two each GT1 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    After this ultimate success Sarthe in 2008, the company turned to Prodrive prototypes, always with Aston Martin, with whom she now has financial related party. The beginnings of the Lola-Aston Martin have been promising, with a place at the foot of the podium, behind the builders, the 24 Hours of Le Mans 2009. However, Prodrive will then fall between Scylla and Charybdis, the bottom being reached in 2011 with the failed project of the AMR-One LMP1 to an in-line engine.

    Wisely, David Richards Prodrive income that can do: a GT. The V8 Vantage is mounted twice on the third step of the podium in LM GTE Pro class at Le Mans in 2012 and 2013 and had good hair in the crown of World Endurance Championship FIA WEC last year. Alas, during the final round of the season in Bahrain, Aston Martin Racing, who arrived with a comfortable lead in LM GTE Pro and Am, has almost lost everything, winning the only title in LM GTE Am Drivers.
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    FERRARI 330 P4: A MYTH OF THE 24 HOURS OF LE MANS TO PARIS SOON!

    Grand Parisian meeting annual car collection, Retromobile (5-9 February) will be exhibiting 330 P4, one of the heroes of the great duel Ferrari-Ford 24 Hours of Le Mans 1967.

    Evolution 330 P3 1966 (which it retains the architecture V12 engine of four liters), 330 P4 wins debut an impressive victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona 1967. Ferrari offers one of the most famous images in the history of endurance: three red prototypes in flight crossing the finish line on the inclined portion of the circuit line. In April, Lorenzo Bandini, who won at Daytona with the New Zealander Chris Amon, P4 sign with the fastest time in the preliminary tests of the 24 Hours of Le Mans (3'25'' 5-235 km / h average). But the race in June, the Italian is unfortunately no longer there. He died on May 7 at the Grand Prix of Monaco.

    Four 330 P4 Le Mans committed to counter armada Ford: Günther Klass-Peter Sutcliffe (No. 19), Chris Amon-Nino Vaccarella (No. 20), Ludovico Scarfiotti-Michael Parkes (No. 21) and Willy Mairesse- Jean Blaton - under the pseudonym "Beurlys" (No. 24). Ford Mk IV Dan Gurney, AJ Foyt escapes head. Ferrari, we think it will soon break. But the American holds good and the pace continues unabated ... and when the team manager Franco Lini decide to initiate proceedings, it is too late. Scarfiotti-Parkes and Mayor-"Beurlys" finished second and third respectively, while Klass-Sutcliffe and Amon-Vaccarella were forced to retire. 330 P4 has never won the 24 Hours of Le Mans but many believe it is the most beautiful Ferrari ever made ​​and consider the 24 Hours 1967 as the "Race of the Century." From February 5 to 9, the P4 will play for visitors Rétromobile one of the most fabulous pages of history Sarthe.
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    Hey Rob, some of me Fav Race Ferrari's..great posts. Interesting on Prodrive, n glad Matteo is OK.

  27. #57
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    LUCAS DI GRASSI TO TEAM WITH KRISTENSEN AND DUVAL AT AUDI


    Reigning FIA WEC World Champion Audi Sport has today announced its driver line up for the 2014 season, and confirmed that Brazilian driver Lucas di Grassi will be replacing Allan McNish, who retired at the end of 2013.

    The high calibre line up includes five World Champions and Le Mans winners plus a former Formula One driver who will contest the World Endurance Championship which includes as its third round the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    For the first time, the title defenders Loïc Duval (F) and Tom Kristensen (DK) are sharing an Audi R18 e-tron quattro with Lucas di Grassi (BR). The former Formula One driver, who has been competing for Audi since 2012 and finished at Spa and Le Mans in third place last year. On the way to the 2013 World Championship title, Duval, Kristensen and McNish won three WEC rounds – including the 24-hour race at Le Mans. For record winner Kristensen, this marked a ninth success in the French classic and a first for Duval.

    Marcel Fässler (CH), André Lotterer (D) and Benoît Tréluyer (F) again form a team in the third year of the FIA World Endurance Championship. In 2012, they clinched the WEC drivers’ title and victory at Le Mans for the second consecutive time. In 2013, the trio won the WEC races at Spa, São Paulo and Shanghai and finished the drivers’ classification as the runners-up.

    In the 6-hour race at Spa (May 3) and at the season’s pinnacle event at Le Mans (June 14/15), Audi will be fielding an additional R18 e-tron quattro.* This car will be driven by the previous DTM driver Filipe Albuquerque (P) as well as by Marco Bonanomi (I) and Oliver Jarvis (GB). Bonanomi was test and reserve driver for Audi’s LMP1 project in 2013 while Jarvis won in the Sebring 12 Hours, which were not part of the World Championship, and took third place at Spa and Le Mans. The seasoned campaigner Marc Gené (E) will be the reserve driver for the races at Spa and Le Mans.

    “In 2014, we again have a very good driver line-up,” says Head of Audi Motorsport 
Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Of course it’s not easy to replace a driver like Allan McNish, who drove for Audi for 14 years. But Lucas di Grassi has delivered convincing performances in all of his runs for Audi so far. For Filipe Albuquerque, the switch from the DTM to the WEC is happening at the ideal point in time. He’s ready for the next career step. Our current sports car squad will cause a sensation in a season that poses a great challenge due to the new Technical Regulations and new rivals.”


    Driver combinations for the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)

    Spa 6 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours
    Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen (BR/F/DK)
    Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F)
    Filipe Albuquerque/Marco Bonanomi/Oliver Jarvis (P/I/GB)*

    All other races of the 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)
    Lucas di Grassi/Loïc Duval/Tom Kristensen (BR/F/DK)
    Marcel Fässler/André Lotterer/Benoît Tréluyer (CH/D/F)


    Audi Sport press release
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  28. #58
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    Good for Lucas, step up into the #1 car. Loic, i think is a real rising star, last year shown some fast and consistant laps.
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  29. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nova View Post
    Hey Rob, some of me Fav Race Ferrari's..great posts. Interesting on Prodrive, n glad Matteo is OK.
    Never even dawned that Prodrive has been going that long. Those 330 P3s, stunning. Love watching those old races.
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  30. #60
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    Hey Rob, I just read on Facetube, early Feb, Ferrari is coming out w/something new?
    U heard anything about this? Theres a code name, forgot it, I'll have to go back on and get that.

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