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Thread: 2015 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

  1. #61
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    Tequila Patrón ESM's 2015 Worldwide Season Starts
    at Home and the Rolex 24

    Seeks win at opening round of Tequila Patrón North American Endurance
    Riviera Beach, Fla., Jan. 21, 2015 – Tequila Patrón ESM begins a new motorsports chapter this weekend. Set to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup races of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, Tequila Patrón ESM kicks off its 2015 season in its home state during the 53rd Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona.

    Tequila Patrón ESM is headquartered approximately three hours south of the famed Daytona International Speedway. The twice-around-the-clock endurance race is the season-opening TUDOR Championship event and opening round of the four-race Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup.

    This weekend marks the competition debut of the two Tequila Patrón-sponsored Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-04b coupes. The Florida-based team has worked non-stop assembling and testing the new machinery since the close of the 2014 season. Armed with six drivers, two coupes and new liveries, Tequila Patrón ESM is ready to race in one of the most prestigious events on the motorsports calendar.

    Tequila Patrón ESM seeks its first overall win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The team’s best finish came in 2014 with an eighth-place run for the No. 2 team. In addition to attempting for its first overall team win, Tequila Patrón ESM will attempt to drive its Honda-powered prototypes to the engine manufacturer’s first overall win at Daytona.

    Two Tequila Patrón ESM drivers have won the endurance classic. Owner/driver Scott Sharp won in 1996, and has two runner-up finishes (2002, 2003). Co-driver Ryan Dalziel was the 2010 champion and earned runner-up honors twice (2007, 2012). Sharp, Dalziel and Tequila Patrón ESM newcomer David Heinemeier Hansson will share driving duties of the No. 1 Tequila Patrón HPD.

    Last year, Ed Brown and Johannes van Overbeek were half of the No. 2 Tequila Patrón ESM team that finished eighth. Van Overbeek has started the Rolex 24 from the pole twice (2004, 2011), has four podium finishes (2003, 2004, 2007, 2010) and seeks his first overall win this year. Two-time sportscar champion Jon Fogarty brings one Rolex 24 pole (2007) and podium finish (2008) to the team as he joins Brown and van Overbeek behind the wheel of the No. 2 coupe.

    The four-race Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup events include the Rolex 24 At Daytona at the end of January, the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in March, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in June and Petit Le Mans in October to close the TUDOR Championship season.

    The season opening Rolex 24 takes place on the 3.56-mile road course at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 24-25. The 12-turn circuit utilizes portions of the track’s tri-oval and infield road course, and is the first round of the TUDOR Championship. Qualifying for prototype cars is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Jan. 22.

    The FOX family of channels will provide complete live coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

    Saturday, Jan. 24
    2-4 p.m. ET FOX Network
    4-8 p.m. ET FOX Sports 2
    8-10 p.m. ET FOX Sports 1

    Overnight (Jan. 24-25)
    10 p.m. - 7 a.m. ET IMSA TV on IMSA.com

    Sunday, Jan. 25
    7 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET FOX Sports 1

    For audio coverage of the race, internet listeners can tune into IMSA Radio commentary throughout the race at www.imsa.com.

    SCOTT SHARP

    “It’s with huge anticipation that Tequila Patrón ESM heads into Daytona this week! After months of planning and work on the new cars, adding new faces and changing our name all lead up to the start of an incredible 2015 schedule for us!

    “We are all excited to debut our new Honda coupes at the first Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup event. The Rolex 24 At Daytona has always been one of my favorite events because of the huge field of cars, great drivers from all disciplines of the sport and a challenging 24 hours to persevere through. There is nothing quite like jumping in the car at three or four in the morning! It’s electric!

    “Our cars are brand new – the No. 1 was just finished over the weekend. The non-stop intense effort of the last few months by each member of Tequila Patrón ESM, HPD and Wirth Research crews is unparalleled. I cannot thank this amazing group enough for pulling out all the stops in getting us ready for 2015. We hope to thank everyone with a top finish!”

    ED BROWN

    “I cannot believe that it’s race week for the Rolex 24 At Daytona! I’m super excited to start the 2015 season in the new HPD coupe with Johannes and our new teammate Jon.

    “The Tequila Patrón ESM team has worked non-stop since we took delivery of the first HPD coupe. I’m so proud and grateful for all the work they have done!

    “The new car is fantastic, but we’ve done very little testing in the car, so I don’t know what we can expect for the race. We need to keep the car clean and hopefully still running at the 23 hour mark to challenge for the win. There’s nothing more I’d love to do but get Tequila Patrón, Honda, the No. 2 crew and me our first win at Daytona!”


    JOHANNES VAN OVERBEEK

    “What a way to kick off the new year! We have a promising new coupe. We’re driving with old friends in Jon and Ed and representing Tequila Patrón, the ultra-premium spirits brand in the world at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

    “The Tequila Patrón ESM crew has done an incredible job getting the new coupes prepared and ready for the event. We, collectively, have our work cut out for us but everyone is looking forward to seeing the Patrón coupe on the high banks this weekend. We’re hoping for 24 hours of non-stop running and if we're lucky, a good result at the end of it all. I can’t wait to get started.”

    RYAN DALZIEL

    “Daytona is going to be a huge weekend for us – new car and new teammates, so we are really excited to show everyone what our new HPD can do. We haven’t had the No. 1 car for very long and the crew has worked ridiculous hours to get us ready for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

    “Going back with a closed cockpit car shouldn’t change things too much, but the obvious stuff will be a new learning curve, like visibility and driver changes. Scott and I are starting our second year together as teammates and we really have things very connected between us and so far David has slipped into his role perfectly.

    “The Rolex 24 is the first round of the Patrón Endurance Cup and we really want a strong showing for all the Patrón racing fans.

    JON FOGARTY

    “The adjustment from the DP to the Honda coupe is not a big change for me. I am pleasantly surprised about how good the visibility is, I thought that the narrower cockpit and large A-pillars would limit visibility out the sides, but it is quite good.

    “I think the strength of the coupe over an open cockpit is the serene environment inside. The Honda engine is very quiet, and being shielded from the elements such as wind and rain make for a nice driving environment. Over the course of 24 hours this should help the drivers remain a little fresher and less worn out following driving stints.

    “We’re really trying to win the Rolex 24 not only for the team, but for Honda. It is never easy to go racing flat out for 24 hours, and Daytona with its combination of the wide-open high RPM stretches along with long acceleration pulls of several low speed corners really tests a motor. A victory would really showcase what Honda is capable of in both durability and speed.

    “When you compete at Daytona the race season kicks off early. It always feels that way to me, but I can’t imagine what the Tequila Patrón ESM crew guys feel like. They have been nose to grindstone during the entire ‘off season’ to make these new cars race ready. Bringing home a good result for those guys and their families would be really special.”

    DAVID HEINEMEIER HANSSON

    “I can’t wait to run the new Honda coupe in anger at Daytona. We had a very promising Roar test, which surprised us in just how polished this brand new machine already is. It’s clear that this isn’t HPD’s or ESM’s first crack at this rodeo!

    “We’re optimistic but our expectations are tempered heading into the first serious outing for the new car. It would be wonderful if it turns out that we’ll be able to mingle it with the top runners, but it’s incredibly rare that a brand new car just hits the track on pace and on reliability – especially for a virgin voyage as tough as the 24 Hours At Daytona.

    “The most important thing for me at the Rolex is to dial-in to this new car in adjusting to a how the closed-top LMP2 car deals with visibility in traffic, how comfortable can we make it for the long runs, how does it react when fighting for position in a draft. Many unanswered questions, but that’s what makes it so exciting. We have plenty of new and exciting challenges ahead of us this weekend!”


    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

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    ASTON MARTIN ENTERS FULL WORKS TEAM IN DAYTONA 24 HOURS

    Gaydon, 21 January 2015 - Aston Martin Racing’s works team will contest Daytona 24 Hours this weekend (24 January) with long-standing drivers Darren Turner (GB), Stefan Mücke (DE), Pedro Lamy (PT) and Paul Dalla Lana (CA) and new-comer to the team Mathais Lauda (AT), in the Gulf-liveried V8 Vantage GTE.

    In last weekend’s ROAR before 24 – the Daytona 24 Hours official test session – the team started strongly, when it’s #98 Aston Martin went fastest in practice one, beating off competition from Porsche, Ferrari and Corvette. After eight sessions, of which it topped half, the team’s combined time placed it second fastest overall.

    Lamy, who set the fastest lap in practice one commented: “Practice went very well and we were all pleased with our progress throughout the weekend. The Vantage GTE has proven itself to be one of the best GT cars in the world so we are pleased to be racing it in America at Daytona 24 Hours.”

    The race, the opening round of the Tudor United Sports Car Championship (TUSCC), is also the first round of the National American Endurance Championship (NAEC). The NAEC comprises of four TUSCC endurances races to form a separate series.

    “Like the TUSCC, the NAEC is very attractive to us as a manufacturer,” said Aston Martin Racing’s Team Principal John Gaw. “We are focused on getting a good result in Daytona and then we can look at plans for the rest of the year. We certainly have one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid this weekend; our four pre-existing drivers are all very experienced in the car and we’re looking forward to seeing how Mathais performs.”

    Lauda, son of three-time F1 World Champion Niki Lauda, is best known for his career in GP2 and, more recently, DTM, but this is his first move into GT racing.

    “We have a strong line-up for Daytona,” said Turner who now enters his 11th year with Aston Martin Racing. “There have been a few rule changes since the last time we raced here. We can now run our low downforce ‘Le Mans’ set up, which will make us more competitive. It’s always a fun event - everyone is itching to get back into their race cars after the Christmas break so let’s hope we can come away from Daytona with a good result to start the year off with.”

    It is also the first race of the 2015 season for Aston Martin Racing’s North American partner team TRG-AMR. The California-based team will run a pair of V12 Vantage GT3s in the 24-hour race, in a bid to take GTD-class honours.

    Christina Nielsen (DN), driver in the #007 Vantage GT3, commented: “The ROAR is when the real fun of the season begins. We are heading there with a great car, a great team, and we collectively have one goal in mind - winning the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona!”

    The race, first held in 1962, takes place on the 5.73km-long Daytona International Speedway course in Daytona Beach, Florida. The 2015 Daytona 24 Hours starts at 14:10 local time on Saturday 24 January.

    - ENDS -
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    Twin Scuderia Corsa Ferraris Ready for Daytona.

    New faces and familiar Ferraris as team competes in third Rolex 24 at Daytona.

    January 21, 2014 (Los Angeles, Calif.) - A pair of Scuderia Corsa Ferraris are prepared to take on the Rolex 24 at Daytona as the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship begins its 2015 season at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

    For the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the new-look no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia will feature last year's Rolex 24 at Daytona winners Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell and Jeff Segal, who will be joined by Anthony Lazzaro. Sweedler and Bell will contest the entire TUDOR Championship season in the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari. Sweedler and Bell, the 2014 Patron North American Endurance Cup, adapted to their new Ferrari during the three-day test.

    "It was a real blast to get back behind the wheel of a Ferrari and get on track with the Scuderia Corsa guys for the first time," said Sweedler. "The Ferrari has undergone some changes in spec from what we had last year, so it was really valuable to not only begin working with the team but to begin understanding how the car would be different than last year's car. It was a great test, and with guys like Townsend, Jeff and Anthony sharing the car we've made a lot of progress already. It was clear from the moment we got there that the Scuderia Corsa team is a great organization. We would love nothing more than to defend our win from last year!"

    "Love the new team," said Bell. "Scuderia Corsa has a strong Italian flavor which is a fun new element that I am enjoying. We've also brought a few familiar faces on board with Scuderia Corsa in the engineering department and also in our mechanic group. Overall, I feel we are in very good shape headed into the start of the season. Daytona in 2014 was an experience I will never forget and we are hungry to make even better memories this year."

    For the third time, the 'Brazilian' Ferrari 458 Italia will race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia, wearing the colors of the Brazilian flag, will be driven by Brazilian StockCar star Daniel Serra, as well as fellow Brazilians Francisco Longo and Marcos Gomez. Factory driver, Andrea Bertolini will round out the driver lineup of the second Scuderia Corsa Ferrari.

    "When I look at the lineup of drivers of our no. 63 and no. 64 I am very excited and motivated for Daytona," said Giacomo Mattioli, team owner of Scuderia Corsa. "Townsend, Jeff, Bill and Anthony proved to be a fast combination and we are thrilled as well to welcome back the Via Italia Ferrari! Our friends from Brazil had a very good race last year, and showed they are extremely quick. We are looking forward to provide a great show to the fans!"

    The broadcast of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will begin on Saturday, January 24 at 2:00 PM ET on FOX, before moving to FOX Sports 2 at 4:00 PM ET and FOX Sports 1 at 8:00 PM ET. The overnight hours will be streamed on IMSA.com beginning at 10:00 PM ET, before the final hours are shown on FOX Sports 1 beginning at 7:00 AM ET.
    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 Beverly Hills, Los Angeles 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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    GAVIN GIVES CORVETTE RACING FIRST ROLEX 24 POLE SINCE 2000.

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2015) – OIiver Gavin gave Corvette Racing its first pole at Daytona International Speedway since 2000, in the process extending an impressive streak that highlights the competitiveness of the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, Friday in qualifying for the 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona. With his lap of one minute, 43.488 seconds (123.840 mph) in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R, Gavin became the 12th different pole winner in 12 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship races, dating back to last year’s Rolex 24 – the inaugural TUDOR Championship event.

    “It's a very competitive class, I think they all are,” said Gavin, who earned his first TUDOR Championship pole, his 21st career in North American endurance sports car racing. “That's the depth of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship; there are plenty of great drivers and great teams out there.

    “I have to thank (teammate) Jan [Magnussen]; he towed me around a lot on that lap and helped me get this pole position, so I have to thank him for that. I tried to repay him by towing him around for a few laps. I just had a little bit of extra straight-line speed.”

    Gavin used the draft to shoot to the top of the leaderboard early in the 15-minute session, besting the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia of Gianmaria Bruni by 0.342 seconds. After leading early in the session, Bruni turned his fastest lap of 1:43.830 (123.433 mph) shortly after Gavin’s flyer, narrowly edging Pedro Lamy in the No. 98 Aston Martin Racing Gulf Aston Martin Vantage, 1:43.960 (123.278 mph).

    John Edwards qualified fourth in the No. 24 BMW Team RLL IHG Rewards Club BMW Z4 GTE, 1:43.966 (123.271 mph), making it four different automotive manufacturers in the first two rows.

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/gavin-g....JCoc9LFH.dpuf
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  5. #65
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    Start of Daytona baby..Yow!!! What a great start..Ferrari leading both GT classes...

  6. #66
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nova View Post
    Start of Daytona baby..Yow!!! What a great start..Ferrari leading both GT classes...
    Livestream link for me please
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Livestream link for me please


    http://www.radiolemans.com/


    click on the IMSA block by forum, and away you go.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

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    Scuderia Corsa Leads Throughout Opening Stages of 24 Hours of Daytona.

    Both Ferrari 458 Italias entered by Scuderia Corsa lead during opening segment of famous endurance contest.

    January 24, 2015 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) - It was a strong start to the 2015 Rolex 24 at Daytona for the pair of Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italias. From the drop of the green flag through the six-hour mark, a Scuderia Corsa Ferrari set the pace in the GT-Daytona class.

    Starting the no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia in fifth position, Daniel Serra drove to the front of the GT-Daytona field and established an early lead. Behind him, Townsend Bell advanced the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia through the field up to second position.

    The no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia cycled through its driver lineup and led throughout the first six hours. Bill Sweedler ran at the front during his stint before turning the car over to Anthony Lazzaro. Lazzaro enjoyed a spirited battle for the lead before establishing another strong lead for the N.63 Ferrari 458 Italia. Lazzaro handed the reigns over to Jeff Segal who comfortably led throughout his stint.

    "The Scuderia Corsa Ferrari was really, really good," said Segal. "We've done a lot of work to the car since the Roar and throughout the weekend to make it good, and it was excellent. All credit to the guys for giving the four of us a strong Ferrari that is very good on long runs. There were points available at the six hour mark for the Patron North American Endurance Cup, and we are now second, that is still very good for the NAEC and, of course, there is also a lot more at stake."

    As of 9:00 PM ET, Townsend Bell was in third position in the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia, while Serra was in ninth position in the no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia. Scuderia Corsa is also currently second in the patron North American Endurance Cup.

    The Rolex 24 is currently being broadcast on FOX Sports 1, and will switch to live streaming on IMSA.com at 11:00 PM ET. The final hours of the race will be broadcast on FOX Sports 1 starting at 7:00 AM ET.
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  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    http://www.radiolemans.com/


    click on the IMSA block by forum, and away you go.
    Thanks Rob!
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  10. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Thanks Rob!
    no problem my friend. Been good race.
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  11. #71
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    Sorry FratelliFerrari, I havent been online since I posted..In the US its at imsa site but off now because its on TV.
    Looks like we lost the Ferrari's in GTLM, but r running 3rd in GTD about 30 seconds behind the leader.
    Pretty good race to watch. Fisi is out, not sure what happened to us in GTLM.
    Last edited by Nova; 25th January 2015 at 14:20.

  12. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nova View Post
    Sorry FratelliFerrari, I havent been online since I posted..In the US its at imsa site but off now because its on TV.
    Looks like we lost the Ferrari's in GTLM, but r running 3rd in GTD about 30 seconds behind the leader.
    Pretty good race to watch. Fisi is out, not sure what happened to us in GTLM.
    Not really sure what happened either, yet again Ferrari gets hurt in IMSA, Vettes and BMW up front, again.

    Anyway, have asked around to see what happened.

    Good race.
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  13. #73
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    Yea, after great showing last season, I am a tad dismayed in the GTLM class.
    But we r running 3rd in GTD, we were a lap down, now it looks like we got the lap back,
    so I hope we can push it to the end. I think we may still have a chance there.
    But yea, Tudor series is run by nascar, ie: chevrolet.
    Still a good race.

  14. #74
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    One of the worse 24 hours for Ferrari, but thats what a 24 hour race sometimes does.
    4th in GTD was the best we could muster. I thought we had a chance there with 4 hours left,
    but the car kept slowing and they lost 3rd. Nice try to all of our teams and much better luck
    next race.

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    Early Exit for Tequila Patrón ESM at Rolex 24

    Gains made with new HPD coupe

    Daytona Beach, Fla. – Jan. 25, 2014 – Tequila Patrón ESM might have exited the 53rd Rolex 24 at Daytona earlier than expected, but the team is leaving with confidence in the new Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-04b coupes. Despite two DNFs on the official results, the team has more experience with the new cars that can be used as preparation for the next race at Sebring International Raceway in March.

    The No. 1 Tequila Patrón HPD of Scott Sharp, Ryan Dalziel and David Heinemeier Hansson started from the 16th position. Since the team did not participate in qualifying on Thursday, the IMSA rule book states the team must start at the end of the Prototype and Prototype Challenge categories. The No. 1 suffered an issue in the bell housing during Thursday’s morning practice that prevented it from participating in qualifying.

    The No. 1 Tequila Patrón crew installed a new bell housing and engine early Friday morning just in time to turn laps in the final practice session. By the time the green flag dropped on Saturday morning, there were less than two hours of Daytona track time on the No. 1 race car.

    Dalziel started the race and reached eighth position in 32 minutes. He ran for nearly two hours before a scheduled driver change to Sharp, as the No. 1 team double-stinted the early hours of the race. Sharp ran nearly two hours before turning the car over to Heinemeier Hansson in third position. Heinemeier Hansson kept the team running in the top-10, two laps behind the leaders.

    Dalziel started his second stint in eighth place and two laps down. In an impressive triple stint late into Saturday, three caution periods and quick-thinking pit strategies enabled Dalziel to advance into the top-five. Dalziel pitted while in second place for Sharp to begin his second stint.

    Sharp was shuffled back in the field during the pit stop. During his triple stint, two more caution periods and pit stop strategies allowed him to regain laps and track position, and be credited with leading one lap during the race. It marked the first time the HPD coupe led a race lap. Sharp kept his top-five run throughout the remainder of his stint.

    Heinemeier Hansson started his second stint of the race shortly after 12:30 a.m., and ran a double. Near the halfway point of the race, Heinemeier Hansson spun in Turn 3 and made contact with the tire barrier, but was able to free himself from the barrier and rejoin the race. Following a quick caution, Heinemeier Hansson was behind a competitor car that checked-up on a restart. Heinemeier Hansson also checked-up, locked the tires and made contact with the wall. He drove to the garage for the team to replace the damaged nose. A driver change to Dalziel was made upon repair completion.

    Dalziel returned to the race and several laps later reported to the crew there was an issue with the gearbox. Dalziel brought the No. 1 car to the garage and the team disassembled the race car and determined there was a problem with the transmission. The team attempted to repair the damaged gearbox, but upon further inspection, the team opted to retire from the race at 5 a.m. to prevent further damage to the car.

    Despite the early retirement, the No. 1 Tequila Patrón team made considerable progress with the new HPD and ultimately led the race in the competition debut of the HPD coupe.

    The race ended much sooner for the No. 2 Tequila Patrón HPD team of Ed Brown, Johannes van Overbeek and Jon Fogarty.

    In the opening stint, van Overbeek advanced from the 12th starting position to sixth place. He pitted once for fuel and tires and then strategically pitted under caution for fuel. Approximately 40 minutes later, van Overbeek radioed the crew about oil pressure drops. He slowed on the track and was instructed by the crew to take the car to the garage.

    The No. 2 crew diagnosed the issue as a systems failure that caused the race car to lose power and retired from the race after one hour and 43 minutes.

    Although neither Tequila Patrón HPD completed the 24 Hours at Daytona, the team walks away from Daytona with a better understanding of the new racing machines.

    Round 2 of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and second race of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup takes place during the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida at Sebring International Raceway on March 18-21, 2015.





    SCOTT SHARP

    “I had a great triple stint and got in a good groove with the car. Sometimes you get into that rhythm and you can do almost anything with it. The car ran pretty good. Unfortunately we had some contact with the car, which resulted in a gearbox problem. At the end of the day, we had plenty of issues and we did not want to further damage the race car.

    “When we started the race and the way the cards have been dealt to us with the new car, this was a 24-hour test and we made it 13 hours. There were a lot of bright spots along with some things we need to improve upon. We have a car that is damaged in a lot of little areas, and we need to go home and regroup at this point.

    “We were much more competitive than we expected. We know there are areas that we need to work on and further develop. The Rolex 24 At Daytona was really the first true test for this car. There are a lot of positives, but we also have a lot of work ahead of us.

    “The entire Tequila Patrón ESM team has given an unbelievable and relentless effort the last few days. Thanks to all the engineers and crew members for getting us to the Rolex 24. We’re looking forward to Sebring and other races this year.”

    ED BROWN

    “Thank you to the entire Tequila Patrón ESM team for their tireless efforts this weekend. They have worked non-stop since the first coupe arrived in December, through the Roar and all this weekend at the Rolex. We knew the Rolex 24 would be a tough event – on man and machine.

    “We definitely have one of the hardest working crews in the paddock and they pulled out all the stops to get us ready for each session, qualifying and the race. These guys are amazing. I just wish we could have given them a solid finish to reward their efforts.

    “We had reasonable expectations heading into this race. We’re disappointed in the result, but we’re appreciative of what we learned about the coupes this weekend. The No. 1 car ran strong and up front, so we know we have what it takes to get to the front of the field. We have some improvements and changes ahead of us. We’ll take these next few weeks and prepare for Sebring.”

    JOHANNES VAN OVERBEEK

    “This is an unfortunate end to our Rolex 24. It was a beautiful day for racing. There’s a great field of drivers and great crowd at Daytona. Ed, Jon and I were looking forward to a nice long race. Sadly, we lost power in the Honda. We’re not sure what happened yet. We’ll dig into it and figure it out. We need to regroup and get some more work done before Sebring.

    “Developing a new car is challenging. To get everything to work together harmoniously for each practice session and a 24-hour race is a big undertaking. HPD, Wirth Research and the Tequila Patrón ESM crew have worked countless hours to get us here. We’re happy that we made the race with two cars.

    “The stint was very challenging; I just had to be gentle with the car. Then coming out of the bus stop, I heard a flutter and then there was an alarm, so I shut it off. Sadly, we’re done.

    “We learned a lot this weekend. We have plenty of time to work out the new car before Sebring.”

    RYAN DALZIEL

    “The car was good. We made some changes from Friday’s practice. It seemed like we could run with the leaders especially my first stint. I was happy with both my stints. It was really great to see the Tequila Patrón car run up front with the difficult month that the guys have had building the cars.

    “We were on the lead lap at Hour 12, and in the top-five for a good chunk of the race. For a car that’s 10 days old, that’s pretty incredible. I feel bad for the guys that we couldn’t see it out these last few hours. We came here expecting a 24-hour test.

    “At this point, there is more for us to gain by going back to the shop, regrouping and coming back stronger at Sebring. Massive credit to everyone on the team; I think it was a phenomenal show from everybody. The car showed pace and reliability, and that’s some of the biggest hurdles. We’ll keep working on it and be stronger at the next one.”

    JON FOGARTY

    “It was a disappointing day for Tequila Patrón ESM here at Rolex 24. We were really hoping for a much longer race to get to know these HPD coupes a little better.

    “Huge thanks to the crew for all their efforts this weekend. The guys pulled long hours and did everything they could to get us ready for the race.

    “I’ve learned over the years that this can be a tough and unforgiving race. I’m certainly not going to give up on winning at the Rolex 24 and I know Tequila Patrón ESM won’t either.

    “It was great to see the No. 1 team run as long as they did and near the front of the field. We have a bit of work to do before Sebring, but I’m confident that we’ll be ready to go.”

    DAVID HEINEMEIER HANSSON

    “You kind of have to dance the car at the edge to make it turn. That’s fine and fun as long as you catch it every time. Then the few times you don’t catch it, it isn’t that fun.

    “The HPD coupe is brand new to everyone and after my last few seasons in a GT car, I have a slightly steeper learning curve. I’m learning and adapting to the nuances of the HPD coupe.

    “It was a strong effort by the entire Tequila Patrón ESM team this week. The crew worked hard to get us a race car to last the entire race. I wish we could have had a better showing for the coupe, but we learned new things about the car that we can apply to the entire season. It would have been nice to complete the race, but we were in the top-five and top-10 for the majority of the race. I see the potential in this car. We have some work ahead of us, but we have a foundation and we’ll improve from there.”

    Last edited by Rob; 26th January 2015 at 18:59.
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  16. #76
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    Onroak Automotive Release – 26 January 2015
    Rolex 24 at Daytona – Daytona International Speedway – 22-25 January

    The MSR Ligier JS P2, the quickest car in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the fastest time in practice, qualifying and the race!


    The Ligier JS P2 made a big impact on its first outing in the legendary Daytona 24 Hours by its performance and its speed! Krohn Racing and Michael Shank Racing, the first two American teams to run the Ligier JS P2s, confirmed the potential of the Onroak Automotive chassis this weekend even if racing incidents meant that the final results didn’t quite live up to expectations.

    The no. 60 Ligier JS P2 entered by Michael Shank Racing powered by the Honda engine set the quickest time in each of the four free practice sessions followed by pole position in qualifying, and then clinched the fastest lap in the race itself in 1m 39.576sec on lap 598.

    The no. 60 MSR Ligier JS P2-Honda started from pole and matched the pace of the leaders holding on to its place in the top 5 during the first 11 hours of the race. Unfortunately, after a restart in the coolness of the night the no. 60 Ligier JS P2-Honda went off and hit a tyre wall.

    This incident forced the car to pit, which cost the team five laps, the time it took to carry out repairs to the front end of the Ligier JS P2. Then a few hours later as the team was looking to pull back laps it had to come in again for 36 minutes after the a-arm on the left-hand front suspension bent most probably due to damage in the earlier impact.

    Despite these incidents and the car’s sixth place in the prototype category, the event confirmed the enormous potential of Michael Shank Racing and their new Ligier JS P2-Honda.

    After very encouraging free practice sessions and sixth place in qualifying followed by a searing pace in the race the Krohn Racing Ligier JS P2-Judd had to retire after 172 laps. This premature end to its race was due to engine failure and the team will find out the reasons before coming back even stronger at Sebring.


    Jacques Nicolet, Onroak Automotive President:
    “Even if the final result in the race is a bit frustrating this weekend at Daytona was extremely positive. Krohn Racing and Michael Shank Racing, two new teams who have put their trust in us, posted excellent performances with the fastest laps in each session and a very strong pace in the race itself. It’s very encouraging for the rest of the season, and the work carried out by IMSA on the BoP has borne fruit. We’re delighted with the positive feedback from the teams and the satisfaction expressed by the drivers concerning our car. We’re going to continue backing them and working together: we hope to be on the podium at Sebring!”
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    DISAPPOINTING ENDING FOR RISI COMPETIZIONE

    The No. 62 Risi Competizione team and its Ferrari F458 Italia had a strong run and stayed atop the GTLM class leader board in the Rolex 24 At Daytona until just before the 11-hour mark when an electrical engine misfire problem caused the Ferrari team to retire.

    Pierre Kaffer led for multiple laps during a hard-fought night-time stint, before the Ferrari suffered an electrical misfire on Lap 310 while leading, which required a visit to the Risi garage for assessment. After nearly 30 minutes of analysis by the Risi and Michelotto (Ferrari’s GT engine builder) engineers and management, the Risi Competizione Team retired due to an electrical misfire at approximately 1:10 a.m. EDT.

    Pierre Kaffer, Giancarlo Fisichella and Oliver Beretta were all GTLM class leaders during the highly competitive 11 hours they were on track. The three drivers led in class for a total of 50 of 310 laps.

    Rick Mayer, race engineer, No. 62 Ferrari F458 Italia:

    “We had a misfire that we couldn’t easily diagnose. We still haven’t really sorted it out. We tried changing the spark plugs and the coil packs, which are the simple things. We tried all the ECUs and all the different recovery positions on the controllers and none of that fixed a bad misfire. The data says there’s something in the left bank that’s not correct. Michelotto is confident it’s an electrical thing and not a mechanical thing in the engine. Changing an electrical loom would take hours and we don’t feel going back out thirty, forty or fifty laps down would give us any chance of finishing well and it doesn’t make sense to waste the resources just to pound around. In our position, there isn’t really a win for us if we don’t place well. It just doesn’t make sense for us so unfortunately we are going to have to retire the car.”

    Dave Sims, team manager, No. 62 Ferrari F458 Italia:

    “We think it’s the chassis loom. Something on the left hand side of the electric. So, at the point where we said we’d go out, we were already over 20 laps down, we knew we couldn’t do it. Because it would take a couple of hours to fix and a lot of money to basically go nowhere, so there’s no point in doing it”

    Pierre Kaffer, driver, No. 62 Ferrari F458 Italia:

    What was the first inclination that there was something wrong?
    “It was a big shame! At the moment I am very frustrated. I think we did a very good job and made everything perfect before the race. I am so sad for the boys; they really deserved it. For me it was really exciting to drive this race and I think the GTLM class is a very nice class. You need to keep an eye on it and especially with what happened with us. I lost some power on the straight to the ‘bus stop’ and there was a strange noise in the engine so I decided to pit straight away. Unfortunately, we cannot fix this problem and so we have to stop. It’s not a good start to the season and we were thinking something else, but now we will have to stick together and we have to do better in Sebring.”

    They kept you in the car for a long time. What were they checking on?

    “We checked the spark plugs. We thought maybe one spark plug had failed, but it could also be the injector. To change the injector is a big job and it’s not possible to change it in 10 minutes and so right now we decided to stop. It’s a shame for Ferrari, Risi, Giuseppe, and the whole world.”





    Olivier Beretta, driver, No. 62 Ferrari F458 Italia:

    How was your stint and battling it out with the Corvette?

    “Well the Corvette team is very strong and so is Risi. At that level everyone is very professional and I had a good time with the Corvette fight. It was out and clean and stayed like this until the end of my first stint. My problem was on the re-start, I got stuck in the traffic with a PC and could not overtake it. I lost a lot of time but the race is still very long and the car is strong.”

    Unfortunately, his words did not hold true as the Risi team retired 63 laps later.

    In other news, Risi Competizione collected three points, out of a possible five, for the first 6-hour award segment towards the IMSA Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup year-long championship. The points are awarded for certain hourly intervals at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 6 Hours at Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans.

    The next race for Risi Competizione is the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, March 18 – 21, 2015.
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    Scuderia Corsa Shows Speed at Daytona

    Pair of Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italias take turns leading Rolex 24 at Daytona, sit second in Patron North American Endurance Cup.

    January 25, 2015 (Daytona Beach, Fla.) - Throughout the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the pair of Scuderia Corsa Ferraris - the red no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia and the Brazilian-flag liveried no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia - took turns leading the competitive GT-Daytona class.

    The final stretch of the endurance classic would prove to be troublesome for the team. While running in fourth place, the no. 64 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia that was being driven by Francisco Longo and shared with Daniel Serra, Marcos Gomes and Andrea Bertolini, went off track and had an incident after hitting oil on the circuit. The incident led to heavy damage to the rear of the car and, as a result, the car was retired. From the drop of the green and throughout the night, the car was consistently at the front of the GT-D field.

    Also taking turns at the front of GT-D was the no. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia. The car, which will be run for the whole TUDOR United SportsCar Championship by Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell, also took several turns leading the field. Shared for this race by Anthony Lazzaro and Jeff Segal, the Ferrari captured the second NAEC segment and finished second in two of them. However, the car had a mechanical issue that slowed her down significantly in the final stages and finished the race in sixth position.

    "It is tough to do so well throughout the race and then not have the result that you know the team is capable of," said Sweedler. "But there are a lot of positives that we can take away from this race. Our Ferrari was very fast - we worked on it quite a bit throughout the week and made a lot of progress to make a very good race car. The NAEC is very important to us as well, and sitting second in that championship is also a great way to start the year. It's a good start to our relationship with Scuderia Corsa and we'll be prepared for Sebring."

    "I had a great first stint to start the race and a good turn at the lead of the field during the night," said Bell. "Unfortunately, it just wasn't our day. The Ferrari was extremely competitive and the four of us drivers worked very well together to get the car to a point that it was very good in all conditions during the day and during the night. We have good points with the NAEC and we'll be ready for Sebring."

    The day was a rollercoaster for Scuderia Corsa team owner Giacomo Mattioli, who was taking part in his third Rolex 24 at Daytona.

    "Our result is a little bit disappointing, but I was proud to see our two Ferraris battling for the lead and to witness the effort of our entire team during this very long race" said Mattioli. "I can see the talent and the determination from our guys to win here, but it seemed that wasn't meant to be for us this year. But, on a positive note, our drivers and team are in a good position in the NAEC. We are now looking forward to Sebring as well as the rest of the year."

    The next round of the TUDOR Championship as well as the NAEC is the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring on March 21 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida.
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    AMERICAN ENGINE MANUFACTURERS SWEEP ROLEX 24 CLASSES.

    NOTES AND QUOTES FROM THE 53RD ROLEX 24 AT DAYTONA.

    Believe it or not, Sunday’s finish of the Rolex 24 At Daytona marked the first time in the 53-year history of the event that American engine manufacturers won every class.

    Ford scored its sixth overall victory in the Rolex 24, Corvette Racing won in GT Le Mans (GTLM), and Dodge Viper prevailed in GT Daytona (GTD). In addition, Chevrolet also won in Prototype Challenge (PC), as the engine provider in that spec class.

    Ford went back-to-back in 1965-66, with Lloyd Ruby and Ken Miles winning in a GT40, and Rob Dyson won in 1997 and 1999 in a Ford-powered Riley & Scott Mk III. Ford’s other victory was in the 50th anniversary race in 2012 with Michael Shank Racing.

    It was also a milestone for the Ford EcoBoost V6, which powered the winning Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Riley in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida last March.

    “It was a great day for Ford and a great day for Ganassi,” said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development and Chief Technical Officer, who accepted the Rolex 24 Manufacturers Trophy. “We had a great car and great drivers. And, of course, we had really great power, reliability and fuel economy out of the EcoBoost. It’s just a great testament to the entire team. I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

    Chevrolet now has 20 class victories in the Rolex 24. Production Corvettes have nine of them, most recently in 2002 with the Flis Brothers Spirit of Daytona in American GT. A Corvette CT-R won overall in 2001, although the winning No. 2 was upstaged by the fourth place (second in GTS) No. 3 Corvette with a lineup including Dale Earnhardt and Dale Jr.

    Fifteen years after scoring an upset overall victory in the 2000 Rolex 24, Dodge Viper returned to the top step of the podium at Daytona. Kuno Wittmer – the 2014 GTLM champion left rideless when the SRT factory program ended – joined Dominik Farnbacher, Ben Keating, Al Carter and Cameron Lawrence in winning GTD honors in the No. 92 TI Automotive/ ViperExchange.com Viper GT3-R. Without factory backing, TI Automotive and Riley Motorsports pulled together to field a two-car team for the event.

    BMW Motorsports changed the numbers of its BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTLMs in recognition of its first race in North America. Brian Redman and Hans Stuck were among the winners of the 1975 Sebring event in a No. 25 BMW CSL. Sunday, the No. 25 of Dirk Werner, Bill Auberlen, Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler came within .478 seconds of an anniversary victory for BMW.

    BMW qualified second and third in its 1975 debut at the Rolex 24, and dominated the early stages of the race until both cars broke connecting rods. The German manufacturer came back and won Daytona the following year, with Redman teaming up with Peter Gregg and Brumos Racing.

    Defending GTD champion Turner Motorsport was forced to make two complete transmission swaps early in the race that cost the team more than 100 laps. The team persevered, and was rewarded by a 12th-place finish for the No. 97 Alvarez & Marsal BMW Z4 co-driven by Michael Marsal, Marcus Palttala, Boris Said and Andy Priaulx.

    “The car was great once we got it going,” Marsal said. “You hate to start your race 100 laps down, but we knew we needed to get the drive time in and every lap we could bank to try and make up positions with attrition. We were hoping to maybe squeak in for a top 10 but it just didn’t happen. It wasn’t our weekend, but I’m really looking forward to Sebring and the rest of the season.”

    On the eve of the Rolex 24, Alex Job won the Rolex Bob Snodgrass Award of Excellence at the Grand Marshal Dinner. This is awarded annually to a team owner, or manager, who has demonstrated the qualities of integrity, passion for the sport of automobile racing and an infinite love of cars, traits lived by the late owner of Brumos Racing. Other winners of the award – supported by Gorsline Company – were Bob Stallings (2010), Joe Sahlen (2011), Peter Baron (2012) and John Stevenson (2013).

    The 2015 class for the Motorsports Hall of Fame is well grounded in the Rolex 24 history books.

    Lloyd Ruby won the 2,000-kilometer Daytona Continental in 1965 and returned the following year to win Daytona’s first 24-hour race, both times with Ken Miles in a Ford GT40. Mark Martin and Tommy Kendall co-drove to the GTS victory and finished third overall for Jack Roush in 1995 – teaming with Paul Newman. Martin also scored GT class victories for Roush in 1989 and 1991. While unable to drive in the event, supercross legend Ricky Carmichael tested a Daytona Prototype at Daytona for Spirit of Daytona.

    Ruby, Martin, Kendall and Carmichael join a group that will be inducted on June 18 at Detroit’s Fillmore Theater – the final Michigan ceremony before the hall moves to Daytona in 2016.

    One year ago, Mazda launched its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) program at DeLand High School at the community 20 miles west of Daytona International Speedway. Last week, Mazda celebrated its anniversary by returning to DeLand and also visiting Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, with a pair of programs at both schools.

    Mazda’s Kyle Kimball and SpeedSource Mazda Prototype driver Joel Miller reached out to nearly 1,000 students, showing practice applications for the four STEM elements to the team’s racing program, along with presenting employment opportunities related to motorsports using skills learned in the four subjects.

    For science, Kimball traced the path to cooking oil used to make French fries at Chic-Fil-A to the clean diesel fuel that powers the Mazda Prototype. For technology, Miller explained that 100-percent of the teams race cars were designed on a computers, and allowed students to have a “hands on” feel for the car’s $8,000 steering wheel. Using a large fan, students were treated to a visual demonstration of how a rear wing works in air flow. Miller also solved several math problems, showing how to plot the car’s fuel use and how many feet a team loses due to one extra second on a pit stop.

    “What is the most important element of the four stem components, science, technology, engineer or math,” Kimball challenged the students. “The answer is people.”


    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/america....gbHS7Qir.dpuf
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    CIRCUIT DES 24 HEURES TRACK UPGRADES

    As part of its commitment to provide the best and safest facilities and track to its competitors, the Circuit des 24 Heures is pressing ahead with its programme of upgrades. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is of course the linchpin of the World Endurance Championship and will be the third round of the 8-race series.

    Part of the grass verges at Mulsanne corner and in the Porsche curves will be removed and extra kerbs will be added - this should help prevent cars skidding off, particularly when it is wet and the grass becomes an ice-rink!

    Other work is also planned at the Porsche curves which is one of the drivers’ favourite parts of the circuit. On the left-hand side of the first curve, the gravel trap will be widened by 30 metres and a concrete-surfaced section will be put in front of it. As a result, the spectators area will be moved back. The crash barriers will also be placed to give drivers better visibility of the corners ahead. On the right-hand side, a 'SAFER' (soft-wall) barrier will be installed against the concrete slabs at the first of the curves, while a high-grip surface will be added alongside the track in the second part of the curves.

    This work will be carried out during the first quarter of 2015. In March 2015, the track will be resurfaced in the Dunlop chicane area, again to improve grip and downforce.
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  21. #81
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    ByKOLLES Racing Announces LMP1 Entry Into 2015 FIA WEC

    ByKOLLES Racing has announced its entry application in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship in LMP 1 with the 2015 version of the CLM P1, all mention of Lotus now removed from the team.

    The team say that the car will feature a new gear box, new front and rear suspension, aerodynamic modifications and performance upgrades throughout, including significant weight reductions for 2015.

    Commenting on the season ahead, ByKOLLES Director of Operations, Boris Bermes said: “We learnt a lot last year, we faced many challenges but we made very good progress against the odds however we were aware that significant improvements needed to be made for the 2015 season. The team has worked hard since the end of least season to produce, what I believe to be a highly competitive car. As always, I’m cautiously optimistic about this year but let’s see what testing brings.”

    In addition to technical upgrades, the CLM P1 will feature a dramatic aesthetic overhaul featuring a striking new yellow, black and grey livery. The new colour scheme in part down to a new partnership with Austrian based sports sponsorship company YELLOWWINGS.

    Dr Colin Kolles said: “Our new partnership enables companies with smaller budgets or new start-ups to become involved in the exciting world of motorsport. YELLOWINGS simple yet brilliant technology opens the doors to an area formerly the reserve of big-budget businesses and gives organisations greater accessibility to this proven brand communications platform.

    “I believe that anything that brings new partners and revenue to our industry
is a good thing for the sport overall.”

    The new CLM P1/01 will be unveiled ahead of the official pre-season test session at Paul Ricard in March. Further driver and sponsor announcements will be made in due course.
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    FORD ECOBOOST POWERS CHIP GANASSI RACING TO ROLEX 24 VICTORY.

    "STAR CAR" DRIVEN BY NASCAR'S MCMURRAY, LARSON, INDYCAR'S KANAAN, DIXON WINS


    Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates’ “Star Car” lived up to its billing in the 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona. With a lineup of IndyCar’s Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan joined by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regulars Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson, the No. 02 Target Ford EcoBoost/Riley prevailed in a hard-fought battle with Action Express Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing to win the opening round of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

    The race came down to a seven-minute, 30-second sprint to the finish, with Dixon holding off defending race winner Sebastien Bourdais by 2.267 seconds at the checkered flag.

    The victory enabled McMurray to join A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and Rolex 24. Dixon won the Rolex 24 for the second time – winning in the Ganassi No. 02 in 2006 – while Kanaan and Larson joined McMurray in winning the event for the first time. It was Ganassi Racing’s sixth Rolex 24 triumph in 12 attempts.

    “It takes a team of people, it takes a team of drivers,” car owner Chip Ganassi said. “I think the 01 car had a great team, as well. They had just as much of a shot.”

    The race shaped up as a shootout between Dixon and Jordan Taylor. However, a miscalculation over the latter’s driving time brought the No. 10 Konica Minolta Corvette DP to the pits during the final caution. Ricky Taylor took over, served a penalty for pitting out of sequence and finished third, giving the team its third consecutive podium in the event.

    Bourdais moved into second in the closing minutes but could not challenge Dixon, joining Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi in giving the 2014-winning No. 5 Mustang Sampling Corvette DP a second-place finish.

    The latter half of the race was a four-car, back-and-forth battle among the eventual top-three finishers and the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Riley of Scott Pruett, Joey Hand, Charlie Kimball and Sage Karam throughout the final 12 hours. However, clutch problems with two hours, 30 minutes remaining dropped the No. 01 car from contention, ending Pruett’s bid to become the lone six-time overall winner of the Rolex 24.

    Attrition thinned the Prototype field, with retirements including both Tequila Patrón ESM Honda HPD ARX entries and the two SpeedSource SKYACTIV Diesels, in addition to the Krohn Racing Ligier/Judd, DeltaWing DWC13, and Starworks Motorsport Dinan BMW/Riley.

    NEWS AND NOTES

    · The race opened the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, featuring the four endurance races on the TUDOR Championship schedule. With points scored at six-hour segments, the No. 02 Ganassi entry led only the final period to score 16 points, one more than Wayne Taylor Racing.

    · The race proved to be a long uphill battle for the No. 31 Whelen Engineering/Team Fox Corvette DP after Max Papis went to the garage for 17 laps with steering problems early in the second hour. It was a struggle the rest of the way for Dane Cameron, Eric Curran, Phil Keen and Papis, as the Action Express team was rewarded with a fifth-place finish, 19 laps down.

    · Tom Long recorded a pair of firsts early in the race when he led a lap in the No. 07 SpeedSource Mazda Prototype. It marked the first lap led for a diesel-powered car at the Rolex 24, and also the first overall lap led for Mazda in the history of the event.

    QUOTEBOARD



    Jamie McMurray, Driver – No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Target Ford EcoBoost/Riley

    “I saw Chip walk in here just a second ago, and I told him after the race was over, we have shared some of the most special memories of my life together, some of the greatest days, with the exception of getting married and having kids, I've shared with Chip Ganassi and Felix. It's been great. Victory Lane at Daytona has been very special for us with the Daytona 500, and this is a big deal for me because these cars are so much different than what Kyle and I typically drive.”

    Christian Fittipaldi, Driver – No. 5 Action Express Racing Mustang Sampling Corvette DP

    “One position shy, but we’ll take it because from the get-go we never had a perfect car, and we were struggling with it during the whole race. This race is a lot of effort, because you’re pretty much preparing yourself the whole year for it – and everyone that’s here obviously wants to win. The Ganassi boys had a perfect run. Let’s move on to the next one.”

    Scott Pruett, Driver – No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Ford EcoBoost/Riley

    “(This is not) the way we thought this was going to end. We thought it was going to be an epic battle the last three hours with the 10, the 5 and the 02. I’m really just disappointed for all the guys. All the effort and energy that goes into getting here; all the work, all the countless nights of lost sleep. Just all the dedication these guys put in. The engine, I can’t say enough about Ford. The EcoBoost engine ran flawlessly. It was incredible.”

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/ford-ec....OgVDBXfV.dpuf
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    Rob, when can we expect to see the new livery of the AF Corse cars?
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  24. #84
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Rob, when can we expect to see the new livery of the AF Corse cars?
    i have asked, if there will be and couple other things i have asked.
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    THROWBACK THURSDAY: MOMO FERRARI WON DAYTONA, SEBRING IN 1998.

    Painted in the distinctive red with yellow trim of his Italian racing equipment company MOMO (for Moretti-Monza), Gianpiero Moretti is well remembered for his race cars of the Eighties and Nineties.

    Moretti was a fierce competitor, with his cars including the Porsche 935 and Porsche 962.

    The paint scheme debuted in the 1978 Six Hours of Talladega IMSA Camel GT Challenge, where the No. 30 MOMO Porsche 935 qualified fourth. In upcoming years, the scheme adorned many cars, including the Porsche 935, Porsche 962, Nissan NTP, Ford/Alba, Buick/March and the Audi/Gephart. While similar, the schemes changed from season to season, always different and personally designed by Moretti.

    But the car Moretti is best remembered for is his Ferrari 333SP. And if one race stands out, it was the 1998 Rolex 24 At Daytona, when his perseverance finally paid off. A further reward came only a few weeks later when Moretti won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring – the last time a driver and team doubled up in America’s premier endurance races.

    Moretti first raced in the Rolex 24 in 1970, running with an underfunded Ferrari team. In 1979, his Jolly Club Porsche 935 started on the pole and led the race before blowing its engine.
    After coming so close, winning the Rolex 24 became his personal quest – and the source of annual frustration.

    With the coming of the IMSA World Sports Car in 1994, Moretti persuaded Ferrari that could race in America under the new formula – and win Daytona. The result was the Ferrari 333SP. The car proved to be a game changer. Prepared by Kevin Doran and driven by Moretti and Formula One veteran Eliseo Salazar, the car first appeared three races into the 1994 campaign and finished in the top two in all seven starts – winning three of them.

    “Driving the MOMO Ferrari was one of the highlights of my 40-year career,” said Salazar, who finished eighth in GT Daytona in a TRG Aston Martin in the recent Rolex 24. “To drive with the Prancing Horse on the steering wheel is very special. It was a great year – our worst result was second. It was great to be with Gianpiero Moretti, one of the stalwarts of racing with his brand, showcasing motor racing to the world.”

    For 1995, Moretti teamed with Wayne Taylor, the defending World Sports Car champion. They won two races, but failed to finish at Daytona.

    Young Massimiliano Papis – an Italian with limited Formula One experience on his resume – joined Moretti in 1996, and nearly brought him his coveted watch. Papis put on a thrilling charge, closing to within 65 seconds of Taylor’s Oldsmobile at the checkered flag in the closest Rolex 24 finish at the time. Nicknamed “Mad Max” for his charge, Papis went on to win three races with Moretti that season.

    “The Ferrari 333SP, together with my Champ Car days, was absolutely the best car I drove in my career,” Papis said. “It had everything that a race car driver wanted: an amazing sound, a V-12 behind you, lots of downforce, really wide tires, low profile – and it was red.

    “Gianpiero was as everyone should be in motor racing,” Papis added. “He loved the sport, and he did it all the time with a smile on his face. He was a tough guy, but he was very capable of giving you satisfaction. To me, I came to realize want a special person that he was. When you talked to Gianpiero, I like it was going back 40 years in time and talking to a pioneer of the sport, he had such a love for racing, and he loved to keep things simple. He is definitely one of the people I miss the most in racing nowadays.”

    Andrea Montermini drove for the team in 1997, winning three races but finishing seventh overall at Daytona.

    Moretti knew that his time was running out to win at Daytona. For 1998 – his 15th attempt at Daytona – the 57-year-old planned to drive two stints, and then let teammates Arie Luyendyk, Mauro Baldi and Didier Theys race for the win. The event came down to a battle between the MOMO Ferrari and the defending Dyson Racing Riley & Scott Mk III of Butch Leitzinger, John Paul Jr., Rob Dyson and Perry McCarthy. When that car had major problems shortly after 9 a.m., the MOMO Ferrari had a commanding lead. With time running out, Moretti decided to get back in for the final stint.

    “I thought, I want to see a picture of my car – me inside – winning Daytona,” he said.

    Moretti went on to win by eight laps, and the story of him winning after years of trying made national news. His victory was not lost on NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt, who used Moretti as inspiration to come back two weeks later to win the Daytona 500 on his 19th try.

    “It was a great cap on a great career for Gianpiero – it was fun to make that happen for a guy who’s been racing for about 35 years,” said Doran, who continues to field cars in the TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge. “Winning the Rolex 24 was his drive in motorsports. It was fun to see that come to a successful conclusion after all those years of trying.”

    “With all the money I have spent at Daytona, I could have bought 1,000 Rolexes easily,” said Moretti, the first and only drive to compete in 150 IMSA Camel GT races. “But I wanted to win this race.”

    Moretti had said he would quit if he won Daytona. However, he went on to win the Twelve Hours of Sebring and raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans before returning to Italy – wearing his Rolex – to enjoy the memories of his racing career.

    Moretti passed away on Jan. 14, 2012 – two weeks before the 50th Rolex 24.

    Race cars continue to carry the traditional MOMO livery in IMSA TUDOR Championship and Porsche GT3 competition, keeping alive the memory of Gianpiero Moretti and one very special day in Daytona.

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/throwba....aPj3gKg2.dpuf
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  26. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    i have asked, if there will be and couple other things i have asked.
    Did you get an answer on your questions already
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  27. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Did you get an answer on your questions already
    not yet, sent the messege only 10-15 minutes ago.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  28. #88
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    NEWS ALERT
    Paris - 29 January 2015
    Hello Mr Robert Allum

    THE WAITING IS NEARLY OVER - SEVEN DAYS TO GO

    The waiting is almost over with just seven days to go before the full entry list for the 2015 World Endurance Championship is known. Audi, Porsche and Toyota will be joined in LMP1 by Nissan and Ferrari will defend their triple world title against Aston Martin and Porsche in LMGTE but who else will be joining the grid in 2015?

    On 5th February at 15h00 in Paris, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest will announce the list of entries for the European Le Mans Series, WEC and, the pinnacle of endurance, the 24 Heures du Mans.

    Thanks to Michelin, this press conference can be watched live on 24h-lemans.com, fiawec.com or europeanlemansseries.com. During these broadcasts viewers will also be able to follow live the immediate reactions of some of the major players who have been selected to race at Le Mans this year as well as compete in the highest level, the World Endurance Championship.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

  29. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    not yet, sent the messege only 10-15 minutes ago.
    Oeps sorry
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  30. #90
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Oeps sorry
    thats ok, should hear tomorrow morning.
    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

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