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Thread: 2015 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

  1. #1
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    Thumbs up 2015 WEC/ELMS&TUSC news.

    Former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil eyes WEC chance and wants to race at Le Mans.

    Former Formula 1 driver Adrian Sutil is interested in a move to the World Endurance Championship and wants to race in the Le Mans 24 Hours.

    Sutil's F1 career has stalled following Sauber's decision to replace him and 2014 team-mate Esteban Gutierrez with ex-Caterham racer Marcus Ericsson and Williams reserve driver Felipe Nasr next season.

    Ferrari recently announced that Gutierrez will become its test and reserve driver for 2015, but Sutil will likely be forced to consider options outside of F1 for next year.

    "There are plenty of opportunities in categories that are really interesting - it doesn't need to only be Formula 1," the German told AUTOSPORT.

    "I've had my normal plan disrupted so I have to look at several categories. I'm very open.

    "I look forward to whatever happens. If I don't drive next year, I'm still a happy man.

    "Maybe the year after Haas is coming to Formula 1, and this is an interesting project. The WEC could [also] be an interesting project.

    "Everyone is saying good words about it, and that's how I feel about it. The cars are quick and probably similar to Formula 1.

    "I definitely want to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans in my career, and I'm looking at certain Formula 1 drivers who did that step and are very happy.

    "There are manufacturers there and that's good for the future for a driver - you need a partner who is reliable and you can make a long-term contract [with] and then really work and improve.

    "I'm 31 and I could still go quite a few more years in Formula 1, but I've been in Formula 1 and there's a time where you have to go somewhere else."

    PREVIOUS SABBATICAL HELPS

    Sutil, who has started 128 grands prix in his career without finishing on the podium, said taking a year out of F1 previously, in 2012, has made him more relaxed about the prospect of not racing in F1 in 2015.

    "The year I had off was wonderful - it was a great time [and] maybe I'm a little bit more relaxed than other drivers," Sutil added.

    "I remember the time I was suffering in 2011, not knowing what would be in 2012.

    "I've done that now, and this experience made me a little more calm. Life goes on, I've seen it. The older you get, the more you realise."

    http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117237
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    LM24: Riley working on Le Mans Viper return
    Thursday, 01 January 2015
    By Marshall Pruett

    Chrysler may have axed its factory Dodge Viper GT racing program at the end of the 2014 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season, but if the man behind the assembly and running of the program has his way, the championship-winning coupes will be back in action later this year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
    Following the factory’s first visit to La Sarthe with the barking V10-powered GTS-Rs in 2013, RACER has learned North Carolina-based Riley Technologies is currently working on returning to France with the ex-works Vipers – this time as a privateer effort.

    “Yes, it’s true,” Bill Riley confirmed on Wednesday. “We're talking to some people about GTE Pro and GTE Am. Nothing is done, but with the Le Mans entry deadline closing in a few weeks, we need to get something going quick. We'd love to run the Vipers at Le Mans again, and these cars are too good to sit idle.”

    The Riley-led Viper program appeared halfway through the 2012 American Le Mans season, earned its first ALMS win in 2013, in addition to overcoming a steep learning curve at Le Mans, and went on to win multiple races during the inaugural TUDOR Championship season in 2014 (ABOVE), where it claimed the GTLM Drivers’ and Teams’ championships.

    Looking at how far the cars evolved from 2013 through 2014, Riley is confident the Vipers would be extremely competitive at the ACO’s signature event.

    “With Le Mans, every driver and every manufacturer needs to have their first trip there, and it isn't always what you want it to be, but we did show reliability and did have some pace,” he explained. “Since then, we've worked hard on the cars, they're now strong front-running cars in the U.S., and we're working with the ACO on the BoP to make sure the cars are strong at Le Mans. They're super reliable and fast, and we’d expect to be right in the mix with the other cars.”

    Provided the drivers and funding comes together, and their entries are accepted, Riley says they’ll head to Le Mans with the same personnel that ran the GTLM Vipers.
    “On the team side, the whole team is the same team that ran the factory cars last year,” he noted. “We've been able to keep all those guys and everybody is still in place. You want that kind of consistency with any big undertaking.”

    Pulling off a second run at Le Mans with the Vipers would be a major accomplishment for Riley, who he says he’s undaunted by the project’s scale.
    “It's completely private; Chrysler's not involved, which means we have to find the right drivers – some guys that can help make it happen, and some sponsors who are interested in being part of the biggest endurance race there is,” he said.

    “There’s nothing more I'd like to see us than us back at Le Mans, the Riley name on the entry list, and going hard with our Vipers which have been completely transformed since our first time there. It’s a pretty exciting program to put together, but we’re also getting close to the entry deadline. I’m hoping we can get everything together in time to make it happen.”
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    Risi Competizione Confirm Full IMSA Season In GTLM

    Risi Competizione endured a rollercoaster of outcomes and emotions during the inaugural Tudor United SportsCar Championship season, and after initially considering a shortened campaign in 2015, team manager Dave Sims tells Marshall Pruett, the team will return for a full season with its Ferrari F458 in the GT Le Mans category.

    “We’re working now on our plans for the Roar test next month; I put in our entry with IMSA for the year, and Giuseppe Risi’s off to Italy shortly to confirm all the aspects of the program,” he said. “We’ll do the full season, and we’re just confirming drivers at the moment.”

    Risi campaigned the #62 Ferrari last season with ex-Formula 1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella for the full championship and Pierre Kaffer at various events after Matteo Malucelli had been dropped following incidents at both Daytona and Sebring. It appears the Italian-German combination will return with another driver to be nominated.

    “Giancarlo and Pierre worked quite well together, so it looks like we’ll have them back and Mr. Risi’s working on the identity of the third driver,” Sims noted. “That driver’s TBA until he returns from Italy.”

    Sims previously mentioned Risi’s desire to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and says it remains high on the team’s list of priorities as the new season approaches.

    “We had an e-mail from IMSA saying they were going to give three invitations to their teams and that we were one of them, which obviously didn’t happen; they only gave two,” Sims explained. “We were disappointed, but Giuseppe still wants to do it, so we’ll just have to put a normal entry in and see how that goes with our friends from the ACO.”
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    What’s New in 2015? Part One, LMP1

    Once again the new year of racing is set to see a plethora of brand new machinery gracing the circuits of the world.

    Almost every major championship on the planet will feature cars that will be racing for the very first time in 2015.

    Here’s part one of a multi part summary of some of the new machinery, and the other changes we expect to see in the coming season and beyond.

    LMP1

    LMP1 is now an FIA WEC exclusive class and 2015 looks set to see the class move forward another mighty step.

    All three existing factory teams are set to make evolutionary changes to the cars for the coming FIA WEC season.

    Audi (2 cars confirmed, 3 for Le Mans)

    Audi took a conservative approach to 2014 that paid off at Le Mans, but that left the team struggling later in the season as the inherent pace in the Toyota and Porsche packages was unlocked.

    The choice, partially enforced by the underperformance of a planned second ERS system, going for a less high-powered hybrid system caught out Audi as the year progressed. The bigger problem though, was the equivalency between their diesel primary motive power units and the petrol fuelled engines of their opposition.

    Worse still the regulations, which Audi were a willing signatory to, lock in that equivalency until after Le Mans 2015.

    Audi’s choices therefore are limited: Come up with a new hybrid package or hope that lobbying might have an impact. We expect the latter choice to be the one that Audi rely upon the most.

    It’s also not beyond the realms of possibility that the background chatter, which Audi have not been working too hard to rebut, linking the longtime sports car loyalists to a potential near future Formula One programme, might just be part of the sports politics being employed here!

    2015 will see a revised R18 e-tron quattro, just how ‘revised’ and with what hybrid power output remains to be seen.

    On the driver front 2014 saw the end of great driving career, Tom Kristensen steps aside with his full season berth filled by Oliver Jarvis – the mercurial Rene Rast steps in to the third car for Spa and Le Mans.

    Nissan (2 cars confirmed, 3 for Le Mans)

    Expect the extraordinary.

    Nissan’s late 2014 hashtag “30 years of Maverick” is undoubtedly a clue that what will emerge from the mind and CFD screen of Ben Bowlby is unlikely to be easily bundled into the ‘evolutionary’ pigeonhole.

    We won’t have long to wait, with the reveal of the GTR LM set for February, to find out which of the catch all rumour merchants were correct.

    Many of those rumours ignore entirely the reality that the new Nissan must meet an LMP1 regulatory framework which dictates various dimensions within which a car must fit.

    Happily though that leaves a huge amounts of leeway for broadminded designers (and their paymasters) to exploit.

    Nissan add a further two factory cars to the FIA WEC party and an additional car for Le Mans. If they are anywhere close to the pace in this their launch and development year then we are truly set for something very, very special.

    The 10 driver squad is set to be announced in one announcement in the New Year, expect to see some surprises there, Nissan were forced to rejig their planned squad more than once, they failed to nail down a deal with Stephane Sarrazin and Ron Dennis’s elongated decision making process at McLaren also vexed the effort!

    Porsche (2 cars confirmed, 3 for Le Mans)

    The new for 2014 919 hybrid showed real speed and, as might be expected, an increasing level of reliability through its first year on track.

    A race win in Brazil in the final round of the 2014 WEC was likely more that Porsche truly expected.

    The development curve has certainly not flattened and the factory team are set to arrive in 2015 with a major evolution to the early car (still dubbed the 919) including a more capable hybrid system, potentially as much as 8 MJ.

    That aim is not without major challenges:

    It brings weight, aerodynamic challenge, cooling issues, and of course potential to stir the reliability pot too, but the capability of the Porsche team was there for all to see in 2014 and with the addition of the third car in May and June, that development curve looks set to adopt a near vertical attitude.

    The full season cars retain the same driver squads in a hugely sensible move with Nico Hulkenberg confirmed for Spa and Le Mans and a decision awaited on which of the current crop of GT drivers will get the nod, two from the trio of Michael Christensen, Fred Makowiecki and Nick Tandy seems to be the enigma! Jenson Button was never in the mix here, nor at Audi or Toyota!

    Toyota (2 cars confirmed)

    World champions in 2014 that ticks a massive box on Toyota’s racing to-do list.

    Much nonsense is spoken of Toyotas lack of long term commitments to this programme. We believe that is fundamentally not the case!

    There is certainly no risk to the Toyota LMP programme from the looming WRC commitment from the same brand. Expect to see Toyota in the WEC for several years to come.

    After the TS 040 proved to be both the quickest and ultimately the most reliable package in 2014, the Cologne based team opting for an evolutionary approach that paid massive dividends, expect to see more of the same in 2015.

    The teams stated aim to achieve 8 MJ of hybrid boost though might preclude a carryover of their highly successful supercapacitor tech.

    As above with Porsche that aim is an awful lot more than the number on a tech spec sheet.

    By now Toyota will know whether the car that we see at the Prologue test in March will be able to achieve those stated aims and whether it could achieve them with the ironclad reliability that will be required if the other big box on the to-do list is to be ticked, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    On the driver front the team will retain a very familiar look, though Nicolas Lapierre looks set to have only test and development potential in 2015, here Mike Conway will be a full season addition.

    Privateers

    Rebellion (2 cars confirmed)

    The new for 2014 Rebellion R– One started its racing career at Spa very well, with reliability but even then with a worrying lack of outright pace.

    We still don’t know what badge will be on the rear engine cover of the Rebellions in 2015. We do know that it will not be Toyota and more than one source is suggesting that it won’t be AER either!

    The very best news though is that the team’s end of year party saw confirmation of two cars for the full WEC season, Something that was in real doubt as the 2014 season came to an end.

    Whatever the engine chosen, it’s likely to be either far more efficient, or far more powerful, than the Toyota V8 which, however sonorous, was simply outclassed by the capabilities of the factory hybrids.

    Here at DSC we believe that a healthy privateer presence is a more than desirable part of the sports car racing cocktail.

    History has taught us that the truly fantastic contributions of the OEM factory teams can just as easily disappear and with very little notice.

    There is little that can be done to bridge the enormous performance gap between the privateer norm and the factory benchmark other than the rather unpalatable prospect of dramatically reeling in the factory cars.

    The Rebellions were running at very close to their minimum weight this season and it’s clear that the factoy teams still have tricks up their sleeves to increase even their epic 2014 performance levels.

    Rebellion will be hoping that the 2015 motive power choice closes the gap at least a little, and that as the factory strive for even bigger boost, there might be a commensurate impact on their race reliability.

    CLM (1 car possible)

    The Lotus LMP team were late to the party with their new AER engined non-hybrid LMP1.

    The car had a difficult genesis, little testing, and a major problem in just its second race, the first chassis all but destroyed in a fiery incident in Japan.

    The team are an enigma, unwilling to communicate with outsiders, unwilling to share even the most basic of information (including what’s CLM actually stands for!) and at this stage there is little to no information about whether the effort will return for a second season.

    If it does then the team will have to find the time and resource to establish a better basic setup because the car, however fast in a straight line, was an embarrassment in handling terms.

    All told then, With the WEC now the world’s only outlet for LMP1 racing, we are promised 10 or 11 full season cars and 13 or 14 at Le Mans with new cars, new engines, new hybrid systems and new drivers all in the mix.

    There has barely been a season in recent memory that has promised so much.

    http://www.dailysportscar.com/2014/1...-one-lmp1.html
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    Wow you are quick Rob! Thanks for the updates already and a happy new year and a wonderful season for AF Corse!
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

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    Great start to 2015 Rob..heck, I may make it up to Daytona for the 24 Hours next month.

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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Wow you are quick Rob! Thanks for the updates already and a happy new year and a wonderful season for AF Corse!
    :xmassmile:

    think we should (hope) have another strong year. Same car, same team, so fingers crossed.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nova View Post
    Great start to 2015 Rob..heck, I may make it up to Daytona for the 24 Hours next month.
    you lucky. Should head up there. Looking forward to it already.
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    VON MOLTKE, HAASE TO DRIVE PAUL MILLER RACING AUDI R8.

    BRYCE MILLER JOINS TEAM FOR PATRÓN ENDURANCE CUP, RAST FOR ROLEX 24

    PARSIPPANY, N.J. (January 2, 2015) - Paul Miller Racing confirmed today its participation in the 2015 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the full-season pairing of returning Audi Sport customer racing driver Christopher Haase with new signee Dion von Moltke for the team's No. 48 Paul Miller Racing Audi R8 LMS.

    Haase will run his second full season with Paul Miller Racing after being a primary part of the team's successful 2014 campaign in its first year of competition with Audi Sport customer racing. Haase and then full-season teammate Bryce Miller co-drove to 2014 championship runner-up honors in the GT Daytona (GTD) class and a race victory with Matt Bell in the season-ending Petit Le Mans.

    Von Moltke joins Paul Miller Racing for the first time in 2015, taking over for Bryce Miller who remains with the team as a driver in endurance races. 2015 Audi Sport driver Rene Rast also returns to Paul Miller Racing as part of the team's four-driver Rolex 24 At Daytona lineup for the second-consecutive year. Rast co-drove to a GT class victory in the 2012 Rolex 24.

    "We enjoyed racing and working closely with Audi Sport customer racing to earn some strong results in 2014 and feel very encouraged about our second season with the R8 LMS and Christopher," Paul Miller Racing Team Owner Paul Miller said. "We're delighted to have him back, he knows the tracks now and understands the team dynamic. He is obviously a huge driving talent and a great guy too, a real team player."

    Von Moltke brings extensive experience in the Audi R8 LMS to the Paul Miller team and is one of just a handful of drivers who has driven the R8 in competition every season since its North American debut in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series in 2012. He was part of the Rolex 24 GT class-winning Audi R8 team in 2013.

    "We had the opportunity to watch Dion closely throughout this past season and have to come to rate him highly as a driver," Paul Miller said. "We also rate him highly as a person, he's serious about his craft, works hard and exhibits great character. He and Christopher will be a formidable combination."

    Haase and von Moltke will compete in each of 2015's 10 IMSA TUDOR Championship GTD rounds and will be joined by Bryce Miller in the four races that make up the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Bryce Miller, Haase and the No. 48 team also earned GTD runner-up honors in the Patrón Endurance Cup in 2014.

    "Bryce will be an important part of our full endurance-race program in 2015," Paul Miller said. "He brings tons of experience and race savvy that is invaluable to our program. We are also thrilled to have a driver of Rene's considerable talent available to us again for the Rolex 24. We honestly believe that at all levels, from team to pit crew to drivers and the fantastic support of Audi Sport customer racing and the amazing Audi R8 LMS, our effort this season will be well positioned to contend for the GTD title."

    In addition to second-straight seasons with Haase and Audi Sport customer racing - and experienced drivers von Moltke, Bryce Miller and Rast - Paul Miller Racing is also returning in 2015 with 100 percent of the same pit crew and engineering staff.

    "We have always felt stability was the most important dynamic for the program," said Paul Miller Racing Team Manager Mitchell Simmons. "For the other crew members and drivers it provides a platform where we know our strengths and weaknesses. It allows us to capitalize on these strengths and continue working on the weaknesses."

    Paul Miller Racing was the top team of Audi Sport customer racing in the 2014 TUDOR Championship. Haase won the pole in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona and joined Bryce Miller for the team's first podium two races later at Laguna Seca where they finished second. The team finished third in Detroit one race later and earned another runner-up result at Indianapolis before giving Audi its only win of the season at the Petit finale.

    "I have never worked for a team more deserving of a win, and to get it at Petit was absolutely fantastic," Simmons said. "For a team that had the fifth fastest car it proved how great the crew worked together. We ran a perfect race with excellent strategy and it was a fantastic run."

    Paul Miller Racing's competition relationship with Audi Sport customer racing complements a longtime retail partnership the Paul Miller Auto Group has enjoyed with the manufacturer. The dealership group has included since 1976 Paul Miller Audi, one of the largest Audi dealerships in the nation, which made the team's on-track switch to Audi a logical decision.

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/von-mol....UUAl3Rb0.dpuf
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    Beechdean Planning Aston Martin GTE Effort

    Beechdean AMR is set to expand into the GTE ranks, with the British squad revealing plans to run an Aston Martin Vantage in a to-be-determined number of races this year.

    The Andrew Howard-owned operation, known for its success in the British GT Championship with a GT3-spec Aston, took part in several Blancpain GT Series rounds last year, including the final two Blancpain Sprint Series races of the season.

    While the 2013 British GT Champion is expected to return to the highly competitive domestic series, the remainder of the team’s program is set to be announced by the end of the month.

    According to Howard, it’s likely to include at least one European Le Mans Series round with a GTE-spec Aston (pictured above), while a partial-season effort in the FIA World Endurance Championship and trip to the 24 Hours of Le Mans may also not be ruled out, pending entry.
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    BMW DUO CHASING PRUETT'S CAREER WINS RECORD.

    AUBERLEN, LUHR SIT SECOND, THIRD ON COMBINED NORTH AMERICAN SPORTS CAR VICTORIES LIST.

    Scott Pruett solidified his position atop the all-time victory list in major North American sports car competition, winning three races in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship in 2014.

    That brought his career total to 59 victories, including 15 in the former IMSA GT/GTP series and 41 in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series.

    Next on the list are two drivers who will be united in 2015 driving for BMW Team RLL, Bill Auberlen and Lucas Luhr. Auberlen has 53 career victories, spread out over IMSA GT (19), USRRC (2), the GRAND-AM Rolex Series (27) and American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón (5).

    All but two of Luhr’s 51 victories were in the ALMS, where he recorded a series-high 49 wins.

    Next on the list are Al Holbert and Butch Leitzinger, with 49 victories, followed by Johnny O’Connell with 48. Porsche factory driver Joerg Bergmeister’s triumph in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida last March tied him with Olivier Beretta with 44 victories.

    Current Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin is ninth with 42, while teammate Jan Magnussen’s four 2014 victories tied him with Peter Gregg for 10th with 41 each.

    “It’s good for me to be so close to Pruett, because I’m only half his age,” Luhr joked. “I’ve got a long time to go to reach the same number of victories. It’s nice to have a statistic like this, but to be honest, what’s happened in the past doesn’t count for tomorrow. It’s good to be in different cars than Billy, so I can get by him next season.”

    Auberlen is one of the drivers who pays attention to the statistics.

    “One of my objectives is to try to catapult my way – with BMW – to P-1,” Auberlen said. “That would be a career achievement. I’m right near the top in poles and wins. With our program – and how hard the guys are working – I can see myself clawing my way up there. BMW builds such a competitive car that anything is possible. Being so close to Lucas, and being in different cars, it’s going to be a competitive year, even more so.

    “Why don’t you add the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge to the list?” Auberlen added. “I’ve got quite a few wins on that side, also.”

    Auberlen’s 17 victories in combined Street Stock competition would make him first on a combined list with 70 triumphs, followed by Pruett with 59 and Terry Borcheller with 52.


    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/bmw-duo....LvbJkzBs.dpuf
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    Flying Lizard Motorsports Press Release

    January 5, 2015 – Sonoma, California After a controversial second place finish at the 2014 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, Flying Lizard Motorsports has announced the driver lineup for their fight for the 2015 endurance event title. The #45 Audi R8 LMS will be driven by Japan's Tomonobu Fujii and Satoshi Hoshino, American Robert Thorne and German Markus Winkelhock.

    In the final lap of the 2014 event, the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi and the Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari were involved in an intense battle for the lead position. Given a 75 second penalty for avoidable contact, the Ferrari dropped to fourth place in the provisional results. Five hours after the Lizards celebrated their class win, the penalty was reversed, naming Level 5 as the winners.

    Hungry to reclaim the top step in 2015, the team heads to Daytona International Speedway January 9-11 to participate in the first official test of the season at the Roar Before the 24. Like the rest of the team, Program Manager Darren Law feels the events of 2014 provide even more motivation for the 2015 effort.

    "The Lizards have celebrated success at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, but we're still missing that crucial win," said Law. "We came incredibly close last year, and fully expect to be there at the end. We are back with the same crew and engineering staff as last season that took us to the podium. We're entering the next two events at Daytona International Speedway with a powerful driver lineup in Fujii, Hoshino, Thorne and Winkelhock."

    No stranger to endurance races, Audi Japan Super GT driver Tomonobu Fujii holds the 2007 Japan Le Mans Challenge LMGT1 title, the 2011 Super Taikyu Endurance Japan Champion title, and a podium at the 2013 Dubai 24 Hours. In his past ten years of experience in Super GT, Fujii picked up 8 wins and 21 podiums. After finishing 3rd and 2nd at the Super GT Sprint Grand Prix in 2010 and 2011, Fuji went on to win the event in 2012. 2015 will mark the 34-year old's first Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.

    Also new to the Rolex 24, Satoshi Hoshino brings experience of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 in GT Asia, as well as the 2014 class champion title in the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan. A professional fencer for 30 years, Hoshino is relatively new to racing, but has proven to be a quick study. In the past four race seasons, Hoshino earned 18 wins in a variety of many races around Japan.

    American Robert Thorne joins Flying Lizard Motorsport for his return to the Rolex 24, seven years after his first run at the legendary event. Thorne closed out the 2014 race season in Pirelli World Challenge with an impressive win for K-PAX Racing at Miller Motorsports Park. The 24 year old held off intense pressure from veteran Ryan Dalziel for the entirety of the race to take his second and final win of the season.

    Perhaps more hungry than anyone for the win is Markus Winkelhock, the driver who completed those intense final laps in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi in the 2014 Rolex 24. In his other run at the event in 2013, Winkelhock was running second in the final lap, close behind the class leader when his car ran out of fuel, resulting in a frustrating 15th place finish.

    "We have a renewed energy this year, even bigger than last," said Law. "We're fully confident in the effort we'll put forth for this event. Each of the drivers brings unique expertise to the table, and an event of this scale is undoubtedly a team effort. As a former driver and winner of the 24, my new management roll gives me the unique opportunity to also contribute additional insight that will prove beneficial to our success as a team. With our drivers, crew, and engineers, I feel we have a real advantage. We're excited to finally get back to the track and get testing started."

    Driver Quotes

    Tomonobu Fujii
    "I am really excited with this announcement. 24 Hours of Daytona has been my big dream. I am really thrilled to be able to work with the world-famous team "Flying Lizard Motorsport". Of course, I know a lot about their history. I would like to thank my team, sponsors and all the fans for giving me such a great chance. I well understand the great career of the team whom I race together, including Hoshino's experiences whom I join together from Japan. I have never been to Daytona International Speedway, but I really can't wait to run on the test days. I know the high performance of Audi R8 LMS in Super GT and I would like to take advantage of it in the endurance race. Thank you for your continuous support."

    Satoshi Hoshino
    "I am excited, but at the same time feel the big pressure for the great chance to race in 24 Hours of Daytona which has a long tradition. I am a bit concerned with having the least experiences among the four drivers, regardless of my age. But I am confident that I can concentrate on my job with such a great team like Flying Lizard Motorsport. I have been focusing on Porsche Carrera Cup Japan to accumulate my experiences in Japan. I would like to make the best use of these experiences and coincidentally, I already have the experience of Audi R8 LMS GT3 in GT Asia a half year ago. I would like to execute my mission and enjoy the big stage of 24 Hours of Daytona. Thank you for your continuous support."

    Robert Thorne
    "I'm very excited for the opportunity to race with Flying Lizard. They carry an extremely high level of professionalism, success, and respect. I have had the pleasure of running the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona once before in 2008, and at the time I was 17 years old and was just looking to finish. Racers Edge brought their A game, trusted me with the car, and we ran a very successful race. Now partnering with Flying Lizard, I think the goal is very clear: we are all searching for the win. I am very happy they have chosen me to help fight for the top honors and look forward to getting to know them next week at the Roar."

    Markus Winkelhock
    "After a thrilling final lap last year, unfortunately, we only finished second at the end. I am fully motivated to fight for the victory in 2015. I have great teammates and the perfect team behind me to go for my target. I always love it to come and race in Daytona with that special atmosphere."

    About Flying Lizard Motorsports
    Flying Lizard is based in Sonoma, California, and has competed in the American Le Mans Series for ten consecutive seasons, from 2004 to 2012 in the GT class and in 2013 in GTC, along with the inaugural season of the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship in the GT Daytona class in 2014. The Lizards have won two ALMS GT team championships (2008 and 2009), one ALMS GTC team championship (2013), and have secured three ALMS GT Drivers' championships (2008, 2009, and 2010). Flying Lizard has also competed in the 24 Heures du Mans from 2005 through 2012, finishing third in 2005, fourth in 2006, sixth in 2008, sixth in 2011, and fourth in 2012. Please visit the team website at www.lizardms.com and the team store at www.flyinglizardstore.com. Follow Flying Lizard Motorsports on twitter, and like us on Facebook for all team updates.

    About Audi of America and the Audi R8 LMS
    Audi began a new chapter in 2009 with the introduction of the Audi Sport customer racing program. For the first time it was possible for motorsport customers to acquire a race car designed for customer racing events. Since its inception, the success of the R8 LMS has been significant throughout the GT3 racing format worldwide, including victory in the GT class in the 2013 edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The Audi R8 LMS shares more than 50% of its parts with the Audi R8 street car including the naturally aspirated V10 5.2 Liter engine, the Audi Space Frame and a variety of other components.

    Audi of America, Inc. and its U.S. dealers offer a full line of German-engineered luxury vehicles. AUDI AG is among the most successful luxury automotive brands globally. Audi was a top-performing luxury brand in Europe during 2012, and broke all-time company sales records in the U.S. Through 2016, AUDI AG will invest about $17 billion on new products and technologies.
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    Turner Reverses Course, Announces Full-Season GTD Return

    Despite initial plans to not return full-time in 2015, Turner Motorsport will in fact return to defend its GT Daytona championship in the full TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season with a new lineup.

    “I have been working on putting this program together since the last race – I’m happy to say that everything just fell into place this past weekend – now my guys are going to have to work round the clock to get the car ready for Daytona,” said team owner Will Turner.

    Finnish ace Markus Palttala will return, while Michael Marsal will take over as the Silver-rated co-pilot in the No. 97 BMW Z4 GT3.

    “I’m especially happy to return to the Tudor Championship with Turner Motorsport and the BMW Z4 GTD No. 97,” Palttala said.

    “I love racing in the US, there are just so many great circuits and events. With everything I learned in 2014 I think Michael and I will have a good run this season and I am looking forward to another season with Turner Motorsport.”

    The 2014 GTD champion Dane Cameron moves up to Action Express Racing’s Whelen-backed Corvette DP.

    Still, the team has added an ace for the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup rounds in the form of Andy Priaulx at Daytona and Sebring.

    Priaulx raced full-time with BMW Team RLL in GT Le Mans in 2014, but will shift to a full-season European Le Mans Series effort with Marc VDS Racing Team.

    “Andy (Priaulx) is a fantastic addition to the team; the IHG® Rewards Club partnership is especially exciting for us,” Turner said.

    “Now we need to decide on our fourth driver and our driver lineup will be complete for Daytona. Fast, experienced silvers are not easy to find but I am confident that we will choose the best option in the next few days.”

    The fourth, Silver-rated driver will need to be confirmed for Daytona and Sebring. The team has also announced a two-car full season effort in Pirelli World Challenge.
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    ASTON MARTIN RACING LAUNCHES LANDMARK EVOLUTION ACADEMY

    7 January 2015, Gaydon - Aston Martin Racing is launching a young driver programme, the Evolution Academy, which offers a coveted 2016 Aston Martin Racing works driver contract to the most successful participant of the season.

    The academy, being launched at the Autosport International Show, is open to applications from drivers aged 17-25 competing in an Aston Martin racing car this season. It has been devised by the Banbury-based team to help support and develop young talent, as well as creating a breeding ground for Aston Martin Racing works drivers of the future.

    Successful applicants, limited to a maximum of ten, will be assigned a professional mentor from Aston Martin Racing’s team of top GT drivers. In addition, they will be given fitness and nutrition assessments and advice; PR, marketing and sponsorship support; training sessions in an Aston Martin Base Performance Simulator; and Evolution Academy-branded apparel including a race suit and team kit.

    At the end of the season, the most successful participant will be offered an Aston Martin Racing works driver contract for 2016.

    Applicants will be asked to send in a CV for review by a panel of senior team management including Team Principal John Gaw, who commented: “We’ve been very supportive of young drivers at Aston Martin Racing for several years now. We had seven young drivers in our team at Spa 24 Hours last year and have signed two young drivers to our works team for the past two years.

    “However, this is the first time we have offered a full programme designed specifically to develop some of the sport’s top upcoming stars, focusing not just on on-track activities but all areas required to become a successful driver with a long and lucrative career.”

    Aston Martin Racing competes at the highest level of GT racing, including a full works team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Nürburgring 24 Hours; and works-supported entries in Blancpain GT Series and other major GT races.

    With its full range of GT racing cars ranging from the V8 Vantage GT4 – its entry-level race car aimed at those starting out in a GT career – through to the V12 Vantage GT3 and the V8 Vantage GTE, there is a clear progression path for drivers of any age looking to begin or develop their racing career.

    John Gaw added: “At Aston Martin Racing we have a proven track record of taking drivers from a GT4 programme through GT3 to the pinnacle of current GT racing, GTE. The Evolution Academy is a fantastic opportunity for young drivers and we have invested in it because we are confident we can find our future works team drivers this way.”
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    To apply for a place in the Evolution Academy, or to get more information, contact Andrew Williamson on +44 (0)1295 754276, awilliamson@astonmartinracing.com or Warren Jones on +44 (0)1295 754165, wjones@astonmartinracing.com
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    CORVETTE RACING ADDS BRISCOE, PAGENAUD TO DRIVER LINEUP.

    OPEN-WHEEL STANDOUTS TO DRIVE CORVETTE C7.RS AT DAYTONA, SEBRING.

    DETROIT (Jan. 6, 2015) – Corvette Racing will head into the opening round of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with an impressive GTLM driver lineup for North America’s premier endurance race. Ryan Briscoe returns to the Corvette Racing camp for the second straight year while Simon Pagenaud will make his debut with the team at Daytona International Speedway.

    Briscoe will share driving duties of the No. 3 Corvette C7.R with Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia, and Pagenaud will join Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 C7.R at the annual Roar Before the 24 starting Jan. 9th. The Roar serves as a three-day test ahead of the 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona and the start of the TUDOR Championship. In addition, Briscoe and Pagenaud will join the Corvette C7.R team at Sebring.

    “Corvette Racing’s driver lineup for the Daytona and Sebring races represents a highly talented collection of drivers who are intensely focused on working together toward the common goal of winning,” said Mark Kent, Director, Chevrolet Racing. “Both Ryan and Simon are world-class drivers who know the kind of preparation, patience and skill needed to succeed in the top levels of endurance sports-car racing.”

    Both Briscoe and Pagenaud are known for their successes in both open-wheel and sports car racing. Briscoe appeared in three events for Corvette Racing in 2014 – Daytona, Sebring and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The Aussie also made 18 stars in the Verizon INDYCAR Series with one top-five finish and 10 top-10s. He has seven IndyCar victories to his credit to go along with nine prototype wins in the American Le Mans Series.

    Pagenaud also boasts a number of victories in both open-wheel and prototype competition. While competing in the IndyCar series, he won two races in 2013 and 2014, and finished third in the 2013 IndyCar championship.
    Pagenaud signed with Team Penske and will drive a Chevrolet V6-powered IndyCar for the 2015 season. Previously, he spent four seasons in ALMS prototypes with nine victories as a factory driver.

    The 2015 TUDOR United Sports Car Championship begins with the 53rd Rolex 24 at Daytona from Jan. 24-25 at Daytona International Speedway. Live timing and scoring from both the Roar Before the 24 and Rolex 24 at Daytona will be available at imsa.com.

    RYAN BRISCOE, NO. 3 CORVETTE RACING CORVETTE C7.R
    “It’s such a massive honor to be a part of the Corvette Racing program. To come back this year and be a part of the team for the endurance events, I’m really excited. We’re hoping the pace and everything is there that we need to have to win with one of the Corvettes. We really were strong last year and had a little bad luck. Everyone on the team is extremely hungry and I’m really looking forward to it.”

    “It was definitely a new experience for me last year to be racing in the GT class. I thought it went really well. The team brought me on and gave me all the tools I needed to get up to speed and feel comfortable with the racecar. I feel like it’s a comfortable pairing with Antonio and Jan. I really felt like I got really good track time and could put down really good lap times to hold my own. Before you get into it, you really don’t know how it’s going to go. You just want to do your best.”

    SIMON PAGENAUD, NO. 4 CORVETTE RACING, CORVETTE C7.R
    “Corvette is definitely an icon in American racing and as an American sports car. When I was racing with for another manufacturer, I always noticed the presence of the Corvette and Chevrolet fans. I’ve always said that Corvette Racing is a proper program – well put together with a very impressive presentation, great drivers and a fantastic team. The results speak for themselves. It’s great to be part of it now. It is definitely a very different experience compared to prototypes but I have some good experience in GT cars. I look forward to now being part of the family by driving for Chevrolet and Corvette Racing. The Corvette C7.R is a beautiful piece of machinery with a lot of high-tech development. It’s a great platform for the development of road cars and supercars.”

    “Thanks to Chevrolet for the opportunity, and of course thanks to Roger Penske and Tim Cindric in allowing me to be available. With this type of opportunity where you have the chance to go and run in a different category with a car and team that can win, it’s exciting and gets you very motivated. I really want to win Daytona. If we can do that with Chevrolet and Corvette Racing, I’ll be super excited and over the moon.”

    Corvette Racing
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    FISICHELLA, KAFFER RETURN FOR RISI COMPETIZIONE FERRARI IN 2015.

    Risi Competizione announced their driver line up for the 10-round 2015 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship series. Drivers Pierre Kaffer, a German, and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella will return for the second consecutive year as teammates to the well known U.S. Ferrari squad which has an illustrious racing past.

    "Although we did not have the success or luck we had hoped last year, the pairing of Pierre Kaffer and Giancarlo Fisichella was a good match for our team," said Giuseppe Risi, owner of the Risi Competizione race team. "We wanted them back this season as we make another attempt at the GTLM championship. The team is working hard to bring the best car to the competitive battle in GTLM. We've had great successes with Ferrari over the years and would like to extend that streak in 2015."

    The magnificent red Ferrari F458 Italia from Risi will again wear the No. 62 on its livery in the GTLM class for the second year of competition in the new IMSA TUDOR series.

    In addition to the year-long pairing of Kaffer and Fisichella, Risi Competizione has added Olivier Beretta, of Monaco, and Italian Davide Rigon for the 53rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 23-25, 2015. Kaffer, Beretta and Rigon teamed in an AF Corse Ferrari 458 for the 2014 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    Pierre Kaffer, a German living in Switzerland, has driven for Risi Competizione off and on since 2009, where he co-drove with Jamie Melo and Mika Salo to victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 12 Hours of Sebring and Petit Le Mans This year's Rolex 24 will be his second at the Daytona classic, (he also ran his first with Risi. Competizione); the No. 62 was knocked out of last year's Daytona race after a serious race accident .

    Rome, Italy-born Giancarlo Fisichella, who has 229 Formula One Grand Prix starts and was an F1 Ferrari development driver, first drove with Risi Competizione in 2010 at the Utah Grand Prix round of the American Le Mans Series (ALMS). He returned to Risi last season at the first sprint race at Long Beach where he paired with Kaffer. The duo won races at Road America and Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in the new IMSA TUDOR championship. Additionally, last year he added his second victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (2014, 2012) to his racing resume. Fisichella was part of the Risi team at Daytona last year and also returns for his second Rolex 24 round.

    Olivier Beretta comes back to Risi Competizione for the fourth year in a row for the Rolex 24. Beretta drove with Risi Competizione at the IMSA finale at Petit Le Mans in October 2014. The Monegasque citizen is a five-time ALMS GTS/GT1 champion with six class wins in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, holds ALMS records for most career wins (41) and most career poles (23), and won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2000 with Viper Team Oreca.

    Italian Davide Rigon started in single-seaters before moving to the FIA WEC in 2013 in a Ferrari F458, where he captured eight podiums in 12 races between 2013 and 2014. This year's Rolex 24 will be his first race with Risi Competizione and his second at the Rolex 24 after competing in the GTD class in 2014 in the Spirit of Racing Ferrari F458. Rigon returns in 2015 for his second year as a Scuderia Ferrari F1 test and development driver.

    Kaffer and Rigon will handle the driving duties for this week's Roar Before the 24 testing at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course in Daytona Beach, Florida, January 9-11.

    The Risi name has been synonymous with sports car racing since the team was founded in 1997 by Italian national, Giuseppe Risi.

    "Racing is a Ferrari tradition and part of my heritage," said Houston, Texas-based Risi. "I grew up with racing in Italy before I came to the U.S. and I have always been passionate about racing with Ferrari."

    The 2015 season is the 18th year of sports car racing in the United States for Risi Competizione. The team's stellar results have included two championships and countless race victories, including multiple victories at Sebring, Le Mans, and Petit Le Mans.
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    CHIP GANASSI RACING ANNOUNCES 2015 ROLEX 24 LINEUP.
    TEAM’S INDYCAR, NASCAR STARS JOIN PRUETT AND HAND.

    INDIANAPOLIS (December 18, 2014) – Seven-time IMSA Champions and five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona winners Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates announced today the fielding of two Prototypes for the 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona, featuring eight drivers that represent some of the best talent the motor racing world has to offer.

    Veteran Scott Pruett and new teammate Joey Hand will unite with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams’ (CGRT) Verizon IndyCar Series racewinner Charlie Kimball and CGRT development driver Sage Karam to form the lineup in the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Target Riley, while CGRT Verizon IndyCar Series Champions and Indianapolis 500 Winners Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan join CGRFS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series reigning Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racewinner Jamie McMurray in the No. 02 Target/Ford EcoBoost Riley.

    The 2015 CGRFS Rolex 24 At Daytona driver roster is an impressive group of international racing champions representing two Indianapolis 500 titles (Dixon-2008, Kanaan-2013), a Daytona 500 (McMurray-2010), four Verizon IndyCar Series Championships (Dixon-2003, 2008, 2013 and Kanaan-2004), seven Prototype Championships (Pruett-2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013), and four Rookie of the Year honors in their respective series (Kanaan-1999, Dixon-2001, McMurray-2003, Larson-2014). The group brings with them 144 total wins.

    NOTES OF INTEREST:

    • Rolex 24 Run: CGRFS has the greatest stretch in Rolex 24 At Daytona history highlighted by five wins and two second-place finishes from 2006-2013. The team also has seven championships (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) and 44 race wins to their credit since their introduction to sports car racing in 2004. Chip Ganassi and co-owner Felix Sabates are the only team owners in history to win three-straight Rolex 24 At Daytona events (2006-2008).

    • Scott Pruett: Pruett is tied for the all-time record with five Rolex 24 At Daytona wins (1994, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013) and joins Hurley Haywood as the lone five-time Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners. He is the first American to score 12 major sports car championships - his closest competitor is the late Peter Gregg who has seven to his credit, and his previous titles include two IMSA GTO Titles (1986, 1988), one IMSA GT Endurance (1986) and three Trans-Am Championships (1987, 1994, 2003). Pruett continues to extend his record as the all-time leader in IMSA wins with 59 victories.

    • Joey Hand: Hand, widely considered one of the best road racers in the world, returns in a full-time capacity after helping CGRFS win the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona with Pruett in his first of three appearances with the team (2011-2013 Rolex 24 At Daytonas). Hand led the most laps in the 2011 Rolex 24 At Daytona, leading 116 of the No. 01 car’s race-leading 231 laps. He led the race six times overall en route to the team’s fourth win in the sports car classic.

    • Scott Dixon: Dixon has been a permanent fixture at CGRT for 13 years and has been on the Rolex 24 At Daytona roster for CGRFS since the team’s inception in 2004. The three-time Verizon IndyCar Series Champion (2003, 2008, 2013) and 2008 Indianapolis 500 Winner was a part of the 2006 Rolex 24 At Daytona winning team for CGRFS and placed second in 2011. Dixon holds the distinction of being the winningest active Indy car driver with 35 victories, which ranks him in a tie for fifth on the all-time list with Bobby Unser.

    • Tony Kanaan: The 2013 Indianapolis 500 Winner, 2004 Verizon IndyCar Series Champion and 17-time race winner, Tony Kanaan, joined CGRT for his first season with the team in 2014. Kanaan is the all-time Indy car leader in consecutive starts with 233 consecutive starts dating back to the Portland race in 2001. He has 118 top-five finishes, tying him for ninth on the all-time list with Rick Mears and Helio Castroneves. In 2004, he became the first driver to complete every possible lap in a season en route to winning the championship. The 2015 Rolex 24 At Daytona will mark Kanaan’s second race with CGRFS after competing with the team in 2014.

    • Kyle Larson: The 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year Kyle Larson will join CGRFS for the second time at the Rolex 24 At Daytona after competing last year alongside teammates Dixon, Kanaan, and Dario Franchitti. As a NSCS rookie, Larson had 36 starts, seven top- five finishes, 14 top-10 finishes, two pole awards, and led a total of 48 laps.

    • Jamie McMurray: McMurray has competed in the Rolex 24 At Daytona six times with CGRFS (2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) and had his best finish in 2011 with a second-place result. The 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year has been a full-time fixture in NASCAR’s top division for 12 years with 438 career starts resulting in seven wins, 52 top-five finishes, and 121 top-10 finishes. McMurray is only one of three drivers to have won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in a single season (2010).

    • Charlie Kimball: Verizon IndyCar Series racewinner Charlie Kimball will make his second appearance at the Rolex 24 At Daytona after being part of the winning team in 2013. Kimball made his debut in the Verizon IndyCar Series in 2011 with Novo Nordisk Chip Ganassi Racing and collected his first win in 2013 at Mid-Ohio. Throughout Kimball’s four-year career with CGRT, he has 68 starts, one win, four podiums, eight top-five and 28 top-10 finishes.

    • Sage Karam: The 2013 Indy Lights Champion Sage Karam joined CGRT in 2014 as a development driver and made his debut with the team at the 2014 Rolex Daytona 24 At Daytona. He joined CGRFS again at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Six Hours of the Glen, and the Brickyard Grand Prix at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where he helped the team move from a sixth-place start to a second-place finish. Karam ran his first-ever Indianapolis 500 in 2014 and finished higher than any other CGRT driver in ninth after starting 31st.

    • Partnership Lineup: All of CGRT’s drivers and primary partners (Target, Ford, McDonald’s, CESSNA, Novo Nordisk and NTT DATA) will be represented across the No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Target Riley and the No. 02 Target/Ford EcoBoost Riley to form an All-Star lineup both in the car and on the car.

    QUOTEBOARD:

    Chip Ganassi, Owner, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates:
    • “I love this race because it is one of the few times that we are able to bring all of our drivers and partners together in one race. NASCAR, INDYCAR and IMSA drivers and partners are all represented in this unique endurance event. We have had the good fortune of having success in this event which is the result of a lot of hard work by the crew, talent behind the wheel and at some level, a little luck. But I think the best thing about the Rolex 24 is that it is the first event of another season. I can’t wait.”

    Chip Ganassi Racing
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    What is actually the reason Fisico isn't driving for AF Corse anymore?
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

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    New Year and Outlook for Tequila Patrón ESM

    Extreme Speed Motorsports Changes Name to Tequila Patrón ESM

    Riviera Beach, Fla, Jan. 8, 2015 – The start of a new year yields resolutions for the future and marks a time for change. Florida-based sportscar team Tequila Patrón ESM takes ‘new’ to another level in 2015 by starting competition in a new series with new cars, drivers and now a new name.
    The Scott Sharp and Ed Brown-led Tequila Patrón-sponsored LMP2 team starts 2015 with a new moniker: Tequila Patrón ESM – formerly Extreme Speed Motorsports. On the cusp of an adventurous new season of racing, the name change aligns with the team’s transition to the global motorsports stage in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).
    “Tequila Patrón ESM is about to embark on an incredible schedule,” says Scott Sharp. “To see the popularity and name recognition that Tequila Patrón has achieved here in North America is astounding! As Patrón starts to focus more globally, and use ESM as one of its tools to help promote brand awareness, it is only natural that ‘Tequila Patrón’ takes the primary position in the race team’s name.”

    In November, Tequila Patrón ESM announced its intention to compete in a full-season of the FIA WEC along with the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup races of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The combination of FIA WEC and TUDOR Championship series races will have the team competing in the two most prestigious sportscar series at the world’s premier motorsports facilities.

    “We are thrilled to start the 2015 season as Tequila Patrón ESM,” said Ed Brown. “This season marks the beginning of a new era for us. We’re competing in both the TUDOR Championship and FIA WEC. The new name enables us to introduce the Tequila Patrón ultra-premium brand to some of the best venues and countries in the world. We felt it was important to have the Tequila Patrón name out front as we enter the global motorsports stage. We are extremely excited to debut our new name and new Honda coupes this weekend at Daytona.”

    Following its announcement on the 2015 racing schedule, Tequila Patrón ESM announced who will race in the Patrón green and black machines for the upcoming season. Longtime Tequila Patrón ESM racers Sharp, Brown and Johannes van Overbeek return, as well as second-season Tequila Patrón ESM driver Ryan Dalziel. The team has expanded its driver portfolio to include two-time sportscar champion Jon Fogarty, and 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and FIA WEC champion David Heinemeier Hansson.

    The six drivers are competing in two all-new Honda Performance Development (HPD) ARX-04b coupes this season. The team received the first Honda coupe last year and successfully completed several private test sessions.

    This week’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway marks the public debut of the all-new HPD coupe. The six drivers will participate in the three-day pre-season test at the historic 3.56-mile, 12-turn circuit that utilizes portions of the track’s famous high-banked tri-oval and infield road course, and is the first round of the 11-race TUDOR Championship.

    Founded in 2010, Tequila Patrón ESM enters its sixth sportscar racing season at start of 2015. For more information, visit www.esmracing.com.

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    News Release January 7, 2015

    Porsche Motorsports Event Notes. Roar Before the Rolex 24.

    Circuit. Daytona International Speedway
    Track Length/Turns. 3.56-miles/12-turns
    Round. Pre-Season Testing, TUDOR United SportsCar Championship
    Remaining TUDOR Championship Rounds. This marks the official start of pre-season testing but is not included in the 10-race championship.
    Next Round. 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, Daytona International Speedway, January 24-25


    Porsche Events.
    TUDOR United SportsCar Championship
    Date. Friday-Sunday, January 9-11, 2015
    Race Duration. NA
    Classes. GT Le Mans (Porsche 911 RSR), GT Daytona (Porsche 911 GT America)


    Porsche Profile. Event Story Lines
    Nine Into 24. Nine Seventh-Generation Porsche 911s Entered for Rolex 24 Test
    In 2014, the iconic Porsche 911 took its 40th class victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, on the way to one of two Manufacture Championships in the inaugural TUDOR United Sports Car Championship season. The production-car based machine accounts for more than half of the 76 class wins Porsche has sent home to Germany from historic Daytona Beach. Nine of the race versions of the seventh-generation 911 are on the entry list for this weekend’s ROAR Before the Rolex 24 pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway. With three opportunities for the Porsche 911 RSR to win the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class for the second-consecutive year and Nine Porsche 911 GT Americas challenging for top honors in the GT Daytona (GTD) category, the rear-engine legend has an excellent opportunity to add a 41st and 42nd class victory on January 24-25.

    Factory Aces In the Hole. Eight Porsche Works Drivers To Pilot A Trio of Porsche 911 RSR
    As in years past, Porsche factory drivers will make a significant impact on the North American sports car racing scene in 2015. Currently, eight works drivers are scheduled to take part in the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship driving the legendary Porsche 911 RSR. The group will challenge for the intensely competitive GT Le Mans (GTLM) title at the 53rd Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25.
    A trio of Porsche elite will share the two factory entries at Daytona. The No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR, winner of the GTLM class at the Rolex 24 last year, will be shared by Nick Tandy (UK), Patrick Pilet (France) and Marc Lieb (Germany). Tandy and Lieb were part of the winning combination in 2014. The No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR will have multi-time Rolex 24 winner Jörg Bergmeister (Germany) leading the challenge. Frédéric Makowiecki (France), making his Daytona GTLM debut, and first year factory driver Earl Bamber (New Zealand) fill out the roster. The sole customer entry, the No. 17 Team Falken Tire has longtime driving duo Wolf Henzler (Germany), a Porsche factory driver, and Bryan Sellers (Braselton, Georgia), who is a Falken Tire contracted driver, joined by the only North American Porsche works driver Patrick Long (Manhattan Beach, California).

    Wright Motorsports back with Dempsey, Joined by Celebrated Porsche Dealer Brumos
    Having previously announced that he will contest the entire FIA World Endurance Championship (including, once again, the 24 Hours of Le Mans) and IMSA’s Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup – both with Porsche entries – Patrick Dempsey (Malibu, California) has not only continued his relationship with Wright Motorsports for the TUDOR United Sportscar Championship, but now has formed a marketing alliance with Brumos Racing, the racing arm of the renowned Porsche dealer based in Jacksonville, Florida. Brumos Racing's famous red and blue livery will be prominently displayed on the Dempsey/Wright Motorsports No. 58 Porsche 911 GT America for the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on Jan. 24-25 and the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida March 21 at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. The endurance racing classics are the first two events in both the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, which finishes the year with Watkins Glen and Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta. The team will present a formidable lineup for the Rolex 24, with Austrian Philipp Eng joining as the fourth driver at Daytona. The 2014 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion strengthens the previously announced driver lineup of Dempsey, Madison Snow (Lehi, Utah), and Jan Heylen (Tampa, Florida). Snow and Heylen finished third at last year’s Rolex 24 in the same No. 58 Porsche.


    Porsche History.
    Porsche is the most success manufacturer since the inception of the first Daytona Continental race in 1962, and the first 24 Hours of Daytona in 1966.

    Overall Wins. 22 (first in 1968; most recent in 2009 and 2010) (Record)
    - From 1977 to 1987, Porsche had compiled 11 consecutive overall wins (Record)
    - Initial Overall Win: 1968
    - Finished 1-2 overall in 12 Daytona 24-Hours (Record)

    Class Wins. 76 (includes Daytona Continental races starting in 1962; 24 hr. races
    that started in 1966; most recent in GT Le Mans class in 2014)
    - GT Class Wins: 27 (Record)
    - SGS Class wins (class ran only in 2004): 1
    - GX Class wins (class ran only in 2013): 1

    - Porsche 911 Wins: 40 Overall and Class Victories (Record)
    - 20 Race Winning Streak (overall or class): 1966-1987 (Record)
    - GT class winner finishing second overall: 2001, 2004
    - GTX Series Winner: 1978-1981
    - GTP Series Winner: 1982-87, 1989, 1991

    Race win statistics for the Rolex 24 – a majority accomplished in Porsches.
    Most Overall Victories.
    1. Hurley Haywood, 5 (1991, 1979, 1977, 1975, 1973)
    Scott Pruett, 5 (1994, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013)
    2. Peter Gregg, 4 (1978, 1976, 1975, 1973)
    Rolf Stommelen, 4 (1982, 1980, 1978, 1968)
    Bob Wollek, 4 (1983, 1985, 1989, 1991)
    Pedro Rodriguez, 4 (1971, 1970, 3 hour races in 1964 and 1963)
    7. Brian Redman, 3 (1981, 1976, 1970)
    Derek Bell, 3 (1989, 1987, 1986)
    Andy Wallace, 3 (1999, 1998, 1990)
    Butch Leitzinger, 3 (1999, 1997, 1994)
    Juan Pablo Montoya, 2 (2007, 2008, 2013)
    10. Mauro Baldi, 2 (2002, 1998)
    Wayne Taylor, 2 (2005, 1996)
    Elliott Forbes-Robinson, 2 (1999, 1997)
    A.J. Foyt, 2 (1985, 1983)
    Al Holbert, 2 (1986, 1987)
    Jan Lammers, 2 (1990, 1988)
    Ken Miles, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
    John Paul Jr., 2 (1997, 1982)
    Lloyd Ruby, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
    Didier Theys, 2 (2002, 1998)
    Al Unser Jr., 2 (1987, 1986)

    Most Consecutive Overall Victories.
    1. Peter Gregg, 3 (1973, 1975, 1976 – No Event Held in 1974)
    2. Al Holbert, 2 (1986, 1987)
    Al Unser Jr., 2 (1986, 1987
    Derek Bell, 2 (1986, 1987)
    Hurley Haywood, 2 (1973, 1975 – No Event Held in 1974)
    Pedro Rodriguez, 2 (1970, 1971)
    Ken Miles, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
    Lloyd Ruby, 2 (1966, 327-lap race in 1965)
    Pedro Rodriguez, 2 (327-lap race in 1964, 3-hour race in 1963)
    Scott Pruett, 2 (2007, 2008)
    Juan Pablo Montoya, 2 (2007, 2008)

    Most Class Victories.
    1. Scott Pruett, 10 (1987, 1988, 1992 – 94, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013)
    2. Peter Gregg, 6 (1978, 1976, 1975, 1973, 1972, 1968)
    Hurley Haywood, 6 (1991, 1979, 1977, 1975, 1973, 1972)
    Scott Pruett, 6 (2002, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1988, 1987)
    3. Hans Herrmann, 4 (1968, 1967, 1966, 1963)
    Pedro Rodriguez, 4 (1971, 1970, 1964, 1963)
    Rolf Stommelen, 4 (1982, 1980, 1978, 1968)
    Amos Johnson, 4 (1988, 1987, 1986, 1985)
    Bob Wollek, 4 (1991, 1989, 1985, 1983)
    Peter Uria, 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1990)
    Robby Gordon, 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1990)
    Wally Dallenbach Jr., 4 (1993, 1992, 1991, 1985)
    Greer, 4 (2001, 1993, 1992, 1991)
    Andy Wallace, 4 (2003, 1999, 1997, 1990)


    Porsche Point of View.
    Jörg Bergmeister, Driver, No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR
    “Daytona is always a good track for Porsche because to start the year you need reliability, and that is a strong point for Porsche. It is a track that you have to have efficient aerodynamics, which the 911 has. The car suits the track. There is only so much you can do with setup. It is always a challenge to get a good balance for the car, especially during the race. The track will change so you want to get the car in the window for the full 24-hour race. You want to be as quick as possible in a straight-line so we try and run as little wing as we can get away with. But as a driver, you want to get a good stable car in the infield.
    We have a long test schedule that we have to go through. A lot of setup changes we want to try on the Porsche North America cars so we’ll try and optimize the most we can these three days of testing. As track time is somewhat limited on race week, the more knowledge you can learn during the test weekend better off you will be race the weekend. It was a short winter break but I can’t wait to get back to work.”

    Jens Walther, President/CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America
    “The start of any new race season is always looked at with much anticipation. This year is no exception. The Daytona test provides the Porsche customer teams as well as the Porsche North America works program an opportunity to get back into full rhythm and focused on the long season of racing to come. The competition for both the Porsche 911 RSR in the GTLM class and the Porsche 911 GT America in GT Daytona will be even stronger than in 2014. We are not underestimating the competition or resting on our successes. We learned a great deal last year with the debut of both cars in the Tudor Championship and we are fully prepared to put what we learned into practice in 2015, and defend our hard-won Championships.”

    Andrew Davis, Driver, No. 22 WeatherTech Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America
    "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join Alex Job Racing to contest the four rounds of the North American Endurance Championship in the WeatherTech Porsche. There is certainly a special homecoming of sorts in having the chance to be paired back up with Leh Keen with whom I spent a special time when we took the Rolex Series Championship for Brumos Racing in 2011. There is a big advantage to join a team where you already know the drivers, and can share knowledge and trust on items such as car setup preferences and driving habits. As far as race day goes, in a 24-hour race, the easiest part of my event is my on-the-track stints as that involves the race driver doing his job. The hardest part to learn is the regiment you need to set up between stints.”
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  23. #23
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    Davide yesterday art Daytona..

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    CAVALLINO RAMPANTE PER SEMPRE

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    ROAR BEFORE THE ROLEX 24 NEWS AND NOTES.

    TUDOR Championship Kicks Off New Year With ‘Roar’ Test

    The TUDOR United SportsCar Championship paddock will ‘roar’ to life for the first time in 2015 this weekend with the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway Jan. 9-11.

    The three-day test is the lone official IMSA test of the offseason and the final dress rehearsal for teams competing in the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25.

    Among the 53 teams entered across the TUDOR Championship’s four classes are 10 different automotive manufacturers and current and former stars from various disciplines of racing, including NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 and international sports car competition.

    Opening practice for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 begins Friday at 10:20 a.m. ET. A total of eight sessions will take place between Friday and Sunday, including a 90-minute night practice on Saturday beginning at 6:45 p.m. ET.

    Joining the TUDOR Championship at the test will be the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge which kicks off its season Jan. 23 at Daytona International Speedway.

    Roar Success Good Indicator For Rolex 24

    Looking for an early favorite for the Rolex 24 At Daytona? Look no further than the time sheets at this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24.

    One year ago, two of the four eventual winners in the Rolex 24 topped the charts in the final test of the offseason. All four of the fastest teams in the Roar Before The Rolex 24 finished the race in the top five.

    “The key to a successful race is successful testing,” said CORE autosport owner/driver Jon Bennett, who finished second in last year’s Roar before winning the race in the PC class. “Successful testing is not as straightforward as it seems. We will come to the Roar with a plan to gather the most useful experience possible.”

    The Roar Before the Rolex 24 takes on added importance in 2015 with the test moved back one week from previous years. With one less week between the test and the Rolex 24, teams will have to plan for the limited time to make adjustments before race day. While any number of variables can change the outcome of a 24-hour race, one thing will be a certain: fast cars at the Roar will equal fast cars in the Rolex 24.

    Ligier JS P2 To Make Official Daytona Debut With Two Cars This Weekend

    The Ligier JS P2 made its TUDOR United SportsCar Championship debut in 2014 at Circuit of the Americas with high expectations after a successful launch earlier in the year at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    Those expectations were met when Alex Brundle promptly put the No. 42 OAK Racing Honda-Powered Ligier JS P2 on the pole and finished second with co-driver Gustavo Yacaman.

    This weekend, the car built by Onroak Automotive makes its first official laps at Daytona International Speedway at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 with a pair entries filed by Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian and Krohn Racing.

    While both teams are veterans of the 24-hour endurance classic, the shift to the Ligier JS P2 is a new and exciting challenge. To reduce the learning curve, both teams shook down their cars prior to this week’s test.

    Krohn Racing received delivery of its new Judd-powered Ligier JS P2 in late November and immediately began an extensive testing program that saw the team test in Estoril, Portugal, as well as a private test at Daytona in December.

    "The primary goal is to get back to a winning combination of car, engine and driver,” said Krohn Racing owner/driver Tracy Krohn, who will be joined by Brundle, Olivier Pla and Nic Jonsson in the Rolex. “We had a lot of success in the past with Daytona Prototypes and different engine combinations. We expect more from this Judd/Ligier in the way of performance.

    “Testing has gone pretty well and we have already incorporated many of the things that we have learned from those different tests as well as having gained overall knowledge of the performance of the Judd/Ligier car at different tracks.”

    Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian recently completed the first test with its Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 at Palm Beach International Raceway. The 2012 Rolex 24 winners shook down the new car with drivers John Pew, Ozz Negri, AJ Allmendinger and Matt McMurry and gathered notes that will help the team get up to speed quickly at Daytona.

    “The test was all about integrating the team with the car and it was really, really good,” said team owner Mike Shank. “The team to car integration was really good. There is still a lot to learn, it’s a big mountain to climb. Ligier did a wonderful job with the car and we’re really impressed with the Honda.”

    Porsche North America Looking To Defend Rolex 24 Victory In GTLM Class

    Porsche is no stranger to success in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with 76 victories, including a record 27 GT class victories.

    In the always-competitive GT Le Mans (GTLM) class, Porsche was strong out of the gate in 2014, adding to its legacy of victories on big stages, winning both the Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida with its pair of Porsche 911 RSRs. While those victories helped propel Porsche to the TUDOR Championship manufacturer title in the GTLM class, as well as the GTLM championship in the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup, things won’t be easy in 2015 as a total of 10 GTLM entries look to return to victory lane in the Rolex 24 on Jan. 24-25.

    Corvette Racing, BMW Team RLL, Risi Competizione, Aston Martin Racing, Team Falken Tire and AF Corse hope to play spoiler, a role that begins this weekend in the Roar Before the Rolex 24. One year ago, Nick Tandy, Richard Lietz and Patrick Pilet opened the year with the fastest lap in the Roar and carried that momentum into a Rolex 24 victory in the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR.

    “Daytona is always a good track for Porsche because to start the year you need reliability, and that is a strong point for Porsche,” said Joerg Bergmeister, who will drive the team’s No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR. “We have a long test schedule that we have to go through. (We have) a lot of setup changes we want to try on the Porsche North America cars so we’ll try and optimize the most we can these three days of testing. As track time is somewhat limited on race week, the more knowledge you can learn during the test weekend the better off you will be for race weekend.”

    This year Porsche returns with eight factory drivers set to compete in the GTLM class, including Patrick Long and Wolf Henzler in the No. 17 Team Falken Tire customer entry. A trio of factory drivers share the two factory entries.

    The No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR will be shared by Tandy, Pilet and Marc Lieb, while the No. 912 entry will be driven by Bergmeister, Frédéric Makowiecki and Earl Bamber.

    “We are not underestimating the competition or resting on our successes,” said Porsche Motorsport North America President/CEO Jens Walther. “We learned a great deal last year with the debut of both cars in the TUDOR Championship and we are fully prepared to put what we learned into practice in 2015.”

    Sweedler, Bell Look To Follow-Up Rolex 24 Win With New Team

    Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell enjoyed a memorable TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season in 2014, winning the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, as well as the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup thanks to podium finishes in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen while driving for AIM Autosport.
    This season the duo joins forces with the Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 team, an organization that won at Detroit and Indianapolis Motor Speedway one year ago. The new pairing hopes to share similar success in the Rolex 24 later this January.

    "Daytona can't come soon enough for us," said Sweedler, who along with Bell also will be joined by Jeff Segal and Anthony Lazzaro in the Rolex 24. "We are excited to be getting our season started with Scuderia Corsa. We are feeling the pressure after winning last year's race to be as competitive as possible at Daytona.

    “It is great to have Jeff back with Townsend and myself, and Anthony will be a great addition to the lineup. He's another guy with a huge amount of experience in the Ferrari and I think we'll have one of the strongest lineups in GTD for Daytona."

    Already class winners at Daytona and Sebring, Bell and Sweedler will add another endurance race to their schedule in 2015, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The duo, as well as an American driver to be named at a later date, will drive a Scuderia Corsa entered Ferrari 458 Italia in the GTE-Am class.

    "After racing at Daytona, Sebring, and Petit Le Mans this is going to be a dream come true. It's very exciting to bring an all-American lineup to Le Mans and to compete behind the wheel of a Scuderia Corsa Ferrari. We will have a competitive team, car and a strong driver lineup. I am grateful to everyone that has helped to make this happen and we look forward to representing the IMSA TUDOR Championship well."

    Goikhberg Rides IMSA Ladder System To TUDOR Championship, Rolex 24

    The name Mikhail Goikhberg may be relatively unknown to some fans of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, but thanks to the IMSA ladder system that’s about to change.

    Goikhberg is following in the footsteps of fellow TUDOR Championship drivers Sean Rayhall and Tristan Nunez as drivers who have advanced their careers with championships in the IMSA-sanctioned Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda. This weekend he will make his competition debut at Daytona International Speedway in the No. 85 JDC/Miller MotorSports ORECA FLM09 at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 official test.

    In 2014, Goikhberg, from North Vancouver, British Columbia, won nine of 14 rounds this season while driving the No. 10 JDC MotorSports entry in the IMSA Development Series. He clinched his first championship with three rounds remaining in the season.

    The series veteran took command of the 2014 championship by winning five of the first six races and never relented. His title came after finishing third in the championship in 2013 and second in 2012.

    With his championship, Goikhberg earned a full-season Premium Entrant Membership Package to take with him to the PC team of his choice next season, as well as free entries for all 10 rounds of the TUDOR Championship.

    TUDOR Championship, Etc.

    John Wright has teamed up with Patrick Dempsey for the 2015 Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. Wright Motorsports will field the No. 58 Porsche 911 GT America with Madison Snow and Jan Heylen for the full season, and will compete under the Dempsey/Wright Motorsports banner at Daytona with Dempsey and Phillip Eng completing the lineup. Wright has been busy behind the scenes at the Rolex 24 since 1993. He prepared the class-winning Porsche for Franz Konrad in 1998, and has several podium finishes – including the 2014 Rolex 24. Dempsey had one of his strongest runs in the 2011 Rolex 24, when he led for nearly one hour and finished third.

    Rubens Barrichello will be making his second run in a Daytona Prototype when he joins Brendon Hartley, Robbie Kerr, Tor Graves and Scott Mayer in the No. 7 Starworks Motorsport Dinan/Riley. The 11–time Formula One winner came up nine minutes short on fuel in his debut DP drive at Indianapolis in 2013, finishing fourth in the race won by Starworks.

    Racers Edge, Mantella Autosport Expand Teams For Testing

    Racers Edge Motorsports and Mantella Autosport will have an expanded presence in 2015 Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Grand Sport (GS) competition, bringing multi-car teams to this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing.

    Racers Edge is expanding to a three-car operation. Joining the No. 78 Xborder Foods & Wine Ford Mustang Boss 302R of Bob Michaelian and Chris Beaufait will be the No. 10 Legistics Mustang of Ricardo Flores and Nick Galante, and the No. 57 Lira Racing/Gary Yeomans Ford Mustang of 17-year-old Michael Lira and Timmy Rivers.

    “We’ve got good cars and strong drivers, and I can’t wait to get back into action,” team owner Jon Mirachi said. “The No. 10 and No. 78 cars are set for the full season, with the No. 57 running six (of 10) races, depending on Michael’s ARCA and NASCAR XFINITY Series schedule.”

    Mantella Autosport debuted in 2014 GS competition with an Aston Martin Vantage. For 2015, the team will run a pair of Chevrolet Camaros, the No. 80 Camaro Z/28.R for returning drivers Antony Mantella and Mark Wilkins, and the No. 8 Camaro Z/28.R for team newcomers Martin Barkey and Kyle Marcelli.

    A pair of new GS teams will debut at the Roar. Puerto Ricans Bryan Ortiz and Roly Filgueras will share the No. 00 Zero Zero Motorsport Ford Mustang Boss 302R, while TLSS Motorsports debuts with New Yorkers Ken D’Arcy and Sam Schultz in the No. 89 The Little Speed Shop BMW M3.

    A number of GS contenders are hedging their bets for the Roar, with two-time team champion Rum Bum Racing, Multimatic Motorsport and Rebel Rock Racing listing their drivers as “TBA” for the session. Returning contenders include two-time 2014 winner Kris Wilson with Max Riddle in the No. 07 TRG-ARM Aston Martin Vantage, and Rob Ecklin and Steve Phillips in the No. 99 Automatic Racing Invisible Glass Aston Martin Vantage.

    Continental Tire Challenge will have a pair of one-hour practice sessions on Friday beginning at 9 a.m., in addition to a pair of sessions on Friday and Saturday. The season begins at 1:45 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 23, during the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend.

    Four New Teams Join Street Tuner Class At Daytona

    The Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Street Tuner (ST) paddock will be joined by four new teams at this weekend’s Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing.

    Next Level European will debut as a satellite team of BimmerWorld Racing. Next Level will field a pair of BGB Motorsports-built Porsches, the No. 38 Cayman for Dan Rogers and Seth Thomas, and the No. 83 Cayman for Greg Liefooghe and Eric Zimmermann. BimmerWorld will run a pair of BMW 328i (F30) models, the No. 81 for Tyler Cooke and Andrie Hartanto, and the No. 84 for James Clay and Jason Briedis.

    Alara Racing, Goldcrest Motorsports and Crucial Motorsports also will race in the class.

    No drivers are listed for the No. 34 Alara Racing Mazda MX-5. Goldcrest will field the No. 36 Strategic Wealth Racing Porsche Cayman for Matthew Dicken and John Lewis. Driving the No. 86 Crucial Motorsports BMW 128i are Sam Scheckter and Aaron Nash.

    The two most recent ST championships will participate in the test. Defending champ Eric Foss returns in the No. 56 Murillo Racing/Mosing Motorcars Porsche Cayman, joined by 2014 Daytona pole winner and co-race winner Jeff Mosing, along with Justin Piscitell. Terry Borcheller and Mike LaMarra, the 2013 champs, return in the No. 23 Burton Racing/Automotive Chemicals BMW 128i.

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/roar-ro....AXfnGzQf.dpuf
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    FOX NETWORK BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS FOX SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF 53RD ROLEX 24.

    MORE THAN 15 HOURS OF LIVE COVERAGE OPENS WITH TWO-HOUR FOX BROADCAST NETWORK BLOCK.

    DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2015) – A two-hour FOX broadcast network telecast kicks off more than 15 total hours of live FOX Sports television coverage of the 53rd Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25.

    The FOX telecast begins at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 24, moments before the green flag waves for the first round of the 2015 TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup. It is the second consecutive year that the Rolex 24 telecast has opened on the broadcast channel, which is widely distributed in approximately 115 million homes in the United States.

    “The Rolex 24 At Daytona is the center of the motorsports universe each January, attracting attention from fans of many different racing series,” said David Pettit, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) vice president, marketing. “FOX network television coverage enables us to reach those fans and introduce new viewers to our unique and exciting brand of motorsports. We are grateful to our partners at FOX Sports for helping us maximize this opportunity for all our stakeholders.”

    FOX Sports’ coverage will total 15.5 hours across the FOX, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 television platforms. In addition, FOX race coverage streams live on FOX Sports GO, the app that provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content at home or on-the-go. The complete schedule is as follows:

    Saturday, Jan. 24 (All times ET)

    2-4 p.m. FOX Network

    4-8 p.m. FOX Sports 2

    8-10 p.m. FOX Sports 1

    Overnight (Jan. 24-25)

    10 p.m.-7 a.m. IMSA TV on IMSA.com (live video streaming and commentary)

    Sunday, Jan. 25

    7 a.m.-2:30 p.m. FOX Sports 1

    The Rolex 24 will be the third consecutive TUDOR Championship event to feature FOX Network coverage. The inaugural season in 2014 closed with back-to-back FOX telecasts of events at Circuit of The Americas and Road Atlanta around the network’s NFL programming. Each telecast averaged more than one million viewers, with peak audiences in excess of two million which were notable high points in viewership.

    IMSA.com will provide live high definition streaming coverage of the overnight hours, as well as live in-car camera footage and IMSA Radio commentary throughout the race. IMSA Radio will feature the broadcast team of John Hindhaugh from Radio Le Mans as well as Jeremy Shaw and Greg Creamer.

    - See more at: http://www.imsa.com/articles/fox-net....vbdHtFEu.dpuf
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  27. #27
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    Thanks for posting this articles and photos Rob!
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

  28. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    Thanks for posting this articles and photos Rob!
    non e un problema mio piacere
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  29. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by fratelliferrari View Post
    What is actually the reason Fisico isn't driving for AF Corse anymore?
    im not 120% sure why, was told little things but not the whole story. I cannt really say.
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  30. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
    im not 120% sure why, was told little things but not the whole story. I cannt really say.
    OK thanks! But will he drive 24h of Le Mans for AF Corse because he did in 2014?
    Maurizio Arrivabene fanpage:www.facebook.com/maurizioarrivabene

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