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GRAND-AM: Rolex 24 DP Preview
John Dagys takes a team-by-team look at this year’s DP contenders in the Rolex 24 at Daytona...
Chip Ganassi Racing heads in as one of the favorites for victory in the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona. (Photo: John Dagys)
With a star-studded field of drivers and teams, the 51st Rolex 24 at Daytona could be one for the history books.
From ex-Formula One stars to IndyCar champions and NASCAR veterans, this year’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic reads like a who’s who for motorsports, especially when looking at the premier Daytona Prototype category.
READ: Rolex 24 GT/GX Preview
Seventeen cars will do battle on the Florida high banks, including a strong two-car entry from defending winners Michael Shank Racing, along with the usual suspects of Chip Ganassi Racing, Starworks Motorsport, Action Express Racing, as well as newcomers to the DP ranks.
SPEED.com takes a team-by-team look at the teams vying for the overall win in this weekend’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season-opener (Live! SPEED and SPEED.com).
DP (17 Entries)
MAIN CONTENDERS:
Chip Ganassi Racing (Riley-BMW): Four-time winners of the Rolex 24, the veteran squad returns with it’s usual two-car lineup. Reigning series champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are joined by Juan Pablo Montoya and sports car debutant Charlie Kimball in the No. 01 machine.
2011 winner, and BMW factory driver Joey Hand moves over to the sister No. 02 Riley-BMW with the team’s open-wheel and stock car stars, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Jamie McMurray, in what might just be the stronger of the two cars.
Always a contender at Daytona, Ganassi’s pair of Daytona Prototypes will no doubt be slugging it out for victory again as the American motorsports giant continues to re-write the record books.
Starworks Motorsport (Riley-Ford): The Rolex 24 was the only major race that the Peter Baron-led team didn’t win in 2012, with its Riley-Ford coming less than six seconds away from victory in a hard-fought battle with Michael Shank Racing.
Back for another go with a two-car assault, Starworks are again in the catbird’s seat with its lineup of Ryan Dalziel, Allan McNish, Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Popow in the lead No. 2 entry. It’s arguably one of the best in class and could be tough to beat, especially given their usual good streak of reliability.
The team’s No. 8 Riley-Ford of Brendon Hartley, Jan Charouz, Ivan Bellarosa, Scott Mayer and Gaetano Ardagna Perez could be a quiet dark horse as well, although not expected to have the strength to pull off a victory, or even podium, on outright pace with two Ams at the wheel.
Michael Shank Racing (Riley-Ford): The defending class winners return with a stepped-up two-car effort, both now Gen 3 Riley-Fords. The No. 60 machine of AJ Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, Marcos Ambrose, John Pew and Ozz Negri boasts the power needed for a repeat, although there are questions over how much Negri will drive, as the quick Brazilian continues his recovery from an off-season leg injury.
Shank’s No. 6 entry, which scored a surprise third place finish last year, could also impress again, with open-wheel hot shoes Jorge Goncalvez and Gustavo Yacaman being joined by Chris Cumming and Michael Valiante, who set the quickest lap at the Roar earlier this month.
With the monkey of a first Rolex 24 win off their backs, look for both Shank entries to shine again this time around.
Wayne Taylor Racing (Corvette DP): After a nightmare 2012 outing, which saw its Dallara-chassised Corvette DP last a mere 18 laps following an engine failure, Wayne Taylor Racing is back, and arguably stronger than ever, with its new-look entry also featuring a pair of new drivers that are no strangers to the GM family.
Following Ricky Taylor’s move to Spirit of Daytona, brother Jordan takes the reigns of the No. 10 VelocityWW entry for the season with veteran Max Angelelli. Joined by 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay for the Rolex 24, WTR’s lineup is considered one of the strongest in the field, even if going with a three-driver approach.
From ex-Formula One stars to IndyCar champions and NASCAR veterans, this year’s twice-around-the-clock endurance classic reads like a who’s who for motorsports, especially when looking at the premier Daytona Prototype category.
READ: Rolex 24 GT/GX Preview
Seventeen cars will do battle on the Florida high banks, including a strong two-car entry from defending winners Michael Shank Racing, along with the usual suspects of Chip Ganassi Racing, Starworks Motorsport, Action Express Racing, as well as newcomers to the DP ranks.
SPEED.com takes a team-by-team look at the teams vying for the overall win in this weekend’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season-opener (Live! SPEED and SPEED.com).
DP (17 Entries)
MAIN CONTENDERS:
Chip Ganassi Racing (Riley-BMW): Four-time winners of the Rolex 24, the veteran squad returns with it’s usual two-car lineup. Reigning series champions Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas are joined by Juan Pablo Montoya and sports car debutant Charlie Kimball in the No. 01 machine.
2011 winner, and BMW factory driver Joey Hand moves over to the sister No. 02 Riley-BMW with the team’s open-wheel and stock car stars, Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon and Jamie McMurray, in what might just be the stronger of the two cars.
Always a contender at Daytona, Ganassi’s pair of Daytona Prototypes will no doubt be slugging it out for victory again as the American motorsports giant continues to re-write the record books.
Starworks Motorsport (Riley-Ford): The Rolex 24 was the only major race that the Peter Baron-led team didn’t win in 2012, with its Riley-Ford coming less than six seconds away from victory in a hard-fought battle with Michael Shank Racing.
Back for another go with a two-car assault, Starworks are again in the catbird’s seat with its lineup of Ryan Dalziel, Allan McNish, Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Popow in the lead No. 2 entry. It’s arguably one of the best in class and could be tough to beat, especially given their usual good streak of reliability.
The team’s No. 8 Riley-Ford of Brendon Hartley, Jan Charouz, Ivan Bellarosa, Scott Mayer and Gaetano Ardagna Perez could be a quiet dark horse as well, although not expected to have the strength to pull off a victory, or even podium, on outright pace with two Ams at the wheel.
Michael Shank Racing (Riley-Ford): The defending class winners return with a stepped-up two-car effort, both now Gen 3 Riley-Fords. The No. 60 machine of AJ Allmendinger, Justin Wilson, Marcos Ambrose, John Pew and Ozz Negri boasts the power needed for a repeat, although there are questions over how much Negri will drive, as the quick Brazilian continues his recovery from an off-season leg injury.
Shank’s No. 6 entry, which scored a surprise third place finish last year, could also impress again, with open-wheel hot shoes Jorge Goncalvez and Gustavo Yacaman being joined by Chris Cumming and Michael Valiante, who set the quickest lap at the Roar earlier this month.
With the monkey of a first Rolex 24 win off their backs, look for both Shank entries to shine again this time around.
Wayne Taylor Racing (Corvette DP): After a nightmare 2012 outing, which saw its Dallara-chassised Corvette DP last a mere 18 laps following an engine failure, Wayne Taylor Racing is back, and arguably stronger than ever, with its new-look entry also featuring a pair of new drivers that are no strangers to the GM family.
Following Ricky Taylor’s move to Spirit of Daytona, brother Jordan takes the reigns of the No. 10 VelocityWW entry for the season with veteran Max Angelelli. Joined by 2012 IndyCar champion Ryan Hunter-Reay for the Rolex 24, WTR’s lineup is considered one of the strongest in the field, even if going with a three-driver approach.
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