A New Beginning for 2014
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A new beginning for 2014 michelinalley.com News From the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship - Rolex 24 at Daytona 2014 the News From WantWant somesome ofof this?this? WHO IS GOING TO CHASE DOWN THE CHAMPS? 2 s the world’s as racing and a 24 Hour race is an premier sport especially difficult opening act. car makers roll Porsche also debuts new cars as out their latest it launches a new Porsche North GT artillery, the America factory team with CORE Want RolexA 24 at Daytona entry list for autosport. An impressive 1-2 the GT Le Mans class is a who’s finish at Le Mans last June leaves who in GT sports car racing: Aston little doubt that the latest 911s are Martin, BMW, Corvette, Ferrari, well developed and proven at this some Porsche and SRT Viper. distance. Each enters 2014 with a storied Poised for another title run after history, a powerful line-up and a pair of victories in its inaugural a strong team as evidenced by season with the Z4 in 2013, are the the fact that all six manufacturers 2010-2011 ALMS champions from of this? celebrated 2013 BMW Team RLL - led by Bobby victories in the Rahal and Jay Connell. predecessor A championship run is exactly American Le what the SRT Viper team has Mans Series in mind for 2014. The Bill Riley or FIA World led team had a breakout season Endurance in 2013, with three poles and Championship its first win since returning to It is an axiom competition in mid-2012. in sports that to Ferrari is always a major be the champ, threat, especially at the one must beat longer races. The Ferrari 458 the champ. That Italia from mega successful Risi makes Corvette Competizione Ferrari of Houston Racing, home will be a formidable competitor. to both the 2012 The team came on strongly in and 2013 ALMS the final events of 2013, claiming champions the ones to beat in a victory at VIR and the pole at 2014. Road Atlanta. With nine wins in the final 19 Joining the Daytona party is 2013 GTLM DRIVER LINE-UPS ALMS races, Pratt and Miller the Aston Martin factory team ASTON BMW PORSCHE extracted great performances from Britain’s famed Prodrive Turner Mueller Tandy from its highly developed pair of team with the stunning and quick Lamy Priaulx Lietz Corvette C6.Rs. Aston Martin Vantage. Mucke Auberlen Long Now, the team enters 2014 With six prestigious marques, Stanaway Edwards Christensen competition with the exciting new including five full-on factory Bergmeister Dalla Lana Hand Corvette Stingray C7.Rs, cars that teams, and outstanding engineers Martin Pilet will turn their first race miles here and drivers, no one can afford to CORVETTE Rahal in the Rolex 24 at Daytona race. go a lap down, so expect them SRT Magnussen Werner The new Corvettes have been to be in total attack mode for the Farnbacher Garcia testing on track since a surprise entire 24 Hours. FERRARI Goossens Gavin appearance at the Monterey What a great way to start the Malucelli Bomarito Milner Reunion in August, but testing 2014 season. And, yes, race fans Fisichella Wittmer and simulations are not the same definitely want some of this! Briscoe Bruni Hunter-Reay Liddell Beretta Bell 3 WELCOME TO DAYTONA Where Y’all From? here will be a heavy accent Others take a global view. For example, and Dirk Werner, Belgium’s Maxime on the “International” at the two Corvette Racing GTLM class Martin and Andy Priaulx of Normandy, the Daytona International cars have six drivers from six different Guernsey, a British protectorate. Speedway for the 2014 countries; U.S.A. (Tommy Milner), As a North American championship, Rolex 24 at Daytona. England (Oliver Gavin), Denmark (Jan the series sees a majority of drivers from TThe massive 68-car TUDOR United Magnussen), Spain (Antonio Garcia), the U.S., Canada and Mexico. SportsCar Championship field with over Australia (Ryan Briscoe) and Scotland They are joined by drivers from 200 drivers includes drivers from more (Robin Liddell). Argentina, Brazil, Columbia and than two dozen countries. The SRT Viper factory squad, includes Venezuela. The diverse field of manufacturers, Americans Jonathan Bomarito and Ryan There is also a very teams and drivers reflects both the Hunter-Reay, Canadian Kuno Wittmer, strong European importance of the Rolex 24 at Daytona Germany’s Dominik Farnbacher, contingent with and the prestige of the Daytona Belgium’s Marc Goossens, and Britain’s’ drivers from Austria, International Speedway. Rob Bell. Aston Martin Racing’s squad Belgium, England, Adding a major boost for 2014 is the has Portugal’s Pedro Lamy, Britain’s Ireland, Scotland, launch of the TUDOR Championship Darren Turner, Germany’s Stefan Mucke, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, that has created new excitement for Canadian Paul Dalla Lana and New The Netherlands, France, manufacturers, teams, drivers and fans. Zealand’s Richie Stanaway. Germany, Italy, Switzerland, The 11-car GT Le Mans class alone The new Porsche North America Portugal, Spain, Monaco, and Russia. includes drivers from 14 different GTLM factory team is anchored by Asia rings in with China, Japan, countries. Some driver line-ups are American Patrick Long, with teammates, Australia and New Zealand. nationalistic, with most of the drivers Michael Christensen of Denmark, Joerg Why such a diverse field? True racers coming from the same country. Bergmeister of Germany, Austria’s seek out the best competition and the This can be based upon team Richard Lietz, UK’s Nick Tandy and more manufacturers and top teams seek experience, sponsor preferences and Patrick Pilet of France. to enter a championship, the greater the even language. The Risi Competizione BMW Team RLL counters with demand for top drivers. Ferrari provides considerable Italian flair Americans Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, As one team manager puts it, “it with stars Matteo Malucelli, Giancarlo John Edwards and Graham Rahal who doesn’t matter where you are from as Fisichella and Gimi Bruni. are joined by Germany’s Dirk Mueller long as you are quick.” 4 CHANGE IS EVERYWHERE hange is in the air, in the paddock, and on the track The familiar DPs will take on new Prototype challengers from at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 Honda, Nissan and Mazda. Adding to the excitement is the at Daytona in 2014. arrival of the 2012-2013 ALMS P1 champions from Muscle Milk The inaugural event of the TUDOR United Pickett Racing which debuts a new ORECA-Nissan package for SportsCar Championship merges the “best of the Klaus Graf and Lucas Luhr. European stalwart Oak Racing also Cbest” from the GRAND-AM and American Le Mans Series into a goes with Nissan power in its Morgan. new, unified championship. Scott Sharp’s Patrón-sponsored ESM Hondas are well The overwhelming response from manufacturers, teams, developed and drivers here include Ryan Dalziel, David sponsors and fans has produced great anticipation. Brabham and Simon Pagenaud. Mazda has a pair of stunning The defending race champions from new prototypes powered by the new Target Chip Ganassi Racing have made Mazda SkyActive diesel. Sylvain a big change as the TCGR entries are Tremblay’s SpeedSource team leads the now Ford EcoBoost powered. Scott development that looks to build upon Pruett seeks an unprecedented sixth his team’s success in GT. Rolex 24 win. Certainly the most distinctive Former winner Michael Shank Racing is also car on the track will be the radical DeltaWing powered by the turbocharged Ford V6 EcoBoost. prototype. The ultra-narrow nosed car has shown A powerful line-up of Corvette DP’s dominated the consistent performance and handling in a wide range recent Roar Before the 24 testing with Action Express, of conditions. With speed differentials between the Wayne Taylor, GAINSCO Bob Stalling’s Racing and classes and variations as to where on the track each the Spirit of Daytona entries all impressive. has advantages or deficits, traffic is expected to be an Marsh Racing Corvette has also moved important factor. Pit stops, race strategies and up from GT to Prototype competition for avoiding contact will all be important as the 2014. field is exceptionally deep. 5 CHANGE IS EVERYWHERE Prototype Challenge GT Le Mans GT Daytona (PC) (GTLM) (GTD) New for 2014 is the PC (Prototype One of the The largest class in the race is GT Daytona (GTD) featuring Challenge) class featuring single highlights of the professional/sportsmen drivers in a wide range of GT machinery. specification Chevy powered ORECA new TUDOR Alex Job Racing is the defending Rolex 24 at Daytona GT prototype chassis. With identical cars Championship is champion and like Ganassi in Prototype, AJR has made a switch the competition is always close and the arrival, virtually for 2014; going from its race winning Audi R8 LMS to the new teamwork and driver performance are intact, of the GT Le Porsche 911 GT America. key to success. Mans (GTLM) class Despite the switch, driver Leh Keen thinks the AJR team has a The PC class provides strong featuring factory key advantage. “Alex pushes each of us to deliver our best every performance for the dollar and teams from Aston lap and he knows how to get that. He has a lot of very good; highly its mandated combination of Martin, BMW, experienced people and they have worked together for long time. professional and sportsmen drivers is Corvette, Porsche They support you as a driver and you want to do your part,” said an attractive package for teams. Peter North America and Keen. Baron’s Starworks, the BAR 1, Level 5 SRT Viper, together The competition in the huge 28 car GTD class will be intense Motorsports, and Enzo Potolicchio‘s 8 with the powerful Risi as Porsche, Audi and Ferrari take on Aston Martin, Viper and Star team are all top contenders.