Grand-Am, Rolex 24 At Daytona – Preview
Part 1 – The DPs

17 Daytona Prototypes are currently scheduled to lock horns in combat at the Daytona International Speedway next weekend; only a small increase over the 2010 field, but a sign perhaps that things are back on the up for the States’ only major round-the-clock race.

Once again the quality of the DP field cannot be faulted, and if anything is higher than last year’s – of the 67 drivers in the class, no fewer than 19 are former winners. The recent Roar Before the Rolex 24 test also showed that picking a winner is not going to be an easy task.

Action Express Racing took the crown last year on its race debut and has since grown to a two-car team. Both of its V8-powered Riley Porsches have formidable driver line-ups, with 2010 winners Joao Barbosa and Terry Borcheller reuniting in the #9, where they are joined by Christian Fittipaldi, Max Papis and JC France.

Three-quarters of the victorious Brumos squad from 2009 – Darren Law, David Donohue and Buddy Rice – reunite in the #5 car (Brumos having switched classes in 2011), with Burt Frisselle completing the line-up.  

Ryan Dalziel, meanwhile, will have a Ford engine behind him this year as he seeks to make it two wins in a row in the #8 Starworks Motorsport Riley; the team having switched from BMW over the winter. The Orlando-based Scot and his regular 2010 teammate, Mike Forest, will be joined by Colin Braun, Tomas Enge and class-debutant Jim Lowe, so there are no concerns on the driver-front. Setting an unofficial lap-record at the January test probably isn’t a sign of weakness, either.

None of the five-strong crew of the #7 car have previously driven for Starworks, with Doug Peterson having a rather less-happy Sunday at the test; a shunt in the infield causing rear bodywork damage and an early end to proceedings. It is unlikely that this car will feature at the sharp end during the race.

 Chip Ganassi Racing won the Rolex 24 three years on the trot from 2006 and 2008 and came second in the following two – in 2009 by less than two-tenths of a second – and arguably should have also won both. It stands to reason, then, that the #01 and #02 Riley BMWs  will again enter the race as strong favourites; especially when you consider the domination shown by Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas throughout the 2010 season and the strength of the supporting cast brought in for this race.

Joey Hand and IndyCar racer Graham Rahal join the reigning Grand-Am champions, while Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya reunite in #02. But while, on paper, all the necessary ingredients are there, it should be remembered that the #02 failed to make it past one-third distance last year and that this is Rahal’s Grand-Am debut. Hand raced a full-season in the DP class in 2009, but spent most of last season behind the wheel of a GT-class BMW.

Despite these potential shortcomings, however, you will be unlikely to have to go far down the timing screens to find both these cars next weekend.

And wherever the Ganassi cars are, the Red Dragon is sure to be in close proximity; as Bob Stallings Racing tries once more to get its hand on the one prize that has so far eluded it. Jon Fogarty and Alex Gurney’s partnership has yielded numerous wins and two championships over the years, but so far no Rolex...er…Rolex.

Jimmy Johnson is back for another stab at the 24 before he knuckles down to the gruelling NASCAR season, with the #99 Riley Chevrolet slimming down to a three-man crew for this challenge.

Michael Shank Racing, with three cars – two Rileys and a Dallara – is numerically the strongest DP entrant and all three are sure to be competitive. Indeed, there is every expectation of a strong result for at least one, if not all three, of the cars.

The #6 Dallara Ford – run in conjunction with veteran car-owner Mike Curb – sees a very useful trio behind the wheel; Justin Wilson, Michael McDowell and AJ Allmendinger. The car tested well earlier in the month and the crew’s experience and pace make this a very strong package.

United Autosports are one of two teams debuting in the DP class this year, and their partnership with MSR for this race clearly indicates that they believe Shank’s experience in the category to be crucial to their ambitions. Of the four drivers in the #23 Riley Ford, only Mark Patterson – an MSR ‘old boy’ – has raced a DP before. However, Zak Brown and Mark Blundell managed to deliver a podium finish for the team at the Spa 24 Hours last year, and Martin Brundle’s wisdom and experience will complement this quartet very nicely. 

And the #60 Riley Ford is by no means the runt of the litter. Three MSR regular drivers – Ozz Negri, John Pew and Michael Valiante – are joined by Belgian ace Marc Goossens and will be looking to improve on last year’s fifth place finish.

Flying Lizard is the second team debuting in the class, but there is no doubt whatsoever that they will give the impression of it being their natural home.

Their weapon of choice is the ex-Brumos, 2009 Rolex 24-winning, Riley Porsche, while the driver line-up of Jörg Bergmeister – a former overall winner – Pat Long, Seth Neiman and Johannes van Overbeek just oozes the right stuff. The recent test was more of a ‘getting-to-know-the-car’ session than a hunt for outright speed, and with the drivers more comfortable now they are sure to be in the hunt for honours from the off. With Thomas Blam calling the race strategy, the #45 is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Level 5 Motorsports races under its own name in the DP class for the first time this year, but has already come close to taking a win. Last year, Scott Tucker, Richard Westbrook, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Lucas Luhr came third in the #95 Crown Royal/NPN Racing Riley BMW and almost the same line up returns in the car this year; the sole change being Raphael Matos replacing Luhr.

Team owner Tucker again appears on the driver list for both cars, and will be joined in the #55 by Christophe Bouchut – starting his 30th season of racing – Luis Diaz, and Mark Wilkins.

The sole Lola chassis is again fielded by Krohn Racing, with this year Tracey Krohn inviting Nic Minassian to make his DP and Daytona debuts, alongside regular co-drivers Nic Jonsson and Ricardo Zonta. The Brazilian has not had any problem flitting between the DP and the Peugeot 908, so there’s little reason to suspect that Quick Nic will be any different.

One team that perhaps doesn’t spend too much time in the limelight is Spirit Of Daytona Racing, but they could well be a dark horse for overall honours this year. Antonio Garcia and new regular-season teammate Paul Edwards will be joined by Sascha Maassen for the Rolex in the #90 Coyote, which has just switched from Porsche to Chevrolet power. If mechanical issues stay away, this trio could well cause a surprise.

Wayne Taylor knows how to win the Rolex 24 and while he may not race regularly himself nowadays, he can still find his way round the Speedway at a fair rate of knots. Helping him this year in the #10 SunTrust Dallara are elder son Ricky, Max Angelelli – another former winner – and Ryan Briscoe. Could they improve on 2010’s sixth this time around?

Completing the field is the #77 Doran Racing Dallara Ford of Matt Bell, Brian Frisselle, Ross Kaiser and Henri Richard. This car will receive much attention owing to Kaiser being the winner of the 2011 Sunoco Rolex Challenge, but the overall package is perhaps not as strong as some others. Having said that, there is much more to success in endurance racing than just speed and Kevin Doran knows that more than most. If the drivers can produce strong, consistent stints – and if Henri Richard can avoid a repeat of his 2010 early-race calamity – and the car stays together, then who knows what can happen?

So there we have it – 17 cars and no clear favourite. Is it to much to hope for a third classic race in three years?

MH