Cars on Track--The First Test Day of 2008 at Daytona International Speedway
Greetings from a quick visit to the "World Center of Racing"...where the Grand Am Rolex Sports Cars are testing for the first of three days, leading up to the 24 Hours of Daytona. There's a new tire supplier--Pirelli--and newly tweaked Daytona Prototypes, like the series defending champion number 99, which will be driven by Grand Am co champions Alex Gurner and Jon Fogarty, 1996 CART Champ and PKV Champ Car owner Jimmy Vasser, and a driver you may have heard about--the 2006 Daytona 500 winner, and two time and defending Sprint Cup Champion, Jimmie Johnson...the team is the all-California team. Some other notables...Dancing with the Stars winner (and a two time Indianapolis 500 winner) Helio Castroneves, 2004 Sprint Cup Champ Kurt Busch, and Ryan Briscoe pilot an entry for Penske-Taylor Racing...and the dream team of Chip Ganassi...with Dan Wheldon and Scott Dixon (IndyCar teammates) in one piece...and Juan Pablo Montoya, Dario Franchitti (from the Chipster's Sprint Cup operation) in another...Montoya and Scott Pruett co drove the 2007 Daytona Prototype winner here.
Champ Car sophomore Graham Rahal will be in a Michael Shank Racing prototype...IndyCar rookie of the year Ryan Hunter-Reay in a Bob Stallings machine...Champ Car rookie of the year Robert Doornbos in this race as well...for Synergy Racing in a GT3 Porsche.
This race is getting back to the future...with a lot of cross pollination between drivers from other series. That is good for all of racing.
We'll be back down for the 24 Hours...but will check in from time to time until then.
