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Auto racing Rolex Grand-Am, I'm hearing rumors that the Infiniti G35 GT team is looking to run an all female driver team for a limited program this season with the eye to a full season in 2010. This car attracted a lot of interested when it ran the Daytona 24 hour race in 07 with Joey Hand and Brian Sellars at the wheel. The Crawford built car showed promise in its first outing but engine problems plagued the program.

Let's hope they get this car back on track it would make a nice addition to the GT field and to have an all female driver lineup that couldn't be bad. 

     

Auto racing Dixon keeps de Ferran team on top Scott Dixon kept de Ferran Motorsports on top of the time sheets at Sebring International Raceway on Wednesday morning. The reigning Indy 500 and IndyCar champion turned a lap of 1:45.671 (126.052 mph) on the third and final day of the American Le Mans Series’ annual Winter Test at Sebring.

Two more sessions are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The Series will be back at Sebring in less than two months for the season-opening 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the 100th race in Series history.

The new Acura ARX-02a that Dixon drove Wednesday morning has been fastest in all but one of the six sessions so far. Teammate Simon Pagenaud has the week’s quickest time, a 1:44.814 (127.082 mph) from Tuesday morning. His time bettered Marco Werner’s standing qualifying record around the famed 17-turn, 3.7-mile layout, set in 2007 in an Audi R10 TDI. Pagenaud, Dixon and team owner Gil de Ferran will team for the 12 Hours.

Acura’s other P1 entry from Patr¢n Highcroft Racing was second quickest Wednesday morning despite turning just eight laps. The car of David Brabham, Scott Sharp and Dario Franchitti posted a quick time of 1:46.157 (125.475 mph) before an electrical issue arose during the session.

Dyson Racing’s Mazda-powered Lola B08/86 coupe hit the circuit for the first time this week. Chris Dyson did all the work in the morning with a best lap of 1:49.462 (121.686 mph).

Richard Lietz went fastest in GT2 for Farnbacher Loles Racing and its new 2009-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. A Porsche factory driver, Lietz set a time of 2:02.960 (108.328 mph) in the car that he is driving with full-season partners Dirk Werner and Wolf Henzler.

Lietz outpaced the Flying Lizard Motorsports duo of Jörg Bergmeister and Patrick Long, also driving a Porsche 911, by less than 0.7 seconds. A second Flying Lizard Porsche, driven by Johannes van Overbeek, Darren Law and Seth Neiman, was third in class at 2:04.536 (106.957 mph).

Auto racing David Donohue passed Juan Pablo Montoya with 39 minutes remaining and held on to win the 47th Rolex 24 At Daytona - on the 40th anniversary of his father, Mark Donohue's, victory in the 1969 event.

Donohue joined Darren Law, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia to give Brumos Racing its first Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 victory since 2003, denying TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates its fourth consecutive victory in America's premier sports car event.

"These guys have put a lot of effort into this," Donohue said. "I'm glad to be able to carry the flag."

Montoya pressured Donohue throughout the final 39 minutes, but the No. 01 Lexus Riley could not overcome the strong of the Brumos Porsche on the Daytona banking.

Joao Barbosa finished third in the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley shared by JC France, Hurley Haywood and Terry Borcheller, while Max Angelelli took fourth in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara co-driven by Wayne Taylor, Pedro Lamy and Brian Frisselle.

The record-breaking event had the closest margin of victory, most finishers on the lead lap and most cautions. The top four finishers covered 735 laps - most in the Daytona Prototype era.

The GT race came down to a one-two finish for TRG Porsche, with Andy Lally and Justin Marks joined by Jorg Bergmeister, Patrick Long and RJ Valentine in the winning No. 67 Porsche GT3. Second, one lap behind, was the TRG No. 66 of Spencer Pumpelly, Tim George Jr., Richard Leitz and Emmanuel Collard.

Darren Law, David Donohue, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia manage to hold on to David Donohue's pole position. The race lead changed hands a decent number of times, but never leaving the 58 Brumos Porsche Riley out of the top 3 positions.

David took over for Antonio Garcia with roughly an hour and a half to go. He managed to pass race leader Juan Pablo Montoya within his first few laps back in the car. JPM is a 3-time in a row winner of the 24 Hours at Daytona and going for his 4th in a row. Montoya is a veteran Formula pole sitter and Grand Prix winner, NASCAR star, Indy 500 winner and a true competitor in Daytona Prototypes. But, at the end of the day, it was the Brumos Porsche number 58 team that really worked harder to become champions, again. It has been since 2003 that Brumos has won a race. They end their bad streak with a set of Rolex Daytona watches to take home.

Driving with Juan Pablo Montoya was the usual 01 Chip Ganassi team with Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett as the main drivers.

More coverage to come in a bit. But for now, let's send our support and rounds of applause to the Brumos Porsche team! Both the 58 and 59 cars did a fantastic job!

-Josh Lewis
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Last year I got my first oppurtunity to speak with and get a nice interview with Darren Law, driver for #58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley in Grand-Am Rolex Series and Flying Lizard Motorsports in American Le Mans Series. With his 2008 season over, and the 2009 season about to get underway with the start of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, I sat down and talked to Darren on the phone for a few minutes just to get caught up with him. First, I'll share with you 2008 season information.

Darren, together with Brumos Porsche, finished their best season yet in the Daytona Prototype Class of Grand-Am. Law and his teammate, David Donohue, finished a very respectable 4th in team points for the finale of the 2008 season.

In American Le Mans, Darren, together with his teammates of Flying Lizard Motorsports, finished 1st in team points with 213. Well ahead of Tafel Racing, with 185 points. Darren Law himself finished 7th in drivers' points with 76.

I'm always greatful to speak with Darren. This was my second time I've really sat down to talk to him, and I must say that each time I've done so, he has a great and open personality. He isn't timid of talking to you and answering you with a hearty laugh about something. He takes nothing personal and feels that his job is the greatest in the world. When you get to fly around a closed circuit at the edge of life, what else could be better? We talked a bit about his performance this past season, at this years' practice sessions for the 24 Hours at Daytona, and what this year has in store for him.

Darren said that he was very impressed with this past season, especially with how much more competition was in it this season. This past season has been labeled the most competitive in Daytona Prototype history.

Darren finished as the fastest man at the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" with a lap time of 1:41.733 with an average speed of 125.977 mph. Damn, Darren. Go get em' tiger! When talking with Darren about this, he said that he was very happy with the performance of his race car. He's excited to get the season underway. I could hear the relaxed nature in his voice. Almost like a free flowing form was in him. I have no doubt he'll be flying at tomorrow at the Rolex 24 Hours.

The number 58 Brumos Porsche Riley will be rolling off with Darren Law, David Donohue, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia. Buddy Rice may be a familiar name to most of you with his 2004 winning of the Indy 500. I asked Darren about how he felt about sharing his and David's car with someone like Buddy Rice. He said, "It's always good to have other drivers in with you. They are cool guys." Darren Law is looking forward to the upcoming season, but a little nervous about Roger Penske entering DP (Daytona Prototype). "Roger Penske is the ultimate to look up to, he has the ultimate guys working for him. But, it's tough because they can potentially get priority and political happiness over the rest of the teams." It's understandable. Roger Penske has a hand in almost every major racing series. He is a guy that most people look up to and envy, but he's one of the big dogs. You can't tell Penske he does anything wrong. But, even with that hanging over Grand-Am Prototypes, Darren still says it's some of the best racing in the world and that it's some of the most fun he's ever had.

One big theme in the American Le Mans Series for 2009 is Audi and Porsche ending their prototype efforts in LMP1 and LMP2, to which Darren said, "The prototype cars are dropping out due to signs of the times." I guess Audi realized they could only win so many races before it got tiring... But, the good news, at least according to Law, is, "The GT cars aren't really getting any pressure from the factory." Otherwise, they're not feeling the heat of budget cuts and employee layoffs. Porsche, though, has recorded record worldwide sales for 2008.

Another big thing for 2009 ALMS racing is the introduction of Corvette Racing into GT2, and the reintroduction of BMW into GT2. They have long dominated GT1, with not too many teams/cars in the series, now they move up to racing that should give them a true fight! BMW already dominated GT2 back a few years ago. Now Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand are back to show the guys what's up. Darren, along with the rest of the guys, just want it to be fair. A season where no one gets advantage in the rules over anyone else. He also said that he's looking forward to having BMW and Corvette race against him. "It's always good to have a full series full of good cars. It makes the racing that much better." His only concerns are the rules and fairness being policed properly. With that being said, there have been major modifications done to the 2009 911 racecar. Huge suspension and aerodynamic pieces added and changed, says Darren. He is a little disappointed that the Detroit Grand Prix has been cancelled. But, he's still looking forward to racing at Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and Mosport.

I did ask Darren what his position on all of the new F1/paddle shift transmissions was. He, like I, thinks it's great fun, great technology and obviously much faster than we could ever be at shifting. But when it comes down to driving or racing, for that matter, give him an old fashioned manual transmission. That's true skill, right there. Darren also said he would rather have rules against having traction control. He says that it's good for some guys, and it helps them to be better, but he enjoys being able to move his car in the direction he wants. If he wants the rearend to slide out a little bit, he wants to control it and facilitate it.

For more information on Darren and his upcoming season, visit DarrenLaw.com.

To watch the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona live, start out with Fox at 3:00 PM for the start of the race, then move over to SPEED Channel at 4:30 PM, and finish the coverage January 25th at 7 AM on SPEED.

Auto racing David Donohue edged Timo Bernhard by a scant .001 seconds Thursday to capture the pole position for the 47th Rolex 24 At Daytona, breaking the Daytona Prototype track record in the process.
Donohue turned in a lap of 1:40.540 (127.472 mph) in the No. 58 Brumos Porsche Riley he will share with Darren Law, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia. The race will take the green flag at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. FOX will open live network coverage at 3 p.m. Saturday. SPEED will resume coverage at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, continuing until 10 p.m. Sunday coverage on SPEED will run from 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

One of Sports car racing best Bernhard was at the wheel of Penske Racing's No. 16 Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Porsche Riley, turning a lap of 1:50.541 (127.470 mph) in the Daytona Prototype he shares with Romain Dumas and Ryan Briscoe.

"Actually, winning the pole was a bit of a surprise," said Donohue. "We had a bit of a problem with traffic on what I thought was my fastest lap. We were having an electrical gremlin, so I didn't know how quick I was running. The team told me I was P-1, but I didn't know by how much and what to do with the tires. But I said it before, all that counts is where you are at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday."

Donohue joins his father, the late Mark Donohue, as a pole winner of the event. The elder Donohue won the pole for Penske Racing in 1971. The pair join Dan and Alex Gurney as father-son pole winners for America's most prestigious sports car race.

While Donohue wasn't sure of his position in qualifying, Bernhard thought he was atop the charts.

"I knew I put down a pretty good lap, and when they give me the time I thought it would be good enough for the pole," said Bernhard, overall winner of the 2003 Rolex 24. "Then they told me it was very close, but I was second, but by that time my tires were done. It was a great result for Penske Racing. It's a new series for us in Grand-Am, and we're already very competitive. Looking at it that way, P-2 is a very good result."

Starting from the second row will be Michael Valiante, posting a time of 1:40.651 (127.331 mph) in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, and Richard Zonta, with a time of 1:40.892 (127.027 mph) in the No. 76 Krohn Racing Ford Lola.

Grand-Am racing champion Scott Pruett, seeking a third consecutive victory in the Rolex 24 and fourth in a row for TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, will start sixth after running a lap of 1:41.016 (126.495 mph) in the No. 01 Lexus Riley.

"That's about what we expected to run in qualifying," said Pruett. "For 24 hours, it's not going to make a difference. The Ganassi guys have done a great job, as always, and we've got a great car for the race. With a little bit of luck, the TELMEX No. 01 car will be fighting for the victory at the end."

Alex Gurney, the 2007 Rolex 24 pole winner, will start 11th in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley DP co-driven by three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, Jon Fogarty and Jimmy Vasser.

The No. 2 Childress-Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford of Danica Patrick, Casey Mears, Rob Finlay and three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace lost an engine during Friday's practice and failed to qualify. They will start the race 18th, at the back of the Daytona Prototype grid.

In GT, Sylvain Tremblay captured the Rolex 24 pole for the second consecutive year in dramatic fashion, waiting until near the end of the session to turn a track record lap of 1:49.455 (117.100) in the No.70 SpeedSource Castrol Syntec Mazda RX. Tremblay and Nick Ham will be seeking their second consecutive GT victory in the Rolex 24, and fourth consecutive triumph at Daytona - all from the pole position. David Haskell and Jonathan Bomarito will co-drive in the Rolex 24.

"We were short by about three- or four-tenths, and I had to do quite a bit of work to make it happen," Tremblay said. "I could see that that last lap had potential. I kept my head down and drove as hard as I've ever driven here to try to get that lap. I know it doesn't mean much for a 24-hour race, but it means a lot to the team, it means a lot to my boys and it means a lot to me."

Tremblay knocked Andy Lally off the pole, after the driver of the No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3 turned in a lap of 1:49.450 (116.998 mph) early in the session.

Martin Ragginger, Jeff Segal and Wolf Henzler rounded out the top five GT qualifiers.

Thursday's qualifying locked in the top 40 positions for the Rolex 24. Final qualifying will be held Friday at 11 a.m., followed by the Fresh From Florida 200 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge race.

Auto racing ALMS Winter Test Preview A group of the most anticipated new entries to the American Le Mans Series will make their public debuts next week at the annual Winter Test at Sebring International Raceway. It’s one of many reasons to look forward to the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida, the start of the Series’ second decade of sports car racing.

The highlights? There are plenty:

• Three brand new prototypes grace the entry list. The pair that fans are perhaps the most eager to see are Acura’s two ARX-02a sports cars in LMP1. De Ferran Motorsports and Patr¢n Highcroft Racing, which finished second in last year’s LMP2 championship and won four times in class, each will field one of the new cars.

All four drivers return with their teams from last season – Simon Pagenaud with team owner Gil de Ferran, and David Brabham and Scott Sharp in the Patr¢n Highcroft Acura.

Adrian Fernandez, Luis Diaz and Michel Jourdain Jr. will drive Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Acura in LMP2. The ARX-01b received a few updates and improvements over the offseason.

• Dyson Racing and Mazda will trot out a Mazda-powered Lola coupe in LMP2. America’s premier independent team, Dyson Racing is back with longtime partner Lola after two years with Porsche’s RS Spyder. Chris Dyson, Ben Devlin, Butch Leitzinger, Guy Smith all will see time in the sleek Lola coupe, which debuted in the Series last year at Petit Le Mans.

• GT2 sees the world debut of Porsche’s new 911 GT3 RSR. Fresh on the heels of regaining the class manufacturer championship from Ferrari in 2008, Porsche has made several improvements to an already legendary machine.

Redesigned radiator air ducting, which became necessary with installation of the new air conditioning unit, was added to comply with the ACO 2009 regulations. The aerodynamics under the rear also underwent further fine-tuning. The rear wing now features a wider adjustment range. The weight-optimized brake system and the lighter wiring harness contribute to further improved handling for 2009.

There are six Porsches entered at the Winter Test: three for defending team champion Flying Lizard Motorsports (Jörg Bergmeister, Patrick Long, Johannes van Overbeek, Seth Neiman and Darren Law), and one each for Farnbacher Loles Racing (Wolf Henzler and Dirk Werner), VICI Racing and Team Falken Tire.

• BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team also will bring one of its fourth-generation BMW M3s to the Winter Test. Full-season drivers Bill Auberlen, Joey Hand, Tommy Milner and Dirk Müller will split time. The 2009 season marks BMW’s return to the American Le Mans Series, having last competed in 2006.

• Entries from Robertson Racing (Doran-Ford GT-R), Panoz Team PTG (Panoz Esperante GTLM) and LG Motorsports (Riley-Corvette C6) fill out the entry. All together there are a near-record 14 cars representing eight different manufacturers.

Auto racing K-PAX/3R Racing has announced they will enter the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing SPEED World Challenge GT Championship with two-time defending Champion Randy Pobst and 2005 Champion Andy Pilgrim driving a pair of Volvo S60s.

Though the team has won the SPEED GT Drivers' Championship the past two years with Pobst behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 and helped the German marque earn its seventh World Challenge Manufacturers' Championship in 2007, the team could not resist the challenge of a new car. K-PAX owner Jim Haughey has long been enthusiastic about the Volvo brand and 3R has proven to be especially adept at building a car from the frame up.

That's exactly what the team has done with the all-wheel drive 2.5 liter turbo 2009 Volvo S60. The chassis arrived at the 3R shop straight off the assembly line. The crew got to work designing their own components, while working with Mahle USA on motors and Weismann on gearboxes.

"We here at 3R are very excited at the opportunity we have been given to engineer and build all-new cars and bring a new manufacturer back to the series," 3R Racing owner Bob Raub said. "We know that this is not an easy task or one that will not be without its share of problems and failings, but through those problems and failings we will work hard to have success for Jim, Volvo, Randy and Andy."

The change in cars goes hand-in-hand with a driver change. Three-time series Champion (2005, 2007-8) Pobst will be partnered with 2005 SPEED GT Champion Pilgrim in 2009. Pilgrim steps into the cockpit of the Volvo S60 after five seasons driving a Cadillac CTS-V. Pobst starts his third season with K-PAX, searching for his third-consecutive Drivers' Title. Together, Pobst and Pilgrim have combined for 27 poles, 77 top-three finishes and 28 wins.

"Happy New Year, and what a new year it will be," Pobst said. "Fabulous new 3R Racing-built Volvo S60R all-wheel drive turbo race cars, and a new teammate who is someone for whom I have great respect, Andy Pilgrim. The new Volvo will be a very interesting development project. I am excited about being part of a new challenge; the testing, the learning and being part of a new creation. I will miss Michael Galati's effervescent personality, and I wish him the best in his new endeavors."

"I'm very excited to be working with K-PAX," Pilgrim said. "I have a ton of respect for them, having run against them in several cars, from the original Corvette they were running to the Porsches the last two years.



"At this point in my career I'm looking forward to having a big learning curve with an all-wheel drive race car. That's something I've never driven before and it's been a long time since I've driven a turbo. I'm always up for a challenge. I'm also looking forward to running with Randy. We've run as car-mates and competitors, but we've never run as teammates."



With so much work to be done and parts to fit, the team doesn't anticipate any testing before Sebring. Pobst and Pilgrim will be valuable assets in developing the car throughout the season.

Auto racing DP driver Darren Law and GT driver Dominik Farnbacher waited until the final day to set the fastest laps of the "Roar Before the Rolex 24" Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at Daytona International Speedway.

Law, driving the No. 58 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley, led the Daytona Prototypes in the Monday's conclusion of the three-day session with a lap of 1:31.733 (125.977 mph). He will co-drive with David Donohue, Buddy Rice and Antonio Garcia in the 47th Rolex 24 At Daytona, which takes the green flag at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 24.

Farnbacher waited until the final 30 minutes of the closing session before running a lap of 1:50.881 (115.853 mph) in a simulated qualifying run in the No. 86 Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche GT3.

Christophe Bouchut, who was quickest in Sunday's combined testing, had the fastest lap for much of Monday morning in the No. 55 Edata Solutions/Supercar Life Racing LevelFive Motorsports BMW Riley prior to Law's fastest lap.

"We've spent a lot of time with this car, and the team has done a good job with setup," Law said. "We've been inching up on it and it's getting there. We're pretty happy with the car. We're close to going racing now. Right now, we're running in race equipment, making sure that everything is working properly.

Michael Valiante had held the quickest lap of the test, set Saturday when he ran a lap of 1:41.760 (125.943 mph) in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley he shares with John Pew, AJ Allmendinger and Ian James.

Bouchut placed third overall with his Sunday lap of 1:41.859 (125.821 mph), followed by Tomas Enge, who led Monday's closing session with a lap of 1:41.916 (125.751 mph). Enge drives the No. 22 Alegra Motorsports Gatorade/Today MD BMW Riley with Carlos de Quesada, Jean-Francois Dumoulin and Ryan Dalziel.

"We had a few problems during this test, but it looks like at the end of the test it looks like we've sorted out the small issues and we've set up the car quite well," Enge said. "We've still got a ways to go before the race, but the car looks good and we feel very positive. I still need a few more laps to be comfortable, but it's working well. It's not perfect yet, but I know we will work hard and we will be ready before the race and we will be strong."

Farnbacher led Sunday's sessions before his late Monday lap eclipsed the fastest GT lap, set Saturday by defending Rolex 24 GT winner Sylvain Tremblay, who ran 1:51.205 (115.247 mph) in the No. 70 Castrol Syntec SpeedSource Mazda RX-8.

"We had a good performance, and everything worked very well," Farnbacher said. "On our fastest lap, our setup was like what it would be for qualifying, and it worked pretty good. Also, we put new tires on and we wanted to see what the difference would be between old and new tires. It was not really a big gain. The Pirelli tires are very good and very consistent. I also did a long run to see how the tires would perform through the stint, and the Pirelli tires were very consistent. We are quite happy to have such good lap times."

Monday's final session produced the three fastest GT laps of the weekend. Andy Lally ran a lap of 1:51.169 (115.284 mph) in the No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3 he co-drives with Justin Marks, Pat Long, Jorg Bergmeister and RJ Valentine. Third in the GT class was the No. 65 TRG Porsche GT3 of Craig Stanton, who ran 1:51.176 (115.277 mph) in the car shared by John Potter, Bryce Miller, and Marco Holzer.

Jimmie Johnson, who won his third consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in 2008, spent Monday testing the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Pontiac Riley he co-drives with Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Jimmie Vasser.

"It's nice to get back in a race car, but more than anything, this race is something special to me and something I admired as a kid growing up," Johnson said. "I like being involved in it, with the racers and teams that are all involved in the Rolex 24.

"This is different for me," Johnson added. "This car and the way we use the brakes are very different from what I'm used to, so I'm working very hard to be more committed in the braking zones. Practicing driver changes is very different, and I certainly improved from my first stop to the fourth time I tried it."

Earlier Monday Penske Racing announced its driver lineup and sponsorship for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Romain Dumas, Timo Bernhard and Ryan Briscoe will co-drive the No. 16 Crown Royal Cask No. 16, with Dumas and Bernhard continuing in the car for the remainder of the Grand-Am Rolex Series season.

"Going into the Rolex 24, we have two goals as a team," said Bernhard, who won the GT class in the 2002 Rolex 24 and then captured overall honors for TRG the following year. "Sure, we want to win the race because it's an outstanding race. But on the other hand we are looking for a good start to the season for the whole year, so we can fight for the championship."

Practice for the Rolex 24 gets underway at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22, with qualifying that afternoon beginning at 3:45 p.m. For additional information, please visit www.grand-am.com

Auto racing BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team got its first "meet and greet" with the new BMW M3 on Wednesday at Road Atlanta, a chilly day that saw the North American debut of BMW's newest GT2 challenger. Jörg Müller, the 2001 GT champion in the American Le Mans Series with BMW Motorsport, had most of the seat time Wednesday in the brand-new, freshly liveried M3.

Among those on hand for the two-day test is Rahal Letterman Racing co-owner Bobby Rahal, no stranger to Road Atlanta or the American Le Mans Series. Rahal Letterman fielded a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR in GT2 during the 2007 season, and Rahal himself is eager to begin this new chapter.

"It's a great relationship between Rahal Letterman and BMW North America," Rahal said. "Sports car racing is where I got my start so there were a lot of emotional reasons for being involved but there also were a variety of business-related reasons as well.

"With all due respect to our prototype friends, GT2 will truly be one for the ages. We are part of BMW returning, you have Corvette moving from GT1 and GT2 plus Panoz, Porsche and Ferrari. It will be extremely tough, competitive racing."

The M3 also will test Thursday at Road Atlanta before another test session next week at Sebring International Raceway, site of the 57th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team is planning to enter a pair of M3s. Monday,

Auto racing Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand will rejoin BMW next season as the German manufacturer returns to the American Le Mans Series after a two-year absence.

Rahal Letterman Racing will run two of BMW's latest generation M3s in the GT2 class, and have announced Americans Hand and Auberlen - who both raced for BMW's previous GT2 project - as their first driver pairing.

Sportscar veteran Auberlen has been a BMW stalwart for most of his career and was part of the company's last Le Mans prototype programme, while 29-year-old Hand switched from junior single-seaters to GT racing four years ago.

"If you are going to start a new BMW team in the United States, it is nearly impossible to find a pair of drivers with more success or more experience with BMWs than Bill Auberlen and Joey Hand," said team boss Bobby Rahal.

"Bill is one of the most successful American sedan drivers of the decade and Joey has more than displayed his ability to run right with him, so we expect this driver pairing to be a strong one for the BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team."

The new M3 GT2 has been developed by BMW Motorsport in Europe, and is testing at Road Atlanta this week with BMW's World Touring Car Championship drivers Andy Priaulx, Jorg Muller and Augusto Farfus, who will also drive the car for two days at Sebring later this month.

NASCAR racing, Yahoo Sports reports Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi will combine their slumping race teams next season, an effort to stabilize their organizations in a tough economic time, The Associated Press has learned.

The combined team will be called Earnhardt Ganassi Racing and will field cars for Martin Truex, Aric Almirola, Juan Pablo Montoya and a driver yet to be named, two people familiar with the decision told the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has yet to be announced.

Both organizations have struggled to secure sponsorship this season, forcing the teams to pool resources.

Truex and Almirola will come from Dale Earnhardt Incorporated; only Truex’s car has full sponsorship for next season.

Montoya has half a season of sponsorship, and Ganassi’s flagship No. 41 has full sponsorship but no driver.

DEI fields Chevrolets, and Ganassi has a Dodge contract. Details of a manufacturer switch still are being worked out as the team is expected to use General Motors.

Auto racing Kurt Busch flew to Homestead-Miami Speedway on Wednesday but first made a quick detour to Daytona International Speedway to take part in November Test Days in preparation for the 47th anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona on Jan. 24-25 at Daytona International Speedway.

Busch, who drives the NASCAR No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, tested a Penske Racing Porsche Riley Daytona Prototype as he prepares for his third career start in the Rolex 24, America’s toughest and most prestigious sports car event.

“Right now, we’ve got one more Cup race and then we get to relax a little bit and then pump up the regiment and get ready for the 24-hour race which isn’t until the end of January,” Busch said. “It’s a good time of year in NASCAR. You know you’re almost done (with the season) but then you’re looking forward to the fun of driving around in a sports car.”

Busch is becoming a regular fixture at the Grand-Am Rolex 24. He will make his third Rolex 24 start in the 2009 Rolex 24 and finished third overall with Penske-Taylor Racing in 2008 with co-drivers Helio Castroneves and Ryan Briscoe. He has high hopes of collecting a Rolex watch that comes with victory in the Rolex 24 in 2009.
“I’ve done the first step which is surrounding myself around a good team,” Busch said. “This Penske team is very qualified. All the crew guys, all the team officials that make calls, it’s just exciting for me to be a part of something that is this strong. I know I’m the weakest link and have the most homework to do.”

Busch, who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship in 2004 with Roush Fenway Racing, doesn’t have a shot to win a Sprint Cup title this year and didn’t qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

But even with Jimmie Johnson is poised to win a third straight Sprint Cup championship in this weekend’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch is eager to get down to business at the 1.5-mile South Florida track and finish off the year with a victory.

“We’re there to put the Miller Lite Dodge in Victory Lane and to go off the end of the season with a big bang,” Busch said. “We want to run well. It’s been a track that has been good to us in the past and we’re hoping for a great run down in Homestead-Miami.”

November Test Days was the second of three major tune-ups for the Rolex 24 and had 40 sports cars on the entry list – 20 Daytona Prototypes and 20 GT class machines.

The final Rolex 24 prep session will be the January Test Days on Jan. 2-4 and the roar before the Rolex 24 fan fest.

Auto racing Daytona Prototype Testing at Daytona - Day 1 The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is testing Nov. 11-12 at Daytona International Speedway, sporting the new 2009-specification Pirelli P Zero tires. Here you will find DP news on the drivers and teams participating in the test. Times will not be released either day.

Wallace Happy With Childress-Howard Effort (Updated Tuesday at 4:45 p.m.)

Childress-Howard Motorsports tested at Daytona International Speedway for the first time on Tuesday, with Andy Wallace and Rob Finlay sharing time behind the wheel of the No. 4 Pontiac Crawford in preparation for the January 24-25 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the opening round of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

"I think it's come quite far," said Wallace of the effort, which had its lone outing in the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International in August. Wallace finished 19th, co-driving with Andy Lally.

"The car is very well balanced," Wallace added. "I'm very happy with the engine we've got in. This is a new one from Watkins Glen. We've had a little bit of problem getting the car started, which is a shame, but other than that, it feels really good. We've had a few people working very hard in Denver (North Carolina) since Watkins Glen, trying to improve every part of the car. I think we have. We're looking forward to doing the whole season, but it's a bit of a sting in the toe to have the Rolex 24 as the first race of the season. If it was halfway through the season, you'd know the car a lot better by then. With a new car, you've got to find out exactly what it likes."

Wallace is sharing time with Rob Finlay in the updated Crawford.

"I've got a relationship with the Crawfords from a few years ago," Finlay said. "When this opportunity arose, it was a great fit. I've always wanted to get back into their chassis, and the team is first class. It's fantastic."

Finlay is happy with the updated Crawford.

"They are two completely different cars," Finlay said. "This one is really good, but it's completely different. We're going through our first day trying to get everything working together, but overall, I'm really pleased."

Wallace won the Rolex 24 with TWR Jaguar in 1990 and with Dyson Racing in 1997 and 1999. He's also come close several times - including 2001, when his Dyson entry broke with three and a half hours remaining while leading by 27 laps. In 2004, the Crawford team of Wallace, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke while leading with only 17 minutes remaining.

"I've got a few races I could have won, but a lot of people have got those," Wallace said. "Today, this Roles Series is very competitive. You can't go out on the track and get P-1 right away - you've got to work at it.

"It seems like just yesterday that the GTPs were here rushing around," Wallace added. "But the lap times of these Daytona Prototypes are not too far away from those lap times, and those cars had more horsepower, more ground effects, everything. The Daytona Prototypes are very fast and they're great to drive. It's special. When you walk around the paddock and see the depth of the teams, every year it gets better."

Wallace was also pleased with the new Pirelli tires.

"They're absolutely wonderful," Wallace said. "You can stand on it anywhere on the track and there's little wheelspin. They've done a real good job."

Now, Wallace is looking forward to drive for Richard Childress for the first time at Daytona.

"It's a big thrill to be driving Mr. Childress' car," Wallace said. "He wants to get serious about sports car racing, and I've been the lucky recipient to get the car ready and ultimately try to win races. I think we'll be right up there where we need to be. I'm really, really happy to be back here. I miss not doing to the whole season, and I'm looking forward to this race."


Shank Not Changing Recipes (Updated Tuesday at 3 p.m.)

Last year, Michael Shank Racing ran the Rolex 24 At Daytona with a new package - an updated Riley chassis while switching to Ford engines. Don't look for many changes this year, especially on the No. 60 entry co-driven by Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson.

"We have the same recipe," Negri said. "The recipe of the cake was working pretty good, so we kept everything the same. That's good, because we can develop from what we had last year. Everything with the test is going great, as always. The team does a fantastic job. We have a real good car and it's very competitive. We're experimenting with the new Pirelli tires, which are really good. They're almost the same as the old ones. They give us a lot of confidence that we can do the same in 2009 - hopefully, be on the pole and finish right up there."

After finishing second overall in the 2006 Rolex 24, Negri won the pole for last year's race and joined Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal for a sixth-place finish.



Notes from the Paddock (Updated Tuesday at 1 p.m.)

Jeff Braun, former engineer with Krohn Racing, is on site helping out AIM Autosport with its new No. 51 entry ... Among the drivers on site pursuing opportunities include Terry Borcheller, Marc Goossens, Shane Lewis, Anthony Lazzaro and Nelson Philippe ... Penske Racing took an early lunch break to change an engine ... Andy Wallace reported that they are having trouble starting up the Childress-Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, but other than that, the car is running fine. Also seen in the paddock - Michaele Jourdain and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Sr.

Jeff Ward to Test With Spirit of Daytona

Another motorcycle legend is testing to race in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Seven-time AMA motocross champion Jeff Ward is testing with the Spirit of Daytona team this week, joined by Scott Russell and Guy Cosmo. The Scottish-born Ward was inducted into the motorcycle hall of fame in 1999. This would be his second start in the Rolex 24. Ward, who now lives in Newport Beach, Calif., drove the Ford Keiler KII in the 1997 event, finishing 52nd in a World Sports Car co-driven by Owen Trinkler and Roberto Quinanilla.

The No. 09 Porsche Coyote is sporting new updated Coyote bodywork for the team, still carrying the black and gold colors raced by Cheever Racing this past season. The team is expecting delivery of a new Coyote in the very near future.

Ward retired from motocross after winning seven championships and 57 races. He went to the Indy Racing League, winning the 2002 race at Texas Motor Speedway, edging Al Unser Jr. in what was the closest finish in IRL history. Ward finished sixth in the standings in 1998, winning the pole at Phoenix International Raceway. He was the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year that season, finishing third. He also finished second in the 1999 Indy 500 and was fourth in open-wheel racing's most prestigious event in 2000.

His last open-wheel race was the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Ward then returned to two-wheeled competition in the new AMA Supermoto division, winning the championship in 2004 and 2006. He also was a two-time Supermoto winner in the X-Games, winning earlier this year at age 47.

Auto racing Daytona Prototype Testing at Daytona - Day 1 The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is testing Nov. 11-12 at Daytona International Speedway, sporting the new 2009-specification Pirelli P Zero tires. Here you will find DP news on the drivers and teams participating in the test. Times will not be released either day.

Wallace Happy With Childress-Howard Effort (Updated Tuesday at 4:45 p.m.)

Childress-Howard Motorsports tested at Daytona International Speedway for the first time on Tuesday, with Andy Wallace and Rob Finlay sharing time behind the wheel of the No. 4 Pontiac Crawford in preparation for the January 24-25 Rolex 24 At Daytona, the opening round of the 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

"I think it's come quite far," said Wallace of the effort, which had its lone outing in the Crown Royal 200 at Watkins Glen International in August. Wallace finished 19th, co-driving with Andy Lally.

"The car is very well balanced," Wallace added. "I'm very happy with the engine we've got in. This is a new one from Watkins Glen. We've had a little bit of problem getting the car started, which is a shame, but other than that, it feels really good. We've had a few people working very hard in Denver (North Carolina) since Watkins Glen, trying to improve every part of the car. I think we have. We're looking forward to doing the whole season, but it's a bit of a sting in the toe to have the Rolex 24 as the first race of the season. If it was halfway through the season, you'd know the car a lot better by then. With a new car, you've got to find out exactly what it likes."

Wallace is sharing time with Rob Finlay in the updated Crawford.

"I've got a relationship with the Crawfords from a few years ago," Finlay said. "When this opportunity arose, it was a great fit. I've always wanted to get back into their chassis, and the team is first class. It's fantastic."

Finlay is happy with the updated Crawford.

"They are two completely different cars," Finlay said. "This one is really good, but it's completely different. We're going through our first day trying to get everything working together, but overall, I'm really pleased."

Wallace won the Rolex 24 with TWR Jaguar in 1990 and with Dyson Racing in 1997 and 1999. He's also come close several times - including 2001, when his Dyson entry broke with three and a half hours remaining while leading by 27 laps. In 2004, the Crawford team of Wallace, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke while leading with only 17 minutes remaining.

"I've got a few races I could have won, but a lot of people have got those," Wallace said. "Today, this Roles Series is very competitive. You can't go out on the track and get P-1 right away - you've got to work at it.

"It seems like just yesterday that the GTPs were here rushing around," Wallace added. "But the lap times of these Daytona Prototypes are not too far away from those lap times, and those cars had more horsepower, more ground effects, everything. The Daytona Prototypes are very fast and they're great to drive. It's special. When you walk around the paddock and see the depth of the teams, every year it gets better."

Wallace was also pleased with the new Pirelli tires.

"They're absolutely wonderful," Wallace said. "You can stand on it anywhere on the track and there's little wheelspin. They've done a real good job."

Now, Wallace is looking forward to drive for Richard Childress for the first time at Daytona.

"It's a big thrill to be driving Mr. Childress' car," Wallace said. "He wants to get serious about sports car racing, and I've been the lucky recipient to get the car ready and ultimately try to win races. I think we'll be right up there where we need to be. I'm really, really happy to be back here. I miss not doing to the whole season, and I'm looking forward to this race."


Shank Not Changing Recipes (Updated Tuesday at 3 p.m.)

Last year, Michael Shank Racing ran the Rolex 24 At Daytona with a new package - an updated Riley chassis while switching to Ford engines. Don't look for many changes this year, especially on the No. 60 entry co-driven by Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson.

"We have the same recipe," Negri said. "The recipe of the cake was working pretty good, so we kept everything the same. That's good, because we can develop from what we had last year. Everything with the test is going great, as always. The team does a fantastic job. We have a real good car and it's very competitive. We're experimenting with the new Pirelli tires, which are really good. They're almost the same as the old ones. They give us a lot of confidence that we can do the same in 2009 - hopefully, be on the pole and finish right up there."

After finishing second overall in the 2006 Rolex 24, Negri won the pole for last year's race and joined Patterson, Justin Wilson and Graham Rahal for a sixth-place finish.



Notes from the Paddock (Updated Tuesday at 1 p.m.)

Jeff Braun, former engineer with Krohn Racing, is on site helping out AIM Autosport with its new No. 51 entry ... Among the drivers on site pursuing opportunities include Terry Borcheller, Marc Goossens, Shane Lewis, Anthony Lazzaro and Nelson Philippe ... Penske Racing took an early lunch break to change an engine ... Andy Wallace reported that they are having trouble starting up the Childress-Howard Motorsports Pontiac Crawford, but other than that, the car is running fine. Also seen in the paddock - Michaele Jourdain and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Sr.

Jeff Ward to Test With Spirit of Daytona

Another motorcycle legend is testing to race in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Seven-time AMA motocross champion Jeff Ward is testing with the Spirit of Daytona team this week, joined by Scott Russell and Guy Cosmo. The Scottish-born Ward was inducted into the motorcycle hall of fame in 1999. This would be his second start in the Rolex 24. Ward, who now lives in Newport Beach, Calif., drove the Ford Keiler KII in the 1997 event, finishing 52nd in a World Sports Car co-driven by Owen Trinkler and Roberto Quinanilla.

The No. 09 Porsche Coyote is sporting new updated Coyote bodywork for the team, still carrying the black and gold colors raced by Cheever Racing this past season. The team is expecting delivery of a new Coyote in the very near future.

Ward retired from motocross after winning seven championships and 57 races. He went to the Indy Racing League, winning the 2002 race at Texas Motor Speedway, edging Al Unser Jr. in what was the closest finish in IRL history. Ward finished sixth in the standings in 1998, winning the pole at Phoenix International Raceway. He was the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year that season, finishing third. He also finished second in the 1999 Indy 500 and was fourth in open-wheel racing's most prestigious event in 2000.

His last open-wheel race was the 2005 Indianapolis 500. Ward then returned to two-wheeled competition in the new AMA Supermoto division, winning the championship in 2004 and 2006. He also was a two-time Supermoto winner in the X-Games, winning earlier this year at age 47.

Auto racing Brian Frisselle, the 24-year-old American who scored a pair of breakthrough Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 victories this past August, has joined the No. 10 SunTrust team of Wayne Taylor Racing as co-driver with Italian former series champion Max Angelelli for the 2009 season.

Frisselle, who was born in Southern California and resides in Aspen, Colo., recently wrapped up his second full season and fourth overall in the Rolex Series, co-driving with his brother Burt in 2005 and 2006 and the past two seasons with Mark Wilkins on the AIM Autosport Ford Riley team. He and Wilkins scored AIM's breakthrough back-to-back wins in August at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and the very next weekend after earning his first career pole position at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. Frisselle and Wilkins, who finished fifth in the season-ending point standings, scored a third-consecutive podium finish in late-August with a third-place effort at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., where Angelelli and the SunTrust team scored their lone victory of 2008.


"Brian is a winner, plain and simple, and with SunTrust Racing being all about winning championships, that makes Brian the perfect choice to join Max as co-driver in 2009," said Wayne Taylor, who co-drove to the 2005 Rolex Series title for SunTrust with Angelelli.


Angelelli's full-time co-driver in 2008 was Canadian Michael Valiante, with whom he teamed for the victory at Infineon, followed by back-to-back second-place finishes at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, and Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, to close the season. The SunTrust team finished sixth in the final standings, the first time outside the top-three in five Rolex Series seasons.


"Brian is a young guy but he's been racing Grand-Am for several years, now, and he is definitely the kind of driver who can help us win a championship," said Angelelli, whose 12 career Rolex Series wins ranks second on the all-time list. "Brian showed last year that he is a tough competitor and he is capable of winning races and qualifying on the pole. Wayne and I have always been interested in him and I am very happy that we have been able to make him a part of our team. We've known him and his family for a long time and I think he is going to be a natural fit for SunTrust and for this team."


Frisselle's career began to take shape as a championship contender in open-wheel's Skip Barber Western Championship series in 2002, then during his march through the 2003 Formula Dodge National Championship and Fran-Am 1600 Western Series, and the 2004 Star Mazda Series North American Championship and Formula BMW USA Championship ranks. His first taste of Rolex Series competition came in 2005 and 2006 as co-driver with his brother Burt in the No. 8 Synergy Racing Doran prototype. He moved to the No. 61 AIM Autosport team in 2007 and scored a pair of top-10 finishes for the brand new team before finishing with a season-best fifth-place run in the Miller Motorsports Park finale.


"I am unbelievably fired up about joining Max and Wayne and coming to the SunTrust team," said Frisselle, who's made 49 Rolex Series starts in all the past four seasons. "SunTrust has made its mark as a team of excellence since it joined the series back in 2004. They've pretty much been a contender for the championship every year they've competed. To be part of an organization like that, and to drive alongside Max Angelelli as his teammate, having Wayne Taylor as a team owner, and SunTrust as a sponsor, that's an opportunity of a lifetime. Wayne has always been a special mentor to me. Back when I was just getting started and there were times I was struggling, Wayne would come over and tell me to keep the faith and have confidence in myself. I'm looking forward to my role qualifying the SunTrust car and driving the first part of the races and handing the car over to Max for a strong finish. He's arguably the best finisher in all of Grand-Am, so if I just keep doing my job, we'll hopefully be contending for another championship. No matter what, it's a great opportunity, and I know it's going to be a lot of fun."


"For anyone who has watched the Rolex Series as closely as we have in recent years, it's no secret that Brian is one of the brightest young driving talents in all of sports car racing," said Krista Massey, Senior Vice President, Director of Sponsorships and Event Marketing, SunTrust Banks, Inc. "We are certainly proud to welcome him to our team and very much look forward to Brian and Max's fight in 2009 to bring the Rolex Series championship back to SunTrust."


The SunTrust team next takes to the track for testing Nov. 11-12, and again Jan. 2-4, at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The 2009 season begins Jan. 24-25 with the traditional Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Auto racing Penske Racing will field a second Daytona Prototype, while Childress-Howard Motorsports will test for the first time at Daytona International Speedway next week during a two-day test for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16.

Penske Racing and Childress-Howard Motorsports will be joined by many of the Rolex Series veteran teams among the 18 Daytona Prototypes and 19 GT entries entered for the Tuesday and Wednesday test, Nov. 11-12, in preparation for the season-opening 47th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Testing will include a Tuesday evening session running until 7:30 p.m. The sessions will be open to the public, and fans are able to view testing from the Sprint FANZONE with a $10 Daytona 500 Experience track tour-only ticket. Fans who have already purchased tickets to the 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona will be admitted free.

Penske Racing, which participated in a three-day Daytona test in October, will return with the No. 5 Porsche Riley for Romain Dumas and Timo Bernhard and has added the No. 7 entry for 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and three-time 2008 IndyCar Series winner Ryan Briscoe.

Childress-Howard Motorsports will test with three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace joined by Rob Finlay in the No. 4 Pontiac Crawford. Another series newcomer is Forsythe Racing, which will have the No. 16 Pontiac Coyote for 2004 Rolex 24 winner Christian Fittipaldi and young Italian star Alberto Costa.

Veteran Rolex Series Daytona Prototype teams testing for the first time this fall include Michael Shank Racing with both of its Ford Rileys, AIM Autosport with the No. 61 Ford Riley, SunTrust Racing and Doran Racing. Krohn Racing and Brumos Porsche, which tested here in October, also return with two-car teams. Englishmen Oliver Gavin and Darren Turner will join Krohn Racing for the test.

Orbit Racing, which tested a Daytona Prototype in October, will return with Kyle Petty, Darren Manning and Leo Hindery driving the No. 45 BMW Riley. Spirit of Daytona Racing will return, with five-time Daytona 200 by Honda winner Scott Russell sharing the No. 09 Porsche Coyote with Guy Cosmo.

Alegra Motorsports, GT winner of the 2007 Rolex 24, moves up to the Daytona Prototype ranks with the No. 22 Porsche Riley to be tested by Cristiano da Matta, Ryan Dalziel, Carlos de Quesada and Jean-Francois Dumoulin. RVO Motorsports will test a pair of Pontiac Rileys for drivers Bill Lester, Justin Bell, Tonis Kasemets and Roger Schramm.

The top five GT teams from 2008 competition will test. Co-champions Kelly Collins and Paul Edwards, in the No. 07 Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R, and runners-up Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell, in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports entry, lead the Pontiac stable. Also fielding a Pontiac will be the No. 32 PR1 Motorsports entry of Mike Forest, Thomas Merrill and Al Salvo.

Defending Rolex 24 GT winners Sylvain Tremblay, Nick Ham and David Haskell return in the No. 70 SpeedSource Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. Other Mazdas at the test include the No. 69 SpeedSource FXDD entry of Emil Assentato and Jeff Segal; the No. 40 Hyper Sport entry of Patrick Dempsey, Joe Foster and Charles Espenlaub; the No. 30 Racer's Edge driven by Dane Cameron and Doug Peterson; and the No. 36 of series newcomers Yellow Dragon Motorsports.

TRG took fourth and fifth in the 2008 championship for Porsche, and will bring back the No. 67 Porsche GT3 of Tim George Jr. and the No. 66 Porsche GT3 of 2006 Rolex 24 GT winner Spencer Pumpelly. John Potter is listed to drive a third TRG entry. Other Porsches include a two-car entry from Farnbacher Loles Racing, including drivers Dave Lacey, Bryce Miller, Daniel Graeff, Seth Ingham and Ron Yarab Jr.; the No. 64 JLowe Racing Porsche of the Main Line of 1996 Rolex 24 winner Jim Pace, Jim Lowe, Tim Sugden and Johannes van Overbeek; the No. 14 Autometrics Motorsports entry of Jack Baldwin, Claudio Burtin, Cory Friedman and Mac McGehee; the No. 33 Wright Motorsports GT3 of Phillip Martien and BJ Zacharias; and the No. 74 GTS Racing with Mitchum Motorsports entry of Jim and Bob Michaelian, Anthony Lazzaro, Joseph Safina and Derek Skea.

Jamie Holtom, the 2008 KONI Challenge Series Street Tuner champion, will join Eric Curran in the No. 00 Georgian Bay Motorsports Corvette.

Ian James and Tom Nastasi will co-drive the No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang.

Tuesday's session is scheduled to run from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and concludes with a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. session Wednesday. January Test Days, "The Roar Before the Rolex 24," is scheduled for Jan. 2-4. For complete information, please visit www.grand-am.com.

Auto racing Krohn Racing returns to the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2009 for its fourth time as an independent race team of owner/driver Tracy W. Krohn.

The driver line-up for the 47th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, will include Tracy Krohn paired again with endurance sports car veteran Eric van de Poele in the No. 75 entry, along with Brit Oliver Gavin. The No. 76 car will re-join team regular Nic Jönsson with former Formula One star Ricardo Zonta and English sports car ace Darren Turner. The six drivers were paired identically in last year's Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Krohn Lolas to be Powered by Ford Engines in 2009

The Proto-Auto Lolas, which Krohn Racing debuted in March 2008 at the Miami Grand Prix at Miami-Homestead Speedway will be powered by Roush-Yates prepared Ford engines in 2009.

TRACY W. KROHN, Krohn Racing Team Owner/ No. 75 Driver:
"We are very pleased with the driver line-up we've assembled for 2009. Having the same six drivers back together for the Rolex 24 will add to the viability of a potential victory. I'm pleased to have Eric and Oliver teamed with me again. We started out the 2008 season with a seventh-place finish in the most difficult race of the year. The three of us worked together well and had good chemistry, which is important. The entire team has good chemistry and that is a major ingredient for success. Ricardo and Darren are paired again with Nic and I believe that is also a successful pairing. We've got a long race ahead of us with a lot of testing between now and then. We're optimistic about a positive outcome."

"We are now running the Ford engines on our Proto-Auto Lolas. Unfortunately, Pontiac decided at the end of race year in 2008 that they will discontinue track support. With the continued testing and improvement we plan for the Proto-Auto chassis, it continues to be our focus. We want and need track support with our engine program and Pontiac, unfortunately, couldn't offer that any more. We believe Pontiac, along with CRD and Bob Cronin and his staff, did a superb job for us the past couple of years, and have always given us good and reliable engines. We had to make a decision which route we were going to go and Ford was the obvious choice for us. We worked with Ford in 2006 with John Maddox from Roush-Yates Engines. They did a great job for us back then with a very reliable product and we won the Driver's Championship that year. We already had a relationship with them and they offer a good track support program so that made that made it an easy decision to switch back to Ford engines."

DAVID BROWN, Krohn Racing Team Manager and Engineer:
"With regard to switching to Ford engines, we had become increasingly uneasy at the reduction in support offered by Pontiac to their engine program Having reviewed the options available in Grand-Am, we decided to renew our relationship with Ford and Roush-Yates Engines. This relationship had proved to be successful in 2006 when the team won the Driver's Championship. So far the relationship between Krohn Racing and Roush-Yates engines has been very good, and we have covered 1,700 miles in testing without issue on the engine side." "2008 has been a challenging year in many areas. We have put enormous effort into developing the Proto-Auto Lola, and we still are, at every test. Our intention for 2009 is to consolidate those developments and improvements we made in 2008 and use the experience we have gained to have a good Daytona 24-hour race for both cars."

"We believe we have a very strong team of dedicated and talented people, all of whom share the same goals for 2009. The will to succeed is powerful throughout the team. We will keep the same core of personnel for 2009. Continuity and long-term commitment are strong incentives to retain our current group. We have secured the same six drivers for the Daytona 24-hour race, with Darren and Olly joining our regular drivers, Tracy, Nic, Eric and Ricardo. This gives us a strong line-up."

ERIC VAN DE POELE, Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver:
"I cannot wait to be back in the car. I was so happy last year to do a full championship with a top team. To get to come back is perfect. I really enjoy the Krohn Racing Team and if I had to learn a lot of things last year, this coming year will be hard for the competition. I am more motivated than ever and I know exactly what to expect for 2009."

"It's going to be a new experience for me to work with Roush, but not for the team. Pontiac did a good work last year, but I believe that if you want to win races, we need full support and progress. I cannot wait to try the new engine and I know the reputation of such a renown engineering company."

RICARDO ZONTA, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"So far it has been very positive with the Ford engine. We did a lot of laps at the recent test and didn't have any small issues. We worked on preparation for the 24 hours. Every point on performance and reliability has been very positive for us in our first test."

"I think Grand-Am is the one series where the championship is coming up and growing. There are many cars fighting in this Series and I like that in a championship. I don't need to talk about other series, but I think it's not fair for the drivers because there are not many cars competing. I don't like ovals, so I don't chose to go to open-wheel racing. I just see positive points in Grand-Am, especially for the future. In 2009, I will also drive a stock car in Brazil."

NIC JONSSON, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"Obviously we started out 2008 with a new car, the Proto-Auto Lola, which is a challenge for the whole team. We have been working very hard -- the engineers and the crew guys and doing a tremendous job to get the car quicker and quicker every race we've gone to this year. I think the highlight for the team was the two podiums we had at Mexico City and the Daytona sprint, and then of course the pole position we had at Miller in the last race. I think that proves we made headway with the car and progressed slowly but steadily. We have quite a few new things to try during winter testing. Hopefully we can come back and be very competitive in 2009."

"What I'm looking for in 2009 is obviously to go out and be very competitive from the get-go. We are focused very hard right now through specific testing with a look towards 24 Hours at Daytona. The goal is to win the 24 Hours of Daytona this year. Having both Ricardo Zonta and Darren Turner as my teammates, I definitely think we should have a very good chance of running out front. Obviously, as always with the 24 Hours of Daytona, it is going to be all about staying out of trouble, not having any mechanical mishaps with pit stops or on the track and just have a clean race. When you have a clean race and a somewhat competitive lap time, that's the recipe to win a 24-hour race. That's the goal."

DARREN TURNER, Krohn Racing No. 76 Driver:
"I absolutely loved my first experience of racing at Daytona at the beginning of this year - everything about it, even the rain and the small problems we en-counted. The team did a fantastic job, and to finish fourth was a great result for Krohn Racing and a very positive start to their season. I can't wait to do it all again because it's a proper battle out there, wheel-to-wheel racing for the entire time on a track which, for me, is very unique and with a totally professional team. All the right elements of a winning package are there."

"For the 2009 Rolex 24 we will obviously be planning to improve on last year's result and I'm sure that with a year's experience of the Proto-Auto Lola now under their belts, the team is in a really good position to achieve that."

OLIVER GAVIN, Krohn Racing No. 75 Driver:
"The 2008 Daytona race was, for the team, one of those races where I think everyone was unsure how it was going to go -- mainly because of the last minute chassis change to the Riley. Although Krohn had a lot of experience with it, the change put us on back foot in terms of preparation for that race. However, it showed the strength of the team that they came through and were the only team to get both cars through to a top ten finish. It was a great achievement, and our car was able to run with lead cars for at least some of the time, so I came away very satisfied with the 7th place result."

"My goal with the Krohn Racing team this year is to get at least as good a result as last year, and into the top five would be fantastic. The team are very focussed on Daytona and there is a big push towards it from all quarters. There's lots of time to get ready, and a reasonable amount of testing planned, so we will all be aiming to hit the ground running. Last year was quite challenging as it started raining heavily during the night and it was difficult to see with all the spray and dirt on the windshield. The Pirelli tires also took quite a while to heat up so it was often treacherous leaving the pit lane after a stop. There are new Pirelli tires for 2009, which will be a whole new learning experience."

Eric van de Poele brings over twenty years of endurance sports car racing to the team, competing in more than 55 different racing cars on nearly 85 racing circuits worldwide. The Belgian is a three-time class winner at Le Mans, a two-time 12 Hours of Sebring winner, has claimed five 24 Hour victories at Spa and a victory in the inaugural Petit Le Mans. After a brief start in single-seaters (Formula 3) in 1983, van de Poele made the move to Touring cars in 1985, then Formula 3000 and even competed in Formula One for two seasons (1991-92), all while honing his endurance racing skills. He has competed in a major endurance sports car race for each of the past 14 consecutive years.

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta has over ten years experience in Formula One competition, having worked with such teams as McLaren, Honda, Jordan and Toyota. Krohn Racing's Engineer and Team Manager David Brown knew Zonta from their days together at Jordan in 2001 and recommended him to fill-in for a suspended Colin Braun at the Sears Point race in August 2007. That progressed to a full-time ride in 2008. Like many race drivers, Ricardo got his start in go karting in his native Curitiba, Brazil for five years (from 1987-1992) before making the jump to the Formula Chevrolet Championship, then Formula 3, Formula 3000 and FIA GT before landing in F1. Zonta has another dimension to his biography by also competing in the Brazil Nextel Stock Car Championship.

Darren Turner began his racing career in single-seaters in 1993, and served two years as McLaren's Grand Prix two-seater program driver. He was a test driver for several Formula One teams for nine years between 1997-2005, but mostly with McLaren. His sports car experience includes the DTM Series and FIA GT Championship. He is a class winner at Le Mans, Sebring and Petit Le Mans, with one victory in each of the past three years. Turner previously competed with Krohn and Jönsson at the 2007 Petit Le Mans in the Risi-Krohn Ferrari and in 2008 at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Oliver Gavin is a three-time consecutive GT1 class champion and has four 24 Hours of Le Mans, four Petit Le Mans and four 12 Hours of Sebring class victories, all with Corvette Racing. The British native got his started in go karts, moved into single seaters and quickly claimed the British National Formula First Championship with 11 wins in 12 races in 1991. He was also named "McLaren Autosport Young Driver of the Year". He moved up to British Formula 3000, where he won the championship in 1995, then the FIA International Formula 3000 and Touring cars. He was a Formula One test driver for Benetton F1 and Renault from 1997 to 2002. Sports car racing has dominated his driving since 2000 with Grand-Am, ALMS ACO-Le Mans and the FIA GT.

Nic Jönsson, a native of Sweden who now resides in Georgia with his family, first paired with Krohn in 2004. Nic was a Touring Car and F3 champion before going sports car racing in 2001. He had two podium finishes with Zonta in 2008 and finished fourth at the Rolex 24 with Zonta and Turner.

Tracy Krohn, who only began racing six years ago at age 48, got his start in the Panoz Racing series. Tracy and Nic drove to an impressive second-place finish in the GT2 class at the 2007 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving the Risi-Krohn Ferrari 430 GT, along with third driver Colin Braun. Krohn finished seventh in the 2008 Rolex 24 At Daytona with van de Poele and Gavin.Krohn was the winner of the prestigious "Jim Trueman Award" for Sportsman drivers in 2007.

In 2006, Krohn Racing driver Jörg Bergmeister captured the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Prototype Driver Championship. Krohn Racing was second in the Prototype Team Championship, a marked achievement for the new team.

The first race of the 2009 season will be the 47th Annual Rolex 24 At Daytona, scheduled for Jan. 24-25, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Daytona Test Days run from Jan. 2-4, 2009. For more information, please see www.grand-am.com or www.krohnracing.net.

Auto racing F1 star Fernando Alonso was able to set the fastest time of the day in practice for the season finale, Sunday's Grand Prix of Brazil, with the help of mother nature.

Rain started falling on the second practice session allowing Alonso's time of 1:12.296 to be the best of the day. Ferrari's Felipe Massa was fastest in the first session with a time of 1:12.305 and just slightly slower than Alonso in the afternoon.

In that first session, points F1 leader Lewis Hamilton was second fastest, but was only ninth fastest in the second session.

"Our car was blindingly quick this morning despite the cold weather, which made the track feel quite slippery. This afternoon we focused on our race pace - but we were interrupted by the threat of rain and the changeable wind direction," Hamilton said. "I flat-spotted my tires on a couple of runs, but I'm positive that the changes we've made will put us in a good position for tomorrow."

The drivers have one more practice session before qualifying Saturday. Practice starts at 9 a.m. (ET) with qualifying following at Noon.

Auto racing Helio returns to Laguna Seca Helio Castroneves could hardly believe it. Has it really been seven years since his last race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca? A quick look at the record books says that’s correct. So it was a giddy Castroneves that was patrolling the paddock on the first day of the Monterey Sports Car Championship presented by Patr¢n.

Castroneves will team with Ryan Briscoe in Penske Motorsports’ Porsche RS Spyder, the same car the duo drove to a class victory two weeks ago at Road Atlanta’s Petit Le Mans. A two-time Indianapolis 500 winner, Castroneves has tasted success in Monterey on multiple occasions.

He debuted in 1996 with a third-place effort in Indy Lights and followed that with a runner-up finish the following year. He jumped up to CART the following year and won at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in 2000 after claiming pole position.

“It’s been so many years since I’ve raced here, plus there’s throwing a new car into the mix,” Castroneves said. “That really adds to the challenge. Fortunately a few weeks ago we got in some good testing time a few weeks ago at Road Atlanta so I’ve gotten used to the RS Spyder again.”

Castroneves is one of multiple open-wheel drivers who are competing in LMP2 this weekend. Tony Kanaan, IndyCar’s 2004 champion, raced to a fourth-place class finish last year with Andretti Green Racing, and he’s back with the team this year alongside Franck Montagny.

And of course Gil de Ferran, a two-time CART champion and ex-Indy 500 winner, is the owner/driver of De Ferran Motorsports’ Acura ARX-01b. He also was Castroneves’ teammate at Penske Racing from 2000 to 2001.
“I’ve talked to Gil a couple of times and has told me that he will be qualifying his car,” Castroneves said. “He told me to ask Roger to let me qualify so it can be like old times again.”