Rolex 24 Standings Through 21.5 Hours (1pm EST)

posted by Phil Allaway

Sunday January 29, 2012

DP:
1. 8- Allan McNish Starworks Motorsports
2. 60- AJ Allmendinger Michael Shank Racing
3. 01- Graham Rahal Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
4. 6- Michael McDowell Michael Shank Racing
5. 02- Scott Dixon Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
6. 5- David Donohue Action Express Racing
7. 77- Billy Johnson Doran Racing
8. 90- Antonio Garcia Spirit of Daytona Racing
9. 2- Michael Valiente Starworks Motorsports
10. 9- Max Papis Action Express Racing

GT:
1. 44- Andy Lally Magnus Racing
2. 59- Leh Keen Brumos Racing
3. 67- Jeroen Bleekemolen TRG
4. 63- Olivier Beretta Risi Competizione
5. 57- Ronnie Bremer Stevenson Motorsports
6. 66- Dominik Farnbacher TRG
7. 70- Marino Franchitti SpeedSource
8. 23- Marco Holzer Alex Job Racing
9. 69- Jeff Segal Team FXDD AIM Autosport Racing with Ferrari
10. 45- Jorg Bergmeister Flying Lizard Motorsports with Wright Motorsports

Rolex 24 Standings Through 18.5 Hours

posted by Phil Allaway

Sunday January 29, 2012

DP:
1. 01- Scott Pruett Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
2. 60- Ozz Negri, Jr. Michael Shank Racing
3. 8- Allan McNish Starworks Motorsports
4. 6- Jorge Goncalvez Michael Shank Racing
5. 5- David Donohue Action Express Racing
6. 02- Juan Pablo Montoya Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
7. 2- Ryan Hunter-Reay Starworks Motorsports
8. 77- Brian Frisselle Doran Racing
9. 90- Richard Westbrook Spirit of Daytona Racing
10. 9- Joao Barbosa Action Express Racing

GT:
1. 59- Andrew Davis, Brumos Racing
2. 44- Richard Lietz, Magnus Racing
3. 67- Spencer Pumpelly, TRG
4. 57- Ronnie Bremer, Stevenson Motorsports
5. 63- Olivier Beretta, Risi Competizione
6. 23- Cooper MacNeil, Alex Job Racing
7. 70- James Hinchcliffe, SpeedSource
8. 66- Patrick Pliet, TRG
9. 88- Tom Milner, Autohaus Motorsports
10. 69- Jeff Segal, AIM Autosport with Team FXDD

Rolex 24 Standings Through 11 Hours

posted by Phil Allaway

Sunday January 29, 2012

DP:
1. 8- Allan McNish
2. 5- David Donohue
3. 6- Gustavo Yacaman
4. 60- AJ Allmendinger
5. 02- Scott Dixon
6. 01- Graham Rahal
7. 90- Richard Westbrook
8. 76- Ricardo Zonta
9. 9- Joao Barbosa
10. 2- Marco Andretti

GT:
1. 44- Andy Lally
2. 59- Marc Lieb
3. 23- Butch Leitzinger
4. 67- Spencer Pumpelly
5. 88- Tom Milner
6. 57- John Edwards
7. 63- Toni Vilander
8. 70- Sylvain Tremblay
9. 32- James Sofronas
10. 66- Allan Simonsen

Standings after 5 Hours 50 minutes

posted by Phil Allaway

Saturday January 28, 2012

DP:
1. 90- Oliver Gavin Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet Corvette DP
2. 99- Alex Gurney GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
3. 01- Joey Hand Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley DPG3
4. 60- Ozz Negri, Jr. Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley DPG3
5. 6- Michael McDowell Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley Mk XX
6. 02- Dario Franchitti Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley DPG3
7. 9- JC France Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
8. 2- Enzo Potolicchio Starworks Motorsport Ford Riley DPG3
9. 5- Christian Fittipaldi Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
10. 8- Allan McNish Starworks Motorsport Ford Riley DPG3

GT:
1. 44- John Potter Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
2. 57- Ronnie Bremer Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GT.R
3. 59- Hurley Haywood Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
4. 23- Cooper MacNeil Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
5. 66- Allan Simonsen TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
6. 88- Tom Milner Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GT.R
7. 67- Marc Goossens TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
8. 70- Sylvain Tremblay SpeedSource Mazda RX-8
9. 69- Jeff Segal AIM Autosport FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia
10. 68- Chris Cumming TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Standings After Regulation Sprint Race Distance (2 hours, 45 minutes)

posted by Phil Allaway

Saturday January 28, 2012

DP:
1. 60-Justin Wilson MSR Ford Riley DPG3
2. 99-Memo Gidley GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
3. 9-Joao Barbosa Action Express Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP
4. 2-Michael Valiente Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley Mk XX
5. 8-Lucas Luhr Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley DPG3
6. 01-Memo Rojas Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley DPG3
7. 90-Jan Magnussen Spirit of Daytona Chevrolet Corvette DP
8. 6-Felipe Nasr MSR Ford Riley Mk XX
9. 76-Nic Jonsson Krohn Racing Ford Lola
10. 02-Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley DPG3

GT:
1. 88-Paul Edwards Autohaus Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro GT.R
2. 45-Mike Rockenfeller Flying Lizard Motorsports with Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
3. 66-Patrick Pliet TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
4. 44-Rene Rast Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
5. 32-Nicolas Armindo Orbit/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
6. 69-Anthony Lazzaro AIM Autosport Ferrari 458 Italia
7. 67- Wolf Henzler TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
8. 23- Emmanuel Collard Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
9. 59- Leh Keen Brumos Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup
10. 24- Bill Sweedler Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Grand-Am to Add B-Spec Events Later in 2012

posted by Phil Allaway

Saturday January 28, 2012

On Saturday, Grand-Am Road Racing officially announced the creation of a new series that will act as the teritary division for the organization. The series will simply be referred to as “B-Spec.”

The new B-Spec class is designed to be a very inexpensive way for brand new organizations to get involved with racing, and for existing organizations to cultivate new talent at a minimal cost. No professional drivers from any series will be allowed to participate in any B-Spec races.

The B-Spec series will race four cylinder subcompact automobiles. Five manufacturers have already signed on to provide vehicles for the series. Those are Mazda with their 2, Honda with their Fit, Ford with their Fiesta, Mini with their Cooper and Kia with their brand-new Rio.

As for how expensive these cars will be, Mazda would have prospective teams purchase a new Mazda 2. These start at roughly $15,000. From there, there would be a $2600 package that teams would have to buy from Mazdaspeed Motorsports. Finally, there would the all-important safety equipment (roll cage, racing seat, safety harness, fire extinguisher, etc.). The total cost per new car would be somewhere between $20,000-$30,000.

Grand-Am brass are quite confident that the series will be a great fit in the organization.

“This new form of Grand-Am racing will attract new racers and in the process, new fans,” said Mark Raffauf, Grand-Am’s Managing Director of Racing Operations. “The cars are cool and the competition will be door-to-door, which should be a lot of fun for everyone – a nice fit with what Grand-Am already has happening at every event.”

The B-Spec class will race at six tracks later this season starting with Homestead at the end of April. Subsequent rounds would be held at New Jersey Motorsports Park, Mid-Ohio, Watkins Glen (during the Six Hour weekend), Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and Lime Rock Park. Events will be 30-45 minutes in length with no pit stops.

The new series has been likened to the Renault Cup, a spec-series of Renault Le Car’s (and later Renault Alliances) back in the 1980’s. However, it more closely resembles IMSA’s International Sedan Series, which featured Acura Integras, Plymouth Horizons, Volkswagen Golfs, and the 1980’s version of the Dodge Charger, amongst others.

Ryan Dalziel Wins Overall Pole for Rolex 24, Brumos Racing on GT Pole

posted by Phil Allaway

Friday January 27, 2012

One of the sport’s legendary racetrack owners, spearheading the last independently-owned Sprint Cup facility has died. Dr. Joe Mattioli, 86, passed away Thursday afternoon at the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center after a lengthy illness. A dentist by trade, the patriarch of one of the most influential NASCAR families staked the biggest portion of his reputation on racing, constructing the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway in Northeast Pennsylvania and convincing the most popular series in the country to stage races there. Constructed in the early 1960’s, the “Tricky Triangle” as it’s become known has hosted a total of 68 Cup Series events, beginning in 1974. Pocono Raceway is also home to a successful driving experience, a mainstay for the ARCA Series (two races per year) and has recently hosted one Camping World Truck Series event per season. Open-wheel cars also once graced the asphalt at a facility that has grown to hold over 100,000 fans.

But Mattioli’s legacy reaches far beyond the racetrack. His land in Northeast PA is now home to a 25-acre solar energy system, made up of 40,000 American-made photovoltaic modules that will produce more than 72 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the next 20 years. Opened in 2010, it makes the raceway the largest solar-powered sports facility in the country, spearheading NASCAR’s push towards protecting the environment and renewable energy.

A Navy medic during World War II, Mattioli went to Temple University in Philadelphia, PA through the G.I. Bill and established a successful dental practice in the area. Investing in real estate during the ensuing decades allowed him to accumulate wealth and establish the funding necessary to build the racetrack, which now has expanded to include nearby lodging year-round among other projects, past, present and future which have helped boost the economy in the Pocono Mountain Region.

“‘Doc’ was a true leader in every sense of the word,” said the Mattioli family in a statement. “As a visionary, he brought an unknown sport into an alien place, where he along with his unstoppable will and undeniable tenacity built one of the biggest monuments of sports. His passion for his projects was only overshadowed by his deep love for his family, which he gave to all of us hand over fist.”

For years, other corporations have looked to buy the speedway and the surrounding land but Mattioli would never sell. That leaves Pocono one of just three tracks on the NASCAR schedule not owned by NASCAR-linked International Speedway Corporation or Bruton Smith’s Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (Indianapolis and Dover are the other two). Mattioli also steadfastly clung to the track’s 500-mile distances, a tradition that was only recently changed for 2012.

The good doctor leaves behind his wife Rose – the couple was married 63 years – three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In August, 2011 he had retired from his role as President of the Raceway and left the day-to-day operations in the hands of grandchildren Brandon, Nick, and Ashley Igdalsky. There are no plans to sell the facility in the wake of his death; in fact, it was left in a trust so the track will remain in family hands for generations to come.

“They can’t touch it,” he said last year in a conversation recounted by Brendan Gaughan Thursday on SiriusXM’s NASCAR channel. “They’re going to learn how to run it or starve.”

Chances are, with the great teacher the grandkids had to learn from success, not starvation will be the modus operandi for years to come.

Statement On Dr. Joe Mattioli's Passing

posted by Thomas Bowles

Friday January 27, 2012

From the family of former Pocono Raceway owner and president, Dr. Joseph Mattioli…

It is with the upmost remorse that we announce that Dr. Joseph Mattioli passed away this afternoon. His loss has left with each of us an unbearable sadness, which we’ll bear with us for the rest of our lives.

“Doc” was a true leader in every sense of the word. As a visionary, he brought an unknown sport into an alien place, where he along with his unstoppable will and undeniable tenacity built one of the biggest monuments of sports. His passion for his projects was only overshadowed by his deep love for his family, which he gave to all of us hand over fist.

Beyond our family, he had a true love and admiration for the wonderful members of his North Eastern Pennsylvania Community. He had a great respect for all of the great people that laid the foundations of prosperity before him, and an even greater hope for the future of our area, which he believed lies in its youth.

He leaves not only his family, but also everyone he’s ever met with an insatiable desire to take life by the horns. He always lived life on his own terms He did it his way.

“Every man’s life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.” – Ernest Hemingway

He died loved, respected, and admired.

SunTrust Racing, TRG fastest in Opening Practice for Rolex 24

posted by Phil Allaway

Thursday January 26, 2012

When the track opened up for practice at 10am Thursday morning, the teams were ready and raring to go. Many of the teams had new equipment to come to grips with, while others were using older, proven machinery.

Unfortunately for Starworks Motorsport, their new equipment let them down before they even got onto the track. A failure in the Ford powerplant was found on pit road before the car even saw the track. As a result, they were forced to miss the first session while they changed the engine.

The other 13 Daytona Prototypes managed to make their way onto the track and set times. The results more or less kept in line with the Roar Before the 24 test. The SunTrust Racing No. 10 Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Max Angelelli turned in the fastest lap with a time of 1:41.952 (125.706 mph). This is about six-tenths of a second slower than the fastest test times. However, temperatures are just about 80 degrees at the track.

Second was the No. 01 BMW Riley DPG3 for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates. The car, driven by Graham Rahal, posted a lap at 1:42.086 (125.541 mph), a tenth and a half slower than the Corvette. Third was the No. 99 Gainsco/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Corvette DP driven by Alex Gurney with a 1:42.199 (125.402 mph). Juan Pablo Montoya in Ganassi’s No. 02 and John Pew in the Michael Shank Racing No. 60 Ford Riley DPG3 rounded out the top-5.

In GT, Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 67 TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup set down the fastest lap of the session right at the end of the session. His lap of 1:49.867 (116.650 mph) was less than two-hundredths of a second faster than Dirk Muller in the No. 94 BMW M3 for Turner Motorsport.

Third in class was the Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup driven by former Porsche factory driver Sascha Maassen with a 1:50.078 (116.426 mph). Sebastian Asch in the No. 17 Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 Cup was fourth fastest, while Emil Assentato in the No. 69 FXDD Ferrari 458 Italia rounded out the top-5.

Ford Racing unveils 2013 Ford Fusion

posted by Mike Neff

Tuesday January 24, 2012

In the biggest announcement so far of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ford Racing took the wraps off of their 2013 Ford Fusion. The car incorporates common areas agreed upon by all manufacturers with style components unique to the 2013 production car to give fans a race car that truly resembles the street version of the Fusion. While there are most likely going to be some tweaks to the design the car is definitely a much needed change from the current race car and a vast improvement toward bringing the STOCK back to stock car racing.

The car was a collaborative effort across many different parts of the Ford organization. One of the key members of the project was Garen Nicoghosian, design manager for specialty vehicles. He was oozing with pride over the car as the assembled members of the media commented on the great looks. He’s a fan of the cars that used to race in the old Trans Am series and it shows in the end product. “I am a big fan of the flared fenders” Nicoghosian said. “The body style and the proportions we came up with lent itself to the flared fenders and the planted look that it gives to the car. It reminds you a lot of a Porsche 911 in how it just looks planted into the track.”

While the other manufacturers have not yet unveiled their proposed cars for 2013, Ford has certainly set the bar high with their Ford Fusion.