Rolex 24 At Daytona News & Notes
Rolex 24 At Daytona News & Notes DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 22, 2002) -- With the 40th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona only a week away, teams are making final preparations to run in the classic twice-around-the clock race at Daytona International Speedway, Jan. 2-3. Several teams have finalized their driver lineup, while others are making final adjustments to their cars. Simo, Pruett Join Rocketsports Team Three Trans-Am champions will team up in the Rocketsports Racing #3 Jaguar for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Team owner/driver Paul Gentilozzi selected 2000 Trans-Am champion Brian Simo and two-time champion Scott Pruett as co-drivers for the race. Pruett and Gentilozzi drove to the overall win in the 1994 Rolex 24, and Simo earned third-place honors in 1996. Pruett, who ran his rookie season in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 2000, has three additional class victories at Daytona. Auberlen to Drive Ferrari in Rolex 24 Former Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Bill Auberlen will driver the Scuderia Ferrari of Washington Ferrari 360 GT in the GT class at the Rolex 24. Auberlen drove BMWs to GT wins at Daytona in 1997 and 1998 and set a track record on the famous track in 1996. Auberlen will share driving duties with Cort Wagner, Costantino Bertuzzi and NASCAR's Derrike Cope. Jack Lewis Picks Up Factory Porsche Driver Jack Lewis Enterprises announced that Porsche factory driver David Murry was added to their driver lineup, joining veteran drivers Jack Lewis and Keith Fisher and upcoming star Tommy McGlynn. The team is the only factory Porsche GT3 Super Cup car entered in the race to date. Team Spencer Returns to Daytona with Changes Team Spencer Motorsports announced its lineup for the Rolex 24 At Daytona and changes it has made to its 2002 Mazda-powered Kudzu. Ryan Hampton, Rich Grupp, Barry Waddell and team owner Dennis Spencer will share driving duties in the reworked Kudzu during the classic endurance race. Changes made to the Team Spencer Kudzu include suspension and chassis modifications to increase adjustability, front nose box and splitter improvements, data acquisition and logging improvements and a heavier endurance five-speed transmission. Sezio Florida Racing Shakes Down New Car The Sezio Florida Racing Team shook down its brand new Norma 2000-02 chassis, which houses a big block Ford V8 motor, during a private testing session in Savannah, Ga., last week. The team also had 23-year-old FIA GT driver Anthony Klumpen test the team's Norma 2000-01 car for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Johnson Returns to MTV Two-time Rolex Series team owner champion Mike Johnson of Archangel Motorsport Services will return to MTV later this month to co-star in the "Real World/Road Rules Challenge." Johnson first appeared on the world's leading music television channel as a cast member of "The Real World 4" filmed in London. Johnson is currently preparing his pair of Nissan Lolas to defend the team's 2001 SportsRacing Prototype II victory at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The "Real World/Road Rules Challenge" featuring Johnson will begin airing on MTV on Monday, Jan. 28 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. The 40th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will kick off the 2002 Rolex Sports Car Series season, as well as SpeedWeeks at Daytona International Speedway. Tickets are currently on sale for the Rolex 24 At Daytona and may be purchased online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at 386-253-RACE. The Rolex 24 At Daytona will be broadcast on Speedvision. More information on the Rolex Sports Car Series is available online at www.grand-am.com. -30- For more information: Grand American Public Relations Christie Hyde (386) 681-4182 email: CHyde@grand-am.com