Special Event Motorsports - GAINSCO Produces Top 5 Average During Daytona Testing

DAYTONA BEACH, January 8, 2012: GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing set the top time in one Saturday afternoon practice run – and has clocked in sixth or better during the weekend’s four other timed sessions so far – in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 Test at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), where team drivers Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty and Memo Gidley have all taken laps in the debuting No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Corvette Daytona Prototype.

“It’s definitely encouraging,” Gurney said. “It kind of feels like the best start we have had in a long time. There is a lot of ground to cover with this car. We are throwing the old book out, six years of stuff with the old Riley, and trying to relearn everything in a really short period of time is pretty tough. We are going through all kinds of changes, through all different ride heights and things like that, to try and find the sweet spot. We are getting there.”

Gurney was at the wheel of the No. 99 GAINSCO “Red Dragon” when the team topped Saturday’s first afternoon practice with a lap time of 1:41.909 (125.759 mph), but all-out speed runs have not been a primary objective at the Rolex Roar. GAINSCO is using every session to learn all it can about its brand new Corvette Daytona Prototype.

“We’re definitely still exploring, seeing what we can get away with on the car that will allow us to run quickly and safely,” Fogarty said. “There’s a lot going on and these three days at Daytona are going to be helpful, but I don’t expect to have the package sorted out anytime soon. I think everybody with a new car is in the same boat, but we are doing a good job. The team is doing a great job sorting through all these nuances. We’ve managed to create a more stable platform that gives us a more consistent aero balance around the entirety of the race track. I’m confident that we’re going to keep improving on it, and I’m really happy with the progress we’ve made so far.”