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ROLEX 24: More than 30 Porsches entered in 2001 Rolex 24

30 January 2001

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida - Actor Paul Newman, who will be 76 years old in late February, will co-drive with teenager Gunnar Jeannette and old friend Michael Brockman in a GTS class Porsche GT-1 to lead a field of more than 30 Porsches entered in this year's Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, February 3 - 4 at the Daytona International Speedway.

Newman, holder of two Sports Car Club of America National Championships and a class win - in a Porsche 935 - at the 24 Hours of Le Mans - was asked during the recent Daytona practice sessions whether he felt comfortable in the powerful Porsche GT-1.

"I don't want to feel comfortable in this car - I want to feel fast," said Newman, who raced with Jeannette and Brockman at Daytona last year in a Porsche 911 GT3 R which Newman had maneuvered into the top ten before engine problems sidelined his efforts.

Newman's other 2000 racing event, the Petit Le Mans six-hour race last September at Road Atlanta, ended when a prototype pushed his Porsche GT3 R off the track and into a barrier.

Leading the Porsche charge in the prototype class for the checkered flag in America's most famous endurance race is the #38 Champion Racing Porsche/Lola, driven by Dorsey Schroeder/Bob Wollek/Hurley Haywood/Sascha Maassen. The car, which debuted at Sebring almost a year ago, has gone through an extensive development program, leading up to its outstanding performance at Daytona test days January 4 - 5, where the car was third fastest overall. Haywood, from nearby Jacksonville, has won the 24 Hours at Daytona a record five times dating back to 1973, while Wollek, a Porsche factory driver, has four wins in the 24-hour classic.

The Champion Lola, powered by the 3.2-liter, Le Mans winning Porsche GT-1 motor with twin turbochargers, is now capable of winning the race overall, according to team officials.

"We have spent nine days testing here before the 'official' test days, and each time we've tested, the car has had at least five new items on it," said Brad Kettler, Champion's crew chief. "During tests days earlier this month, we have been able to concentrate on fine tuning, and we're very pleased. We have taken five seconds off our lap times at Daytona since November, and we're ready to compete for first overall."

In the GT class, two Porsche teams are favored to run up front - both with all-star driver's line-ups. The #31 Petersen Motorsports/White Lightening Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R has been fastest so far, with Porsche Cup and Grand America champion Mike Fitzgerald, American Le Mans Series runner-up Lucas Luhr, ALMS contender Randy Pobst and Christian Menzel sharing the driving duties.

G&W Motorsports, which led last year's race for more than seven hours, is back with its two Porsche 911 GT3 R racers with the top car, #81, featuring Grand American runner-up Darren Law, 1999 ALMS champion Cort Wagner, former World Challenge champion David Murry, and Matt Drendel as drivers. The other G&W Motorsports car has veteran drivers as well, with John Morton, Bob Mazzuoccola, and Michael Schrom sharing the driving duties.

The GT class, with 40 of the 86 race entries, is by far the largest class for this year's event.

One of the great stories returning to Daytona International Speedway for its fifth year is the Team Seattle Porsche 911 GT3 Rs. This pair of race cars, which raise money for Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle with monetary pledges for number of laps completed, has donated almost $800,000 to the hospital since 1997. This year, the team hopes to collect add enough pledges to put them over the $1 million mark. Six Seattle drivers, including team founder Dave Kitch, Jr., lead the effort in Porsche 911 GT3 Rs prepared by California's The Racers Group.

In GTS, with the defending champion Dodge Vipers not entering this year, the race should be a shootout between Corvettes, the Saleen Mustang, and the Porsche 911 Turbos and 911 GT1 race cars. In early January practice, the #0 Bytzek Motorsports Porsche GT1 from Canada, with David Empringham, Scott Maxwelll, Klaus Bytzek and John Brenner as drivers has outdistanced the favored factory Corvettes, including the car being driven by Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jr. The fastest Porsche 911 Turbo, driven by veteran Larry Schumacher, was in the top five in class as well.

Other Porsche notes of interest:

* Kyle Petty, NASCAR veteran, will step into the #43 Orbit Racing Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Leo Hindery, Peter Baron, and former Ferrari North American President Gian Luigi Buitoni.

* Defending Rolex 24 at Daytona GT champions Gabrio Rosa, Fabio Rosa and Fabio Babini are back for 2001, driving this for the Canadian-based Seikel Motorsports in the #56 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Last year, they drove for the Swiss-based Haberthur Racing. The other Seikel Porsche features ALMS regulars Tony Burgess/Phil Colliin and Andrew Bagnall. Haberthur is also back to Daytona this year with a Porsche 911 GT2 and a Porsche 911 GT3 R with new European drivers.

* The new 2001 racing model of the Porsche 911 has been designated as the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, and is almost identical to the 2000 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The new car has some updated fittings, a slightly different front spoiler and rear wing, and other minor changes, but remains the same for the major components. Current owners can purchase an update kit from Porsche which incorporates all the improvements in the new car.

* The race will be televised live - all 24 hours of it - on Speedvision starting at 12:30 PM Eastern time on Saturday, February 3. Speedvision pioneered flag-to-flag endurance coverage last year by televising both the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

* The cars will see their first track time on Thursday, February 1, when practice opens at 10:00 AM. The first round of qualifying will take place Thursday afternoon, followed by a night practice Thursday night. Final qualifying will take place on Friday, with the race starting Saturday at 1:00 PM Eastern time.

Text Provided By Porsche

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