AJ ALLMENDINGER
No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
• AJ Allmendinger will make his debut behind the wheel of the historic No. 43 in Daytona
• This Sunday, Feb. 14 will mark his second Daytona 500 start
• Allmendinger finished third in last year’s season opener, his career best finish in 80 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts
Allmendinger Looks Ahead:
“To be a part of Richard Petty Motorsports, Ford Racing, and having Best Buy on board is really exciting. I’m just really ready to get going. Our team has been so busy and has worked really hard to get ready for this season. As a race team, I think this is the time for us to get out there and shine.
“Running those three races with Ford at the end of last season I think relaxed everyone a little bit. It was a big deal to show our team where we can be. It provided a lot of notes. All of that was something going into the off-season that (crew chief) Mike Shiplett and I, and everyone on the 43 team and everybody at Richard Petty Motorsports, we could really build on and be excited about. We know we’re going to have a good car with a lot of horsepower.
“To be in the historic No. 43 is an honor. I am as big a fan as I am a driver and I love the history of the sport. The No. 43 is a huge part of that history so its just such an honor. Daytona is one of those races everyone wants to win. It’d be really special to get the No. 43 back to Victory Lane. I think the fans should expect to see some of the best racing we’ve had in awhile in this Daytona 500.”
Thoughts From Crew Chief Mike Shiplett:
“We are all ready for Daytona and to get this season going. Everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports - not just AJ and this No. 43 Best Buy team - has been working really hard on getting the best cars that we can possibly build prepared. Everything has gone really smoothly and we’re ready.
“Communication with AJ and I is good and that is really important. It seems like every time I spend some time with him I learn more and more about what he wants in the race car. I think we are going to have strong cars with great horsepower and I think going forward there are a whole bunch of pluses to keep building on for this No. 43 team and our teammates.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be working for Richard Petty. Not only Richard but to also have the chance to work around Dale Inman. To have those people with you every week, that just brings a sense of pride and success and shows just what you want to be. We really want to bring and grow this organization to the level of success that Richard and Dale had back in the day.”
Chassis History:
Crew chief Mike Shiplett and the No. 43 Best Buy crew have prepared chassis No. 682 for this weekend’s Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Raceway. This is a new Ford Fusion prepared for this weekend’s season opening event.
Notes:
Allmendinger qualified his No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion in 25th place during last Saturday’s qualifying session and will line up in the 12th position in the first of two Gatorade Duel 150-mile races Thursday afternoon.
Credit: Richard Petty Motorsports PR
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Gatorade Duel at Daytona Lineups
Duel 1
1. Mark Martin
2. Ryan Newman
3. Bill Elliott* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Kyle Busch
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Joe Nemechek* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Michael Waltrip* (Will be in based on qualifying time if one of the four locked in drivers race their way in)
11. David Ragan
12. AJ Allmendinger
13. Carl Edwards
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Jeff Burton
17. Regan Smith
18. Greg Biffle
19. Reed Sorenson* (Will be in based on qualifying time if three of the four locked in drivers race their way in)
20. Max Papis*
21. John Andretti
22. Jeff Fuller*
23. Robert Richardson Jr.
24. Travis Kvapil
25. Terry Cook*
26. Michael McDowell*
27. Kirk Shelmerdine*
Duel 2
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Juan Pablo Montoya
3. Kurt Busch
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Sam Hornish Jr.
6. Scott Speed* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
7. Marcos Ambrose
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Joey Logano
10. Bobby Labonte* (Locked in based on past champion’s provisional)
11. Tony Stewart
12. David Reutimann
13. Paul Menard
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Mike Bliss* (Will be in based on qualifying time if two of the other four locked in drivers race their way in)
16. Robby Gordon
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Brian Vickers
19. Elliott Sadler
20. Casey Mears* (Will be in based on qualifying time if all four of the other locked in drivers race their way in)
21. David Gilliland*
22. Aric Almirola*
23. Boris Said
24. Dave Blaney*
25. Derrike Cope*
26. Mike Wallace*
27. Norm Benning*
*Outside the top 35 based on last year’s owner’s points
1. Mark Martin
2. Ryan Newman
3. Bill Elliott* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Kyle Busch
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Joe Nemechek* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Michael Waltrip* (Will be in based on qualifying time if one of the four locked in drivers race their way in)
11. David Ragan
12. AJ Allmendinger
13. Carl Edwards
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Jeff Burton
17. Regan Smith
18. Greg Biffle
19. Reed Sorenson* (Will be in based on qualifying time if three of the four locked in drivers race their way in)
20. Max Papis*
21. John Andretti
22. Jeff Fuller*
23. Robert Richardson Jr.
24. Travis Kvapil
25. Terry Cook*
26. Michael McDowell*
27. Kirk Shelmerdine*
Duel 2
1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2. Juan Pablo Montoya
3. Kurt Busch
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Sam Hornish Jr.
6. Scott Speed* (Locked in based on qualifying time)
7. Marcos Ambrose
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Joey Logano
10. Bobby Labonte* (Locked in based on past champion’s provisional)
11. Tony Stewart
12. David Reutimann
13. Paul Menard
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Mike Bliss* (Will be in based on qualifying time if two of the other four locked in drivers race their way in)
16. Robby Gordon
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Brian Vickers
19. Elliott Sadler
20. Casey Mears* (Will be in based on qualifying time if all four of the other locked in drivers race their way in)
21. David Gilliland*
22. Aric Almirola*
23. Boris Said
24. Dave Blaney*
25. Derrike Cope*
26. Mike Wallace*
27. Norm Benning*
*Outside the top 35 based on last year’s owner’s points
Daytona Post-Qualifying Quotes
PAUL MENARD -- No. 98 Peak/Menards Ford Fusion (Qualified 23rd)
"Obviously, you'd like to qualify well, but your focus has to be on the race. At a place like this, you kind of have to give up a little bit of pure speed to get some handling for the race on Sunday and the 150 on Thursday. We weren't planning on sitting on the pole, but being the fastest Ford to this point is pretty cool. We picked up a lot from yesterday -- everybody did, but we picked up a little bit more than most. Hopefully, that will give us a good start for the 150 and we can race and have a good handling car where we can race good."
***
AJ ALLMENDINGER -- No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Qualified 25th)
"I think that was a little slower than we wanted to be. Looking at everybody's times and where we were yesterday, we thought we could be a little better than that. We knew we weren't gonna be on the pole, and, ultimately, that's all that really matters here is being on the front row at Daytona. Qualifying is just better for stats, but we're happy. The car is fine. We'll get here on Wednesday and get down to real business, get the thing handling good for the duels and go try to win that."
***
KASEY KAHNE -- No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (Qualified 28th)
"I was actually really happy with it. We picked up close to a second from yesterday, so, to me, that was a great lap for our Budweiser Ford. The team has done a great job and the Roush Yates engines run really well, so it was nice. It was a good pickup and I'm looking forward to the Shootout tonight. I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be exciting."
HOW DO YOU LIKE WEARING THE TEAM USA COLORS? "I like it. Budweiser did that with the Olympics coming up and we're gonna do it here at the 500 and also the following week at Fontana, California. It means a lot to us and it's all for the Olympians, so it should be a good program."
CAN YOU READ ANYTHING INTO WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY AND TODAY? "It's tough to say. We picked up a lot. Greg picked up a little bit, so I think it'll be a lot closer. It looks like the 88 is really quick again, but I'm happy with the way my car ran from yesterday. I felt like it was a lot better."
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT QUALIFYING HERE? "No, because I've never qualified good at these tracks, ever, so I don't worry about it. I just go and make my laps. I was actually pretty excited coming down here because I thought this would probably be the best I could ever qualify here and I think we should have a pretty decent spot for the 150 on Thursday."
***
ELLIOTT SADLER -- No. 19 Stanley Ford Fusion (Qualified 36th)
"We definitely wanted to run a faster time than that, but our hearts are not broken. We want to race good on Thursday and want to race good on Sunday, so, hopefully, we'll be able to do that. We'll work on getting it driving good. That's what has worked well for us in the past and being the Daytona 500 time has moved up being more in the daytime on Sunday, you've got to have it handling so we'll go to work then and see where we end up. Hopefully, we'll get a good starting spot for Sunday."
Credit: Ford Racing
"Obviously, you'd like to qualify well, but your focus has to be on the race. At a place like this, you kind of have to give up a little bit of pure speed to get some handling for the race on Sunday and the 150 on Thursday. We weren't planning on sitting on the pole, but being the fastest Ford to this point is pretty cool. We picked up a lot from yesterday -- everybody did, but we picked up a little bit more than most. Hopefully, that will give us a good start for the 150 and we can race and have a good handling car where we can race good."
***
AJ ALLMENDINGER -- No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion (Qualified 25th)
"I think that was a little slower than we wanted to be. Looking at everybody's times and where we were yesterday, we thought we could be a little better than that. We knew we weren't gonna be on the pole, and, ultimately, that's all that really matters here is being on the front row at Daytona. Qualifying is just better for stats, but we're happy. The car is fine. We'll get here on Wednesday and get down to real business, get the thing handling good for the duels and go try to win that."
***
KASEY KAHNE -- No. 9 Budweiser Ford Fusion (Qualified 28th)
"I was actually really happy with it. We picked up close to a second from yesterday, so, to me, that was a great lap for our Budweiser Ford. The team has done a great job and the Roush Yates engines run really well, so it was nice. It was a good pickup and I'm looking forward to the Shootout tonight. I think it's gonna be a lot of fun. It's gonna be exciting."
HOW DO YOU LIKE WEARING THE TEAM USA COLORS? "I like it. Budweiser did that with the Olympics coming up and we're gonna do it here at the 500 and also the following week at Fontana, California. It means a lot to us and it's all for the Olympians, so it should be a good program."
CAN YOU READ ANYTHING INTO WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY AND TODAY? "It's tough to say. We picked up a lot. Greg picked up a little bit, so I think it'll be a lot closer. It looks like the 88 is really quick again, but I'm happy with the way my car ran from yesterday. I felt like it was a lot better."
ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT QUALIFYING HERE? "No, because I've never qualified good at these tracks, ever, so I don't worry about it. I just go and make my laps. I was actually pretty excited coming down here because I thought this would probably be the best I could ever qualify here and I think we should have a pretty decent spot for the 150 on Thursday."
***
ELLIOTT SADLER -- No. 19 Stanley Ford Fusion (Qualified 36th)
"We definitely wanted to run a faster time than that, but our hearts are not broken. We want to race good on Thursday and want to race good on Sunday, so, hopefully, we'll be able to do that. We'll work on getting it driving good. That's what has worked well for us in the past and being the Daytona 500 time has moved up being more in the daytime on Sunday, you've got to have it handling so we'll go to work then and see where we end up. Hopefully, we'll get a good starting spot for Sunday."
Credit: Ford Racing
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Daytona Practice 1
RPM Drivers Practice Session Results
21. AJ Allmendinger, 186.749 mph, 48.193, 2 laps
31. Paul Menard, 186.254 mph, 48.321, 2 laps
38. Elliott Sadler, 185.647 mph, 48.479, 2 laps
40. Kasey Kahne, 185.387 mph, 48.547, 2 laps
Rain played havoc with NASCAR again, as the first on-track activity for the 2010 season was cut short when the skies opened up. Single car qualifying practice runs were in progress when the red flag was displayed, with most teams only getting in one run each. After first practice was called complete, the precipitation became even heavier and second practice was also canceled as well as the final ARCA practice that was also scheduled.
Since some teams were still going through the inspection process and didn’t make it out on the track to at least shake down their cars, NASCAR is holding a 30 minute practice session Saturday morning for those eight teams to make one run. Otherwise, the teams will hit the track at 1:00 pm/et for Daytona 500 qualifying with very little idea of how their car will do.
Fortunately, qualifying for the Daytona 500 means very little as this race has a unique format for lining up the field. Only the top two positions will be set during Saturday’s qualifying session. The remaining 41 cars will be lined up based on how they finish in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel races. For the unfortunate teams that are starting the year outside the top 35 in owner’s points, four cars can be locked into the Daytona 500 based on their qualifying speeds in Saturday’s session, regardless of what happens in the Duel races. The others must race their way in on Thursday, in what should be some exciting racing action.
For Richard Petty Motorsports, Friday’s practice session marked the first time that the entire team was driving Ford branded stock cars. As reported on the television, the Ford teams are running the new Ford engine in the preliminary Daytona events – practice, qualifying, and the Duel races – and then will switch to the old engine in preparation for the 500. While great things were expected from the new engine practice speeds seemed to indicate that it isn’t as strong on the restrictor plate track as the old engine. Other than Bill Elliott in the go or go home entry for the Wood Brothers, who is possibly running the old engine, AJ Allmendinger was the fastest Ford driver in practice at 21st position.
Regardless of whether or not they have the horsepower to win the pole, it will still be great to see the Richard Petty Motorsports drivers out on the track Saturday. The four drivers are spread out in the qualifying order with Kasey Kahne going out 5th, Paul Menard 22nd, Elliott Sadler 28th, and AJ Allmendinger will be the last locked in driver to go out in the 35th spot.
21. AJ Allmendinger, 186.749 mph, 48.193, 2 laps
31. Paul Menard, 186.254 mph, 48.321, 2 laps
38. Elliott Sadler, 185.647 mph, 48.479, 2 laps
40. Kasey Kahne, 185.387 mph, 48.547, 2 laps
Rain played havoc with NASCAR again, as the first on-track activity for the 2010 season was cut short when the skies opened up. Single car qualifying practice runs were in progress when the red flag was displayed, with most teams only getting in one run each. After first practice was called complete, the precipitation became even heavier and second practice was also canceled as well as the final ARCA practice that was also scheduled.
Since some teams were still going through the inspection process and didn’t make it out on the track to at least shake down their cars, NASCAR is holding a 30 minute practice session Saturday morning for those eight teams to make one run. Otherwise, the teams will hit the track at 1:00 pm/et for Daytona 500 qualifying with very little idea of how their car will do.
Fortunately, qualifying for the Daytona 500 means very little as this race has a unique format for lining up the field. Only the top two positions will be set during Saturday’s qualifying session. The remaining 41 cars will be lined up based on how they finish in Thursday’s Gatorade Duel races. For the unfortunate teams that are starting the year outside the top 35 in owner’s points, four cars can be locked into the Daytona 500 based on their qualifying speeds in Saturday’s session, regardless of what happens in the Duel races. The others must race their way in on Thursday, in what should be some exciting racing action.
For Richard Petty Motorsports, Friday’s practice session marked the first time that the entire team was driving Ford branded stock cars. As reported on the television, the Ford teams are running the new Ford engine in the preliminary Daytona events – practice, qualifying, and the Duel races – and then will switch to the old engine in preparation for the 500. While great things were expected from the new engine practice speeds seemed to indicate that it isn’t as strong on the restrictor plate track as the old engine. Other than Bill Elliott in the go or go home entry for the Wood Brothers, who is possibly running the old engine, AJ Allmendinger was the fastest Ford driver in practice at 21st position.
Regardless of whether or not they have the horsepower to win the pole, it will still be great to see the Richard Petty Motorsports drivers out on the track Saturday. The four drivers are spread out in the qualifying order with Kasey Kahne going out 5th, Paul Menard 22nd, Elliott Sadler 28th, and AJ Allmendinger will be the last locked in driver to go out in the 35th spot.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Media Day Quotes
AJ ALLMENDINGER -- No. 43 Best Buy Ford Fusion
HOW WILL IT BE TO HAVE THAT YATES HORSEPOWER? " You're gonna be pushing down even harder because you know what's under your right foot. It was something that for the last three races of the season last year I got to feel, and when you've got Doug Yates building your horsepower and everybody at that engine shop, you know getting in the race car that's something that you don't have to worry about. That's not on your mind like, 'Man, do I have enough horsepower?' You know you've got the horsepower there and it just makes your job a little bit easier. It took us last year from running 15th-20th to running 8th-12th -- just by putting a bigger motor in our race car. That was something that you know coming to Daytona you're not gonna have to worry about."
IS THERE ANY WAY OF QUANTIFYING HOW MUCH THOSE THREE RACES HAVE HELPED AS FAR AS PREPARING FOR THIS SEASON? "It was a big deal. We've changed our race cars a little bit to try and make them better with being part of the Ford Racing family, trying to take all of the resources that we had there to make our race cars better, but just getting there and doing those three races, I think it relaxed everybody just a little bit. Elliott got to run it at Talladega. He was fast there and almost won the race there, and it was a big deal to show our team, 'OK, this is where we can be already, and now we need to improve from there.' We took those notes from those three races, kept fine-tuning and tried to make our cars better coming into this season. We come to Daytona and Daytona is its own race. I think once we get past this race, I know we're gonna have a great opportunity to go out there and try to win the 500, but once you get to Fontana that's really when the season starts, so I'm really looking forward to that."
GREG BIFFLE WAS SAYING THERE ARE ALREADY THINGS THAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING LAST YEAR THAT THEY'VE INCORPORATED AT ROUSH FENWAY. IS THAT RECIPROCAL? "Of course. Roush Fenway is one of the best organizations around in Cup racing and has been for the last how-many years, but, obviously, they weren't where they wanted to be last year either. Hopefully, we can help them a little bit and, for them, hopefully they can help us. I think we're gonna see that. We're taking notes from both race organizations to try and make everybody's car a lot better. For me, still being fairly young at this, yeah, it's coming into my fourth year but I've only had 2.5 years of racing, so with that stable of drivers they have over there and the guys I've got to work with at Richard Petty Motorsports, it's just gonna help me all-around inside and out of the race car. I'm gonna get better talking to guys like Greg and Carl and David and Matt. Obviously, that experience with Kasey last year helped me a ton and, hopefully, in return I can do some things that they learn from and I can help them. But I know right away that they're gonna help me more than I'm gonna help them."
DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING SPECIAL PRESSURE DRIVING THE 43 CAR? "Of course, and I've always been the one to put the most pressure on myself. This just adds a little bit of it, but, at the same point, being part of Best Buy and knowing what they've meant to this sport, it's just everything. I know that this really is my best opportunity this season to go out there and shine and show them what I can do. I'm in the 500. We've got the full season locked in. We're ready to go and I know this is my best chance. I try not to put too much pressure on myself, but the end result is I always do. But knowing that I'm in the 43 it's an honor for me just to be a part of Richard Petty Motorsports, but now to be in the 43 and to have Richard personally pick me to be in his race car, it's an honor. I'm a big auto racing fan. I'm probably as big of a fan as I am a driver and I love the history of this sport. The 43 is probably the biggest history that it has, along with the 3, so it just means so much and I want to go out there and represent Richard in and out of the race car the best that I can. I'm not speaking on his behalf, but, to me, I know that if I could get the 43 back in Victory Lane it would mean the world to him. He was in Victory Lane last year with Kasey, but I think to get his own number back into Victory Lane would mean so much to him. Whether I go out there and win one race for him or 100 races, to get that 43 back in Victory Lane would mean the world to me. It would be something whether I won a ton of races or I never won again, I could take that and just be proud I was able to accomplish that."
JUST DON'T WIN MORE THAN 200. HE MIGHT GET A LITTLE MAD. "If I could get a quarter of the way or a third, I would be OK with it. (laughing)"
DO YOU RECALL YOUR FIRST TRIP TO DAYTONA? "It was just nerve-wracking in general. Coming to Daytona, the history of this place, what it means to be in the 500. I spent three years trying to be in the show and last year, luckily, made it. For two years I had to go through watching driver introductions, watching all the famous people and know that technically I wasn't a part of it because I was just another fan being around there, I was wasn't in the show. Last year, to finally be a part of it and to go through the whole day on Sunday -- waking up and doing the sponsor things, going through the autograph sessions, driver intros, driver's meeting, just everything -- getting to see everybody that is a part of this great race it was just so cool. I can't really describe into words what it felt like, but I'm never gonna lose that feeling. Everytime I come back here it's gonna be the same thing. I'm just happy now I don't have to fight to get into the show anymore because that was the most gut-wrenching, mind-numbing, just the worst thing as a race car driver I've ever had to go through. So I'm happy I get to skip that part, but still be part of the show."
DID YOU DO ANYTHING FUN IN THE OFF-SEASON? "I tried to race some go-karts. That was supposed to be fun, but I got my butt kicked a lot by a lot of 15 and 16-year-olds. That was at the PRI show in Orlando and here for WKA kart week. That was awful. I've already told my race team, I said, 'We need to have a good year because between December I got my butt whooped enough by people. I don't want to experience that anymore. I've already had enough of that this year, so that was supposed to be fun. It wasn't a lot of fun, but I'm not a vacation guy. I don't like going on vacation. I like working out. I feel like I'm always active. If I could drive something everyday of my life I would, so I got to do some go-karting, a little bit of testing and obviously did the Rolex, so, to me, that's my fun."
Credit: Ford Racing
HOW WILL IT BE TO HAVE THAT YATES HORSEPOWER? " You're gonna be pushing down even harder because you know what's under your right foot. It was something that for the last three races of the season last year I got to feel, and when you've got Doug Yates building your horsepower and everybody at that engine shop, you know getting in the race car that's something that you don't have to worry about. That's not on your mind like, 'Man, do I have enough horsepower?' You know you've got the horsepower there and it just makes your job a little bit easier. It took us last year from running 15th-20th to running 8th-12th -- just by putting a bigger motor in our race car. That was something that you know coming to Daytona you're not gonna have to worry about."
IS THERE ANY WAY OF QUANTIFYING HOW MUCH THOSE THREE RACES HAVE HELPED AS FAR AS PREPARING FOR THIS SEASON? "It was a big deal. We've changed our race cars a little bit to try and make them better with being part of the Ford Racing family, trying to take all of the resources that we had there to make our race cars better, but just getting there and doing those three races, I think it relaxed everybody just a little bit. Elliott got to run it at Talladega. He was fast there and almost won the race there, and it was a big deal to show our team, 'OK, this is where we can be already, and now we need to improve from there.' We took those notes from those three races, kept fine-tuning and tried to make our cars better coming into this season. We come to Daytona and Daytona is its own race. I think once we get past this race, I know we're gonna have a great opportunity to go out there and try to win the 500, but once you get to Fontana that's really when the season starts, so I'm really looking forward to that."
GREG BIFFLE WAS SAYING THERE ARE ALREADY THINGS THAT YOU GUYS WERE DOING LAST YEAR THAT THEY'VE INCORPORATED AT ROUSH FENWAY. IS THAT RECIPROCAL? "Of course. Roush Fenway is one of the best organizations around in Cup racing and has been for the last how-many years, but, obviously, they weren't where they wanted to be last year either. Hopefully, we can help them a little bit and, for them, hopefully they can help us. I think we're gonna see that. We're taking notes from both race organizations to try and make everybody's car a lot better. For me, still being fairly young at this, yeah, it's coming into my fourth year but I've only had 2.5 years of racing, so with that stable of drivers they have over there and the guys I've got to work with at Richard Petty Motorsports, it's just gonna help me all-around inside and out of the race car. I'm gonna get better talking to guys like Greg and Carl and David and Matt. Obviously, that experience with Kasey last year helped me a ton and, hopefully, in return I can do some things that they learn from and I can help them. But I know right away that they're gonna help me more than I'm gonna help them."
DO YOU FEEL ANYTHING SPECIAL PRESSURE DRIVING THE 43 CAR? "Of course, and I've always been the one to put the most pressure on myself. This just adds a little bit of it, but, at the same point, being part of Best Buy and knowing what they've meant to this sport, it's just everything. I know that this really is my best opportunity this season to go out there and shine and show them what I can do. I'm in the 500. We've got the full season locked in. We're ready to go and I know this is my best chance. I try not to put too much pressure on myself, but the end result is I always do. But knowing that I'm in the 43 it's an honor for me just to be a part of Richard Petty Motorsports, but now to be in the 43 and to have Richard personally pick me to be in his race car, it's an honor. I'm a big auto racing fan. I'm probably as big of a fan as I am a driver and I love the history of this sport. The 43 is probably the biggest history that it has, along with the 3, so it just means so much and I want to go out there and represent Richard in and out of the race car the best that I can. I'm not speaking on his behalf, but, to me, I know that if I could get the 43 back in Victory Lane it would mean the world to him. He was in Victory Lane last year with Kasey, but I think to get his own number back into Victory Lane would mean so much to him. Whether I go out there and win one race for him or 100 races, to get that 43 back in Victory Lane would mean the world to me. It would be something whether I won a ton of races or I never won again, I could take that and just be proud I was able to accomplish that."
JUST DON'T WIN MORE THAN 200. HE MIGHT GET A LITTLE MAD. "If I could get a quarter of the way or a third, I would be OK with it. (laughing)"
DO YOU RECALL YOUR FIRST TRIP TO DAYTONA? "It was just nerve-wracking in general. Coming to Daytona, the history of this place, what it means to be in the 500. I spent three years trying to be in the show and last year, luckily, made it. For two years I had to go through watching driver introductions, watching all the famous people and know that technically I wasn't a part of it because I was just another fan being around there, I was wasn't in the show. Last year, to finally be a part of it and to go through the whole day on Sunday -- waking up and doing the sponsor things, going through the autograph sessions, driver intros, driver's meeting, just everything -- getting to see everybody that is a part of this great race it was just so cool. I can't really describe into words what it felt like, but I'm never gonna lose that feeling. Everytime I come back here it's gonna be the same thing. I'm just happy now I don't have to fight to get into the show anymore because that was the most gut-wrenching, mind-numbing, just the worst thing as a race car driver I've ever had to go through. So I'm happy I get to skip that part, but still be part of the show."
DID YOU DO ANYTHING FUN IN THE OFF-SEASON? "I tried to race some go-karts. That was supposed to be fun, but I got my butt kicked a lot by a lot of 15 and 16-year-olds. That was at the PRI show in Orlando and here for WKA kart week. That was awful. I've already told my race team, I said, 'We need to have a good year because between December I got my butt whooped enough by people. I don't want to experience that anymore. I've already had enough of that this year, so that was supposed to be fun. It wasn't a lot of fun, but I'm not a vacation guy. I don't like going on vacation. I like working out. I feel like I'm always active. If I could drive something everyday of my life I would, so I got to do some go-karting, a little bit of testing and obviously did the Rolex, so, to me, that's my fun."
Credit: Ford Racing
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Daytona Rolex 24 Post-race Quotes
NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY (FINISHED SEVENTH, QUALIFIED THIRD)
AJ ALLMENDINGER – NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
ANY INDICATION THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
“Yes, about two or three laps before, I could feel it going sour and just losing RPMs, and Kenny [Wilden, spotter] kept saying there was steam and smoke coming out of the back. It was one of those things where you pray that it’s going to last another hour and 20 minutes, because I could still run in the 44s and 45s even with it down on power. I thought for as big of a gap that we’ve got on third we might be able to hold it, but usually when they start smoking it’s not a good thing. Just disappointed for everybody at Michael Shank and Ford. We’re getting closer. We’re going to win one of these things, I’ll tell you that. Once again great car, great motor, just bad luck.”
HOW DID YOU FEEL IT HANDLED BEFORE THAT?
“The car, we needed to get it better. It wasn’t as good as last year. The No. 01 and the No. 9, it seemed when they turned the wick up they could go, but I ran about as fast as them on the stands. It would have been a good race. It would have been close. I think they might have had a little on us, but I would have tried to hold them off.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO THAT IN THE PAST?
“I felt like this was the best 24 that I’ve ever run. I had a triple stint starting around 3 a.m. and then was ready to run a lot of laps with a triple again to get it to the finish. This was no ones fault. Everyone worked really hard and we wanted to get back up on the podium for Mike Shank. It’s disappointing, but we’ll be back, no question.”
BRIAN FRISSELLE – NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“This race was really tough. We had our adversity with one of our key members [Michael Valiante] getting sick so that made things really tough. We were all dealing with fatigue and dehydration. The team gave us a fast car but something out of our control took us out. It’s unfortunate, but we will come out of here with points and I expect to be strong at Homestead and all year long.”
MARK PATTERSON - NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“Last year we had a very abbreviated run. It is easy to make the misinterpretation that you are going to win just because you are leading it 15-20 percent into the race. This time, we were where we were so late in the race that we were practically jumping on the back of the pick up truck to head to the podium. So this is a much bigger disappointment. That was a great outcome in 2006 but I was too inexperienced to understand really what we’d accomplished. This year we were in a very good car once again, and we pushed our drivers very hard. This field had a lot of very capable driver line-ups, and when the sun came up, we were in a great position. So it’s a very disappointing way to end.”
MICHAEL VALIANTE - NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“I think this was one of the most treacherous 24s I’ve ever run because of the conditions. We just tried to stay out of trouble. Just like last year, we had a chance to win this year, but it just didn’t fall into place. It’s the 24 hours and that’s just what can happen. I’m looking forward to getting the championship going at Homestead.”
Credit: Ford Racing
AJ ALLMENDINGER – NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
ANY INDICATION THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
“Yes, about two or three laps before, I could feel it going sour and just losing RPMs, and Kenny [Wilden, spotter] kept saying there was steam and smoke coming out of the back. It was one of those things where you pray that it’s going to last another hour and 20 minutes, because I could still run in the 44s and 45s even with it down on power. I thought for as big of a gap that we’ve got on third we might be able to hold it, but usually when they start smoking it’s not a good thing. Just disappointed for everybody at Michael Shank and Ford. We’re getting closer. We’re going to win one of these things, I’ll tell you that. Once again great car, great motor, just bad luck.”
HOW DID YOU FEEL IT HANDLED BEFORE THAT?
“The car, we needed to get it better. It wasn’t as good as last year. The No. 01 and the No. 9, it seemed when they turned the wick up they could go, but I ran about as fast as them on the stands. It would have been a good race. It would have been close. I think they might have had a little on us, but I would have tried to hold them off.”
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS YEAR’S PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO THAT IN THE PAST?
“I felt like this was the best 24 that I’ve ever run. I had a triple stint starting around 3 a.m. and then was ready to run a lot of laps with a triple again to get it to the finish. This was no ones fault. Everyone worked really hard and we wanted to get back up on the podium for Mike Shank. It’s disappointing, but we’ll be back, no question.”
BRIAN FRISSELLE – NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“This race was really tough. We had our adversity with one of our key members [Michael Valiante] getting sick so that made things really tough. We were all dealing with fatigue and dehydration. The team gave us a fast car but something out of our control took us out. It’s unfortunate, but we will come out of here with points and I expect to be strong at Homestead and all year long.”
MARK PATTERSON - NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“Last year we had a very abbreviated run. It is easy to make the misinterpretation that you are going to win just because you are leading it 15-20 percent into the race. This time, we were where we were so late in the race that we were practically jumping on the back of the pick up truck to head to the podium. So this is a much bigger disappointment. That was a great outcome in 2006 but I was too inexperienced to understand really what we’d accomplished. This year we were in a very good car once again, and we pushed our drivers very hard. This field had a lot of very capable driver line-ups, and when the sun came up, we were in a great position. So it’s a very disappointing way to end.”
MICHAEL VALIANTE - NO. 6 MICHAEL SHANK RACING FORD RILEY
“I think this was one of the most treacherous 24s I’ve ever run because of the conditions. We just tried to stay out of trouble. Just like last year, we had a chance to win this year, but it just didn’t fall into place. It’s the 24 hours and that’s just what can happen. I’m looking forward to getting the championship going at Homestead.”
Credit: Ford Racing
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Speed Weeks Schedule
Thursday, Jan. 28
10 a.m.: Opening of Speed Weeks: Ceremony at start/finish line in pit lane
10-11:30 a.m.: Rolex Series practice
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
1:30- 2:30 p.m.: Rolex Series practice
2:45-3:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
3:45- 4 p.m.: Rolex Series Daytona Prototype qualifying
4:15- 4:30 p.m.: Rolex Series GT qualifying
5- 5:15 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge ST qualifying
5:30-5:45 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge GS qualifying
6:30-8:30 p.m.: Rolex Series practice
Friday, Jan. 29
9-9:45 a.m.: Rolex Series practice
10-10:45 a.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
11-11:20 a.m.: Rolex Series final qualifying
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Rolex Series final practice
1-1:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge autograph session
1:45 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge Fresh From Florida 200 (2 1/2- hour time limit)
Saturday, Jan. 30
11 a.m.: Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition
11:30 a.m.: Rolex 24 driver's Meeting
Noon: Milestones Laps
12:15 p.m.: Rolex Driver autograph session
2:15 p.m.: Rolex Driver introductions
3 p.m.: Rolex 24 pre-race ceremonies
3:30 p.m.: Rolex 24 At Daytona
Sunday, Jan. 31
3:30 p.m.: Finish of Rolex 24 At Daytona
Thursday, Feb. 4
Noon-4:50 p.m.: ARCA practice
5-5:45 p.m.: Bud Shootout practice
6:30-7:30 p.m.: Bud Shootout Practice
8 p.m.: Bud Shootout drawing
Friday, Feb. 5
11 a.m.: ARCA qualifying
2:10-3:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
4-5:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
5:40-6:30 p.m.: ARCA final practice
Saturday, Feb. 6
1:05 p.m.: Daytona 500 qualifying presented by Kroger
4 p.m.: ARCA driver introductions
4:30 p.m.: Lucas Oil Slick Mist ARCA/ReMax 200
7:50 p.m.: Bud Shootout driver introductions
8:10 p.m.: Bud Shootout
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
2:00-2:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice (final practice before Gatorade Duel At Daytona)
3-5 p.m.: Nationwide Series practice
6-7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice
Thursday, Feb. 11
9-11 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Nationwide Series final practice
1:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup drivers introductions
2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Gatorade 150 mile qualifying races
6:10 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series qualifying
Friday, Feb. 12
1::40-2:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
3:10 p.m.: Nationwide Series qualifying
7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series driver introductions
8 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Nextera Energy Resources 250
Saturday, Feb. 13
10:30-11:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup final Daytona 500 practice
12:45 p.m.: Nationwide Series driver introductions
1:15 p.m.: Nationwide Series Camping World 300
Sunday, Feb. 14
12:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Daytona 500 driver introductions
1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Daytona 500
10 a.m.: Opening of Speed Weeks: Ceremony at start/finish line in pit lane
10-11:30 a.m.: Rolex Series practice
11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
1:30- 2:30 p.m.: Rolex Series practice
2:45-3:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
3:45- 4 p.m.: Rolex Series Daytona Prototype qualifying
4:15- 4:30 p.m.: Rolex Series GT qualifying
5- 5:15 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge ST qualifying
5:30-5:45 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge GS qualifying
6:30-8:30 p.m.: Rolex Series practice
Friday, Jan. 29
9-9:45 a.m.: Rolex Series practice
10-10:45 a.m.: Continental Tire Challenge practice
11-11:20 a.m.: Rolex Series final qualifying
Noon-12:45 p.m.: Rolex Series final practice
1-1:30 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge autograph session
1:45 p.m.: Continental Tire Challenge Fresh From Florida 200 (2 1/2- hour time limit)
Saturday, Jan. 30
11 a.m.: Rolex 24 Heritage Exhibition
11:30 a.m.: Rolex 24 driver's Meeting
Noon: Milestones Laps
12:15 p.m.: Rolex Driver autograph session
2:15 p.m.: Rolex Driver introductions
3 p.m.: Rolex 24 pre-race ceremonies
3:30 p.m.: Rolex 24 At Daytona
Sunday, Jan. 31
3:30 p.m.: Finish of Rolex 24 At Daytona
Thursday, Feb. 4
Noon-4:50 p.m.: ARCA practice
5-5:45 p.m.: Bud Shootout practice
6:30-7:30 p.m.: Bud Shootout Practice
8 p.m.: Bud Shootout drawing
Friday, Feb. 5
11 a.m.: ARCA qualifying
2:10-3:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
4-5:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
5:40-6:30 p.m.: ARCA final practice
Saturday, Feb. 6
1:05 p.m.: Daytona 500 qualifying presented by Kroger
4 p.m.: ARCA driver introductions
4:30 p.m.: Lucas Oil Slick Mist ARCA/ReMax 200
7:50 p.m.: Bud Shootout driver introductions
8:10 p.m.: Bud Shootout
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
2:00-2:50 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice (final practice before Gatorade Duel At Daytona)
3-5 p.m.: Nationwide Series practice
6-7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series practice
Thursday, Feb. 11
9-11 a.m.: Camping World Truck Series final practice
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Nationwide Series final practice
1:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup drivers introductions
2 p.m.: Sprint Cup Gatorade 150 mile qualifying races
6:10 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series qualifying
Friday, Feb. 12
1::40-2:40 p.m.: Sprint Cup practice
3:10 p.m.: Nationwide Series qualifying
7:30 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series driver introductions
8 p.m.: Camping World Truck Series Nextera Energy Resources 250
Saturday, Feb. 13
10:30-11:55 a.m.: Sprint Cup final Daytona 500 practice
12:45 p.m.: Nationwide Series driver introductions
1:15 p.m.: Nationwide Series Camping World 300
Sunday, Feb. 14
12:15 p.m.: Sprint Cup Daytona 500 driver introductions
1 p.m.: Sprint Cup Daytona 500
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
This Says It All
This quote from Media Week says everything you need to know about why AJ Allmendinger is a driver to cheer for. Does it get any more honest or basic than this?
AJ Allmendinger: "I drive a race car 'cause it's what I love to do. It's not about being in front of the media or being on a poster or being on TV or going out there and having the fame when it comes to that. It's about the love of going out there and competing. Going home and knowing that I gave everything I had that day, everything I had in my life to go out there and be at my best, and that's why I do it. That's the attitude I carry. I have fun doing it. I'm excited to go do it, but at the same time you can see when I'm frustrated. You're going to see it on my face 'cause it's all about winning."
Everyone who is clamoring for more emotion in NASCAR should read that quote. AJ is the real deal. He's a genuinely nice guy who has a ton of personality and untapped depths of racing talent. It takes years for the light from a star in the night sky to reach Earth. Well AJ is a star, and soon everybody will see that like I do.
AJ Allmendinger: "I drive a race car 'cause it's what I love to do. It's not about being in front of the media or being on a poster or being on TV or going out there and having the fame when it comes to that. It's about the love of going out there and competing. Going home and knowing that I gave everything I had that day, everything I had in my life to go out there and be at my best, and that's why I do it. That's the attitude I carry. I have fun doing it. I'm excited to go do it, but at the same time you can see when I'm frustrated. You're going to see it on my face 'cause it's all about winning."
Everyone who is clamoring for more emotion in NASCAR should read that quote. AJ is the real deal. He's a genuinely nice guy who has a ton of personality and untapped depths of racing talent. It takes years for the light from a star in the night sky to reach Earth. Well AJ is a star, and soon everybody will see that like I do.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Michael Shank Racing Fastest on Day 2 of The Roar Before the Rolex 24
Cold temperatures and precipitation, including light snow, freezing rain, sleet and patches of ice, merely dampened the morning practice sessions for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge series Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
But drivers, teams and crews kept their cool, and once their sessions started, posted admirable times under the cloudy skies of central Florida.
Michael Valiante recorded the fastest lap of the day in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, 1:41.237 (126.594 mph), to lead the Daytona Prototypes. Leh Keen was fastest in GT practice in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8, 1:49.214, set late in the night practice session.
Competitors in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge found conditions more to their liking, with Scott Maxwell unofficially bettering the existing track record.
The Roar Before The Rolex 24 wraps up Sunday. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will practice from 9 -10 a.m. and 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. The Rolex Series will practice from 10:15 a.m. - noon and 2:30-3:30 p.m. The session is open to the public.
Rarely is it as cold as it was Saturday morning in Daytona Beach, where temperatures stayed in the low 30s, and an ice buildup around the race track forced cancelation of the first Rolex Series session. A handful of competitors in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge braved the untested track during their first session before waiting it out for the afternoon.
Valiante, who was fastest during several practice sessions during the 2009 Daytona Prototype season, set his time late in the afternoon. Times in Daytona Prototypes dropped off during the 90-minute night practice session, while GT times picked up.
"Michael Shank Racing has done a fantastic job, and it's great to be teamed up with Mark Patterson, Brian Frisselle and AJ Allmendinger here," Valiante said. "I think we will be challenging for the top spot at every race we go to this year. I think we will have a shot at the pole here. Unfortunately, it's been quite cold here. The temperature here today is the same as it is back home in Vancouver (B.C., Canada), and I was expecting Florida to be a lot warmer."
David Donohue was second fastest in Daytona Prototypes in the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley, 1:42.088 (125.539 mph). He was followed by Christophe Bouchut in the No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports BMW Riley, 1:42.106 (125.517 mph); Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley, 1:42.207 (125.393 mph); and Pedro Lamy in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara, 1:42.352 (125.215 mph).
Robin Liddell was second quickest in GT with a lap of 1:50.565 (115.914 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro, followed by Jorg Bergmeister, 1:50.604 (115.873 mph) in the No. 67 TRG/Flying Lizard Porsche GT3, Sylvain Tremblay in SpeedSource's No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, 1:50.698 (115.774 mph), Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Godstone Ranch Motorsport Corvette, 1:50.889 (115.575 mph) and Andy Lally in the No. 66 TRG Shore Tel Porsche GT3, 1:50.978 (115.482 mph).
"We're pretty happy with the car so far," said Liddell, who co-drove a Stevenson Pontiac GXP.R with (Andrew) Davis the past two seasons. "We had a pretty good test here in December, and obviously I was able to put down a pretty good lap. So it looks like we're in good shape. Andrew and I work very well together, and having Jan (Magnussen) in the car is a great addition to the team."
Scott Dixon led the early afternoon session with a lap of 1:43.325 (124.036 mph). AJ Allmendinger was fastest in night practice with a lap of 1:41.448. Bergmeister was fastest in the early GT session, 1:50.214 (116.283 mph).
"It was really cold out there," Allmendinger said. "These are conditions you normally don't race in. I've been at Daytona before when it was cold, but this was like ice out there. When the tires were cold it was nuts trying to hang on."
Competitors in both the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge took advantage of the sessions to practice GRAND-AM's new restart procedure. On the final lap of caution periods, competitors in the faster class (either Daytona Prototype or Grand Sport) will fall into a continuous line, followed by the GT or Street Tuner competitors.
Like their Rolex Series counterparts, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competitors experienced the wrath of cold temperatures and precipitation throughout their two sessions. During the first session, only five cars took track time due to the temperatures and drizzle, while 47 Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) machines participated in the second hour-long session.
A day after BMW M3s swept the top five, the Ford Mustang GTs struck gold, grabbing the top four spots. Maxwell managed the quickest time in the afternoon, posting a time of 1:59.215 (107.503 mph) in the No. 16 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT.
Overall, three different Mustang teams were in the top four. Todd Snyder turned the second fastest time in the No. 11 CMA Motorsports Ford Mustang GT, 1:59.710 (107.059 mph), the only other car under the two-minute mark. The defending championship-winning car, the No. 59 Belesta Ford Mustang GT from Rehagen Racing, was third, with Ken Wilden behind the wheel. Multimatic also claimed fourth with Gunnar Jeannette in the No. 71 Ford Mustang GT, while Joey Hand ended the Mustang's hot streak with Turner Motorsport's No. 97 BMW M3.
In ST, Compass360 Racing went from 2-3-4 on Friday to 1-2-3 on Saturday with its trio of Honda Civic Sis. Leading the way was 2009 Fresh From Florida 200 co-winner Lawson Aschenbach, who drove the No. 77 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si, with a time of 2:10.078 (98.526 mph). Ryan Eversley was second in the No. 75 Skunk2/J.C. Concrete Honda Civic Si at 2:10.334 (98.332 mph), while Jesse Combs clocked in with a time of 2:10.655 (98.090 mph) in the No. 74 Skunk2/Hondata Honda Civic Si.
BimmerWorld and Irish Mike's Racing were also fast. BimmerWorld team owner James Clay was fourth quickest in the No. 80 BMW 328i, while Todd Buras claimed fifth in the No. 51 Volkswagen Jetta.
But drivers, teams and crews kept their cool, and once their sessions started, posted admirable times under the cloudy skies of central Florida.
Michael Valiante recorded the fastest lap of the day in the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley, 1:41.237 (126.594 mph), to lead the Daytona Prototypes. Leh Keen was fastest in GT practice in the No. 41 Dempsey Racing/Team Seattle Mazda RX-8, 1:49.214, set late in the night practice session.
Competitors in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge found conditions more to their liking, with Scott Maxwell unofficially bettering the existing track record.
The Roar Before The Rolex 24 wraps up Sunday. The Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will practice from 9 -10 a.m. and 1:30 - 2:15 p.m. The Rolex Series will practice from 10:15 a.m. - noon and 2:30-3:30 p.m. The session is open to the public.
Rarely is it as cold as it was Saturday morning in Daytona Beach, where temperatures stayed in the low 30s, and an ice buildup around the race track forced cancelation of the first Rolex Series session. A handful of competitors in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge braved the untested track during their first session before waiting it out for the afternoon.
Valiante, who was fastest during several practice sessions during the 2009 Daytona Prototype season, set his time late in the afternoon. Times in Daytona Prototypes dropped off during the 90-minute night practice session, while GT times picked up.
"Michael Shank Racing has done a fantastic job, and it's great to be teamed up with Mark Patterson, Brian Frisselle and AJ Allmendinger here," Valiante said. "I think we will be challenging for the top spot at every race we go to this year. I think we will have a shot at the pole here. Unfortunately, it's been quite cold here. The temperature here today is the same as it is back home in Vancouver (B.C., Canada), and I was expecting Florida to be a lot warmer."
David Donohue was second fastest in Daytona Prototypes in the No. 59 Brumos Porsche Riley, 1:42.088 (125.539 mph). He was followed by Christophe Bouchut in the No. 55 Level 5 Motorsports BMW Riley, 1:42.106 (125.517 mph); Jon Fogarty in the No. 99 GAINSCO Chevrolet Riley, 1:42.207 (125.393 mph); and Pedro Lamy in the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Ford Dallara, 1:42.352 (125.215 mph).
Robin Liddell was second quickest in GT with a lap of 1:50.565 (115.914 mph) in the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro, followed by Jorg Bergmeister, 1:50.604 (115.873 mph) in the No. 67 TRG/Flying Lizard Porsche GT3, Sylvain Tremblay in SpeedSource's No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, 1:50.698 (115.774 mph), Paul Edwards in the No. 07 Godstone Ranch Motorsport Corvette, 1:50.889 (115.575 mph) and Andy Lally in the No. 66 TRG Shore Tel Porsche GT3, 1:50.978 (115.482 mph).
"We're pretty happy with the car so far," said Liddell, who co-drove a Stevenson Pontiac GXP.R with (Andrew) Davis the past two seasons. "We had a pretty good test here in December, and obviously I was able to put down a pretty good lap. So it looks like we're in good shape. Andrew and I work very well together, and having Jan (Magnussen) in the car is a great addition to the team."
Scott Dixon led the early afternoon session with a lap of 1:43.325 (124.036 mph). AJ Allmendinger was fastest in night practice with a lap of 1:41.448. Bergmeister was fastest in the early GT session, 1:50.214 (116.283 mph).
"It was really cold out there," Allmendinger said. "These are conditions you normally don't race in. I've been at Daytona before when it was cold, but this was like ice out there. When the tires were cold it was nuts trying to hang on."
Competitors in both the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge took advantage of the sessions to practice GRAND-AM's new restart procedure. On the final lap of caution periods, competitors in the faster class (either Daytona Prototype or Grand Sport) will fall into a continuous line, followed by the GT or Street Tuner competitors.
Like their Rolex Series counterparts, Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competitors experienced the wrath of cold temperatures and precipitation throughout their two sessions. During the first session, only five cars took track time due to the temperatures and drizzle, while 47 Grand Sport (GS) and Street Tuner (ST) machines participated in the second hour-long session.
A day after BMW M3s swept the top five, the Ford Mustang GTs struck gold, grabbing the top four spots. Maxwell managed the quickest time in the afternoon, posting a time of 1:59.215 (107.503 mph) in the No. 16 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT.
Overall, three different Mustang teams were in the top four. Todd Snyder turned the second fastest time in the No. 11 CMA Motorsports Ford Mustang GT, 1:59.710 (107.059 mph), the only other car under the two-minute mark. The defending championship-winning car, the No. 59 Belesta Ford Mustang GT from Rehagen Racing, was third, with Ken Wilden behind the wheel. Multimatic also claimed fourth with Gunnar Jeannette in the No. 71 Ford Mustang GT, while Joey Hand ended the Mustang's hot streak with Turner Motorsport's No. 97 BMW M3.
In ST, Compass360 Racing went from 2-3-4 on Friday to 1-2-3 on Saturday with its trio of Honda Civic Sis. Leading the way was 2009 Fresh From Florida 200 co-winner Lawson Aschenbach, who drove the No. 77 Skunk2/HPD Honda Civic Si, with a time of 2:10.078 (98.526 mph). Ryan Eversley was second in the No. 75 Skunk2/J.C. Concrete Honda Civic Si at 2:10.334 (98.332 mph), while Jesse Combs clocked in with a time of 2:10.655 (98.090 mph) in the No. 74 Skunk2/Hondata Honda Civic Si.
BimmerWorld and Irish Mike's Racing were also fast. BimmerWorld team owner James Clay was fourth quickest in the No. 80 BMW 328i, while Todd Buras claimed fifth in the No. 51 Volkswagen Jetta.
AJ in the Rolex 24 at Daytona for MSR
Michael Shank Racing Announces Rolex 24 At Daytona Drivers
Hard on the heels of Michael Shank Racing’s announcement that Crown Royal Extra Rare has signed on to sponsor the No. 60 Ford-Riley, the team presented the full driver line-up for the organization’s two-car 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona campaign during the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
Full-season Michael Shank Racing drivers Ozz Negri and John Pew will be joined in the No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley by Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins in the season-opening race, as the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley will see Mark Patterson team with Michael Valiante, AJ Allmendinger, and Brian Frisselle.
Ever since making it to the race finish in the team’s 2004 debut in the race, Michael Shank Racing has repeatedly shown strength in the Rolex Series season kick-off endurance format, finishing runner-up in the 2006 Rolex 24 and threatening for a race win late in the event again in 2008.
Seven of the eight drivers have previous race starts with Michael Shank Racing, something that team owner Mike Shank carefully considered as he assembled his team.
“We have had a lot of very strong driver line-ups for this event in the past, and I’m as confident in this group that we have this year as I’ve been for any we’ve had before,” said Shank. “Every one of these guys has a lot of Daytona Prototype experience, and a lot of miles at this track. To be successful in the 24, and to even make it to the finish of this race, takes speed, smarts, and a lot of experience. You have to make the right decisions, every minute of the way for 24 hours. With the guys we have in both cars, we have the right mix to make sure we are there at the finish and in position to fight for a podium on Sunday afternoon.”
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Driver Quotes:
Ozz Negri, No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
Like Mike (Shank) said, it’s great to have guys with so much Daytona Prototype experience in our line-up. Everyone gets along, we are similarly sized, so we don’t need inserts, and I think we have a very strong line up. This is a magical race, one that everyone wants to win-not for the watch, but to win. Hopefully we can work enough to get it this time.
(about driving with John Pew in 2010)
“It’s strange because I’ve worked with Mark Patterson so long and we have a great relationship. So it was odd in the test in December to see Mark getting out of the other car! But its Im looking forward to working with John- we’ve known each other for such a long time, karting together and working together. So I am really looking forward to this year, especially to have Crown Royal Extra Rare in the car, it’s very motivating to have them with us.”
John Pew No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“It’s great to try to fill Marks place! It’s going to be difficult, but I’m going to try my best, knowing Ozz and Mark for a long time and seeing how they worked together, I’m looking forward to stepping up my game even further this year. I’m proud and humbled to have such a great brand like Crown Royal Extra Rare with us this year on the car. I know Ozz said its not about the watch, but I want one!”
Mark Wilkins, No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“I have to thank Mike Shank—this is a fantastic team, one that I grew up watching when he ran Ken Wilden in Atlantics when I was just a kid and they had so much success. It is a real pleasure to be here with these co drivers, to be the new guy here. Everyone is great, you just slot into the car, do your job and get going. It’s a great environment for the drivers and I think we have a great shot at it this year.”
Burt Frisselle No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“The relationship with Michael Shank Racing and AIM Autosport has always been a strong one, we’ve been able to share information and work together so this is great.
For me, this is a kind of second home. I love racing for this team. It also is a great way for Mark and I to get excited about racing with AIM again at Homestead so hopefully we can start the season off strong here and try to help get Ford a Championship at the end of the season.”
Mark Patterson, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“This is a great line up, with both these cars. If we get to the podium, I have no objection to what position where they are behind us! We’ve raced against each other in several different series--None of us is a stranger—I met Ozz through John, so we all work well together. Having worked with Ozz these last few years I will tell you-watch out for John Pew this year!”
AJ Allmendinger No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“I love coming back and racing for Mike-he’s one of those real racers and his team is great. You can see the passion he has for it in how his team executes. I am excited for him for this team and the line up that he has for the full season I think they are going to be really strong all year long.
“We finished second in this race the first year, and we’ve had the opportunity to win it every year since. I see both cars contending for victory, and hopefully the six car can do that. It’s exciting for me to be with Ford here in the Daytona Prototypes because now I’m with them in Cup so I hope to start the year off well for them and score well here in the 24.
Brian Frisselle, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“I’m really excited to work with Michael, I think everyone made notice of the fact that he was on the top of the sheets all year long last year. He’s obviously very talented and I think the two of us together can hopefully be strong in the championship.
Michael Valiante, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
It’s great to be back and to be representing Michael Shank Racing again. Both cars have two driver lines up a capable of winning the race, our car was winning the race until we had an engine issue last year. Fortunately, that’s been resolved and this team prepares a fantastic car. Like Brian said, we have a very strong pairing for the full season as well. We have a lot in common. We both were co-drivers with Max Angelelli so we got off to a good start right there trading some stories!”
Hard on the heels of Michael Shank Racing’s announcement that Crown Royal Extra Rare has signed on to sponsor the No. 60 Ford-Riley, the team presented the full driver line-up for the organization’s two-car 2010 Rolex 24 At Daytona campaign during the Roar Before the 24 at Daytona International Speedway.
Full-season Michael Shank Racing drivers Ozz Negri and John Pew will be joined in the No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley by Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins in the season-opening race, as the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley will see Mark Patterson team with Michael Valiante, AJ Allmendinger, and Brian Frisselle.
Ever since making it to the race finish in the team’s 2004 debut in the race, Michael Shank Racing has repeatedly shown strength in the Rolex Series season kick-off endurance format, finishing runner-up in the 2006 Rolex 24 and threatening for a race win late in the event again in 2008.
Seven of the eight drivers have previous race starts with Michael Shank Racing, something that team owner Mike Shank carefully considered as he assembled his team.
“We have had a lot of very strong driver line-ups for this event in the past, and I’m as confident in this group that we have this year as I’ve been for any we’ve had before,” said Shank. “Every one of these guys has a lot of Daytona Prototype experience, and a lot of miles at this track. To be successful in the 24, and to even make it to the finish of this race, takes speed, smarts, and a lot of experience. You have to make the right decisions, every minute of the way for 24 hours. With the guys we have in both cars, we have the right mix to make sure we are there at the finish and in position to fight for a podium on Sunday afternoon.”
************
Driver Quotes:
Ozz Negri, No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
Like Mike (Shank) said, it’s great to have guys with so much Daytona Prototype experience in our line-up. Everyone gets along, we are similarly sized, so we don’t need inserts, and I think we have a very strong line up. This is a magical race, one that everyone wants to win-not for the watch, but to win. Hopefully we can work enough to get it this time.
(about driving with John Pew in 2010)
“It’s strange because I’ve worked with Mark Patterson so long and we have a great relationship. So it was odd in the test in December to see Mark getting out of the other car! But its Im looking forward to working with John- we’ve known each other for such a long time, karting together and working together. So I am really looking forward to this year, especially to have Crown Royal Extra Rare in the car, it’s very motivating to have them with us.”
John Pew No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“It’s great to try to fill Marks place! It’s going to be difficult, but I’m going to try my best, knowing Ozz and Mark for a long time and seeing how they worked together, I’m looking forward to stepping up my game even further this year. I’m proud and humbled to have such a great brand like Crown Royal Extra Rare with us this year on the car. I know Ozz said its not about the watch, but I want one!”
Mark Wilkins, No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“I have to thank Mike Shank—this is a fantastic team, one that I grew up watching when he ran Ken Wilden in Atlantics when I was just a kid and they had so much success. It is a real pleasure to be here with these co drivers, to be the new guy here. Everyone is great, you just slot into the car, do your job and get going. It’s a great environment for the drivers and I think we have a great shot at it this year.”
Burt Frisselle No. 60 Crown Royal Extra Rare Ford-Riley driver
“The relationship with Michael Shank Racing and AIM Autosport has always been a strong one, we’ve been able to share information and work together so this is great.
For me, this is a kind of second home. I love racing for this team. It also is a great way for Mark and I to get excited about racing with AIM again at Homestead so hopefully we can start the season off strong here and try to help get Ford a Championship at the end of the season.”
Mark Patterson, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“This is a great line up, with both these cars. If we get to the podium, I have no objection to what position where they are behind us! We’ve raced against each other in several different series--None of us is a stranger—I met Ozz through John, so we all work well together. Having worked with Ozz these last few years I will tell you-watch out for John Pew this year!”
AJ Allmendinger No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“I love coming back and racing for Mike-he’s one of those real racers and his team is great. You can see the passion he has for it in how his team executes. I am excited for him for this team and the line up that he has for the full season I think they are going to be really strong all year long.
“We finished second in this race the first year, and we’ve had the opportunity to win it every year since. I see both cars contending for victory, and hopefully the six car can do that. It’s exciting for me to be with Ford here in the Daytona Prototypes because now I’m with them in Cup so I hope to start the year off well for them and score well here in the 24.
Brian Frisselle, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
“I’m really excited to work with Michael, I think everyone made notice of the fact that he was on the top of the sheets all year long last year. He’s obviously very talented and I think the two of us together can hopefully be strong in the championship.
Michael Valiante, No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford-Riley
It’s great to be back and to be representing Michael Shank Racing again. Both cars have two driver lines up a capable of winning the race, our car was winning the race until we had an engine issue last year. Fortunately, that’s been resolved and this team prepares a fantastic car. Like Brian said, we have a very strong pairing for the full season as well. We have a lot in common. We both were co-drivers with Max Angelelli so we got off to a good start right there trading some stories!”
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