“Everyone is itching to get back into their race cars after the Christmas break!” Aston Martin Racing’s Darren Turner sums up the feeling of the many regular World Endurance Championship entrants who will be competing this weekend in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the year’s first multi-class endurance event.
The 24-hour race at Daytona Beach in Florida, which dates back to 1962, takes place on the 5.73km (3.56 mile) track which includes a section of 31 degree banking. While this is not comparable in any way to the WEC’s third round, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, the chance to blow away the winter cobwebs and test new cars and drivers in an endurance environment is one that many have taken up.
In the Prototype class (LMP2) the Tequila Patrón ESM team has two Honda HPD ARX-04b coupes entered with the six drivers who will compete in the 2015 WEC season. These include Scott Sharp and Ed Brown who recently took part in the ACO and WEC’s press conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Competing against the distinctive green and black cars (shown here before the full livery was in place) will be Porsche Team’s Brendon Hartley in a Starworks entry alongside former F1 driver Rubens Barrichello and others, and LMP2 standouts Olivier Pla and Alex Brundle who will be racing with former WEC and 2015 ELMS entry hopeful, Krohn Racing.
In the Prototype Challenge (PC) category, Audi Sport's Felipe Albuquerque will also be representing Starworks at Daytona, with new Audi endurance signing Rene Rast lining up in the GTD class in an Audi R8 LMS.
In the manufacturer-led GTLM category (equivalent to LMGTE Pro) there are factory entries from Ferrari’s GT World Champions AF Corse – Gimmi Bruni and Toni Vilander lining up with François Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard in the iconic Ferrari 458 Italia – Aston Martin and Porsche as well as Le Mans and 2014 Lone Star Le Mans participant Corvette Racing.
Taking the battle to the red cars in the Aston Martin Vantage V8 will be the very strong line-up from Aston Martin Racing of Darren Turner, Stefan Mücke, Pedro Lamy, Paul Dalla Lana and new factory signing Matthias Lauda, son of three-time World F1 Champion, Niki. Also featuring extremely experienced driver rosters are the two Porsche North America 911 RSRs – Nick Tandy, Patrick Pilet and Marc Lieb in one car, Jörg Bergmeister, Earl Bamber (a new Porsche factory driver) and Frédéric Makowiecki.
In the GTD class (closest to LMGTE Am), the names of Darryl O’Young, Klaus Bachler, Michele Rugolo, Rui Aguas, Matt Griffin and Jeff Segal will all be familiar to WEC audiences. However, many will be keeping a close eye on the progress of new WEC entrant for 2015, Patrick Dempsey. He will be on the grid from The Prologue onwards in a Proton Competition Porsche with Pat Long and a yet-to-be-announced third team mate, and the Californian will be getting in some valuable pre-season seat time at Daytona.
We wish all competitors a safe and successful race!
Photos: DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY (DAYTONA BEACH, FLORDIA, USA), THE ROAR BEFORE THE 24, 9-11 JANUARY 2015. 1) Porsche North America 911 RSRs on the banking (credit TUDOR United Sportscar Championship); 2) Tequila Patron ESM HPD ARX 04b (credit Martin Spetz/Dailysportscar.com); 3) Krohn Racing Ligier JS PS2 (credit TUDOR United Sportscar Championship); 4) Aston Martin Racing Vantage V8 (credit Martin Spetz/Dailysportscar.com)
