Fans can get a glimpse into the future as teams and drivers roar into the new year with a three-day test at Daytona International Speedway on January 6-8. The annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 is the final tune-up for Rolex Sports Car Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge teams before the 50th anniversary running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona and the start of the 2012 season, and the test will be open to the public.
A strong turnout of 53 Rolex Series and 44 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge cars are entered, including top drivers and teams in a variety of new cars.
Corvette Daytona Prototypes from Action Express Racing, SunTrust Racing, Spirit of Daytona and GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing head a 13-car DP turnout which will also include a look at new Riley entries from Michael Shank Racing, Starworks Motorsport and defending Rolex 24 and Rolex Series champions Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates.
Entries from Krohn Racing and 50+ Racing/Predator Performance are also expected.
The GT class will have a strong presence as well with 40 cars entered. Extreme Speed Motorsports, AF Waltrip, Risi Competizione and AIM Autosport Team FXDD will shake down the new Ferrari 458 Italia Grand Am, while APR Motorsport and Oryx Racing will debut customer entries in the Audi R8 GRAND-AM.
Defending GT class champions Leh Keen and Andrew Davis return with Brumos Racing and will be joined by endurance racing legend Hurley Haywood in the No. 59 Porsche GT3.
Joey Hand and Graham Rahal will again join defending Rolex champs Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates DP, while the team’s second car will be driven by none other than international racing superstars Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Juan Pablo Montoya and former Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray.
Other NASCAR drivers expected to attend are Max Papis (No. 9 – Action Express Racing), Colin Braun (No. 76 – Krohn Racing) and Michael Waltrip (No. 56 – AF Waltrip). Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year winner Andy Lally moves to the Rolex Series full-time in 2012 and will be piloting the No. 44 Porsche GT3 for Magnus Racing.
Hollywood actor Patrick Dempsey (No. 40 – Dempsey Racing) and AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson (No. 50 – 50+ Racing/Predator Performance) will also take their passion of sports car racing to the highbanks of Daytona.
GRAMMY Award-winning music producer Jim Jonsin joins X-Games gold medalist Bucky Lasek in two Rebel Rock Racing Porsche 997s as part of the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge test while Multimatic Motorsports and drivers Joe Foster and Scott Maxwell will debut the new Aston Martin Vantage eligible for GS competition.
Tickets are $15 per day. Ticketholders for the 2012 Rolex 24 At Daytona and children 12 and under will receive free admission. In addition to the testing sessions, there will also be open garage access as well as fan forums, pit stop demonstrations and tech talks
Grand Am PR
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