Sports car racers from around the world gather this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24. The 24-hour endurance race takes the green flag Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on SPEED-TV. Making its debut on the 3.56-mile road course is the AF Waltrip Racing team featuring drivers Michael Waltrip, Rob Kauffman, Rui Aguas and Travis Pastrana driving a Ferrari 458 GT. The entry is a joint project of the Italian sports car team AF Corse and Michael Waltrip Racing.
WALTRIP ON RACE: “We tested at Daytona earlier this month and everyone seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly. It’s Daytona, and there’s no place I’d rather race. The Daytona 500 will always be the most important race to me, but this weekend’s race is really special. I’m looking forward to seeing all the drivers from around the world. It’s like all the drivers you have heard about or seen on television gather for this one race. Plus, I can’t wait to spend the week with Rob, Rui and Travis. This is going to be a lot of fun.”
KAUFFMAN: “There are a handful of races around the globe that people instantly recognize and the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of them. To be able to participate in the race’s 50th running is an honor and really steps up our sports car program profile here in the USA. We are also excited to kick off our new road racing joint venture with AF Corse. For the race itself, the competition level is as tough as any sports car race in the world, but we are hoping for a solid result.
PASTRANA: “This is an amazing opportunity. This is a prestigious event that I have always watched and followed on television. Friends like Jimmie Johnson and Boris Said raced in it and it’s something I wanted to try. It’s always been held on the same weekend as the first round of Rally America so this is one of the first time’s I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the Rolex 24. Rob asked me to join the team and it didn’t take long to answer.”
NOTES
· AF WALTRIP DRIVERS: Waltrip and Kauffman are co-owners of Michael Waltrip Racing that fields three Sprint Cup teams in NASCAR. Pastrana is an 11-time X Games gold medal winner and four-time North American Rally champion. Aguas is one of the top GT drivers in the world.
· ON THE NO. 56 HOOD: RK Motors Charlotte is the country’s leading classic car dealership selling hundreds of classic and high performance collector cars a year. With over 80,000 square-feet dedicated to “all things cars,” the Charlotte campus holds a state-of-the-art showroom complete with digital media studio, as well as a full restoration and customization shop. Created in 2010 by Kauffman and Joe Carroll of Best of Show Automotive, RK Motors Charlotte has established itself as the nation’s premier restorer, re-seller and provider of classic, muscle and high-performance cars. For more information about RK Motors Charlotte visit www.RKMotorsCharlotte.com
· WHEELS: AF Waltrip and Risi Competizione teams will race a one-piece, single-lug Motegi Racing Technomesh GT3 wheel. Motegi Racing, based in the United States, engineered the brand-new wheel in Italy through a technical supplier partnership with Michelotto, the storied Ferrari racecar builders.
· TWITTER: Follow the AF Waltrip team’s fortunes on twitter at @mwrteam throughout the Rolex 24. The No. 56 will also carry a SPEED-TV onboard camera during the race.
MWR PR
