Rolex 24

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Really looking forward to the race this year and seeing the new season fire up for all us fans. I will not be at all surprised to see the #02 entry (Dixon, Franchitti, McMurray, Montoya) in the Ganassi BMW on the top step...yet again.

Separately, in case you hadn't heard, the #2 entry (Starworks Motorsports, with Kanaan, Hunter-Reay and others) had their sponsor pull out on them at the very last minute and barring a truck full of money dropping out of the sky, they can't race. What a shame.

AJ

[FFRSpec72]

Same here, there are a few drivers from our conference that are driving http://www.grand-am.com/teams/team.cfm?series=r&tid=1046 so looking forward to see how the car and the drivers do

[AJ Roadster NJ]

OK, maybe this is a dumb question, but that's never stopped me in the past. Is it the white Porsche with the big Canadian maple leaves? Will be fun to watch someone with a connection, even if there are a couple degrees of separation.

[FFRSpec72]

OK, maybe this is a dumb question, but that's never stopped me in the past. Is it the white Porsche with the big Canadian maple leaves? Will be fun to watch someone with a connection, even if there are a couple degrees of separation.

Yes, I run with that car in my run group and get lapped seveal times in the 30 min race.

[AJ Roadster NJ]

That is WAY cool. I'll be watching them and pulling for them all the way now.

Here's our boys, best shot I could find of the livery as it exists right now;

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AJ

[FFRSpec72]

So Randy Blaylock and Joe White are the 2 drivers of car 22 that I run aginst, the car is being sponsored by a new track here in the NW "The Ridge Motorsport Park", so its a big deal up here.

Here is a pic of the Bullet Racing 911 backup car with us on the track in Mission BC

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[AJ Roadster NJ]

So in today's practice, the #22 Bullet Racing GT3 came in 18th in the GT class out of 46 entries. Their best time was 1:51:360 at 115.08 mph, which was 00:01:558 (call it 1.6 seconds) behind the 2nd place GT car, which turned in a 1:49:772. (I am completely discounting the 1st place GT car, which ran an incredibly fast time and was first overall, including faster than all the Daytona Prototypes. He had to have cut one of the chicanes.)

Qualifying is coming up soon -- 3:45 for the DPs, 4:15 for the GTs.

AJ

[FFRSpec72]

I have been trying to follow on the Grand-AM site when I get time, the other car is #41 as Don Kitch (runs a driving schools here in Seattle) driving, but more interested in #22 since that runs in our conference. Hope they can hang in there and car holds up.

[Jim Schenck]

Another connection, there are two past FFR Challenge National champions in the weekends races. Multi-time winner Tony Buffamonte is running a Capaldi Mustang in the Continental Tire Challenge, and 2004 champion Spencer Pumpelly is running a TRG Porsche in the Rolex 24 hour.

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Cool to follow all this!

The #22 Bullet Porsche GT3 qualified 19th in class, 31st overall, with a 1:50.572, which must've been a very hot lap since it was almost a full second better than their best practice lap.

Spencer Pumpelly is in the reigning champion #67 TRG Porsche, which qualified 40th in class, 52nd overall, with a 1:54.347. Something must've upset the car in qualy, because in practice 2 they ran 9th, at 1:50.165, almost 4.2 seconds quicker than their qualifying lap. Moreover, they dominated testing in early December, leading the speed charts in every single practice session. Speaking about Pumpelly's newly named co-driver Jeroen Bleekemolen, team owner Kevin Bukler said, "I consider him, Spencer and Wolf part of a very small and elite group of 911 assassins---probably some of the best in the world..." :cool:

Here's a picture of the Spencer's #67 TRG Racing Porsche;

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Haven't researched Buffamonte's car yet, thought I'd get this out there.

In all the years I've followed this race (that's a hell of a lot o' years) I've never been connected to it with such a low degree of separation. What a gas.

AJ

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Here's what the Capaldi Mustang looks like for Tony Buffamonte;

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:cool:

[AJ Roadster NJ]

In last night's practice, Spencer Pumpelly's #67 TRG Porsche GT3 absolutely nailed it, with a class-leading 1:49.512. That beat the second place GT car by over a tenth. The #22 Bullet Racing machine ran 31st in class, significantly off their earlier practice and qualifying pace with a 1:53.022. The results sheet doesn't say how many laps were driven by each car, or who drove them, so I don't know anything more than what you see here.

The Continental Tire Challenge (Tony Buffamonte) runs this afternoon but won't be broadcast until Feb 2nd (on Speed).

AJ

[FFRSpec72]

So far the coverage leading up to the 24 has been pretty sparse, thanks for digging around for the updates AJ

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Grand Marshal A.J. Foyt is not going to be able to attend the race due to complications with his recent knee surgery. I remember reading a really funny banter back and forth between Foyt and Dan Gurney, who had the same surgery at the same time, a few weeks ago. They challenged each other to walker races. :rolleyes:

Practice 5 (earlier today, the final practice for the 24) had slow times across the board. I don't know if that was weather (didn't look too bad on weather.com, but it was definitely windy).

Weather for tomorrow's start looks like clear skies, sunny, and 75° with no chance of rain. Sunday will be a bit cooler with a high of 69° and partly cloudy, mostly sunny, with only a 10% chance of rain. Very mild low breezes both days.

Looking good, ladies and germs!!

AJ

[AJ Roadster NJ]

Posted by meownself on Wednesday;


Separately, in case you hadn't heard, the #2 entry (Starworks Motorsports, with Kanaan, Hunter-Reay and others) had their sponsor pull out on them at the very last minute and barring a truck full of money dropping out of the sky, they can't race. What a shame.

So the truck full of money must've fallen from the sky. As of this morning, the Starworks #2 Daytona Prototype car, sister car to the polesitter, is back in the race. Don't know where the money came from or who the sponsor is, but I do know that Marco Andretti is in the car, but Tony Kanaan and Ryan Hunter-Reay are evidently out.

AJ

[Gumball]

Green, Green, Green!!!!! And the 2012 race season begins!

[AJ Roadster NJ]

2nd in GT in a hard-fought battle for victory went to Spencer Pumpelly and the #67 TRG Porsche team. 20th in GT went to the boys from Canada in the #22 Bullet Racing Porsche, who dropped some laps through the night and, although they ran a strong race pace, could not make up the difference as Brumos and TRG kept the pace ridiculously fast in their shootout.

Very cool to see the Dinger win DP. Great race, great start to the season.

[FFRSpec72]

Was a fun race to watch, Ford did well, and the Camaros did very well. #22 hung in there, very respectable finish. All in all great race and a great last few hours