DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2012) – Five-time and reigning GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Cars Series Champions (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2011) and four-time and defending Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011) Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS) completed three days of testing at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month.
The No. 01 TELMEX/Target Dinan-Prepared BMW Riley piloted by defending race winners Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand finished the test sixth overall with a 1:41.761, while the No. 02 Target/TELMEX Dinan-Prepared BMW Riley of Dario Franchitti, Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon and Jamie McMurray finished eighth with a time of 1:41.868. The No.10 Corvette Daytona Prototype of SunTrust Racing with Angelelli/Taylor/Briscoe topped the charts with a 1:41.142.
The team rolled out a pair of new-look Riley DPG3s at the test, which is the new bodywork style for the Riley Chassis manufacturer in the Daytona Prototype category. It was the first test the team has participated in with the new formula.
Most notable of the three days of action was an unfortunate situation in the opening laps of Saturday’s night session when the No.01 was spun by another car entering turn three of the infield road-course section of the track, resulting in damage and a tow-back to the garage for lengthy repairs. Due to the limited availability of spare parts for the new bodywork the No.01 team was unable to test the Sunday sessions.
The 2012 Rolex Series season opens with the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Jan. 28-29.
QUOTEBOARD:
Scott Dixon, No. 02 Target/TELMEX Dinan-Prepared BMW Riley: “For me, this is the most fun event we do all year. It gets everyone together. Sure, we want to win the race, but there’s not so much pressure. All of us on the team are pretty close with our times, so everyone pulls their weight. Our times are down a little bit right now as we learn about the new cars, but this team is consistent and it deals with problems really well. It also helps having the same driver lineup back.”
Scott Pruett, No. 01 TELMEX/Target Dinan-Prepared BMW Riley: “I had just passed a GT car. He hit me in the rear and I spun. That put me into the guardrail and tires. It’s definitely a little setback. Normally, we’d just throw new parts back on it and get back out there, but since this is a new car, we’re going to take the car back to the shop and take our time getting a good look at everything. We will take advantage of a bad situation and learn from it.”
About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include four in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 14 championships and 145 victories, including three Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.
For more information log onto chipganassiracing.com
