Homestead: Live Rolex Series Updates
March 6, 2010
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HOMESTEAD, Fla. - GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 competitors head to South Florida for the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway on 6. SPEED will carry live coverage of the race at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, while Motor Racing Networks kicks off its season-long coverage at 4:45 p.m. ET Saturday. SPEEDTV.com will also stream qualifying live on Friday, March 5 at 3:40 p.m. ET.
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GT Podium Quotes (Updated Saturday at 9:40 p.m.)
EMIL ASSENTATO (No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8): "We had a great qualifying session. It was really exciting to be up front. Most of the guys were nose-to-tail for quite some time. Then, I started fighting an understeer condition in the car halfway through the stint.
"When the car pitted, we put new tires on. The balance issue was not so much the cars as the tires. We put Jeff in the car and he did a great job. "
JEFF SEGAL (No. 69 FXDD Mazda RX-8): "The boss drives friendly, that's for sure. This team worked so hard building these cars over the winter. They've had so much going on at that shop. I was there a couple of days before the race. It's amazing how they continue to build great cars.
"I have to thank our whole crew. We made some pretty bold setup changes. The car was great all weekend. In the race, we had a tall order. Our strategy worked out real well in the end."
JAMES GUE (No. 41 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8): It was really a smooth run. Obviously, it was a very long stint. I just did an hour-and-a-half stint in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race. Then, I ran an hour-and-forty-five minutes in the GT car. We didn't have the quickest car, but it was setup for a long run. I was very pleased with the results."
LEH KEEN (No. 41 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8): "We were lucky when the caution came out. James did a really good job. He was consistent, with the fast group. The car was really good at the end. It showed, for sure."
ANDREW DAVIS (No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Camaro GS.R): "In the beginning of my stint I had a good car and was able to pressure the Mazdas that were in front of me in the infield, but when we get to the straightaways, they would just check out. That was kind of the way that stint went. Over the course of the stint, I just had run the tires off, but as the temperature get cold, it got better."
ROBIN LIDDELL (No. 57 Stevenson Auto Group Camaro GS.R): "The final few laps weren't so bad. At the end of the race, you couldn't see much. A lot of the infield was very dark.
"On the new Camaro, the hood is very high and it hides the lights. It was just like driving with no lights, so I really struggled with visibility. The tire wear was very high for us. I knew with 10 minutes to go the restart would be tough."
Daytona Prototype Post-Race Quotes (Updated Saturday at 9:10 p.m.)
MEMO ROJAS (No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley): "I had a clear gap. I tried to pass the No. 6 car on the outside. Obviously, we made contact. I don't want to comment because I haven't seen the replay. Honestly, I just felt a bump from behind. From what I've heard, we got together before the apex. I guess I will just wait until I see the replay."
"I am happy for the fans (for the last caution) because I knew it was going to be good. I think we were very similar to the No. 59 car."
SCOTT PRUETT (No. 01 TELMEX BMW Riley): "There were a few dark spots. There were a few turns that were incredibly dark. For me it was actually better chasing a guy, you could use their headlights and be more aggressive. I felt like when I was out in front the last thing I want to do is drive off the track and lose the race that way.
"We managed to hold on to the lead and I'm real happy with Steve Dinan and the engine program. We had great pit stops and Memo did a great job."
DARREN LAW (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "We had a great lead and car. It was fairly consistent, running a steady pace. When we came in for a gas stop, I came down pit lane and a car was on fire. There were some officials standing in the fast lane, so I basically had to park it. Whatever gap I built up, I lost a ton of it right there. That's where Scott made his time up."
DAVID DONOHUE (No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley): "I tired and tired and tried and nothing worked. We pitted a little bit outside our window, so we had to run conservative."
JON FOGARTY (No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet Riley): "It was a good start. I was able to get a jump on Darren in the No. 59 and hang on a few laps until we lost the handling on the car. We were struggling coming off the corners and got stuck in traffic. I gave Darren a bit of a run, and made a good move going into Turn 1."
ALEX GURNEY (No. 99 GAINSCO Auto Insurance Chevrolet Riley): "I would have preferred the race to end without the last restart. We thought we were pretty light on downforce, but the car did not generate a lot of grip. It seemed like guys were pulling away. We had good track position."
"I had a run on Scott, but he was much quicker. I was just trying to hold onto position. I had a lot of situations will lapped cars. We were far enough ahead to hold onto third."
Mid-Race Quotes (Updated Saturday at 7:15 p.m.)
Memo Rojas (No. 01 TELMEX Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley) - "We're struggling a lot trying to keep the rear tires from wearing out. The car was quite loose from where it's been all weekend. It's difficult to keep the rear underneath us. Apart from that, we're running well. The No. 59 car is running quick, so it's going to be tough to beat them. We're doing our best. (on the first lap) I felt a bump on the rear of my car. Honestly, I didn't know what was going on behind me, I didn't watch the replay. I'm not sure what happened."
Emil Assentato (No. 69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8) - "I was a pretty good run. We're pretty happy with the car. I had a bit of a push in the car, so it was hard to keep up with the No. 07 and the No. 70 cars. I think we have a car that should be there at the end. It looks pretty good right now."
Brian Frisselle (No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley) - "The car is excellent. This is a car that could have won today. We were running faster times than the leaders, and they pitted, we were still reasonably competitive on old tires. I feel terrible for the Michael Shank Racing team. They gave Michael and I a car that could win. I have the teammate that would win at the end, but the No. 01 took that chance from us. (on the first lap) Rojas doesn't know where his car is, and he took me out. It was plain and simple."
Todd Lamb (No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8) -"It was fantastic. That Mazda was real good out there, especially on the opening laps. We set up the car really good on fresh tires, and on worn tires at the end of my stint the RX-8 was really good. It was fantastic on the brakes."
Paul Edwards (No. 07 Banner Racing/Mobil 1 Corvette) - "Overall, I was pretty happy with my first stint. We had our rear tire pressures quite a bit too high and the car got loose after about three laps. So I know our next stint will be better. Scott Russell is holding his own out there right now, doing a great job. There's still a long way to the finish but it's looking good."
Patrick Dempsey (No. 40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8) - "It felt pretty good. It's nice to hand the car over to Joe (Foster) in good position, staying on the lead lap while keeping a nice pace. With the sun going down it was hard to see going into turn one, going into the sun. I was trying to keep my braking points consistent."
Enrique Saravia (No. 67 Porsche GT3) - "It's amazing. I had an awesome experience, and I would like to thank Kevin (Buckler) for giving me the opportunity to be part of his team and Spencer (Pumpelly) for giving me all his knowledge. He's an excellent driver and an excellent coach. He helped me through yesterday. I had a great time. All the people from TRG did an excellent job with me. This is my first race in the Rolex Series, and I hope you will see me again. I hope to stay here in the United States racing."
Andrew Davis (No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro) - "It went OK with the 57 car. We struggled a lot with the rear grip. I had about 10 laps there when the car felt good and I was fighting with the Mazdas in front of me. They were holding me up in the infield and I was driving away from them on the banking. After that, I started losing rear tires, so I was hanging on for the rest of my stint. Robin's doing a good job right now, hanging on himself. I'm looking forward to being at Barber and VIR. The surface here at Homestead is hard on tires, and hopefully we'll have more grip there."
Eric Lux (No. 28 LG Motorsports Corvette) - "The car turned its first wheel yesterday morning. This team has done a great job getting this car ready. This was a real late deal. We're here, we know what we need to do and we're going to get the car where it needs to be. It has great potential and the team's great. We have to keep a positive attitude and keep our patience. It's going to take a few races and a few tests for us to get there. Once we figure this out and know what we have to do, we're going to have a real good race car and contend for wins. We've been breaking axle boots and axles, so we need to research that problem. We're going to save the car for the next time and do some testing."
Automatic Has Steering Problem Sorted Out (Updated Saturday at 10:30 a.m.)
The No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 will start from the back of the GT grid in today's Grand Prix of Miami after struggling with mechanical problems all weekend. But the team is optimistic entering the race.
"We've had only three flying laps all weekend," car owner Will Turner said. "We had no problems with our power steering unit during the whole Rolex 24 At Daytona. But it doesn't last with all the lateral loading at Homestead. We've been through two power steering systems, and we've had no choice but to switch to the heavy-duty unit used in the Daytona Prototypes."
South Florida's Alegra Motorsports has a Daytona Prototype that isn't racing this weekend, and offered to help.
"Alegra was kind enough to take apart their Daytona Prototype and give us the parts," Turner said. "I think we've got the problem solved."
Stanton Hits Wall, Magnus Racing Expects to Race (Updated Saturday at 10:15 a.m.)
Craig Stanton cut a tire in turn four of the oval and tagged the wall entering the front stretch during Saturday morning's final practice, badly damaging the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche GT3.
"You can say I hit it NASCAR style," Stanton said. "Fortunately, I hit the SAFER Barrier and it really worked out. It really absorbed the impact. If I hit concrete, I'd be going to the care center now."
In addition to bodywork, the team will have to replace the transmission and possibly the engine.
"The guys are good," Stanton said. "Magnus Racing is designed to have the guys 'hup to' in situations like this. We'll start the race."
While Stanton was talking, Paul Miller from Miller Barrett Racing came over to offer any help that was needed.
"GRAND-AM is great," Stanton said. "When you get into a difficult situation, everyone is eager to get involved and help out."
Autohaus Motorsports Repairs Porsche for Race (Updated Saturday at 9 a.m.)
Autohaus Motorsports repaired damaged sustained by its No. 46 Porsche GT3 and will start the Grand Prix of Miami from the back of the grid. Richard Zahn hit the wall in Friday practice. While he was unhurt, the car was not ready in time for qualifying.
The team raced a Pontiac GXP at the Rolex 24. That car is being refreshed by Pratt and Miller, and the team is mulling the possabilities of rebodying it for the next Rolex Series race at Barber Motorsports Park. Shane Lewis and Zahn plan to run the full season with the team.
Daytona Prototype Qualifying Quotes (Updated Friday at 5:30 p.m.)
Darren Law: It was great. We always run well at Homestead, and the Brumos car was very, very good as the tires came up. We had a real good run. I'm proud of everybody. This is the way we need to start the rest of the season after Daytona. We're going to be pushing hard at every race and make some points up. They said I was P-2, and I pushed harder on my next lap. There was enough grip to hang in there. I don't think I could have gotten another one in there.
Jon Fogarty: We're in a good starting position. I thought we were faster than the time represented on the board. I'm a little disappointed that we didn't maximize qualifying, but we were also trying to conserve our tires and not put a lot of laps on them. We only ran one quick lap. The Brumos guys are right there and super fast. We would like to be on the pole, but it's a good starting position."
Ricky Taylor: "The car was good. It completely transformed the car on new tires. We made some humongous setup changes to get the SunTrust car working, and it worked."
Gigliotti Corvette On Track For First Time (Updated Friday at 3:05 p.m.)
The No. 28 LG Motorsports Corvette made its first appearance at a GRAND-AM Rolex Series event in Friday's opening practice. Eric Lux and Kelly Collins were 15th in both Friday sessions.
"The car rolled wheels for the first time," said team owner Lou Gigliotti. "We're fairly happy with that. We had a little bit of an axle boot problem, but we should have that solved by race time. These are the kind of things we would have found out about if we had time to go testing. We're pretty happy with the way the car's performing, even though we just unrolled it off the trailer and this was the first time it rolled a wheel."
Gurney Fastest in First Daytona Prototype Practice (Updated Friday at 12:15 p.m.)
Alex Gurney waited until the closing minutes of the opening Rolex Series practice session to run a 1:11.848 (115.250 mph), after the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing team put a fresh set of Pirellis on the No. 99 Chevrolet Riley. The lap was a second quicker than co-driver Jon Fogarty's track record, set in 2009.
"It was a good session," Gurney said. "We improved the car with every change we made. I don't know how many guys did tires, but we changed tires. It's definitely a good start. Probably the best car we've had here at Homestead so far. We're encouraged. We've always struggled here in the races. Hopefully, we're making gains on that."
Fogarty ended 2009 with five consecutive poles, and the team has set fastest qualifying time in six of the last eight races (including the recent Rolex 24, when the team did not qualify when the car was involved in a practice accident.
"I think we've got as good a shot as anybody," Gurney said. "Jon's always very good in qualifying so we should be in good shape."
Pumpelly Leads Opening GT Session (Updated Friday at 11:15 a.m.)
Spencer Pumpelly ran a lap of 1:18.303 to lead the opening GT practice session, moments before turning the No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3 over to new co-driver Enrique Saravia. The lap unofficially broke Sylvain Tremblay's five-month-old track record.
"The car was real good when we unloaded off the truck," Pumpelly said. "In the fall race, we unloaded with a similar setup and were pretty happy with it out of the box. Enrique is doing a phenominal job, he's still getting used to the car. It looked like Enrique was on top on the timing chart - but I'm sure he'll be right up there given a few laps here. He's doing a great job right now."
Paul Edwards was second fastest in the No. 07 Banner Racing Corvette. He will qualify the car and start the race due to a television commitment involving co-driver Scott Russell, who will be doing color commentary for SPEED at tonight's Daytona 200 By Honda - America's premier motorcycle race - at Daytona International Speedway. Russell is a five-time winner of that event.
"Scott had a prior commitment, and it's his only one of the year," Edwards said. "It's going to be tough for him in the race. But I understand what he's doing - he's quite a hero at Bike Week in Daytona - and he'll have a 40-minute session tomorrow. We're getting the car very well balanced. I enjoy working with Tony Dowe. The team has gotten the car nice and reliable now. We couldn't do three laps in a row at Daytona without it breaking down, and we just did the whole session without a problem. The car's fast.
"We've won three of the last four years here, and that makes you like the place," Edwards added. "I like this place anyway. It's real cool coming off of the banking into turn one, and the infield's pretty tricky with a lot of late-braking zones, that I like. Overall, everyone's going quicker than last year with the cold weather. We'll be racing in both light and dark - clear visor, dark visor - but we're used to it and the lighting's pretty good here in the infield. It's going to be tricky coming down the front straight, but everybody's in the same boat."
Jordan Taylor was fourth in the session, bumped by fellow Mazda competitor Sylvain Tremblay for third on the final lap.
"It's good to be back on the track," Taylor said. "We were quickest Mazda for most of the session before Sylvain got us by two-tenths right at the end. We've done a lot of work getting ready for this race and I'm happy that we're quick and competitive right out of the box. Todd (Lamb) will qualify and start the race, and I'll get in and hopefully bring it home for a good finish."
Stevenson Motorsports Feels Transmission Problem Solved (Updated Friday at 10 a.m.)
A related transmission issue struck both of Stevenson Motorsports' new Camaros past the midway point of the recent Rolex 24 At Daytona. An investigation proved that a sensor was malfunctioning, causing the gears to grind before the shift was fulling completed.
"It just seemed that it was hard to shift," said Gunter Schaldach, driver of the No. 97 Camaro.
"It should feel like your cutting through butter," team owner John Stevenson explained. "Some of the guys said there was no problem, but they were hitting the shifter harder."
After a thorough study, both transmissions are set up identically for the No. 57 Camaro of Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis and Schaldach's No. 97.
Schaldach has another reason to smile this weekend.
"You may have noticed, I have a new co-driver for the rest of the season," Schaldach said. "You may have heard of him."
Of course, he was referring to veteran Dane Jan Magnussen, who will share the No. 97 in all but three of the remaining races.
Hines Makes Transition From FIA GT to Rolex Series GT (Updated Thursday at 4 p.m.)
Luke Hines has only two starts in the United States, running the recent Rolex 24 At Daytona and the 2008 Petit Le Mans. This weekend, he's looking forward to his new role co-driving Miller Barrett Racing's No. 48 Marquis Jet/Grand Prix Racewear/IPC/Total Porsche GT3 with Bryce Miller.
Hines, a resident of Sedge Green in Essex, England, has raced for Saleen, Corvette and Aston-Martin in FIA GT.
"I enjoy racing in the States more than Europe," Hines said. "I like the way America runs motorsports - the atmosphere, the fans and the SPEED television coverage."
Hines and Miller finished 18th in the Rolex 24, joined by Kevin Roush and Peter Ludwig.
Former Dodger Saravia Making U.S. Racing Debut With TRG (Updated Thursday at 3:55 p.m.)
Enrique Saravia is used to springtime in South Florida. He was in Dodgertown in Vero Beach several times prior to catching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992-93.
Since then, he's been busy racing GT cars in Central America, winning the Guatemalan Athlete of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and won the 2010 FIA America's Award. Saravia will make his U.S. racing debut this weekend, sharing the No. 67 TRG Porsche GT3 with Spencer Pumpelly.
"I'm really happy about this opportunity, and I would like to thank Kevin Buckler for making it possible for me to be here," Saravia said. "This is my first race in the United States, and I hope we do OK.
"This is totally different from baseball," Saravia said. "I've been in sports all my life, and I'm really happy to be here and be part of the TRG team."
Homestead Played Key Role in Bomarito's Career (Updated Thursday at 3:35 p.m.)
Jonathan Bomarito will running his first race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Saturday's Grand Prix of Miami. However, the speedway has played a role in the career of the GT winner of the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.
"I had six laps here years ago in a Daytona Prototype," said Bomarito, who will co-drive with Sylvain Tremblay in the SpeedSource No. 70 Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8. "Finlay Motorsports held a six-lap shootout among four drivers at the 2004 winter test here. They invited four guys to see who would join their team for the 2005 Rolex 24."
Bomarito ran his first six laps in a GRAND-AM car at that test, and earned the right to share a seat with Rob Finlay and Michael McDowell in the Rolex 24. They finished 19th.
"That was my first time in a GRAND-AM car," Bomarito said. "Now I'm looking forward to my first session here in the SpeedSourcec Mazda."
Oldest Riley Has Newest Look (Updated Thursday at 2:25 p.m.)
AIM Autosport makes its 2010 Rolex Series debut with a brand new paint scheme on the original Riley Daytona Prototype, chassis 001. The car driven by Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle is painted light blue, with sponsorship from Pacific Mobile.
"It's pretty fancy, isn't is?" said team principal Ian Willis. "We're running this paint scheme for the first two races, and maybe more after that.
"We've been working hard since the last race," Willis said. "I'd like to say we've caught up on our sleep, but we haven't. The whole car has been stripped and rebuilt from the ground up. We've tried to trim a little weight out of it with no money, and that's always difficult to do. It's easy to get weight out by spending money."
Another brand new paint scheme is on the No. 40 Dempsey Racing Mazda RX-8, painted bright yellow for this race only to honor ShareALittleSunshine.org.
Edwards Looking Forward to 'Longer' Races (Updated Thursday at 2 p.m.)
For most of the competitors in the Rolex Series paddock, the Grand Prix of Miami John Edwards will be a sprint race compared to the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in January.
For John Edwards, though, the two-hour, 45-minute race is much longer than what he's used to. Edwards, the 2009 Formula Atlantic champion, will co-drive the No. 68 SpeedSource/Newman Sachs Racing Clean Air Energy Mazda RX-8 with Adam Christodoulou.
"The longest race I ever ran was the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race at Daytona," Edwards said. "Before that, the longest race I've ran was 50 minutes."
The No. 68 is the car that Yellow Dragon Racing tested in last year's Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona. The team is building a brand-new Mazda RX-8 to replace it.
"We tested this car and loved it," Edwards said. "It feels great, and that was the point of the test. We're playing catch up, and now we've got to get used to running the longer races."
Edwards ran a few laps in Dempsey Racing's Mazda during January's Roar Before the Rolex 24. He was entered in the Rolex 24 in the Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda, but the car was retired before he got to drive.
Double-Duty for 'Mr. Daytona' (Updated Thursday at 11 a.m.)
Scott Russell will be a busy man this weekend. Friday evening he will call the Daytona 200 By Honda - America's premier motorcycle race - for SPEED's live broadcast.
Then he will hop in his truck, drive to Miami, and will practice and race Leighton Reece's No. 07 Mobil 1 Corvette in the Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Russell is uniquely qualified to call the Daytona 200. He was the first five-time winner of the race, earning the nickname "Mr. Daytona." While he's commentated on other two-wheel races for SPEED, this will be his first time behind the mic for the Daytona 200. He also won the 1992 AMA Superbike championship and the 1993 World Superbike title. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1995.
While Russell is in Daytona, Paul Edwards will practice and qualify the No. 07 Corvette. Edwards won last fall's Grand Prix of Miami in the Leighton Reece Performance Group Team Drinkin' Mate Pontiac GXP. Reece rebodied that car as a Corvette as a Prep II over the winter.
Russell will join Ralph Sheheen in the SPEED booth, with Friday's broadcast beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The Grand Prix of Miami will be covered live on SPEED Saturday at 5 p.m.. It will be followed at 8 p.m. by the Daytona Supercross By Honda, followed by delayed coverage of Daytona's two AMA Pro American Superbike races from Thursday and Friday.
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