Allmendinger outduels Dalziel to win Rolex 24

  by Mark J. Cipolloni
In a battle of ex-Champ Car drivers where the best drivers in American racing were produced, A.J. Allmendinger outdueled polesitter Ryan Dalziel to win the 50th running of the Rolex 24 classic at Daytona International Raceway Sunday afternoon.  Years ago Michael Shank (who himself used to drive in Champ Car Atlantics and was a team owner) started a team and struggled for years making it into a winner and today he won the biggest Grand-Am race of the year.

Rolex 24 18 Hours: Ganassi and Shank teams battle

  Grand-Am
After 18 hours of racing in the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona, the stage was set for a final, six-hour battle between the No. 60 LiveOn.com Ford/Riley from Michael Shank Racing and the No. 01 TELMEX/Target BMW/Riley from Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates for overall honors. Driving the No. 60, ex-Champ Car driver Justin Wilson held a 36.586-second lead over ex-Champ Car Atlantics driver Joey Hand in the No. 01 with 18 hours and 569 laps in the books.

Rolex 24: Polesitting Teams Lead At Halfway Mark

  Grand-Am
Halfway through the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona things were still trending in the direction of it being anybody's race. At the 12-hour mark, nine different leaders had paced the field with the defending race and series champion No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley Daytona Prototype of Chip Ganassi Racing and its sister No. 02 Target BMW/Riley dominating large portions. Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Graham Rahal and Joey Hand piloted the No. 01 while Juan Pablo Montoya, Scott Dixon, Jamie McMurray and Dario Franchitti wheeled the No. 02. However, at 2:44 a.m. the No. 02 with Dixon at the wheel went to the garage to repair a broken shifter.

50th Rolex Parade of Champions

  Historic Rolex 24 Grand-Am cars on the streets of Daytona
While much-needed rain showered Daytona International Speedway this morning, it in no way dampened the excitement of spectators and competitors who have assembled for this weekend’s golden anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. With 2012 marking the 50th running of the twice-around-the-clock challenge, fans are not the only ones to have turned out in force to be part of this historic event.

Dalziel puts Ford on pole for 50th Rolex 24

  Spoils Chevy Corvette DP Grand-Am debut
While already a Rolex 24 At Daytona champion, having won in 2010, today Ryan Dalziel (Orlando, Fla.), earned his first career pole in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series while driving the #8 Starworks Motorsports Ford Riley.  The 2011 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series DP Champion, Dalziel, who is a native of Scotland, was not surprised with the DP qualifying position – even though he was at the wheel of the last new Riley to be delivered, which was run for the first time during the second practice today.

Daytona 24H Q & A with A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti

  Grand-Am
Two of racing's most celebrated names -- A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti -- said some of their most memorable moments of their careers happened in the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The race will commemorate its 50th anniversary this week. Several unique activities are planned to celebrate the history of the endurance race, recognized as one of the world's most significant motorsports events.

50th Rolex 24 Coming Up

  Grand-Am
In less than a week, an event 50 years in the making is set to take place as the motorsports world celebrates the golden anniversary of one of the most famous endurance races in the world – the Rolex 24 At Daytona.  The historic endurance race is set for January 28-29, 2012, at Daytona International Speedway, and the excitement surrounding the race has never been greater. From a display of championship winning cars, to the participation of famous drivers, along with new GT entries from Ferrari and Audi and five new Corvette DPs, all indications are that the Rolex 24 At Daytona will deliver a high octane start as the season opener to the 2012 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

Rolex 24: SunTrust team tops Day 3

  Grand-Am
Two final on-track sessions at Daytona International Speedway closed out the third and final day of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 – the last test event leading into the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 28-29, 2012.  Max Angelelli ran the fastest lap of the three-day session on Sunday morning with a lap of 126.712 mph in the No. 10 SunTrust Corvette DP.

Rolex 24: Action Express Tops Day 2

  Grand-Am
Day two of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 – the last test event leading into the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 28-29, 2012 – saw a larger than typical turnout of fans today at Daytona International Speedway. The chance to see motorsports stars and celebrity drivers, along with the exciting new GT cars, including the purpose-built Ferrari 458 Italia Grand-Am along with Audi’s R8, combined with perfect weather to bring out the crowds which included lots of youngsters.

7th-Generation Porsche 911 to Kick Off 50th Rolex 24

  Porsche 911 has been at every Daytona 24 Hour Event
When the Daytona Continental went to a 24-hour event in 1966, the Porsche 911 race car was already part of the field, winnings its class that year in GT 2000 with Jack Ryan, Bill Benecker and Linley Coleman at the helm.  So it seems fitting that the latest Porsche 911 road car will lead the field once again in 2012 as the pace car for the 50th anniversary of this iconic sports car classic.

Observations from the IndyCar/Detroit announcement

  by Tim Wohlford

Ryan Dalziel and Enzo Potolicchio win at Mid-Ohio

  Grand-Am finale
Determined to ‘win or wreck,' Ryan Dalziel held off newly crowned Daytona Prototype champion Scott Pruett by 0.416 seconds to capture Saturday's GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season-ending EMCO Gears Classic presented by KeyBank at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Pruett and Memo Rojas clinched their third DP title in four years by completing the minimum 30 minutes in the No. 01 TELMEX BMW/Riley required to score points.