February 1, 2012
By Chuck Abrams
The Rolex 24 just kicked off the 2012 racing season and it was a doozy.
After 13 years, Ford finally got back into victory lane and landed all three podium positions.
In a tight battle between Michael Shank Racing, Starworks and Ganassi Racing, Shank wound up on top after Scott Pruett left an unusual opening for AJ Allmendinger to pass him. Unusual because Pruett is one of the hardest drivers to pass once he is in the lead. Ganassi had a pit strategy in place that could have gotten Pruett back out in front but it was not meant to be.
In another unusual twist, the normally reliable Ganassi car lost several gears during the pit stop and sent the second place running car back to finish in sixth.
As it was, Allmendinger, yes that Allmendinger, drove a long stint and never let up, driving the Ford to his first Rolex win on the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona. Shank also placed his other car in third with one of the Starworks Motorsport entries in second place.
And who was leading the way in the third place Shank car? None other than Michael McDowell. Yes, that McDowell.
In the GT class, Andy Lally led his Porsche team to victory for Magnus racing.
Yes, that Andy Lally. It sure makes his choice to leave Sprint Cup and focus on GT racing a smart move.
The GT class also saw the new Ferrari and Audi cars in the line up at Daytona. Michael Waltrip and Travis Pastrana drove one of the Ferrari entries to a 22nd place finish in the GT class. Pastrana was giddy with excitement and even after his stint in the car had an incredible amount of energy. He should be fun to watch if Waltrip can ever keep him in a car.
The Audis had shifter problems most of the race so I would expect that to change going forward as well. Still, it was great to see the more of the world’s best cars on the track together.
It was a great day for the underdog teams and a great day for Ford.
If you missed the race, you missed seeing several versions of the DP class on the track. The new Corvette Daytona Prototype is a fantastic looking car. We saw the Riley, Dallara, Corvette and BMW body styles on display in the race. The old Dallara looked very outdated next to the Corvette. It was fun to see Paul Tracy wheeling that Dallara around and not making it easy on anyone to pass him.
And you can bet that Ganassi has learned its lesson on horsepower. The Ford had much more pull on the straightaway, leaving Pruett and others wondering if they were dragging a chain. I expect some changes for the rest of the season as well as in next years Rolex. I can’t wait to see that race already.
OK, now that my blood pressure has gotten back down to near normal, let’s talk about what we have to look forward to in the coming weeks.
Feb 17 Budweiser Shootout Practice
Feb 18 Daytona 500 practice
Feb 18 The ARCA race
Feb 18 The Budweiser Shootout *
Feb 19 Daytona 500 Qualifying
Feb 23 The Gatorade Duels
Feb 24 The Camping World Truck Series race
Feb 25 The Nationwide Series race
Feb 26 The Daytona 500
* This race is at night no less. Don’t forget, anyone who can breathe is allowed in this year. So just relax and enjoy the race.
Oops, there goes the blood pressure back up. Now that is a schedule worth taking note of. Nine days of cars on the track at Daytona.
Are your spidey senses tingling?? Did you just sit up a little straighter in your seat? If not, you better check your pulse and call 911.
Lemme know your thoughts.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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