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.”
Source : Chip Ganassi Racing