 |
|
 |
| Paddock Patter At DIS Friday |
|
|
© Andrew S. Hartwell
One of the newest cars to enter the Rolex Series DP class is the AIM Motorsports No. 61 Lexus-powered Riley Mk XI, sponsored by Exchange Traded Gold securities and the Barrick Gold Corporation. The car has a quite unique gold and black paint scheme and really presents itself as the gold class of the field in terms of outward presentation. But this golden chariot will have to get around many other less impressively decorated race cars if it expects to finish in the money.
But, money is something these two sponsors probably have plenty of, and while no one enters a race to finish off the podium, this team says it would be pure gold to simply finish.
Team co-owner Ian Willis: "Our goal is to finish the race. I'm sure everybody says that for a 24-hour race, but for us, finishing is the biggest victory we could achieve in our first year."
This team with Canadian roots sent out Mark Wilkins, from Toronto, Ontario, to qualify the new car and he came in with a time of 1:46.34, good enough for 18th on the grid. Even after the second qualifying session held today, the time still kept this team in the top 20, ahead of 8 others in the DP class. But at 3 seconds off Alex Gurney's pole time a modest approach to putting in quality laps is probably the best way for this new effort to achieve its modest goal.
Mark Wilkins: I am looking forward to working with this team and this driver lineup. We are making progress and in the midst of a steep learning curve right now. But our goal is to be consistent and be smart. And I think we will be pretty quick too.
An Historic Photo Opportunity
Grand-Am brought together all the hot shoes in racing today who are participating in this race, for a special photo opportunity. Faces from NASCAR, IndyCar and sportscar racing lined up on the podium and faced a barrage of cameramen and video photographers who emptied their media cards or ran out their video tapes photographing this truly historic assembly.
After the formal shoot, the drivers stepped off the podium and took time to answer questions from the throng of press and media people crowded all around them. As you might guess, the NASCAR stars attracted the most attention with SunTrust driver Jeff Gordon holding court for the largest number.
Seeing that all this attention was being lavished on Gordon, we jokingly asked his SunTrust teammates, Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor why the new guy' was getting all the attention. Taylor answered, Because he is the star. We are the dis-as-stars!'
Update On Peter Brock
Anyone who follows racing well knows the name Peter Brock. He has spent a lifetime in racing as a journalist, photographer, racer and he was the designer of the original Shelby Daytona Coupe. Recently, while shooting photos at an off road race in Nevada, he was hit in the right leg by the front tire of an errant vehicle that had gone off course. His injuries included a broken femur, a break in the tibia just below the knee, and a broken lower fibula and ankle. He is being treated at the trauma center in the University Medical Center in Las Vegas.
We received word on Peter's condition today that indicates a lengthy period of recovery is needed, but he is keeping himself in good spirits. And those spirits were lifted a bit by a phone call he received from the Road Racing Drivers Club telling him he had just been inducted into the club as an honorary member. His response: What an honor!
Skip Barber Honored
The Road Racing Drivers Club held a dinner earlier in the week here. They presented the Phil Hill Award to Skip Barber, owner of the Lime Rock circuit in Connecticut, and the founder of the Skip Barber Racing School. RRDC President Bobby Rahal presented the award, which honors Hill, the first American to win the Formula 1 Championship (1961).
Rahal commented: Skip helped revolutionize the process of training aspiring racers. Before (his school) i
|
|
|
| |
|
 |
 |
|
