Photo by: Greg Aleck
CORNELIUS, N.C. — Sports car racers from around the world gather this weekend at Daytona International Speedway for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24. The 24-hour endurance race takes the green flag Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on SPEED-TV. Making its debut on the 3.56-mile road course is the AF Waltrip Racing team featuring drivers Michael Waltrip, Rob Kauffman, Rui Aguas and Travis Pastrana driving a Ferrari 458 GT. The entry is a joint project of the Italian sports car team AF Corse and Michael Waltrip Racing.
This is going to be a lot of fun.
WALTRIP ON RACE: “We tested at Daytona earlier this month and everyone seemed to get the hang of it pretty quickly. It’s Daytona, and there’s no place I’d rather race. The Daytona 500 will always be the most important race to me, but this weekend’s race is really special. I’m looking forward to seeing all the drivers from around the world. It’s like all the drivers you have heard about or seen on television gather for this one race. Plus, I can’t wait to spend the week with Rob, Rui and Travis. This is going to be a lot of fun.”
KAUFFMAN: “There are a handful of races around the globe that people instantly recognize and the Rolex 24 at Daytona is one of them. To be able to participate in the race's 50th running is an honor and really steps up our sports car program profile here in the USA. We are also excited to kick off our new road racing joint venture with AF Corse. For the race itself, the competition level is as tough as any sports car race in the world, but we are hoping for a solid result.”
PASTRANA: “This is an amazing opportunity. This is a prestigious event that I have always watched and followed on television. Friends like Jimmie Johnson and Boris Said raced in it and it’s something I wanted to try. It’s always been held on the same weekend as the first round of Rally America so this is one of the first time’s I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the Rolex 24. Rob asked me to join the team and it didn't take long to answer.”
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