Daytona 24: Orbit Racing halfway notes

halfway ...

Orbit Racing was fifth overall in the Rolex 24 at Daytona after 12 hours of the 24-hour endurance classic. The team continued to lead the GT class, by two laps, in the No. 44 Classic Industries Porsche 911 GT3 RS.

Robin Liddell started his first rain stint at 6h45. The pitstop was well-timed, giving the team a three-lap lead in class, holding seventh place overall. Johnny Mowlem followed with a double stint at 8h45 and increased the class lead to four laps, followed by Mike Fitzgerald at 10h40. Despite a radio misfunction, Fitzgerald progressed through the field to fifth overall five minutes before the halfway mark.

Joe and Jay Policastro have yet to drive, but they haven't missed a lap.

"Mike and Johnny and Robin really have a good rhythm going now," Joe Policastro said. "Jay and I are just sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the race to settle down a bit. We'll go in a little later, but right now their rhythm is working well and we want to keep it up and keep that lead. They know where all the wet spots are out there, so we'll let them take care of it and keep going."

"The rain has just been awful," Jay Policastro emphasized. "The weather usually moves in here and sticks around for four or five hours and then gets out, but we've had it for the better part of 10 hours now, so it looks like maybe it will stay to the end. Usually here, the biggest challenge is the visibility. The infield sections aren't that bad, but out on the oval you go flat out and the real challenge is just being able to see. The cars get fogged up even with the anti-fog spray and the defroster, and the rooster tails thrown by the prototypes are a challenge. So visibility has to be the number one challenge at this point."

-or/sp-