Famous faces behind the wheel at Rolex 24 At Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 31, 2001) - Several famous faces can be spotted behind the wheel this weekend at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the lineup featuring everyone from a NASCAR Winston Cup Champion to an Academy Award Winner.

Attracting much of the attention at this year's Rolex 24 At Daytona will be seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt and his son Dale Earnhardt Jr. The pair will team up with Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins in the GM Goodwrench Service Plus Corvette C5-R, which will be donning 'Big E's' traditional #3.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona will mark not only the father-son duo's first time competing in the GTS-class Corvette C5-R race car, but also their first time competing as a teammates. Despite being new to sports car racing, they are aiming for the checkered flag.

"We race to win no matter what it's in. We really want to win the race," Earnhardt Sr., said. "I've won 34 races at this speedway; more than any other driver. It would cool to add the Rolex 24 At Daytona to the list."

Another famous racing champion sliding behind the wheel of a sports car this weekend will be Indy 500 winner Buddy Lazier. The 32 year old won the 1996 Indianapolis 500, edging Davy Jones by .695 of a second. The victory came only two months after suffering serious back and pelvis injuries in crash during a practice session.

Lazier will now give SportsRacing Prototype racing a try in the #74 Robinson Racing Judd Riley & Scott, where he will be joined by veteran drivers Jack Baldwin, George Robinson and Irv Hoerr.

A member of another famous NASCAR family, Kyle Petty, will compete in the GT class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Petty will drive the #43 Orbit Porsche GT3 RS with Leo Hindery, Peter Baron and Gian Luigi Buitoni.

Also competing in this year's race will be Academy Award-winner Paul Newman, who took first in the GT1 class in 1995. The 76-year-old actor will compete in the GTS class in the Gunnar Racing Porsche GT1 with Gunnar Jeannette, Wayne Jackson and Michael Brockman.

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