Jeannette Daytona finale preview

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (Sept. 5, 2001) -- Gunnar Jeannette had a disappointing 2001 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 19-year-old from West Palm Beach, Fla., turned only 37 laps in the Porsche GT1 before mechanical problems dashed any hopes in the twice-around-the-clock sportscar endurance race.

Jeannette, who was going to share the driving duties on the car with Paul Newman, Wayne Jackson and Michael Brockman, ended up finishing 78th in the 80-car field. In the Sept. 14-16 Grand-Am Finale At Daytona, Jeannette will be looking for some better results.

On Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway, Jeannette and his co-driver/owner Mark Minkin were shaking down a Porsche GT3RS that they'll use in the Sunday, Sept. 16 Rolex Road Racing Series three-hour enduro, which starts at noon. Orbit Racing was the only other team participating in the one-day test.

"I'm definitely trying to get noticed by Porsche," Jeannette said. "Right now, my main goal is to become a Porsche factory driver and to win Daytona or LeMans with Porsche. After that, who knows."

Jeannette has been quickly rising on the sportscar scene the last couple of years. He had an excellent run earlier this year in the 24 Hours of LeMans, where he finished second in class and seventh overall.

But Daytona is one of the tracks Jeannette wants to desperately win. Next weekend's Grand-Am Finale presents an opportunity for victory.

"The banking is like nothing else," Jeannette said. "It's always cool to come to. It's a hard track on equipment and it's a hard race. It's a lot of fun. It's cool coming to Daytona."

Tickets for the Grand-Am Finale are available online at http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling the Speedway ticket office at (386) 253-7223.

-spr