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GRAND TOURING
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| The Rolex Series' GT class features a healthy variety of cars recognizable to MotoIQ readers, with Porsche 911 GT3s and Mazda RX-8s making up most of the numbers. This photo is from the 2011 Rolex 24 at Daytona. |
While there is a lot of excitement surrounding the new-look Daytona Prototypes, there is an equal – if not larger – amount of excitement surrounding the GT class.
In the Rolex Series, GT cars come in two flavors. Prep 1 cars are based on a unibody, while Prep 2 cars are full tube chassis. Much like in the Daytona Prototype class, the various makes and models are regulated with weight, rev restrictions, and some aerodynamic changes.
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| In Grand-Am, several cars – such as this Turner BMW M3 and the Mazda RX-8s – are not based on a unibody, but on a tube-chassis. |
To give you an idea of the diversity and closeness of the GT class competition, the 2011 championship was won by the Brumos Porsche team, with Andrew Davis and Leh Keen in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Runner up, only just, was Bill Lester and Jordan Taylor in a Chevrolet Camaro, with the Mazda RX-8 of Jonathan Bomarito and Sylvain Tremblay in third. Four points separated those three cars. Not to be overlooked were the Turner Motorsport BMW M3's, which won two races in 2011.
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| One of the most anticipated cars to join the Rolex Series in recent history, APR Motorsport shook down its new Audi R8 Grand-Am at the Roar Before the 24. The team has drafted 5-time LeMans winner Emanuele Pirro to drive at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. |
However, the addition of several new cars to the GT field has generated a lot of interest in the class as the series is set to run the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona in three weeks time. First, the Audi R8 LMS – which has won endurance races including the 24 Hours of Spa, 24 Hours of Nurburgring and Bathhurst – has been adapted to the Rolex Series as the Audi R8 Grand-Am. The APR Motorsport team, as well as the Oryx Racing team, will compete in the series this season. APR Motorsport was the first to get their Audi R8 Grand-Am on track during this past weekend's Roar Before the 24 test. And it stated its intentions on success by announcing it had drafted legendary Audi driver Emanuele Pirro – five times a winner at the 24 Hours of LeMans – to drive with the team in Daytona.
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| Ferrari has specifically built several Ferrari 458 Italias for Grand-Am. This no. 56 AF-Waltrip Ferrari will have action sports and rally car driver Travis Pastrana behind the wheel for his first Rolex 24 at Daytona. |
Also joining the series were several Ferrari 458 Italias that have been built by Ferrari specifically for the Rolex Series. A full-season entry by AIM Autosport will be joined in Daytona by partial season entrants Extreme Speed Motorsports and Risi Competitizione. Both teams also compete in the ALMS with 458 Italias, and feature strong driver lineups.
The last new cars to join the series is a Dodge Viper, entered by Racer's Edge Motorsports as well as a Ford Mustang by Rick Ware Racing. Rare in endurance racing, a GT-class Dodge Viper GTS-R actually won the Rolex 24 at Daytona overall in 2000.
