DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Alex Job Racing (AJR) started the 50th Anniversary GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 At Daytona looking to be the rabbit in the ultra-competitive 46 car GT field running at Daytona International Speedway.
German Porsche factory driver, Marco Holzer, was the rabbit, driving the No. 23 WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche to the front, leading GT by lap 29 after starting sixth. On lap 23 Holzer pitted turning the car over to Emmanuel Collard. The Frenchman proceeded to run in the lead until a fuel stop under yellow shuffled him back to eighth. Butch Leitzinger followed Collard and once again took the overall GT lead. Cooper MacNeil is taking the No. 23 WeatherTech Porsche into the seventh hour.
"My first stint was fantastic," Holzer said. "We qualified sixth and that was not so good. I was pushing and got the lead. Now were being cool and relaxed and taking no risks. There are so many GT cars and fast DP cars, we are making no mistakes and not taking risks. We are looking towards two hours to the end, and then we will push again."
"I struggled a little on my second fuel run," Collard said. "I was in a lot of traffic. It is quite difficult with the DPs and the slower GTs. You have to really be careful with these guys. The car is OK. We are a little slower on the straights. The rest of the track is good. The car handles well and is running strong."
"My first stint was very hectic," Leitzinger said. "They are as thick as thieves on the track. You have to fight for every inch of tarmac. The cars that are a lap or two laps down are not out of it, so they are fighting for every inch of road as well. It is as thick as I have ever seen it here. I think we are in for a long 24 hours."
Cort Wagner had the opening stint in the No. 24 McKenna Porsche/Battery Tender/ Kensington/Koss Stereophones/Alex Job Racing GT3 Cup car. Wagner was able to bring the No. 24 from the 23rd position up to 11th before handing over to Bill Sweedler. Sweedler drove the 23 to fourth place, a good run for the seasoned sports car driver. Following Sweedler was Fred Poordad, making his first start at The World Center of Racing. He got shuffled back after pit stops and was able to run strong in the top 15. Bob Faieta is taking the car into hour seven and Mike Avenatti is waiting in the wings.
"I was running my own pace, driving our own race out there," Wagner said. "I was taking care of the car and taking care of the tires for an hour-and-a-half. I had one anxious moment on the lap before I came in. The ebay car shoved off another Porsche, and I thought he was going to shoot across the track and take me out. It was pretty close, just one of those Daytona moments."
Bill Sweedler took over the 24 and made a run to the front, at one point running as high as fourth.
"The Battery Tender, AJR, McKenna Porsche car is top notch," Sweedler said. "It was a fun first run, dicing it up in the lead pack. I came into the pits and then left. The car wouldn't re-fire, and it sputtered and I lost a few spots. There is a lot of time left and a lot more is going to happen. We are just focused on making it to the morning right now."
"I thought my first run went pretty well," Poordad said. "It took me a few laps to get comfortable in the car. Once I got in the groove things started to come easier. On my second fuel run the track was more greasy and dirty. We are in contention. I had a moment with a Mazda that I thought was going to end it for both of us. He got a little loose in NASCAR Turn Two and then again in Turn One."
Alex Job Racing is one of the most successful teams in sports car racing with 39 wins, including a 1999 Rolex 24 GT Class win. This record is supported by 46 pole positions and 84 podium finishes. The team has won three championships (GT in 2002, 2003 and 2004) complimented by their two GT class wins at Le Mans. The team also boasts seven Sebring 12-hour wins.
The GRAND-AM category suits one of the most popular factory produced racing cars in the world, the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Developed for Porsche's one-make series around the world, the new version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup is based on the road-going 911 GT3 RS. The power unit featured in the new 911 GT3 Cup is largely identical to the production engine of the 911 GT3 RS with the same output of 450 bhp and the same maximum engine speed of 8,500 rpm.
MacNeil Automotive, headquartered in Bolingbrook, Illinois, has long been recognized by the discerning automotive enthusiast as a supplier of accessories of unparalleled quality. In addition to the WeatherTech brand, the company supplies products to many automobile manufacturers (OEM) as an original equipment supplier. In fact, MacNeil currently supplies accessories to all four German manufacturers of luxury automobiles as well as a host of other automobile manufacturers worldwide! More information can be viewed at www.weathertech.com.
McKenna Porsche is a new and pre-owned Porsche dealership in Norwalk, California. We specialize in the sale of all Porsche vehicles, including the 911, Boxster, Cayman, Cayenne, and Panamera. The McKenna sales professionals are trained and certified by Porsche to ensure the highest level of knowledge and customer satisfaction. McKenna Porsche serves the Greater Los Angeles Area and Orange County California, so whether you're in the market for a new or pre-owned Porsche, or need service for your existing Porsche, we are here to help. More information can be viewed at www.mckenna.porschedealer.com.
In 1989, Deltran introduced the Battery Tender Plus into the marketplace. The main reason was that many more AGM style lead acid batteries were being used in a variety of power sports engine start applications. Each and every Deltran Battery Tender Battery Charger® regardless of its size is programmed with a microprocessor that will correctly charge a battery then automatically switch to a maintenance/float mode. Refer to www.batterytender.com for more information.
Kensington Koss is renowned for the invention of the original stereophones. Koss has been pioneering hi-fi since 1958 - three generations of American ingenuity, integrity and incomparable quality. Kensington Koss offers a full line of headphones, full size headphones, earbuds and in-ear headphones, ear clip headphones, on-ear headphones for personal, commercial and institutional use, see www.koss.com.
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