DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Alex Job Racing (AJR) heads into the final six-hour leg of the 50th Anniversary GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The team is running in the top five and racing for a GT podium finish at Daytona International Speedway.
The No. 23 WeatherTech/Alex Job Racing Porsche continued through the night and into the morning running flawlessly. A succession of two yellows around 5 a.m. caught the team on the wrong side of the leading DP car sending them down a lap. At this point, the crew decided to perform a brake change sending them down an additional lap. Although an all-out assault by Porsche factory driver Marco Holzer, where he set fast lap of the race at 8 a.m. this morning, 16 hours into the event, and passing the overall leader at speed, the 23 car remains two laps down to the GT leader. Teammates Cooper MacNeil, Emmanuel Collard, Marco Holzer and Butch Leitzinger are in full attack mode to take advantage of every eventuality and position to the end at 3:30 p.m. today. The quartet currently is running fifth in GT.
"My second time in the car went really well," MacNeil said. "I was able to work my lap times down and get some good laps in the dark. The car is good. Marco got in after me and set the fastest lap of any GT car of the race at eight in the morning, so the car is good."
"It is nice to be able to see things again," Leitzinger said. The lack of visibility at night you are constantly surprised at you what you can't see. In the day time, if the windshield is not too dirty, you can see the debris and dirt on the track. The car is running very well. There is a whole pack of cars at the top that are doing fast times. We are trying to make up time. It is tough when everybody is going really fast."
The No. 24 McKenna Porsche/Battery Tender/ Kensington/Koss Stereophones/Alex Job Racing GT3 Cup car driven by Cort Wagner, Bill Sweedler, Fred Poordad, Bob Faieta and Michael Avenatti continues its strong run in the top 15. The five drivers have not put a wheel wrong all race and are running their pace to plan. The 24 McKenna Porsche is currently running solidly in 15th with 18 hours remaining.
"My early-morning run was a little more interesting," Faieta said. "I had a warning light come up on the dash, and we had to fool around with that a little bit. The car feels pretty good. I was moving the sway bar adjustments a little bit to maximize the handling for the condition. The cars are still running fast and battling for every position out there."
"The sunrise stint is my favorite run in the car," Wagner said. "I call it a violent romance because it is so noisy and crazy. Your car is going 180 mph door-handle-to-door handle and the sun is coming up. The air is perfect. It is really surreal. To me, it is the violent romantic shift. The car is great. We have had no issues."
SPEED Channel is broadcasting live and covers the race to the finish with post-race interviews up to 4 p.m.
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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