SRT® Motorsports Pre-Race Release Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2014) - The SRT ® (Street and Racing Technology) Motorsports Viper GTS-R teams return to Daytona International Speedway this week to compete in its first Rolex 24 At Daytona since 2000, when a Viper earned the overall victory in the endurance event. After finishing third in the American Le Mans Series team point standings in 2013, the SRT teams - Dominik Farnbacher and Marc Goossens in the No. 91, as well as Jonathan Bomarito and Kuno Wittmer in the No. 93, in addition to endurance drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rob Bell, respectively - enter the new IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship with renewed energy and championship aspirations in just their second full season since returning to competition. SRT Motorsports Storylines for Daytona Ready to Strike: Moving to a full-time schedule in 2013 after a four-race program in 2012, the SRT Motorsports teams captured one victory - a win by Farnbacher and Goossens in the No. 91 at Wisconsins Road America - and three pole positions during the programs first full year of factory-backed sports car competition since 2000. In addition to the win and poles, the teams totaled five podium finishes in 2013, showing notable improvement over their results during the partial schedule in 2012. Endurance Entries: In addition to the regular rotations in the No. 91 and 93 SRT Motorsports Viper GTS-Rs, champion drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rob Bell will join each team, respectively. Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar champion, has two podium finishes in seven appearances in the 24-hour race, including an overall runner-up placing last year. Bell, a two-time European Le Mans Series champion in the GT2 class, finished second in the GT class in the 2011 Rolex 24 and has two starts in the race. 24 Hour Tallies: Two drivers on the SRT Motorsports teams have captured GT class victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona - Bomarito (2010) and Farnbacher (2005). Among the six Viper GTS-R drivers, the group has tallied seven total podium finishes in 31 combined starts in the endurance event. In addition to the Rolex 24, the group has a combined 26 starts with five podium finishes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. When Last in Daytona: The SRT Motorsports entries in this years Rolex 24 At Daytona mark the first appearance of factory Vipers in the event since they last won an overall victory in 2000. The win, which was captured by drivers Oliver Beretta, Karl Wendlinger and Dominique Dupuy, marked the first-ever overall victory by a production-based American automobile in the 24-hour event. The margin of victory for the V10-powered racer - a little more than half a minute - was the closest finish in the races history at the time and another Viper completed the overall podium in third place. In addition to the win, all three Vipers entered in the event led the race at some point. Riley Dynasty at Daytona: Bill Riley, the team director for SRT Motorsports and vice president and chief engineer for Riley Technologies, has had incredible success in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, including 15 wins in more than 20 years competing in the event since 1987. Rileys prototype chassis have nine-consecutive victories in the 24-hour event streak that started in 2005. He was also involved in team prototype wins in 1997 and 1999 and a class victory in 2000, as well as three GT triumphs in the 1990s. In addition to Bill Rileys recent success, his father, Bob Riley, designed two victorious vehicles with Roush Racing in 1984 and 1985. Ryan Hunter-Reay, driver, No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R What do you most enjoy about this event? I enjoy this event - everything about it. Its the right way to kick off the year. Im just so glad that both series are here together now. Its really cool to see the ALMS (American Le Mans Series) GT category and the DPs (Daytona Prototypes) out there and the ALMS prototypes all together - this is how it should have been many years ago. SRT Motorsports Team Lineup for Daytona International Speedway No. 91 SRT Viper GTS-R Driver: Dominik Farnbacher (Germany) Driver: Marc Goossens (Belgium) Driver: Ryan Hunter-Reay (United States) Lead Engineer: Bill Riley No. 93 SRT Viper GTS-R Driver: Jonathan Bomarito (United States) Driver: Kuno Wittmer (Canada) Driver: Rob Bell (United Kingdom) Lead Engineer: Matt Bejnarowicz Race Information Name: Rolex 24 At Daytona Date: Jan. 25-26, 2014 Time: 2:10 p.m. EST for 24 hours Track: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla. Broadcast Information:The television broadcast will begin on FOX at 2:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 25 before moving to FOX Sports 2 at 4:00 p.m. EST. From 9:00 p.m. EST through 7:00 a.m. EST, coverage can be found on IMSA before moving to FOX Sports 1 for the remainder of the race. The radio broadcast can be found on MRN affiliates and SiriusXM NASCAR. For more information, go to DriveSRT or IMSA.
Posted on: Thu, 23 Jan 2014 14:38:39 +0000
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