Preview: Daytona 24 Hours

Seven Porsche works drivers will line up for the 24-hour Grand-Am Series race at the Daytona International Speedway, Florida, this weekend (28th/29th January 2012). GT class title defender Wolf Henzler (Germany) will drive the TRG Racing team's 911 GT3 Cup; Joerg Bergmeister (Germany) and Patrick Long (USA) will race for Flying Lizard Motorsports; Marco Holzer (Germany) will compete for Alex Job Racing; Patrick Pilet (France) will drive the second TRG Porsche; Richard Lietz will drive for Magnus Racing, and Marc Lieb (Germany) for Brumos Racing.

Over 20 Porsche teams and some well-known drivers will contest the GT class in the 50th-anniversary running of this classic sports car race. Mobil1 Supercup champ René Rast (Germany) joins Lietz in the Magnus Racing car, and five-times Daytona winner Hurley Haywood will drive for Brumos Racing alongside Lieb; Supercup 'Rookie of the Year' Kévin Estre (France) is in a third TRG car. Henzler's TRG teammates include Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands) and Marc Goossens (Belgium), and Sascha Maassen (Belgium) and Bryce Miller (USA) team up again for Paul Miller Racing; Seth Neiman and Audi works driver Mike Rockenfeller join Long and Bergmeister in the Flying Lizard car.

“When we tested I was really impressed by the strength of our competition", says last year's GT class winner Wolf Henzler (pictured). With 42 GT cars on the grid, it’ll certainly not be an easy race. I imagine things will get really tough right from the start flag. I’m driving again for TRG, the team with which I won last year. My teammates are very strong and of course I’ll do my best to repeat my victory from last year.”

“After the long break over winter, this race is a great way to get ready for the new season", adds Bergmeister. "I last won the race here in 2009 and I’m feeling quite confident that we’ll be good for a win again this year. The competition was never this strong. It’ll be a tough fight from start to finish.”

“Our tests ran well in Daytona and I’m sure that we’ll be competitive in the race", says Lieb. "The 24 Hours of Daytona is always a cool event, and added to this is the unbelievably big grid for the 50th anniversary. I’m looking forward to driving for such a well established and successful team like Brumos Racing with the legendary starting number 59.”

Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the 50-year history of this classic sports car race, with 22 overall wins; its first was in 1968 with the 907. The Daytona 24 Hours starts on Saturday 28th January at 15.30 local time (21.30 CET), and also marks the start of the 13-race Grand-Am Series for 2012.


Group News