mark kibort

do you have a picture of the entire car. that thing looks crazy!

MK

Jean

I thought the Synergy team with P. Huissman was fastest

ZAPmobile

Hear are the fastest times of the weekend. Ah, to be 17 again. I'm sure I could beat this kid.


Seventeen-year-old Robert Thorne was among those "other" fast Mazda RX-8 machines. Thorne posted the fastest GT time of the weekend in the No. 30 Racers Edge Motorsports Guardian Edge Technologies Mazda RX-8 Saturday afternoon, taking advantage of the draft on Daytona's banking and a lightning-fast trip through the infield section to post a time of 1:50.617 (115.859 mph).

Thorne's time was more than one-half second quicker than the 1:51.139 (115.315 mph) posted by the No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang Cobra GT in Saturday's night session. The Blackforest machine was piloted this weekend by David Empringham, Tom Nastasi and Jean-Francois Dumoulin. The trio will be joined in the Rolex 24 by Boris Said.

RSRRacer

Any bets on a sub 1:50 qualifying time for GT? not sure of the fuel load and weight requirements when these times were set though...

srf506

I'd be suprised if a sub 1:50 came about on qualifying day. They've had almost ideal weather over there this week. Usually February 24 Hours weather isn't as nice, especially the wind. If they get a head wind down either the backstretch (most likely) or in the tri-oval, it'll knock their times up a second or so. If its wet, all bets are off.

Austin

Arnie,
Take some pics to post here while you and Margo are there please? I won't be attending. Please tell Andy I wish him well, and "I heard he's pretty good"! It's kind of a joke he might recall from the first time I met him.

He's incredible, I hope he wins this one, he has the ability and team to make it a reality.

thanks!
Austin

gt3skea

that may happen...

ZAPmobile

Will do, and I couldn't agree more. The#66 car has one of the best line up of drivers ever, and not only is the TRG team one of the best prepared they have the smarts to win.

Go Andy

paradisenb

Great info Arnie. You lucky man.

As much as I like Andy Lally, over all I have to root for F.L. I have known Bob Sanderson for several years, back when he worked on the cars of us mere mortals, and I really want to see him, Steve, Steve T. win it all again. Remember, Bob crew chiefed for TRG when they won Le Mans back in the 2002 I think.

Good luck Leh. Go get em!!!!!

analogmike

DOH!!! He forgot to sandbag... 2 demerits for the kid.

He'll be under 1:50 in the race but he won't be alone.

bgiere

Ok, with all the competition running tube frame cars why are we stuck running production based cars???? It's a rhetorical question of course, I understand the rules and reasoning...but it is frustrating. It's almost like racing a street car against a prototype. The worst part is being ribbed by my Mazda and BMW buddies....

ZAPmobile

Randy,

You are right; we are very lucky to get involved. I've known Kevin for a long time, even before he started The Racer's Group (now TRG). As far as Bob goes, there seems to be an incredibly large cadre of TRG alumni who have gone on to other teams (and vice versa). In fact, the various crew members always say it's a big reunion at the 24, as they run into people with whom they have worked at TRG.

The other thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the people who work for the various teams depend on the dollars brought in by sponsorship and paying drivers. Both F-L and TRG have one of the best driver line-ups I have ever seen in the many years I have been following sports-car racing. Either team can certainly win the race.

The only problem is that there are also other teams such as the Mazda and Mustang entries, especially the latter that looks as though it has really been developed since last year and is coming on strong.

My alliance will always be with Andy and the #66 car. Andy is such an all-around, unassuming, generous, nice guy. He's given Margo and me many pointers on how to drive our race car and taught us how to read tracks better than we ever did previously, things that we now use when we instruct.



Mike,

Regarding your comment "DOH!!! He forgot to sandbag... 2 demerits for the kid." At 17, did it ever occur to any of us to have any restraint about just about anything?


Everyone,

If any of you have the opportunity to attend this Rolex 24 at Daytona event, this is the one to go to, not only for the exceptional drivers in the GT class, but the equally superb drivers in the DPs. I think this is going to be a year not to miss.

ZAPmobile

When all your Mazda and Bimmer buddies are giving you a hard time, just remind them that Porsches won most of the races in the GrandAm GT class last year!

69-912-SWT

Just found this thead............................... I was over there on Saturday for testing.

Took a lot of photos mostly of the Porsche's

Link to web page : http://nosweatphotos.com/gallery/albums.php

Also my photos from Rennsport III are there also.

Enjoy, Bill

ZAPmobile

NEWS FLASH -- NEWS FLASH

Seventeen year old driver had and unfair advantage, team puts beautiful young woman at start finish line, topless BTY. Kid is in a big hurry to get back to the line for a second look.