It’s tradition and part of the Rolex 24 at Daytona experience for the track to set off fireworks at 10 PM. Saturday the display was set off three minutes early so it could be caught on SPEED TV before it went off air for the evening. There also is a full moon out tonight, but not everyone can catch that view.
The TV coverage will return at 7 am Sunday.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion, JIMMIE JOHNSON/No.99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Chevrolet Riley Daytona Prototype certainly has experience with car control under difficult conditions stemming from his earlier days in off-road racing. But he said “It’s scary going out on cold slicks.”
In comparing his Sprint Cup No.48 Lowe’s Chevrolet to the DP, Johnson said the DP is the more difficult to drive. Racing on road courses is more challenging, even in NASCAR. While he can’t take anything to his Cup program from his Rolex experience, “seat time is seat time. The rust falls off the race sensors. I just love this race. In the five years I’ve been coming here, I have yet to be able to use my down time to rest and rehydrate. I thought when the TV coverage goes off at 10 PM that would help, but now I have a scanner in my motor home, so I’ll probably listen to that.”
While Johnson was driving, there was no telemetry in the car, so every few laps he would read the gauges to his race engineer, KYLE BRANNAN. A fortunate caution gave Johnson the time to pit for a new antenna, taking 25 seconds. It worked!
Don’t look for No.30 Racer’s Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8 GT on the live T&S any more. It retired after 69 laps due to motor issues. The last driver in the car was TODD LAMB. His co-drivers are GLENN BOCCHINO, JADE BUFORD, JOHN EDWARDS and teenager JORDAN TAYLOR, whose older (by two years) brother and father are in Dad’s pole sitter car, No.10 Sun Trust Racing Ford Dallara DP.
Sun Trust Racing had a bit of a hiccup at the 5:36 hour mark. Under full course caution, driver PEDRO LAMY of Portugal came out on cold tires and spun at pit exit. He hit the wall, causing minor rear end damage and more severe front end alignment problems. The car was one lap down at that point. Lamy pitted and within four laps (still under caution) the crew was able to repair the car and get back out, with pole sitter MAX ANGELELLI of Monaco behind the wheel.
Corsa Team PR1 No.32 BMW M6 GT had a wheel bearing problem on Lap 182 while MAX HYATT was driving. The car has been taken to the garage for repairs. Co-drivers are ROB FINLAY, THOMAS MERRILL, and JEFF WESTPHAL.
The Role 24 at Daytona is part of the 2010 schedule run by the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16.