Rolex 24 . . Ford-'Team of Champions'
12/22/04, 08:39 AM
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From www.speedtv.com . . . .
Let's hope they can bring home a overall 1st place Trophy!!
Ford Racing, Multimatic Enter 'Team of Champions' in Rolex 24
Written by: Kevin Kennedy
Dearborn, MI – 12/21/2004 Night action at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (Photo: Jonathan Ferrey)
Call it the "Team of Champions."
That's an appropriate name for the new Crown Royal Special Reserve/Multimatic Ford entry in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the twice-around-the-clock road racing classic Feb. 5-6, 2005.
The special team will feature three NASCAR champion drivers from Ford and Roush Racing: 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch, 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion Matt Kenseth, and NASCAR Busch (2002) and Craftsman Truck (2000) Champion Greg Biffle.
The three Roush Racing Ford pilots will be joined by Multimatic Ford driver Scott Maxwell, who has won six professional road racing championships in his career, but may be best known for his victories in both the 24 Hours of LeMans and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The potent foursome will look to capture an overall victory in the 2005 season-opener of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, it was announced today.
"It's a dream team, that's for sure," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "We started talking last summer about getting a chance to put this type of team together for the Rolex 24, and because of the cooperation of Roush Racing, Multimatic, and Crown Royal Special Reserve, we have an effort and a class of drivers that will be able to make a run for the overall win."
The Crown Royal Special Reserve Multimatic Ford is an updated version of the race car that won the Daytona Prototype class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2003. A Ford Modular Cammer V-8 motor prepared by Roush-Yates Engines will power it.
"One of the first things I knew about Jack Roush was his heritage in the 24-hour race at Daytona," said Busch, noting that Roush Racing Fords had won 10 class victories there. "Now to be a member of Roush Racing with Greg and Matt, and to team up with Multimatic and Scott for this event gives me a chance to be a part of history.
"It's going to be an All-Star effort for this Crown Royal Special Reserve team, but there are some fantastic drivers in the Grand Am Series that we'll be competing against," Busch added. "We're going to look to Scott to lead us goofy oval guys around those right turns in Daytona, but we're definitely going to have fun with it."
"I'm really excited about this coming together as quickly as it did," said Kenseth. "I think with the drivers we have lined up and the support from Ford Racing, we're bound to have a good showing."
"I'm privileged to have the opportunity to compete in the 2005 Rolex 24 At Daytona," said Biffle. "When Dan Davis approached me this summer about the opportunity, I jumped at the chance. I love road racing and while I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous about what to expect. I've never driven this type of car, so I'm anxious to get down to Daytona and do some testing, especially at night.
"I'm really looking forward to competing with my teammates, and having Scott in the equation will certainly bring it all together," Biffle added. "He's got a lot of experience running these cars and he's a past champion. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into putting this program together and we plan on bringing home a victory."
Busch is fresh off capturing the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup crown in the Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Taurus, giving Roush Racing and Ford back-to-back Nextel Cup championships. He captured three victories, and led the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship for all 10 races after winning the Chase-opener at New Hampshire. Busch won by eight points over Jimmie Johnson in the closest Cup championship ever.
Kenseth, the 2003 champion, was also one of 10 drivers in the Chase for Championship. The DEWALT Tools Taurus driver captured two victories this past season, a victory in the Nextel All-Star Challenge and had 16 top-10 finishes along the way. He competed part-time in the Busch Series, capturing three wins.
Biffle finished 17th in the Nextel Cup standings, and third in the Busch Series standings, as he competed in both championships. The National Guard/Subway Taurus driver won two Nextel Cup races in 2004, including a thrilling come-from-behind win in the season-ending Ford 400, which helped his teammate clinch the championship. He also captured five victories in Busch competition.
"I'm excited about having a chance to run with Kurt, Matt and Greg," said Maxwell, who has done the development work on the Multimatic Ford and was one of three drivers who won in the car at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona. "I've had a lot of great teammates during my career, but having a chance to work with these three guys will be a treat. We'll have some fun, but we're going to Daytona to win."
"Multimatic is proud to be working with Ford Racing and Crown Royal Special Reserve to put together this great entry for the Rolex 24," said Larry Holt, vice president of engineering for Multimatic, and the man who oversees racing operations. "We're happy to have such great cooperation from Roush Racing and its drivers to come in and partner with Scott on this program. We're committed to going for the overall win."
Let's hope they can bring home a overall 1st place Trophy!!
Ford Racing, Multimatic Enter 'Team of Champions' in Rolex 24
Written by: Kevin Kennedy
Dearborn, MI – 12/21/2004 Night action at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona (Photo: Jonathan Ferrey)
Call it the "Team of Champions."
That's an appropriate name for the new Crown Royal Special Reserve/Multimatic Ford entry in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the twice-around-the-clock road racing classic Feb. 5-6, 2005.
The special team will feature three NASCAR champion drivers from Ford and Roush Racing: 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion Kurt Busch, 2003 NASCAR Cup Champion Matt Kenseth, and NASCAR Busch (2002) and Craftsman Truck (2000) Champion Greg Biffle.
The three Roush Racing Ford pilots will be joined by Multimatic Ford driver Scott Maxwell, who has won six professional road racing championships in his career, but may be best known for his victories in both the 24 Hours of LeMans and the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
The potent foursome will look to capture an overall victory in the 2005 season-opener of the Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series, it was announced today.
"It's a dream team, that's for sure," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "We started talking last summer about getting a chance to put this type of team together for the Rolex 24, and because of the cooperation of Roush Racing, Multimatic, and Crown Royal Special Reserve, we have an effort and a class of drivers that will be able to make a run for the overall win."
The Crown Royal Special Reserve Multimatic Ford is an updated version of the race car that won the Daytona Prototype class at the Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2003. A Ford Modular Cammer V-8 motor prepared by Roush-Yates Engines will power it.
"One of the first things I knew about Jack Roush was his heritage in the 24-hour race at Daytona," said Busch, noting that Roush Racing Fords had won 10 class victories there. "Now to be a member of Roush Racing with Greg and Matt, and to team up with Multimatic and Scott for this event gives me a chance to be a part of history.
"It's going to be an All-Star effort for this Crown Royal Special Reserve team, but there are some fantastic drivers in the Grand Am Series that we'll be competing against," Busch added. "We're going to look to Scott to lead us goofy oval guys around those right turns in Daytona, but we're definitely going to have fun with it."
"I'm really excited about this coming together as quickly as it did," said Kenseth. "I think with the drivers we have lined up and the support from Ford Racing, we're bound to have a good showing."
"I'm privileged to have the opportunity to compete in the 2005 Rolex 24 At Daytona," said Biffle. "When Dan Davis approached me this summer about the opportunity, I jumped at the chance. I love road racing and while I'm excited, I'm also a little nervous about what to expect. I've never driven this type of car, so I'm anxious to get down to Daytona and do some testing, especially at night.
"I'm really looking forward to competing with my teammates, and having Scott in the equation will certainly bring it all together," Biffle added. "He's got a lot of experience running these cars and he's a past champion. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into putting this program together and we plan on bringing home a victory."
Busch is fresh off capturing the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup crown in the Sharpie/IRWIN Industrial Tools Ford Taurus, giving Roush Racing and Ford back-to-back Nextel Cup championships. He captured three victories, and led the Chase for the Nextel Cup Championship for all 10 races after winning the Chase-opener at New Hampshire. Busch won by eight points over Jimmie Johnson in the closest Cup championship ever.
Kenseth, the 2003 champion, was also one of 10 drivers in the Chase for Championship. The DEWALT Tools Taurus driver captured two victories this past season, a victory in the Nextel All-Star Challenge and had 16 top-10 finishes along the way. He competed part-time in the Busch Series, capturing three wins.
Biffle finished 17th in the Nextel Cup standings, and third in the Busch Series standings, as he competed in both championships. The National Guard/Subway Taurus driver won two Nextel Cup races in 2004, including a thrilling come-from-behind win in the season-ending Ford 400, which helped his teammate clinch the championship. He also captured five victories in Busch competition.
"I'm excited about having a chance to run with Kurt, Matt and Greg," said Maxwell, who has done the development work on the Multimatic Ford and was one of three drivers who won in the car at the 2003 Rolex 24 At Daytona. "I've had a lot of great teammates during my career, but having a chance to work with these three guys will be a treat. We'll have some fun, but we're going to Daytona to win."
"Multimatic is proud to be working with Ford Racing and Crown Royal Special Reserve to put together this great entry for the Rolex 24," said Larry Holt, vice president of engineering for Multimatic, and the man who oversees racing operations. "We're happy to have such great cooperation from Roush Racing and its drivers to come in and partner with Scott on this program. We're committed to going for the overall win."
12/22/04, 07:18 PM
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With the snow piling up outside and the big names piling up on the Rolex 24's entry list, being in Daytona on February 5-6 is starting to sound like a good idea. Tickets are only $25-$35, and unlike watching it on TV, I'd probably stay awake through the whole thing. The drive home would be heck, though.
12/30/04, 08:42 AM
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Originally posted by DanS.02GT@December 22, 2004, 10:21 PM
With the snow piling up outside and the big names piling up on the Rolex 24's entry list, being in Daytona on February 5-6 is starting to sound like a good idea. Tickets are only $25-$35, and unlike watching it on TV, I'd probably stay awake through the whole thing. The drive home would be heck, though.
With the snow piling up outside and the big names piling up on the Rolex 24's entry list, being in Daytona on February 5-6 is starting to sound like a good idea. Tickets are only $25-$35, and unlike watching it on TV, I'd probably stay awake through the whole thing. The drive home would be heck, though.
12/30/04, 08:26 PM
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No need to be torn between ALMS and Grand Am. They both run at Mid-Ohio. Just go see both.
I also saw a Historic GTP Race there last year at the Sprint Vintage GP. Pretty cool stuff. I wish I would have been into racing back when they did it for real. This year, the vintage GP is the same weekend as the Champ Cars in Cleveland, so I've got a tough choice ahead of me.
I also saw a Historic GTP Race there last year at the Sprint Vintage GP. Pretty cool stuff. I wish I would have been into racing back when they did it for real. This year, the vintage GP is the same weekend as the Champ Cars in Cleveland, so I've got a tough choice ahead of me.
1/6/05, 08:06 AM
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Originally posted by DanS.02GT@December 30, 2004, 11:29 PM
No need to be torn between ALMS and Grand Am. They both run at Mid-Ohio. Just go see both.
I also saw a Historic GTP Race there last year at the Sprint Vintage GP. Pretty cool stuff. I wish I would have been into racing back when they did it for real. This year, the vintage GP is the same weekend as the Champ Cars in Cleveland, so I've got a tough choice ahead of me.
No need to be torn between ALMS and Grand Am. They both run at Mid-Ohio. Just go see both.
I also saw a Historic GTP Race there last year at the Sprint Vintage GP. Pretty cool stuff. I wish I would have been into racing back when they did it for real. This year, the vintage GP is the same weekend as the Champ Cars in Cleveland, so I've got a tough choice ahead of me.
I have never seen a Historic Race, but that too is on my plate for this upcoming season.
1/6/05, 07:53 PM
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It's not quite Monterey or Goodwood, but there's some pretty cool stuff. If you'r not going to Cleveland, I'd definitely recommend it. I paid $20 for 10 or 11 races. The crowd was pretty thin, with NASCAR a couple hours north at MIS and F1 a couple hours west at Indy. Do they intentionally schedule things so no one shows up? That was a busy weekend for me.
1/7/05, 06:27 AM
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Yeah, tell me about it. I’ve been every year to Indy for the F1 race, which kills that weekend. (I actually liked the F1 race better in September . . . nice way to end the summer.)
The past couple of years I’ve only made it to F1. I usually try to hit a Mid-Ohio event, a NASCAR event (I keep trying to make it to a Truck race, since Winston . .errr Nextel/Sprint is almost a joke anymore.), and the F1 event.
I really want to make it to Road America, which I think is a wonderful and beautiful track.
OT - I did my internship at the defunct IMG Kash & Karry Florida Grand-Prix Trans-am event in St.Pete, FL. . . . pushed Sponsorship packages for the event.
The past couple of years I’ve only made it to F1. I usually try to hit a Mid-Ohio event, a NASCAR event (I keep trying to make it to a Truck race, since Winston . .errr Nextel/Sprint is almost a joke anymore.), and the F1 event.
I really want to make it to Road America, which I think is a wonderful and beautiful track.
OT - I did my internship at the defunct IMG Kash & Karry Florida Grand-Prix Trans-am event in St.Pete, FL. . . . pushed Sponsorship packages for the event.
1/7/05, 08:54 PM
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I used to just go to the CART race at MIS every year. When the IRL came in, I went to that, but felt kinda guilty for supporting the "other" series, so in 03 I went to CART at Mid-O. Liked the place so much I was back a few weeks later for the Runoffs. (Speaking of which, this year is the last one at Mid-o, so If you've never gone, I highly recommend it.)
I went a little overboard this year. I already had plans to go to the Vintage GP on Sunday, but decided at about 3am Friday night that I really needed to see some F1 cars in person, so I just hopped in the car and headed for Indy for practice and qualifying. Next day was the vintage races, a week later, ALMS at Mid-O followed by CART at Cleveland, Superbikes at Mid-O, USAC sprints at Toledo, IRL at Michigan, Grand Am Cup at Mid-O, Nextel Cup at Michigan, another trip to Toledo for "bald guys get in free" night, and then the Runoffs. I'm hoping to go back this year for everything except the NASCAR and maybe the bikes, but possibly squeeze in a rally, drag race, and a trip to Eldora. I'd also like to make it up to Road America at least once.
I went a little overboard this year. I already had plans to go to the Vintage GP on Sunday, but decided at about 3am Friday night that I really needed to see some F1 cars in person, so I just hopped in the car and headed for Indy for practice and qualifying. Next day was the vintage races, a week later, ALMS at Mid-O followed by CART at Cleveland, Superbikes at Mid-O, USAC sprints at Toledo, IRL at Michigan, Grand Am Cup at Mid-O, Nextel Cup at Michigan, another trip to Toledo for "bald guys get in free" night, and then the Runoffs. I'm hoping to go back this year for everything except the NASCAR and maybe the bikes, but possibly squeeze in a rally, drag race, and a trip to Eldora. I'd also like to make it up to Road America at least once.
1/12/05, 12:14 PM
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what class are they running it?? Is it the same class that Tony Stewart/Dale Jr. drove in last year with the Citgo sponsored vehicle?
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
1/12/05, 12:21 PM
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Originally posted by 00StangGT@January 12, 2005, 3:17 PM
what class are they running it?? Is it the same class that Tony Stewart/Dale Jr. drove in last year with the Citgo sponsored vehicle?
what class are they running it?? Is it the same class that Tony Stewart/Dale Jr. drove in last year with the Citgo sponsored vehicle?
1/13/05, 04:17 PM
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Originally posted by 00StangGT@January 12, 2005, 1:17 PM
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
1/14/05, 06:18 AM
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Originally posted by DanS.02GT+January 13, 2005, 7:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (DanS.02GT @ January 13, 2005, 7:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-00StangGT@January 12, 2005, 1:17 PM
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
and this wasn't the last year for the runoffs at Mid-Ohio; they'll be coming back for a while
I've heard a little about people being upset about the move, but it seems to be coming from fans . . . are the teams upset as well?
1/14/05, 02:18 PM
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I've talked to one guy that run in the GT-3 class, and he wasn't too impressed by the track the last time he ran there. Supposedly there will be improvements made to the track, though.
2/5/05, 05:19 PM
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The Ford teams have been HORRIBLE. Though the troubles of the Dyson Ford had more to do with the being rammed into on the first caution. And the Dyson Ford looks pretty cool. The Multimatics are . . .well not the most attractive DPs. I wish the #79 was have better luck as well. Every time the car spins, and it's spun at least once with each driver, they can't re-fire the engine. Oh well . . .if a Ford can't win I would like to see Tony Stewert win.
2/5/05, 07:58 PM
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Yeah Pontiac, as of 9:57 Saturday has 8 cars in the top 11 and Lexus only has 3. I think we know who this race is going to go to. Even though that darn Manning guy in the Target Lexus is in the lead at the moment with another Lexus in 3rd.
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