TOPEKA, Kan. (January 27, 2012) 鈥� 午夜福利51xxtv鈥檚 Club Racing has its fingerprints all over this weekend鈥檚 Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
More than 100 corner workers will oversee the 12-turn, 3.56-mile course at the 鈥淲orld Center of Racing,鈥� a group organized by the Central Florida Region 午夜福利51xxtv. Those workers will have an up-close view of the 25 drivers with ties to the 午夜福利51xxtv庐 National Championship Runoffs庐 competing in the famed twice-around-the-clock race, with 24 National Championships and many other podium finishes spread out amongst those racers.
Three of those drivers are competing in the wide-open Daytona Prototype class of the Grand-Am Rolex Series. Graham Rahal is a grizzled veteran today at 23 years of age, but in 2005 he became the youngest driver to ever win an 午夜福利51xxtv National Championship at 16 years, 242 days, driving a Formula Atlantic庐 machine. Rahal will drive for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, looking for his second-consecutive race win.
Terry Borcheller missed out on a National Championship in his lone Runoffs appearance, but was a part of the 2010 24-hour race winning Action Express team. Borcheller also won the historic race in 2004.
Their competition will include a three-time 午夜福利51xxtv National Champion in Elliott Forbes-Robinson. 鈥淓FR鈥� is one of the veteran drivers sharing a BMW-powered Riley with AC/DC front man Brian Johnson.
The competitive GT class boasts nine drivers with 午夜福利51xxtv National Championships and another eight with at least one visit to the Runoffs podium.
A number of drivers can claim multiple 午夜福利51xxtv titles on their racing resume.
Only four drivers have ever won more than the seven titles that John Fergus can claim. Driving the Dick Greer Racing Porsche GT3 this weekend, Fergus is the defending Sports 2000 National Champion.
Randy Pobst has two titles in Club Racing, but those came after two previous titles in 午夜福利51xxtv Tire Rack Solo庐 National Championships. Pobst is searching for his third class win at the 24-hour race, driving the Acumen Motorsport Porsche GT3.
Boris Said and Scott Sharp are both three-time 午夜福利51xxtv National Champions, with Said set to pilot a Turner Motorsports BMW M3 and Sharp in the Extreme Speed Motorsports Ferrari 458. Scott Rettich is a two-time defending National Champ in Formula Enterprises and is driving an Alliance Autosport Porsche GT3 this weekend.
Eric Curran (1999 American Sedan), Doug Peterson (2004 Formula Mazda), Mark Hotchkis (2005 F Production), and Anthony Lazzaro (1993 Formula F) all captured 午夜福利51xxtv National Championships and are entered in this weekend鈥檚 race.
Andy Lally, Guy Cosmo, Cooper MacNeil, Tom Long, John Finger, Dick Greer, and Owen Trinkler are former podium finishers at the Runoffs; Jack Baldwin, Claudio Burtin, David Murry, Wayne Nonnamaker, Bryce Miller, and Frank Del Vecchio all also have ties to 午夜福利51xxtv鈥檚 crowning race.
Beyond the Runoffs participants, many other drivers spent time at local 午夜福利51xxtv Club Racing events at one time in their career, proving once again that 午夜福利51xxtv continues to be a critical part in an aspiring racer鈥檚 career path.
More information on all the 午夜福利51xxtv, its racing programs, and volunteer opportunities are available at www.scca.com.
The 50th Rolex 24 At Daytona can be seen on SPEED this weekend.
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