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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Daytona Prototype Reborn
A new breed of Daytona Prototypes will take the green flag for today's 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona...
A new breed of Daytona Prototypes will take the green flag in today's 50th Rolex 24. (Photo: John Dagys)
When the green flag drops on today’s 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona, a new era in the history of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series will begin. Not only will a new breed of production-based racers from Audi and Ferrari embrace the GT ranks, but the first of the series’ new-generation Daytona Prototypes will take center stage for a grand premiere in one of America’s most prestigious endurance classics.
Born from a desire of giving the aging, and arguably less appealing, current specification DPs a major facelift after nine years of competition, GRAND-AM officials began formulating the “Extreme Makeover” nearly two years ago.
The goal, according to Managing Director of Manufacturer and Series Development Dave Spitzer, was to deliver a sleeker-looking platform that could enable a stronger brand identity to the cars on the roads of North America today.
“We’ve made a fundamental decision that there has to be passion in sports car racing,” Spitzer says. “In the 1960’s and 70’s, there were no wind tunnels; there was no CFD; there were no engineers. The shape was the shape and that’s what everyone says they want to get back to.
“So we’ve said, ‘Ok, how do we change the rules of the game to allow those beautiful shapes to come back again for those manufacturers that want the ability to communicate their design architecture in a prototype environment?’ That’s what we’re doing and a real fundamental aspect of this that will come out over time.”
It didn’t take long for the first manufacturer to jump on the bandwagon, as Chevrolet took the wraps off its Corvette Daytona Prototype late last year. A project originally conceived from the still-born 2009 LMP1 regulations at Le Mans, the Corvette DP was the first to showcase GRAND-AM’s new intentions for its flagship category.
Featuring a drastically reduced greenhouse area and styling cues taken from the road-going Corvette C6, the announcement created instant buzz, arguably for one of the first time in GRAND-AM’s Daytona Prototype era.
“Chevy really wanted to try and make the DP car a little bit more appealing and also to have a link to a car on the road. I think they've managed to achieve that,” says Corvette driver Oliver Gavin.
“The Corvette is fantastic and a great looking car. It's everything Corvette owners are interested in and wanting to see. I think you're going to get a lot of interest from the Corvette owners and Corvette corals. Having that link with the car and the car on the race track is very important.”
Gavin will team with fellow Corvette drivers Antonio Garcia, Richard Westbrook and Jan Magnussen in the flagship No. 90 Spirit of Daytona machine, one of five Corvette DPs entered in the twice-around-the-clock classic.
2010 Rolex 24 winners Action Express Racing will also have a pair of Coyote-chassied Corvette DPs while two-time Rolex Series DP champions GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing has gone with a Riley-chassied Corvette. SunTrust Racing rounds out the charge with its Corvette DP, built on top of the successful Dallara chassis.
The Spirit of Daytona Corvette was the first to hit the track for testing in November, with Gavin and Garcia handling the majority of the car’s early development during the two end-of-year tests at Daytona.
“It's always difficult to test a new car,” Garcia says. “There are always new things to learn about the car. The new aero is the biggest thing. But up until now, the Pratt & Miller and Spirit of Daytona guys have been working very closely together.
“As a driver, it doesn't feel way different. The looks are way different than it way it feels. The main thing is that we're running a Corvette and that's very good for the brand and that helped us put together this big team together. I think that's the biggest thing for GRAND-AM itself.”
Born from a desire of giving the aging, and arguably less appealing, current specification DPs a major facelift after nine years of competition, GRAND-AM officials began formulating the “Extreme Makeover” nearly two years ago.
The goal, according to Managing Director of Manufacturer and Series Development Dave Spitzer, was to deliver a sleeker-looking platform that could enable a stronger brand identity to the cars on the roads of North America today.
“We’ve made a fundamental decision that there has to be passion in sports car racing,” Spitzer says. “In the 1960’s and 70’s, there were no wind tunnels; there was no CFD; there were no engineers. The shape was the shape and that’s what everyone says they want to get back to.
“So we’ve said, ‘Ok, how do we change the rules of the game to allow those beautiful shapes to come back again for those manufacturers that want the ability to communicate their design architecture in a prototype environment?’ That’s what we’re doing and a real fundamental aspect of this that will come out over time.”
It didn’t take long for the first manufacturer to jump on the bandwagon, as Chevrolet took the wraps off its Corvette Daytona Prototype late last year. A project originally conceived from the still-born 2009 LMP1 regulations at Le Mans, the Corvette DP was the first to showcase GRAND-AM’s new intentions for its flagship category.
Featuring a drastically reduced greenhouse area and styling cues taken from the road-going Corvette C6, the announcement created instant buzz, arguably for one of the first time in GRAND-AM’s Daytona Prototype era.
“Chevy really wanted to try and make the DP car a little bit more appealing and also to have a link to a car on the road. I think they've managed to achieve that,” says Corvette driver Oliver Gavin.
“The Corvette is fantastic and a great looking car. It's everything Corvette owners are interested in and wanting to see. I think you're going to get a lot of interest from the Corvette owners and Corvette corals. Having that link with the car and the car on the race track is very important.”
Gavin will team with fellow Corvette drivers Antonio Garcia, Richard Westbrook and Jan Magnussen in the flagship No. 90 Spirit of Daytona machine, one of five Corvette DPs entered in the twice-around-the-clock classic.
2010 Rolex 24 winners Action Express Racing will also have a pair of Coyote-chassied Corvette DPs while two-time Rolex Series DP champions GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing has gone with a Riley-chassied Corvette. SunTrust Racing rounds out the charge with its Corvette DP, built on top of the successful Dallara chassis.
The Spirit of Daytona Corvette was the first to hit the track for testing in November, with Gavin and Garcia handling the majority of the car’s early development during the two end-of-year tests at Daytona.
“It's always difficult to test a new car,” Garcia says. “There are always new things to learn about the car. The new aero is the biggest thing. But up until now, the Pratt & Miller and Spirit of Daytona guys have been working very closely together.
“As a driver, it doesn't feel way different. The looks are way different than it way it feels. The main thing is that we're running a Corvette and that's very good for the brand and that helped us put together this big team together. I think that's the biggest thing for GRAND-AM itself.”
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