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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Top Rolex Series Drivers Of 2012
SPEED.com ranks the top full-season DP and GT drivers from this year’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season...
Ryan Dalziel, left, teamed with Lucas Luhr, right, to give the No. 8 Starworks Riley-Ford its one-and-only win of 2012. (Photo: Brian Cleary/GRAND-AM)
SPEED.com ranks the top full-season Daytona Prototype and GT drivers from this year’s GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season, starting with DP.
TOP 10 DP DRIVERS:
10. Alex Popow — One of the surprise stories of 2012, the Pro-Am racer left a lasting impression within the paddock for his considerable improvement over the course of the season. Qualifying within the top-four on multiple occasions, Popow took the fight to the pros and didn’t let up. His win at Indy undoubtedly came as the highlight of the season.
9. Alex Gurney — The GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing driver showed his strength again in 2012 but was ultimately let down by a series of freak issues with the Riley-chassied Corvette DP. Gurney and longtime co-driver Jon Fogarty were often two of the quickest drivers on track, and despite scoring five podium finishes, they were unable to deliver on a win and keep their streak alive.
8. Max Angelelli — In what was undoubtedly an up and down season for Wayne Taylor Racing, the rapid Italian made the most of the challenging situation. Angelelli helped lead the team to three victories, while showcasing the pace that could have resulted in additional trips to victory lane. Co-driver Ricky Taylor continued to impress as well, but stumbled mid-season with a few costly mistakes. Both were very quick, but the numbers just did not add up in 2012.
7. Ozz Negri — One of the top stalwarts in DP, Negri notched his first Rolex 24 crown, in what certainly was the highpoint for the likable Brazilian and Michael Shank Racing in 2012. No doubt a challenging year against the Corvette DPs, Ozz put in a number of strong drives in the No. 60 Riley-Ford, only to have a few unlucky breaks along the way.
6. Antonio Garcia — The quick Spaniard again proved his worth in 2012, despite missing a handful of races due to his increased ALMS commitments. Teamed with fellow factory driver Westbrook, the duo took wins at Barber and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It proved to be one of the strongest lineups in class, with Garcia showcasing his strength on multiple occasions.
5. Scott Pruett — Despite winning his fifth Rolex Series championship, it was a far from a perfect season for Pruett and Chip Ganassi Racing, which notched only two victories in 13 races. Pruett and co-driver Memo Rojas, however, proved to have some of the most consistent results, despite having a few run-ins in what was an incident-filled season for many DP competitors.
4. Richard Westbrook — Bursting onto the DP scene, the fast Englishman firmly established himself as one of the top GRAND-AM drivers. Having scored three poles and wins, Westbrook was quick to adapt to Spirit of Daytona’s Corvette DP, although not coming away completely unscathed, which saw a race-ending accident in Detroit. However,some of his notable drives made up for that.
3. Joao Barbosa — Proving to be the lead dog at Action Express Racing, Barbosa helped lead the Corvette DP squad to a 1-2 finish in Detroit, and just three weeks later, pulled off a stunning late-race pass for the win at the Six Hours of The Glen. The Portuguese ace performed brilliantly all year, despite a mid-season driver shakeup within the team.
2. Jon Fogarty — Another top performer, the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing driver shined with more poles than anyone else (four), yet reliability and plain bad luck denied Fogarty and co-driver Alex Gurney a victory in 2012. The two-time Rolex Series champion, however, clearly hasn’t lost his pace, despite a year to forget for the Corvette DP squad.
1. Ryan Dalziel — While having walked away with only one victory and runner-up in the DP championship, the flying Scot put the “star” in Starworks in 2012. From his pole run at Daytona to nearly pulling off victory in the Rolex 24, along with impressive runs for much of the season, Dalziel overcame adversity and put up a fight to Ganassi’s Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas right down to the checkered flag at Lime Rock.
TOP DP AM DRIVER:
Alex Popow — There’s no denying the Venezuelan's impressive pace all year that, in terms of gentlemen drivers, set him in a league of his own. Often fighting amongst some of the best in the business, Popow built on the success of his rookie season in 2011 and took it to a new level. Finishing fifth in the DP ranks with three podiums to his credit, it wasn’t particularly a storybook season for the Starworks driver, but one that had the potential to be much more if luck had gone his way.
TOP 10 DP DRIVERS:
10. Alex Popow — One of the surprise stories of 2012, the Pro-Am racer left a lasting impression within the paddock for his considerable improvement over the course of the season. Qualifying within the top-four on multiple occasions, Popow took the fight to the pros and didn’t let up. His win at Indy undoubtedly came as the highlight of the season.
9. Alex Gurney — The GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing driver showed his strength again in 2012 but was ultimately let down by a series of freak issues with the Riley-chassied Corvette DP. Gurney and longtime co-driver Jon Fogarty were often two of the quickest drivers on track, and despite scoring five podium finishes, they were unable to deliver on a win and keep their streak alive.
8. Max Angelelli — In what was undoubtedly an up and down season for Wayne Taylor Racing, the rapid Italian made the most of the challenging situation. Angelelli helped lead the team to three victories, while showcasing the pace that could have resulted in additional trips to victory lane. Co-driver Ricky Taylor continued to impress as well, but stumbled mid-season with a few costly mistakes. Both were very quick, but the numbers just did not add up in 2012.
7. Ozz Negri — One of the top stalwarts in DP, Negri notched his first Rolex 24 crown, in what certainly was the highpoint for the likable Brazilian and Michael Shank Racing in 2012. No doubt a challenging year against the Corvette DPs, Ozz put in a number of strong drives in the No. 60 Riley-Ford, only to have a few unlucky breaks along the way.
6. Antonio Garcia — The quick Spaniard again proved his worth in 2012, despite missing a handful of races due to his increased ALMS commitments. Teamed with fellow factory driver Westbrook, the duo took wins at Barber and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. It proved to be one of the strongest lineups in class, with Garcia showcasing his strength on multiple occasions.
5. Scott Pruett — Despite winning his fifth Rolex Series championship, it was a far from a perfect season for Pruett and Chip Ganassi Racing, which notched only two victories in 13 races. Pruett and co-driver Memo Rojas, however, proved to have some of the most consistent results, despite having a few run-ins in what was an incident-filled season for many DP competitors.
4. Richard Westbrook — Bursting onto the DP scene, the fast Englishman firmly established himself as one of the top GRAND-AM drivers. Having scored three poles and wins, Westbrook was quick to adapt to Spirit of Daytona’s Corvette DP, although not coming away completely unscathed, which saw a race-ending accident in Detroit. However,some of his notable drives made up for that.
3. Joao Barbosa — Proving to be the lead dog at Action Express Racing, Barbosa helped lead the Corvette DP squad to a 1-2 finish in Detroit, and just three weeks later, pulled off a stunning late-race pass for the win at the Six Hours of The Glen. The Portuguese ace performed brilliantly all year, despite a mid-season driver shakeup within the team.
2. Jon Fogarty — Another top performer, the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing driver shined with more poles than anyone else (four), yet reliability and plain bad luck denied Fogarty and co-driver Alex Gurney a victory in 2012. The two-time Rolex Series champion, however, clearly hasn’t lost his pace, despite a year to forget for the Corvette DP squad.
1. Ryan Dalziel — While having walked away with only one victory and runner-up in the DP championship, the flying Scot put the “star” in Starworks in 2012. From his pole run at Daytona to nearly pulling off victory in the Rolex 24, along with impressive runs for much of the season, Dalziel overcame adversity and put up a fight to Ganassi’s Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas right down to the checkered flag at Lime Rock.
TOP DP AM DRIVER:
Alex Popow — There’s no denying the Venezuelan's impressive pace all year that, in terms of gentlemen drivers, set him in a league of his own. Often fighting amongst some of the best in the business, Popow built on the success of his rookie season in 2011 and took it to a new level. Finishing fifth in the DP ranks with three podiums to his credit, it wasn’t particularly a storybook season for the Starworks driver, but one that had the potential to be much more if luck had gone his way.
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