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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Waltrip Gets Up To Speed At Daytona
NASCAR star Michael Waltrip gets first taste of Daytona International Speedway road course in Wednesday’s Rolex Series test...
Michael Waltrip talks with TRG team owner Kevin Buckler, who fielded a Porsche for the NASCAR star this week. (Photo: John Dagys)
Despite having earned a pair of Daytona 500 victories and being considered one of the most experienced active NASCAR drivers on the famed Florida high banks, Michael Waltrip took his first laps around the Speedway’s road course Wednesday, as the stock-car turned sportscar driver prepares for his debut in January’s 50th Rolex 24.
Waltrip joined MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman and Portuguese ace Rui Aguas at the wheel of a TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Extreme sports star Travis Pastrana will complete the lineup next month, which will see the quartet in a Ferrari F458 Italia Grand-Am, run by the newly formed AF Waltrip operation.
“I wondered what it would feel like to come across the start/line and turn into the infield. I've never done that before. It's just so cool,” Waltrip told SPEED.com.
“The first time I came to this race was in '81, just to see the cars. And now to be in one, 31 years later, is really neat. I like driving through the infield. And once you get onto the banking, it feels like what you've done forever.”
While Waltrip, Kauffman and Aguas may be all be Rolex 24 rookies, the trio have run together in a variety of other endurance races, including this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTE-Am class Ferrari F430 GT.
For Waltrip, who has experienced it all at Daytona, from doing victory doughnuts in the infield to ending up on his roof in the Great American race, gaining knowledge of the 3.56-mile, 12-turn combined infield road course and oval, albeit in a different car he’ll return with next month, has been the goal of the test.
“I'm so glad we're here because going to bed tonight, knowing where the turns are, is very valuable,” Waltrip said. “You find out in a hurry where you could get in trouble at, where you're comfortable at and where you could put pretty good speed in, then some of the ones you have to work on.”
While three new F458 Italias took to the track at the test, Waltrip expects to take delivery of their new Prancing Horse later this month, following a successful shakedown by Kauffman and Aguas at Fiorano last week.
AF Waltrip, a collaborative effort between veteran Italian squad AF Corse with logistical support from MWR, plans to officially debut at next month’s “Roar Before the 24”, with the Rolex 24 the only confirmed race thus far.
However, Kauffman has expressed interest competing in additional Rolex Series races this year, as well as a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and potential FIA World Endurance Championship effort. A final decision on their 2012 plans is expected to come next month.
"The [Daytona] 24 hours is step one, then we'll see how things develop from there,” Kauffman said. “We haven't made concrete plans, but clearly we now have a car in North America. So this is a first step and we'll see how things develop. [The North American Endurance Championship] interests us, but scheduling is really hard with Le Mans. We're focusing on Daytona first."
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
Waltrip joined MWR co-owner Rob Kauffman and Portuguese ace Rui Aguas at the wheel of a TRG Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car. Extreme sports star Travis Pastrana will complete the lineup next month, which will see the quartet in a Ferrari F458 Italia Grand-Am, run by the newly formed AF Waltrip operation.
“I wondered what it would feel like to come across the start/line and turn into the infield. I've never done that before. It's just so cool,” Waltrip told SPEED.com.
“The first time I came to this race was in '81, just to see the cars. And now to be in one, 31 years later, is really neat. I like driving through the infield. And once you get onto the banking, it feels like what you've done forever.”
While Waltrip, Kauffman and Aguas may be all be Rolex 24 rookies, the trio have run together in a variety of other endurance races, including this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans in GTE-Am class Ferrari F430 GT.
For Waltrip, who has experienced it all at Daytona, from doing victory doughnuts in the infield to ending up on his roof in the Great American race, gaining knowledge of the 3.56-mile, 12-turn combined infield road course and oval, albeit in a different car he’ll return with next month, has been the goal of the test.
“I'm so glad we're here because going to bed tonight, knowing where the turns are, is very valuable,” Waltrip said. “You find out in a hurry where you could get in trouble at, where you're comfortable at and where you could put pretty good speed in, then some of the ones you have to work on.”
While three new F458 Italias took to the track at the test, Waltrip expects to take delivery of their new Prancing Horse later this month, following a successful shakedown by Kauffman and Aguas at Fiorano last week.
AF Waltrip, a collaborative effort between veteran Italian squad AF Corse with logistical support from MWR, plans to officially debut at next month’s “Roar Before the 24”, with the Rolex 24 the only confirmed race thus far.
However, Kauffman has expressed interest competing in additional Rolex Series races this year, as well as a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and potential FIA World Endurance Championship effort. A final decision on their 2012 plans is expected to come next month.
"The [Daytona] 24 hours is step one, then we'll see how things develop from there,” Kauffman said. “We haven't made concrete plans, but clearly we now have a car in North America. So this is a first step and we'll see how things develop. [The North American Endurance Championship] interests us, but scheduling is really hard with Le Mans. We're focusing on Daytona first."
John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships. You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at
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