Alex Job Racing’s Race Before The 24 By John Dagys

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing wasn’t the only team burning the midnight oil last night as Alex Job Racing was also recovering from an accident in Thursday’s opening practice. Porsche Junior driver Martin Ragginger backed the 911 GT3 Cup car hard into the Turn 6 wall, causing significant damage to the GT machine.

Lucas Luhr makes a subtle statement with his Nomex underwear. (Marshall Pruett)

The damage, mainly confined to the right-rear, was severe enough to require off-site repairs, and the team immediately jumped to action. They transported the wounded car back to their home base in Taveres, Fla., approximately 60 miles southwest of Daytona Beach, where it underwent chassis repairs at a local body shop.

By 1:45 a.m. Friday morning, the car was back in their shop undergoing a complete rebuild. Four hours later, it was on the road headed east, and arrived at the Speedway at 7 a.m., just as the gates opened.

“It was actually a test for us tomorrow!” said team owner Alex Job of the all-nighter his team pulled. “Staying up two days was a test for tomorrow when we’ll stay up for another two days.

“It was lucky that it happened as early as it did [in the weekend] and it was lucky that it was this close to our shop,” Job added. “That was the best way to do it. If we tried to fix it here, it wouldn’t have been right. It needed to go to a body shop and get tied down.”

The veteran team’s hard work paid off in the morning practice session when Ragginger turned the quickest lap time of the session in GT. The 21-year-old and fellow German Dominik Farnbacher both gave the car a clean bill of health following the 45-minute session.

“We’ve checked the car and it seems to be in the best shape ever it’s ever been. We were quickest in the session,” Farnbacher said. “I wish we could have driven the qualifying and showed that we were the best Porsche out there!”

The No. 23 Porsche with Ragginger, Farnbacher, Patron GT3 Challenge star Mitch Pagerey, road racing veteran Jack Baldwin and World Challenge competitor Claudio Burtin was considered one of the early favorites for the GT win, but lack of track time may have dampened their hopes in the twice-around-the-clock classic.

“We lost a whole day and it’s a lot of track time for us, especially with the guys we have in the car that need more experience,” Farnbacher said. “We’ll gain a lot of time if we can help get our three co-drivers more comfortable in the car. ‘Raggi’ and I have been driving our butts off, but if they drive slower than we expect, it won’t help our chances. The key to winning will be to help them get their lap times down.”

Team owner Job, though, has not yet written off their chances in the race. The two-time Le Mans class champion and 1999 GT-class winner of the Rolex 24 knows the keys to success, and with a freshly rebuilt Porsche and a highly motivated team, anything can happen.

“This race involves so many aspects,” Job said. “Luck is very important part of it, but the drivers have to drive 100 percent. The team has to prepare 100 percent and we have to have 100 percent pit stops. It’s going to take a better part of 100 percent to win it, but you don’t necessarily need to be the fastest.”

And wouldn’t it be a Cinderella story to see these guys in victory lane after 24 hours of racing?

Diesel Duel at Daytona?

Endurance ace Pedro Lamy is too happy to be a part of the pole-winning SunTrust Dallara-Ford to be bothered with a diesel rivalry. (LAT)

A quick glance at the DP entry list reveals four members of the diesel brigade – two drivers apiece from Audi and Peugeot – competing against each other this weekend at Daytona.

Mike Rockenfeller represents the Porsche/Audi brand as a part of the Action Express Racing Riley-Porsche, Peugeot’s Pedro Lamy drives for Wayne Taylor’s pole-sitting Dallara-Ford team, and at Crown Royal/NPN Racing, Audi’s Lucas Luhr faces off in one of the team’s two cars against Peugeot’s Sebastien Bourdais.

Despite the fierce competition between the two camp each June at Le Mans, the diesel boys say they’ve come to Daytona without any thoughts of the duel that awaits them in France.

“Oh no, here we are all just drivers trying to win the race for our teams,” Bourdais said. “Lucas [Luhr] and I are teammates this weekend, although driving different cars, so we don’t think about our normal competition between Peugeot and Audi. This is an amazing line-up we have, so for me, this year’s Daytona is a race for me to enjoy.”

Rockenfeller promised it was the same for him, although he did crack a smile when I asked if he’d be tempted to leave a donut on the side of Lamy’s Dallara or Bourdais’ Riley.

“Well, this thing I should not do…but it is fun to think about. The Peugeot [drivers] are fine. It is good that all of us are able to be here to drive – to race in the big opening endurance event in America – I love Daytona, and that’s why I’m here. This isn’t my normal program, but Audi gave me permission to do this, so I am very thankful. It is good the Peugeot guys are here too. There is a lot of fighting all of us will do tomorrow…”

• Tune into SPEED’s live coverage of the race (All Times Eastern):

Saturday, January 30: 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., (Live)
Sunday, January 31: 7 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., (Live)

• Join SPEEDtv.com from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. for a live online chat from trackside with drivers, TV hosts, and a cast of characters as they stream into our compound. Bob Varsha and David Hobbs will be the first guests through the gates.

• Follow the weather forecast HERE.

Keep up with all of SPEEDtv.com's Rolex 24 coverage published so far this week:

ROLEX 24: Scott Pruett Thursday Blog
Scott Pruett files his first exclusive blog entry on SPEEDtv.com.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-scott-pruett-thursday-blog/

ROLEX 24: Thursday Photo Gallery
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-thursday-photo-gallery/

ROLEX 24: This Is Personal
Guardian Angel Motorsport races to give children a chance to win.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-this-is-personal/

ROLEX 24: Thursday Notebook
Thursday's notebook includes Ask J.J., Dedication of a Champion, 500 Miles And Runnin’, Turner's Debut, Radar Speeds, LG's Shifting Gears, and Give Boand Back His Livery.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-thursday-notebook/

ROLEX 24: Spotter's Guide
View SPEEDtv.com's car-by-car pictorial guide of the 48th Rolex 24 at Daytona.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-spotters-guide/

ROLEX 24: Mazda RX-8 GT In-Car Video
Go for a narrated lap inside Todd Lamb's front row qualifying Racer's Edge Mazda RX-8 as he prepares for the 2010 Rolex 24.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-mazda-rx8-gt-in-car-video/



ROLEX 24: Angelelli, SunTrust On Pole
Max Angelelli scores overall pole for Rolex 24; SpeedSource's Jeff Segal takes top spot in GT.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-angelelli-suntrust-on-pole/

ROLEX 24: Jimmie Johnson Crashes The #99
A heavy crash by 4-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in opening practice for the Rolex 24 leaves his team scrambling to rebuild the car in time for tomorrow's final qualifying session.
http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-jimmie-johnson-writes-off-the-99/

ROLEX 24: Wednesday Photo Gallery
GRAND-AM teams unload and prepare for this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-wednesday-photo-gallery/

ROLEX 24: Ganassi's Betting On BMW
Chip Ganassi's championship-winning cars have new BMW engines for 2010, replacing the familiar Lexus units. Team manager Mike Hulls tells us how they plan to maintain their winning ways.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-ganassis-betting-on-bmw/

ROLEX 24: GT Preview
Part two of our Rolex 24 preview, where 30 entries from six manufacturers will be vying for GT victory in one of the most competitive classes seen in years.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-gt-preview/

ROLEX 24: DP Preview
Part one of our 2010 Rolex 24 preview features the Daytona Prototype category, where changes in drivers, engines and a forecast of rain will make for an unpredictable race.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-daytona-prototype-preview/

ROLEX 24: Elford's Porsche Leads Heritage Expo
Vic Elford will be the Grand Marshal at next weekend's Rolex 24 At Daytona. Fittingly, the Porsche 907 he drove to victory at Daytona in 1968 will also be featured.
http://auto-racing.speedtv.com/article/rolex-24-elfords-porsche-leads-heritage-expo/