Brazilian open-wheel starts Rubens Barrichello and Tony Kanaan have become the latest big names to join the star-studded entry list of the ‘Roar Before the 24’ test and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The pair – long friends – will form half of the all-Brazilian team fielded by Dener Motorsport in the GT category of the race. They will share the car with Nono Figueiredo and Ricardo Mauricio.
The presence of Kanaan – 2004 Indycar champion – and Barrichello – the most experienced F1 driver in history who drove with Kanaan for KV Racing in the Indycar Series last season – is typical of the calibre and variety of drivers attracted to Daytona International Speedway for the 24 Hours.
Several of the drivers they raced against through the 2012 open-wheel season will also be on track at Daytona with Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Charlie Kimball, Sebastien Bourdais all line-up in the Daytona Prototype class of the event.
The GT class, where Kanaan and Barrichello will race, is likely to be hotly contested with works assisted teams from Audi, Porsche and Chevrolet strengthened by top drivers normally found in both the US – such as Jan Magnussen, who joins Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro line-up – and Europe with both Porsche and Audi bolstering teams representing their brands with their own experienced stable of driving talent.
The three day ‘Roar Before the 24’ test begins on January 4. The Rolex 24 at Daytona itself is scheduled to run on January 26-27.
