The #73 Park Place Motorsports/Racing4Research Porsche GT3 Cup entry have spoken of their hopes for the 2013 Rolex 24, after setting the pace at the GT test session earlier in the month.
Team leader Patrick Long says that setting the pace is only part of the story:
“Speed is only one-fifth of what it takes to win the Rolex 24 and, with that, it means very little to have the fastest lap at the test when you get to the end of the month. But it’s still a good omen.”
“The goal is a win. But, without trying to sound like a ‘been-there-done-that’ kind of guy, what I’m preaching is that age-old, ‘We’ve got to race the race and we’ve got to hit all our marks and not worry about who was P1 in qualifying or practice or any of that.”
The team, built from the Horton Autosport team of 2012 was rapidly put together in the space of a little over three months, and two-time Rolex 24 winner Spencer Pumpelly says despite the speed at which the team was created, he has high expectations:
“We’re definitely a legitimate contender. The fact the car and the team are operating so well is also a testament to the experience the guys have so, even though the team is new, a lot of the players involved have a lot of experience. We’ve got a lot of 24-hour wins under the roof of that garage, so I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Team co-principal Patrick Lindsey is embarking on his first Rolex 24, and he remained realistic about his expectations of his own performance:
“Being that this will be my first Rolex 24, I probably have some things to prove to myself, but this 24-hour race is really all about teamwork and about taking care of the car and doing the best we all can for each other.”
The team is completed by Jason Hart and Daniel Graeff.
Racing4Research is an awareness organisation for Neurofibromatosis, using motorsport as a means to spread its message.
The 2013 Rolex 24 at Daytona begins at 3:30pm local time (8:30pm UK) on Saturday January 26. www.theCheckeredFlag.co.uk will be providing hour-by-hour coverage of the event throughout the race.
