Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian headed to the Roar Before the Rolex 24 with an extremely long to-do list, with work to be done on a new Ford EcoBoost engine, a new set of rules and regulations and a new Championship to prepare for.
John Pew, Ozz Negri, Justin Wilson and AJ Allmendinger were all on hand for the three-day test in order to get themselves as accustomed as possible to the new power plant that will make its competitive debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona on January 25-26.
“Every lap we had, we were able to learn something this weekend,” said team owner Mike Shank. “We’ve had great support from everyone at Ford and it was a productive test. We know we’ve got more work to do, and being down here was a good way to keep pushing on this learning process with this package. It was good to get warmed up for the 24, and having this great line up of drivers makes a huge difference. My guys have been working their tails off, and we have more to do before we come back but we have our plan in place and will just keep working away at it.”
Michael Shank Racing has a strong record at Daytona with three podium results since the team’s debut in 2004, scoring a breakthrough victory in 2012 in the hands of Negri, Pew, Allmendinger and Wilson. The team finished third in the 2013 edition, with the same drivers behind the wheel of the Ford-Riley.
“It’s great to get back in the car, this was the first time in about four months I think, so that is always good,” added Wilson. “The car feels good. I love the sound and the feel of the new Ford EcoBoost engine, it’s a lot of fun to drive. I’m just looking forward to the race now. We will get a few more miles in and we have a lot of work to do but everyone is working hard and it is fun to be a part of this group. We’ll be back in a few weeks and hopefully we have a shot at getting another Rolex.”
