Gallery: 2012 Roar Before the Rolex 24

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 08:12 AM PST

2012 Roar Before the 24, Magnus Racing Porsche 911 GT3
Photo: © 2012 James Boone | oneighturbo.com

Here’s our first round of gallery shots from the 2012 Roar Before the Rolex 24. Photog guru, James Boone is down at Daytona putting his D7000 to work this weekend. More to come throughout the weekend but click over for some sweet Audi R8′s, Porsche and more.

FOAMETIX / Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports enters Rolex 24 at Daytona

Gallery: 2012 Roar Before the Rolex 24

FOAMETIX / Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports enters Rolex 24 at Daytona

Posted: 07 Jan 2012 05:13 AM PST

ONEIGHTURBO

2012 Roar Before the 24, Foametix Porsche 911 GT3
Photo: © 2012 James Boone | oneighturbo.com,

FOAMETIX®/Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports has entered the 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona, and the inaugural 2012 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series North American Endurance Championship, with drivers Claudio Burtin, Martin Ragginger, Bryan Sellers, Jack Baldwin and Sebastian Asch.

The team will campaign the No. 17 FOAMETIX Porsche GT3 in the Rolex 24 for the fifth consecutive year while team owner and driver Burtin will join Austrian standout Ragginger for the remaining rounds of the North American Endurance Championship later in the season at Indianapolis and Watkins Glen.

“We are proud to return with FOAMETIX to Daytona for this historic running of the Rolex 24 and also look forward to expanding our racing program this year to include the full North American Endurance Championship,” Burtin said. “Working with Goldcrest, we feel we are bringing our best team and car yet to the Rolex 24 and we look forward to the additional races later in the season. The endurance championship is something that suits our type of professional but part time team and we are grateful to GRAND-AM for the opportunity.”

Ragginger is a top sports car talent and experienced Porsche driver who has served as the lead driver for Foametix for the past several years. He recently co-drove in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring with Asch, a quick German driver who is new to the team this year along with American road racer Bryan Sellers, who was part of last year’s driver lineup on the second-place GT Porsche team. Baldwin is a racing legend who is a Trans-Am Champion, two-time Camel GTU Champion and former Rolex 24 class winner.

“I have been involved with dozens of teams since first racing in the Rolex 24 back in the early 1980s and I can definitely say the effort we are putting together for the 50th Anniversary race is as good as any of them,” said Baldwin, who will be competing in the day-long Daytona classic for the 23rd time. “Bob Sanderson, Steve Cosgrove and all of the guys at Goldcrest are doing a great job and bring more experience to this race than may be apparent. They know how to prepare a car for this type of race and the lineup of drivers we have will certainly be able to get the most out of it. I am looking forward to a great result for FOAMETIX.”

Goldcrest is made up of the same key personnel that were behind the success of the 2009 championship-winning No. 87 Farnbacher/Loles Porsche GT3 of Dirk Werner and Leh Keen. Last year, Goldcrest worked with Keen and the returning Brumos Porsche GT3 team at the Rolex 24, which helped move that effort off to a successful start in what proved to a be championship-winning season.

In addition to the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona, the additional rounds of the North American Endurance Racing Championship will include the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International, June 29 – July 1 and the three-hour debut race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, July 27. Awards for the championship will be presented at dusk on Indy’s legendary victory podium following the historic race on the 2.605-mile road course.

Next up for FOAMETIX/Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports is the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 At Daytona Test Days, January 6-8, where all five drivers will come together as a team for the first time. The 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 At Daytona will be run at Daytona International Speedway, January 26-29.

- Grand-Am