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Series Information

The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 is leading a resurgence of major-league road racing in North America. At the foundation of this success is the exotic Daytona Prototype division that is one of the most competitive road racing classes in the world.

Similar success has been experienced in the GT class that makes up the other half of the Rolex Series racing lineup. The GT division is for race-prepared versions of today's popular international and American-made high-performance sports cars and coupes, which makes for an easily identifiable and competitive product for race fans.

The 15-race Rolex Series schedule (14 Daytona Prototype races including two stand-alone events and 13 GT events with one stand-alone) features a challenging mix of endurance and sprint races, including the 24-hour opener, a 1,000-kilometer season finale, a six-hour enduro and several 400-kilometer sprint races. New to the schedule in 2008 is the first ever visit to New Jersey Motorsports Park. Combined races will also be the norm rather than the exception, as the classes will run together on a dozen occasions.

The 200-mile event at Watkins Glen International in August and the event at Infineon Raceway will feature only the Daytona Prototype class, while Lime Rock Park will once again host a stand-alone GT race on Monday of Memorial Day weekend.

Teams of drivers are required in the Rolex Series. The shorter events usually feature two drivers per car, while three-driver teams will be common in the six-hour race and 1,000-kilometer races, and three- to five-driver squads are the norm for the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Driver changes during pit stops always factor into the action and strategy at each race.

Several changes will be found during the 2008 season. The second generation of Daytona Prototype cars will be unveiled for the season, with Riley and Crawford updating their current chassis. Cheever Racing, which previously fielded a Fabcar, has obtained that chassis' license and with the technical assistance of Italian manufacturer Picchio has developed the Cheever chassis. Internationally-known Dallara and Lola have entered the fray and will debut their chassis within the first two races of the season.

The BMW M6 will also debut in the Rolex Series GT field, joining already potent challengers as defending manufacturer champion Porsche and its GT3 as well as the Pontiac GXP.R, Mazda RX-8, Ford Mustang GT, Corvette and others.

In 2007, the Rolex Series saw significant increases once again in at-track attendance and television viewership, with huge fields and several close finishes. Look for more of the same in 2008.

GT Class

Category: GT
Top Speed: 180 mph
Horsepower: 450
Maximum Race Length: 24 hours
Wheelbase: As production
Weight (min.): 2450-2900 pounds
Height (max): Production (based on ride height)
Width (max.): 74 inches
Cars: Nissan 350Z, Pontiac GTO, Pontiac GXP.R, Ford Mustang, Porsche GT3, Mazda RX-8, Corvette, Ferrari 430, Infiniti G35
Engines: 3 Rotor; 5.0L Ford 4V; 6L GM Pushrod 2V; 4.5L Infiniti 4V; 5.0L BMW 4V;3.6L Porsche Flat 6
Fuel: Sunoco
Gearbox: Five- or six-speed
Tires: Pirelli racing slicks (ungrooved)
Brakes: 4-piston calipers steel rotors (carbon pads)
Chassis: Steel tubing with integral roll cage or production tub with cage
Suspension: Front and rear - independent coil springs, upper and lower A arms
Traction Control: Not permitted

The Rolex Series GT division is home to production-based race cars that are similar in appearance to the latest high-performance sports cars and coupes that you see on the street every day. Underneath their skin, however, GT race cars are all business and use some of the same technology found in the more exotic Daytona Prototype class.

The rules for GT--short for Grand Touring--employ several methods of equalization, including race car weight, tire size and engine RPM limits to provide an even playing field for a variety of international and American-made cars. Only in GT can one see nimble, flax-six Porsche GT3s take on big bore V-8 Corvettes and Pontiac GXP.Rs, while also mixing it up with three-rotor Mazda RX-8s, mid-engine Ferrari 360s and 430s, Maseratis and BMW M3 coupes.

Engines in GT machine produce between 390 and 450 horsepower depending on the car, and minimum weights range from 2,300 to 2,800 lbs. The popular Porsche GT3s and BMW M3s--two championship-winning models in GT over the years--weigh-in at 2,600 pounds, while the bigger Corvettes tip the scales at the maximum 2,800 lbs. Top speed for GT race cars is 170 mph.

Qualifying Format

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and KONI Challenge Series events, the series will follow traditional road racing group qualifying sessions to determine the starting grids. That format will see all race cars in each class for both the Rolex Series and KONI Challenge Series qualify as a group in 15-minute sessions broken down by class.

The GT class usually precedes the Daytona Prototype division in Rolex Series qualifying, while the Street Tuner (ST) cars set the stage for the Grand Sport (GS) class in KONI Challenge. The qualifying sessions are usually held the day before each Rolex Series race, although KONI Challenge teams may occasionally qualify on the same day they race. The fastest driver/car in each qualifying session wins the pole in that class, with the top Daytona Prototype and GS cars always the fastest overall in their respective series.

Under this format, the qualifying driver must also start the car in the race. In the event qualifying is canceled, race grids will be set by team championship point standings in all classes.

Starting lineups for the Rolex Series will see all Daytona Prototypes at the front of the grid followed by the GT cars, regardless of whether or not GT cars have posted faster qualifying times than some Daytona Prototypes. In fact, both classes will be started individually, with the Daytona Prototypes taking the green flag first and the GT machines starting the race roughly 30 seconds later. KONI Challenge Series lineups are determined in the same way, with all GS cars starting first, followed by the ST machines.