TRG - Roles 24 Update - 8 Hour Mark
AT THE EIGHT HOUR MARK, TRG TEAMS CONTINUE TO HOVER AROUND THE GT LEAD
Daytona Beach, FL, January 28, 2012 - The 50th edition of the Rolex 24 at Daytona continues to roll along as damage and attrition continue to take their toll. The five TRG teams however, continue to follow team owner Kevin Buckler's mantra of keeping clear of danger. "Stay on the lead lap. Stay on the lead lap. Stay on the lead lap," Buckler said as he was being interviewed on TRG's streaming video channel at: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/trg---live-from-rolex-24-at-daytona "The whole idea is to make sure you hang around the lead... You don’t have to be in the lead. The last four hours are when this race will be decided," Buckler added. The drivers of cars number 66, 67 and 68 have obviously learned well as they run on the same lap as the GT leader at the eight-hour mark. Running fifth, sixth and eighth, any one of the three are positioned to take home the checkered flag tomorrow at 3:30PM. The number 67 car, driven by Belgian Marc Goossens led for 17 laps during the seventh hour of the race. "When we are out there we are always just trying to stay out of trouble," said Goossens. "But everyone has the same problem..." When asked about leading the race; "It doesn’t matter now if you are P1, P2 or P3. Right now it is just good to stay near the front and stay clear of trouble." Car Number 64: Started the race 34th, The car, driven by the team of Salazar, Ardagna, Costabal, Orjuela and DiGuida, has continued to claw its' way up through the field, having dropped to as low as 43rd place in GT. It finished the eighth hour 23rd in the GT class Car Number 65: The team of Hedlund, Cox, McCarthy, Michaelian and Castellano which had started the race in 38th place in the GT class and dropped to 44th place at last report, has also wound its way up the standings and now runs in 25th place in GT Car Number 66: The Farnbacher, Pilet, Keating and Simonsen car which had led the race for a time has dropped back to 5th place, but is still on the GT class lead lap Car Number 67: Driven by Bertheaud, Goossens, Henzler, Pumpelly and Bleekemolen had run at the head of the GT pack for 17 laps, but finished the eigth hour in sixth. Car Number 68: Having started 44th in the GT class and having risen to 29th in class at the four hour mark, the Faulkner, Cumming, Estre, Gomez and Keating driven car climbed all the up to eighth by the eight-hour mark The Racer's Group 1995 S. McDowell Blvd. Petaluma, CA 94954 707.935.3999 www.theracersgroup.com www.facebook.com/theracersgroup
Petaluma, CA (January 11th, 2012) - TRG's five-car armada for the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona showed it's cards at the The Roar Before the 24 held this weekend at Daytona International Speedway. Consistently landing at or near the top of the time sheets, the team feels strong and confident heading into the famous 24 hour race.
Led by last year's pole sitting No. 66 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car, as well as last years winning GT Entry, TRG posted some of the quickest times of the weekend in GT class which will be marked by 44 entries for this year's race, a field which is arguably one of the most competitive GT fields of all-time.
Spencer Pumpelly, a member of last year's champion GT class team, posted the quickest time for the No. 67 car with a 1:49:66 in the Roar's final session. Pumpelly will be driving the Sargent & Lundy car with teammates Steve Bertheau, Porsche factory driver Wolf Henzler, also members of last year's winning team; veteran Marc Goosens and recently added two-time Porsche Supercup champion Jeroen Bleekemolen.
"The test was great, we had a lot that we wanted to accomplish; getting drivers in the car, trying new things and testing parts. I think we came to the end of the three days feeling good about what we got done. I am looking forward to the race, our cars are ready, our drivers are ready, all-in-all it couldn't have been better." said Pumpelly.
"All our guys did fantastic job this weekend," stated team owner Kevin Buckler, going for his fifth win this year at the Rolex 24. "The main goal was to get everyone comfortable with their cars, play with some of the setups, and see what type of issues came up. While test weekend is never flawless for anyone, I must say that these Porsches will be ready for 24 hours come green flag... and our team, we couldn't ask for better guys- we're ready!"
TRG's famous No. 66 car, driven by Dominik Farnbacher, Mario Farnbacher, Ben Keating, Patrick Pilet and Allan Simonsen was very quick out of the box. Testing different setups, the 66 remained quick throughout the test.
Driver Ben Keating is not only racing the No. 66, but the No. 68 as well.
"The test went great, I was driving two cars, moving in-between both. The cars are different, but both were fast. Kevin has put together a great group of drivers and I love all of my teammates. I think this is the most competitive that I've ever seen this race in the GT field but we've got a great chance in both cars. I really feel TRG has an advantage heading into the 24."
Posting a lap time of 1:50:02 the No. 68 is equally as strong as its TRG teammates. Alongside Keating is Chris Cumming, Kevin Estre, Damien Faulkner and first time Rolex 24 racer, Carlos Gomez.
"The test is going really well for us." Stated Gomez. "TRG is the right team to be with; I have great teammates and the car is perfect. We started with a great platform and we've been developing and trying new stuff from that. I am very confident in our car and our lineup and really looking forward to my first 24."
All TRG cars turned laps very competitive laps. Driving in the No. 64 car are former Formula One driver Eliseo Salazar, Gaetano Ardagna, Eduardo Costabel, and Emilio DiGuida. Not only is this an all Latin car, but Salazar looks to make history being the only driver to compete in the Rolex 24, Le Mans, Dakar Rally and Formula One Monaco.
"We feel very comfortable with the car, this was a very telling test. I've been driving rally for the past few years, so it took a little while, but once I got in a rhythm things went really well. We have a full latin car, which is great. With 44 cars in this GT field, anything in the top 10 would be great!"
The No. 65 car had the pace throughout the test preparing for the gruelling endurance race. It will be manned by first time Daytona 24 drivers Jack McCarthy and Mike Hedlund, who will be driving alongside Daytona veterans Jim Michaelian and Bob Doyle.
"It's great to be with the TRG team, Kevin is obviously one of the senior players here in GRAND-AM and it's wonderful to be a part of that." Said TRG newcomer Jack McCarthy. "It's phenomenal to have five cars; to be able to trade data, ideas, track experience, etc. across all of the teams. I’m very excited to be a part of TRG and looking forward to the race."
What other TRG drivers said about The Roar and the upcoming Rolex 24:
Steve Bertheau (No. 67):
"The test has been great - we've spent the last few days, throwing everything we have at the car and have come up with a good plan for the race. I couldn't ask for a better group of guys. Also, coming back to the 24 as defending champions is really something special. I'm really looking forward to hitting the track at the end of the month!"
Wolf Henzler (No. 67):
"I'm pretty pleased with how the test progressed. It's (2012 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup) a new car and with the new tires, you have to run these tests to see what directions you have to go. We are lucky to have so many different cars that we can take in different directions. Now, the engineers have to get together and figure out which direction is the right one. I’m very happy, we have a great car and driver lineup. It will be a very tough race though, this may be the best driver lineup ever here. We are expecting a sprint race from the beginning to the end."
TRG is a full-service motorsports company offering a total driver ladder approach, as well as comprehensive sponsorship and business opportunities. For drivers, this approach starts with track days, goes to club events, up into street stock series and culminates in the ultimate goal of professional motorsports. For sponsors and business partners, this method starts with everything from executive events, to traditional sponsorship models, all the way to comprehensive business-to-business opportunities and experiential marketing. With facilities in Petaluma, California and Mooresville, North Carolina the team can offer turn-key marketing programs as well as arrive-and-drive support.
The company's NASCAR operations are headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina. The team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry and has the capacity to run ARCA, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series. It also competes in America's two leading sports car series - the American Le Mans Series and the Rolex Grand-Am Series.
The Racer's Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing. The team boasts Rolex Series GT championships in 2005 and 2006 and holds the record for the most wins in Grand-Am with 32. The team's resume is highlighted by five championships, four Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona victories, and a Le Mans 24 Hour win.





















