Triple Ford 24 Hours of Daytona
Last weekend, at Daytona International Speedway celebrated 50 years of its 24 hours. In fact, it is rather a half century of endurance tests on the famous Florida racetrack but Americans love birthdays, everyone pretends to forget that if it is indeed in 1962 the first endurance race for sports cars held at Daytona, it's actually from 1966 24 Hours exist.
This 2012 edition was attended by fifty-nine crews, primarily in the category of GT cars. At the forefront, the prototypes have all the same makes the law even though they were only fourteen departing. After an exciting race from one end to the other, the victory went to a Riley-Ford crew, the NASCAR driver combines a AJAllmendinger Justin Wilson (back to the competition after a serious accident in the IndyCar last year), John Pew and Oswaldo Negri. Two other Ford-Riley prototypes round off the podium, before the first Riley-BMW Ganassi Racing. The main surprise comes from the rout of the new Corvette prototypes, victims of a mechanical trouble repetition.
In GT, the variety of cars on the track was great: Porsche 997, Ferrari 348, Audi R8, Corvette, Viper, Camaro GTR and Mazda RX-8 shared the starting grid. Upon arrival, Porsche reached a win in the first three rows, with the win going to Andy Lally (Rookie Champion 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup), John Potter and Richard Lietz Germans and Rene Rast, two pilots 'Porsche experience delegates to strengthen this crew.
24 Hours of Daytona as usual marked the opening of the season in the Grand-Am series. Twelve other tests are calendar 2012, including one that will be presented Aug. 19 at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, in the NASCAR weekend in Montreal.
In Europe, the Trophee Andros had the final round of the 2011-12 schedule, the Super Besse circuit track in the heart of the Massif Central (France). One final round was at the time, won by Alain Prost Dacia Lodgy on her, which allows the former world champion Formula 1 reap a third title in the series. Eighth of this last step, Jacques Villeneuve (Skoda Fabia) is the twelfth in the championship.
Always on the ice, but this time the rally, the first stage of the North American Cup took place in Michigan, under the Sno Drift Rally. Britain's David Higgins and co-driver Craig Drew (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) were imposed before the defending champions, the Quebecois Antoine L'Estage and his co-driver Nathalie Richard, who etrennaient a brand new Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 10 . Beautiful performance as the duo quebecois Joel Levac / Stephanie Lewis (Subaru Impreza WRX STi) which, for their very first presence at this event, drop a "Top 5".
This step marked the beginning of the 2012 season of the North American Cup but also the American Rally Championship. Of Saturday, the second North American round will take place in the Rallye Perce-Neige in Maniwaki in Quebec. An event which will also be the opening of the Canadian motorsport season.
