Starworks Ford-Riley secure Daytona 24 Hours pole ahead of Corvette power

Ryan Dalziel took pole position for the 50th Daytona 24 Hours in his Starworks Motorsport Ford-Riley yesterday.

The Scot set his best lap of 1:41.119 just before the halfway mark, earning a one-tenth advantage over Max Angelelli in the #10 Suntrust Racing Corvette.
The 29-year-old Dalziel is aiming for his second Daytona victory, having won the event in 2010. He will be partnered by in the race by Lucas Luhr, Allan McNish, Alex Popow and Enzo Potolicchio.
Angelelli gave Dalziel a respectable chase during the qualifying session, setting several times that were all good for the top five; however the Italian could do nothing to deprive Dalziel of the top spot.

Twice IZOD IndyCar champion Scott Dixon recorded the 3rd quickest time in the #02 Chip Ganassi Racing BMW-Riley. The Kiwi nudged ahead of Alex Gurney’s Corvette by less than one-tenth, while early pacesetter Antonio Garcia fell to 5th overall come the chequered flag.

Ozz Negri rounded out the top six in the Ford-powered Michael Shank Racing entry. The Brazilian finished the session two spots ahead of the “junior squad”, headed by Michael McDowell.
Indeed McDowell will be the elder hand in a team with Gustavo Yacaman and Jorge Goncalvez (Indy Lights) and Felipe Nasr (2011 British F3 Champion).
Splitting the Michael Shank Racing entries will be #9 Action Express Racing entry qualified by Joao Barbosa.

Three Ford’s and a BMW filled the following two rows, with #2 Starworks Ford-Riley heading the group in 9th. Entries by #77 Doran Ford-Dallara (10th), #50 Alegra BMW-Riley and the #76 Krohn Ford-Lola (12th) were the slowest DP runner.
Neither the #5 Action Express Racing nor the #01 Ganassi Racing BMW-Riley – the reigning Grand-Am champions – could set a time due to engine failures in practice.

In the GT Class, Andrew Davis in the #59 Brumo Racing Porsche GT3 took pole ahead of Jeff Segal’s #69 AIM Autosport Ferrari 458. Segal left it late to set his quickest time, just edging Andy Lally in the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche to 2nd in class.
Patrick Long will line up 4th in the #45 Flying Lizards Porsche ahead of the leading Risi Competizione Ferrari 458, the #45, with Gianmaria Bruni at the wheel.

Rolex 24 At Daytona (Qualifying Session, January 27th)
Pos No. Class Pic Drivers Team/Car Time
Daytona Prototype Class
 1. Dalziel / Luhr / McNish / Popow / Potolicchio 
Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley                                  1:41.119
 2. Angelelli / Briscoe / Taylor 
SunTrust Racing / Corvette DP                                      1:41.240
 3. Dixon / Franchitti / McMurray / Montoya 
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley                 1:41.463
 4. Fogarty / Gidley / Gurney 
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing / Corvette DP                         1:41.519
 5. Garcia / Gavin / Magnussen / Westbrook 
Spirit of Daytona / Corvette DP                                    1:41.611
 6. Allmendinger / Negri / Pew / Wilson 
Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian / Ford Riley              1:41.662
 7. Barbosa / Borcheller / France / Papis 
Action Express Racing / Corvette DP                                1:42.074
 8. Goncalvez / McDowell / Nasr / Yacaman 
Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian / Ford Riley              1:42.414
 9. Hunter-Reay / Mayer / Potolicchio / Potolicchio / Valiante 
Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley                                  1:42.657
10. Frisselle / Frisselle / Lowe / Tracy 
Doran Racing / Ford Dallara                                        1:42.773
11. Defoor / Forbes-Robinson / Johnson / Pace / de Quesada 
50+Predator/Alegra / BMW Riley                                     1:43.723
12. Braun / Jonsson / Krohn / Zonta 
Krohn Racing / Ford Lola                                           1:44.433
    Donohue / Fittipaldi / Law 
Action Express Racing / Corvette DP                               (no time)   
    Hand / Pruett / Rahal / Rojas 
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley                (no time) 

GT Class
13 Davis / Haywood / Keen / Lieb                           
Brumos Racing / Porsche GT3                                        1:49.342
14 Assentato / Lazzaro / Longhi / Segal                    
AIM Autosport Team FXDD Racing with Ferrari / Ferrari 458          1:49.357
15 Lally / Lietz / Potter / Rast                           
Magnus Racing / Porsche GT3                                        1:49.388
16 Bergmeister / Long / Neiman / Rockenfeller              
Flying Lizard Motorsports, Wright Motorsports / Porsche GT3        1:49.550
17 Bruni / Fisichella / Matos                               
Risi Competizione / Ferrari 458                                    1:49.661
18 Cameron / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker          
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8                                           1:49.700
19 Collard / Holzer / Leitzinger / MacNeil                 
Alex Job Racing / Porsche GT3                                      1:49.766
20 Edwards / Marsh / Milner / Taylor                       
Autohaus Motorsports / Camaro GT.R                                 1:49.773
21 Asch / Baldwin / Burtin / Ragginger / Sellers           
Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports / Porsche GT3             1:49.891
22 Bell / Maassen / Miller                                 
Paul Miller Racing / Porsche GT3                                   1:50.044
23 Beretta / Bertolini / Vilander                          
Risi Competizione / Ferrari 458                                    1:50.191
24 Brown / Cosmo / Sharp / van Overbeek                    
Extreme Speed Motorsports / Ferrari 458                            1:50.197
25 Bell / Carter / Curran / Plumb                          
Stevenson Motorsports / Camaro GT.R                                1:50.273
26 Cisneros / Edwards / Kauffmann / Tandy                  
NGT Motorsport / Porsche GT3                                       1:50.298
27 Al Masaood / Al Mehairi / Kane                          
Oryx Racing / Audi R8 Grand-Am                                     1:50.312
28 Bremer / Edwards / Liddell                              
Stevenson Motorsports / Camaro GT.R                                1:50.426
29 Bell / Eversley / Graeff / Yarab Jr.                    
Magnus Racing / Porsche GT3                                        1:50.456
30 Farnbacher / Keating / Pilet / Simonsen                 
TRG / Porsche GT3                                                  1:50.557
31 Blaylock / O'Young / Roush / Van Blankers / White       
Bullet Racing / Porsche GT3                                        1:50.572
32 Auberlen / Dalla Lana / Marsal / Muller / Werner        
Turner Motorsport / BMW M3                                         1:50.582
33 Armindo / Curtis / Lewis / Sofronas / Willsey           
Orbit/GMG / Porsche GT3                                            1:50.605
34 Baas / Canache / Norman / Pirro / von Moltke            
APR Motorsport / Audi R8 Grand-Am                                  1:50.749
35 Cook / Earnhardt / Harrington / Hill / Ware             
Rick Ware Racing / Ford Mustang                                    1:50.762
36 Avenatti / Faieta / Poordad / Sweedler / Wagner         
Alex Job Racing / Porsche GT3                                      1:50.824
37 Bomarito / Franchitti / Hinchcliffe / Tremblay          
SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8                                           1:51.022
38 Aguas / Kauffman / Pastrana / Waltrip                   
AF-Waltrip / Ferrari 458                                           1:51.105
39 Dempsey / Espenlaub / Foster / Long / Putman            
Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8                                        1:51.416
40 Ave / Heylen / Peterson / Soulet / Valverde             
Racers Edge Motorsports / Dodge Viper                              1:51.555
41 Del Vecchio / Grunnet / Kester / McKee / Pobst          
Acumen Motorsport / Porsche GT3                                    1:51.575
42 Auberlen / Dalla Lana / Johnson / Muller / Said         
Turner Motorsport / BMW M3                                         1:51.680
43 Miller / Prewitt / Rettich / Schneider / Shoff          
Alliance Autosport / Porsche GT3                                   1:51.727
44 Jones / Lester / McCutchen / Thomas                     
Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC / Porsche GT3                    1:52.250
45 Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker                    
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8                                           1:52.541
46 Buford / Englster / Murry / Schaldach                   
Liqui Moly Team Englster/Mitchum Motorsports / Porsche GT3         1:52.641
47 Ardagna / Costabal / Di Guida / Orjuela / Salazar       
TRG / Porsche GT3                                                  1:52.679
48 James / Johnson / Kitch Jr / Maxwell / Rogers           
Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8                                        1:52.998
49 Fergus / Finger / Greer / Hotchkis / Trinkler           
Dick Greer Racing / Porsche GT3                                    1:53.161
50 Andretti / Andretti / Hacquard / Krohn                  
Yellow Dragon Motorsports / Mazda RX-8                             1:53.202
51 Castellano / Cox / Hedlund / McCarthy / Michaelian      
TRG / Porsche GT3                                                  1:53.919
52 Bertheau / Bleekemolen / Goossens / Henzler / Pumpelly  
TRG / Porsche GT3                                                  1:54.347
53 DeFontes / Fogg / Konopka / Vonka / van de Laar         
Orbit/GMG / Porsche GT3                                            1:54.402
54 Baughman / Breukers / Fumal / Mason / Nowicki           
Michael Baughman Racing / Corvette                                 1:55.577
   Cumming / Estre / Faulkner / Gomez / Keating            
TRG / Porsche GT3                                                 (no time)
   Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Sahlen           
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8                                          (no time)
   Dollahite / Nater / O'Doski / Seefried / Whitis         
Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC / Porsche GT3                   (no time)