Charles finished third overall in this leg of the Pirelli Cayman Interseries.  He took home first place in the sportsman class as well, making him the top amateur driver in event.  Wayne picked up right where he left off in last year’s Daytona finale with another Sportsman division podium on Sunday.

SpeedSport would like to congratulate Charles and Wayne.   This is already shaping up to be a memorable season, and more results just like this are sure to come!

Both Steve Abrams and Don Schneider took first in their class. Schneider drove his way to victory in the first round, while Abrams took the checkered flag in the second round. Tony Antonucci wasn’t far behind, taking third place in his first PCA race. As a result of his stellar debut, Tony was named as the top rookie driver for the entire event.

After stepping away from the track for almost three years, Stephen Grevious returned as though he hadn’t ever left. Stephen Qualified well and finished strong in both sprints, earning the award for best prepared driver.

Jack McCarthy was consistent and very fast, both in qualifying and in both sprints. He finished second in GTC4, driving his 997 cup car. He looks poised to earn many more podium spots in the upcoming season.

SpeedSport Tuning owner Spencer Cox made it clear why he is so well respected in the Porsche community, piloting his 1989 911 to a pair of second place finishes in the GT3S class.

All told, the weekend was a great success. Everyone involved had a great time, and returned home safely. Thank you to everyone who made this event possible and we look forward to seeing you at the 2013 edition of the Twin Sprint at Lime Rock!

The news release from MMC is below:

“For the 2012 season, SpeedSport Tuning will be joining MMC as our on-site facility for trackside and technical support. One of the most renowned and respected motorsports shops in the northeast will be available to assist you with all of your racing requirements.

Spencer Cox and the SpeedSport staff bring us 25 years of experience in race car fabrication, data engineering, track setup and race tuning and they have supported customers in IMSA, GrandAm, PCA, NASA and many other professional and amateur forums.

SpeedSport will provide a dedicated service area, staffed by racing professionals, available solely to Monticello members. Track services, now available at MMC, will include pre-race preparation, safety and technical inspections, data (AiM, MoTeC, etc.) support, corner balancing and alignment, brake and tire service and performance and safety upgrades.

The SpeedSport staff looks forward to helping make your track experience the safest and most enjoyable it can be.”

Enter to win an iPad 2 from Speedsport Tuning!  Just complete a written review on one of 3 websites:

Google: Click here to visit Speedsport’s Google page
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Yellow Pages: Click here to visit Speedsport’s yp.com page

Write your review, then come back to this page and fill out the entry form below to tell us about your review and enter to win!

Must complete and post a written review based on actual experience regarding a service or services you received or an interaction with the staff at Speedsport Tuning.   One (1) entry per person, even if reviews are posted on more than one website. Contest ends 6/1/12.  Open to U.S. residents only.  Employees of SST Auto Inc., and their immediate family members are not eligible to win. Grand Prize:  One (1) iPad2 (Wi-Fi model).  Approximate Retail Value $399. 3G service and accessories not included.  Any offensive content will render your entry ineligible for this contest.  Complete contest rules are available during normal business hours at the front desk at Speedsport Tuning, 52 Miry Brook Road, Danbury, CT 06810.

All fields required.

Carlos Gomez put his talents on display once again, winning the 90 minute eduro, despite starting at the back of the field. Carlos is poised to enjoy many more results like this, and looks forward to another successful run in this years’ IMSA Cup.

Ray Arthur picked up right where he left off last year, finishing fourth in class. Ari Strauss is looking more and more comfortable in his Boxster. Ari posted great times all weekend, and learned the “value in fresh tires”.

We are extremely optimistic about the upcoming season. The cars we are putting on the track, the crews supporting them, and the drivers piloting them are sure to bring home the kind of results we have all come to expect.

Here’s a summary of the race, from TRG Car # 65 co-driver Jack McCarthy:

- Overall, the 24 Hours of Daytona was an unbelievable lifetime experience with a great group of drivers and crew.

- Unfortunately, our weekend started with a sub-optimal qualification (38th of ~50 cars in class) due to a blown engine during the last day of practice which significantly limited the amount of tuning we could do on the car prior to qualifying.  Porsche stepped in and immediately supplied a new engine as the failure was clearly a build issue.  It was amazing to see our TRG crew replace the entire engine and get us back out on track in a matter of just over two hours.  The #65 drivers and crew were all praying that this was our piece of bad luck, and the race would go well.

- After the substantial fanfare of the opening festivities for the 50th Anniversary of the 24 Hours of Daytona, the race started at 3:30pm on Saturday.  We had a solid start and our driving on the 3.56 mile course was very consistent during the early stints in the afternoon / evening.  We quickly moved our way up the pack about 10 positions.

- I drove a little over six stints in total during the race (about six hours in total).  The two double stints (~ 1 hour 50 minutes each) during the night / early morning were exhausting.  I managed to get about two hours sleep in a cold RV between the nighttime stints and awoke at 3am to one of my co-drivers (Dr. Joe) preparing a Molotov cocktail of vitamins / minerals / unknown additives for me (aka: “don’t worry it’s just Red Bull on steroids”).   – Dealing with the Daytona Prototypes was one of the biggest challenges on the track and our spotters up in the tower were critical, especially at night.  It was like air traffic control in your ears most of the time, but ultimately you needed to rely on what you saw in your own mirrors.

- At about 2am Sunday morning we had some front suspension problems and had to go back to the paddock garage for about 20 minutes.  The “Bus Stop” (a very fast, curbed chicane on the back straight of Daytona) was taking a toll on everyone’s suspension.  We lost about 15 laps and several positions due to the repairs.

- We came back out and drove hard for the rest of the night.  I was in the car at daybreak, which was a great feeling to see the sun come up over the stands as you round NASCAR turn two on the steep 31 degree Daytona banking.   – Like every car, we had our fair share of “on track experiences” (e.g. car on car contact, occasionally going wide in corners, a few spins), but other than some scrapes on the bumpers, our car was virtually undamaged.  One distinct point in the race for me was when Michael Waltrip, driving the #56 Ferrari, taught me the meaning of “rubbing is racing” when he squeezed inside of me NASCAR style on turn 6 in the infield portion of the track.  Let’s just say that he made some room for himself by using the inside of my rear bumper.

- With strong performances from all of us in the car and our crew / spotters, we had moved all the way up to 21st position in the GT class by noon on Sunday.

- After 22 hours of racing (1:30pm on Sunday) our front left suspension gave way (a broken ball joint) and we had to again return to the garage.  So close to the end of the race, we were gutted not knowing if the car could even be able to return to the race.  Again, the TRG crew did a incredible job to replace the entire front left suspension and both front brake rotors in about 30 minutes.  We lost a bunch of laps and a couple of positions, but we were very happy to be back in the race.

- We returned to the track with a with some significant alignment and braking challenges due to the repairs, but still drove the car hard to keep our position.  My co-drivers allowed me the last stint of the race and the honor of taking the checkered flag at 3:30pm in 23rd place in the GT class after 643 laps and 2,289 miles.

- It was incredible just to finish the race, much less be in the top half of such a strong class of GT cars. So many things with the car could go wrong or just one small driver error over the 24 hours could have ended our race. There was a huge feeling of accomplishment among the drivers and crew.  All five TRG cars finished the race, with the #67 car competing for the lead up to the last laps and eventually finishing second in the GT class.

-Cousin Michael, racing with his new found German BMW friends (D Werner, J Muller, & D Muller), finished a few places in front of us (16th position in the GT class) in the #93 Turner Motorsports car.  Although it was not the win they were looking for, it was good to see them over the finish line.

- I slept well last night! Thanks again to everyone for their support and to the friends / family who came down for the race.

Best, Jack

For more pictures, visit the Speedsport Tuning Facebook page.

Obviously, winning is a long shot with so many other much more experienced teams in the field. The Rolex 24 is really more about the race itself than the potential for a champagne-spraying podium celebration. Like climbing Mount Everest for mountaineers or finishing the New York marathon for runners, the Rolex 24 is a great life achievement for those with a serious racing passion. To finish this race, the teams must battle mechanical failure, crashes, changing conditions — including the typical heavy rain, and driver fatigue. To finish is a victory in itself.

This year, Cox is about to live out his dream. As an avid Porsche enthusiast, he has driven in many club races and track days and has held the Porsche Club of America track record at Connecticut’s Lime Rock Park. His thriving Danbury business specializes in European car service including everything from oil changes to major repairs. They also provide support and service to amateur racers and their cars at regional club races and track days up and down the east coast. You could say cars are Spencer’s life, after his beautiful wife and young daughter, of course.

Over the ensuing 20 years since founding SpeedSport Tuning, Cox has spent a lot of time around the race-track as a coach for his clients, and also as a driver. He has driven at Daytona in PCA events, so there will be some familiarity with the circuit. But the Rolex 24 is no club race. Cox is realistic about the challenges ahead. “The 24 is more about consistency and staying out of trouble than outright speed. Particularly in the GT Class, the winner is often not the fastest car in the race. Staying out of trouble and preserving the car are the keys to a good finish. And with the changing conditions and visibility as we go from daylight to night, the challenges are many. Add to that the speed differential between the Daytona Protoypes and the GT cars and you have to watch your mirrors constantly, keeping alert for faster cars approaching. It’s pretty intense out there, but I’m very excited.”

The 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona will feature a slew of famous drivers and even some celebrities including TV’s Patrick Dempsey, rocker Brian Johnson of AC/DC fame, motorcycle and rally star Travis Pastrana, and racers from every possible discipline including Michael Waltrip, Boris Said, Juan Pablo Montoya, Paul Tracy, Dario Franchitti, and Tony Kanaan. The race can be followed live on SpeedTV with coverage beginning at 2:30pm EST on Saturday. And don’t forget to stop by SpeedSport Tuning next week to hear some great stories from a regular guy living out his dream.

Need a gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life?  Give the gift of auto service!  A perfect stocking stuffer for an Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes or Porsche driver.  Gift certificates are available in any denomination.  Stop by the shop at 52 Miry Brook Road in Danbury Monday through Friday between 8AM and 5PM to pick up a gift certificate.