Written by: Grand American Communications Daytona Beach, Fla. – 1/27/2008
The 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 opened with a record-breaking Rolex 24 At Daytona at Daytona International Speedway.
The Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates racing program became the first team to capture three straight Rolex 24 victories with a win by the No. 01 TELMEX/Target Lexus Riley and drivers Scott Pruett, Memo Rojas, Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti.
Defending Rolex Series champions Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty opened their title defense with a runner-up finish in the Rolex 24. The duo was joined by two-time defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and 1996 Champ Car World Series champ Jimmy Vasser in the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Lowe's Pontiac Riley.
2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch, two-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves and IndyCar star Ryan Briscoe grabbed the final step on the podium.
Sylvain Tremblay, David Haskell, Nick Ham and Raphael Matos won the GT class in the No. 70 SpeedSource Castrol Syntec Mazda RX-8, shutting Porsche out of victory lane in any class of the Rolex 24 since 1993.
Two TRG Porsches did finish second and third, rounding out the podium. Andy Lally, Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou, and Richard Westbrook in the No. 66 Mitchell Rubber/Marquis Jet Porsche GT3 earned the runner-up spot five laps behind the class leader. The No. 67 TRG Monster Cable/Need For Speed Porsche GT 3 of Tim George, Jr., Spencer Pumpelly, Bryan Sellers, Romain Dumas and Emanuel Collard scored the third slot for Kevin Buckler's TRG stable.