MANY NASCAR DRIVERS TO COMPETE IN ROLEX 24

Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya among host of NASCAR drivers competing in Rolex 24 At Daytona

Bob Pockrass, SceneDaily.com 

Jamie McMurray, Juan Pablo Montoya and AJ Allmendinger are among the NASCAR drivers day-to-night racing this weekend as they will compete in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.

The 24-hour race on the 3.56-mile road course begins at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday and will feature 59 cars – 14 in the Daytona Prototype class and 45 in the Grand Touring class.

Montoya and McMurray will drive for their Sprint Cup team owner Chip Ganassi, whose teams have won the race four times – 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011. Montoya was part of the winning driver lineup in 2007 and 2008.

They are paired with Ganassi IndyCar drivers Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon. Dixon qualified the BMW Riley and will start third. The driver who qualified the car starts the race.

Allmendinger, preparing for his first season with Penske Racing, qualified the Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley in sixth.

Among other drivers with recent NASCAR ties in the race:

• Michael Waltrip Racing co-owners Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman, as well as their Nationwide Series driver Travis Pastrana, are among the four drivers of an AF Waltrip Ferrari 458. Rui Aguas will start the car in 26th in the GT class.

• The 20111 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year Andy Lally qualified his Magnus Racing Porsche to start third in the GT class.

• Michael McDowell, who drives for Phil Parsons Racing in Cup and also will drive in select Nationwide races for Joe Gibbs Racing, is part of a Michael Shank team that will roll off eighth.

• Jeffrey Earnhardt, son of Kerry Earnhardt, and 2011 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year Timmy Hill are driving a Rick Ware Racing Mustang that will start 15th in the GT class. That car will be started by Chris Cook, who has driven in several NASCAR races on road courses.

• Boris Said, who won the 2010 Nationwide Series race in Montreal, will drive a Turner Motorsport BMW (not the same team as Turner Motorsports in NASCAR) that will start 30th in the GT class.

• Max Papis, who will drive in the Nationwide Series race at Road America for Richard Childress Racing, is part of an Action Express Racing team that will start seventh overall

• Former Roush Fenway Racing development driver Colin Braun qualified a Krohn Racing Ford Lola to start 12th overall.

• Former Cup driver John Andretti and son Jarrett Andretti are among the drivers of a Yellow Dragon Motorpsorts Mazda that will start the race 38th in the GT class.

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