From Grand-Am Communications
Nearly 40 cars participate in the opening three-day test for the 2009 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge season, which starts Saturday and ends next Monday at Daytona International Speedway.
The 2009 race season opens Jan. 23 with the Fresh From Florida 200, which incurs a three-hour time limit, at the 3.56-mile track.
Defending Grand Sport (GS) class and overall winner Craig Stanton of BGB Motorsports is the only reigning race winner scheduled to participate in the test. He will drive the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Porsche 997, one of 22 entries from the GS class, with rookie Josh Hurley.
Defending ST race co-winner Glenn Bocchino will also participate in the test, but the Delray Beach, Fla., driver has incorporated his operation into that of Kinetic Motorsports and moved into the GS class. He is scheduled to drive with Todd Lamb throughout the 2009 season.
The test is the official on-track debut for several drivers, teams and cars. The new BMW M3 will be on hand from Kinetic Motorsports, as the team - co-owned by Nic Jonsson and Russell Smith - has three cars entered for the test. The two co-owners will also drive the cars during the test.
Also running for the first time in KONI Sports Car Challenge history will be a Dodge Challenger from the Blackforest Motorsports stable.
Two-time Fresh From Florida 200 race winner Tom Nastasi, who took the Ford Mustang GT to its first KONI victory at Daytona four years ago, and Ian James will debut the No. 5 Blackforest Motorsports Dodge Challenger.
Nearly 40 cars participate in the opening three-day test for the 2009 Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge season, which starts Saturday and ends next Monday at Daytona International Speedway.
The 2009 race season opens Jan. 23 with the Fresh From Florida 200, which incurs a three-hour time limit, at the 3.56-mile track.
Defending Grand Sport (GS) class and overall winner Craig Stanton of BGB Motorsports is the only reigning race winner scheduled to participate in the test. He will drive the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Porsche 997, one of 22 entries from the GS class, with rookie Josh Hurley.
Defending ST race co-winner Glenn Bocchino will also participate in the test, but the Delray Beach, Fla., driver has incorporated his operation into that of Kinetic Motorsports and moved into the GS class. He is scheduled to drive with Todd Lamb throughout the 2009 season.
The test is the official on-track debut for several drivers, teams and cars. The new BMW M3 will be on hand from Kinetic Motorsports, as the team - co-owned by Nic Jonsson and Russell Smith - has three cars entered for the test. The two co-owners will also drive the cars during the test.
Also running for the first time in KONI Sports Car Challenge history will be a Dodge Challenger from the Blackforest Motorsports stable.
Two-time Fresh From Florida 200 race winner Tom Nastasi, who took the Ford Mustang GT to its first KONI victory at Daytona four years ago, and Ian James will debut the No. 5 Blackforest Motorsports Dodge Challenger.