Spirit of Daytona Racing
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Spirit of Daytona Racing, (known as VisitFlorida Racing from 2015 to 2017) is an auto racing team that competes in the IMSA United SportsCar Championship with the No. 90 Visit Florida Ligier JS P217, driven by Renger van der Zande and Marc Goossens.
History
Spirit of Daytona was founded in 1987 by owner Troy Flis. The team is based in Daytona Beach, Florida where they have an 8,000-square-foot (740 m2) shop. The team originally started racing in the number 16 Crown Royal Cask Volkswagen. The team has competed in every season of the Rolex Sports Car Series since the series was created in early 2000. The team has enjoyed some success by winning 16 Grand Am series races. They have also won a pair of Grand Am Series Team Championships in 2000 and 2001. They won a Grand Am Drivers Championship in 2001. They also won their class in the 2002 24 Hours of Daytona. The teams two main drivers are 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice, and Antonio García, who was part of the Brumos Porsche team that won the 2009 24 Hours of Daytona. Spirit of Daytona finished 8th in the 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series points. In 2010 they had nine top-tens, and four top-five finishes.
Antonio García and Richard Westbrook joined the Spirit of Daytona team during the 2012 Rolex Sports Car Series season. The team won overall at the 2012 Barber Motorsports Park race in a Corvette Daytona Prototype.[1] The team also won at Mid-Ohio with drivers Westbrook and Michael Valiante.[2] Afterward, Garcia would leave to join the Corvette factory team, his replacement being Jordan Taylor, son of Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona winner Wayne Taylor. Although Taylor and Westbrook would not win, during Grand-Am's final year, the duo had a best finish of third and finished 97% of the laps.
In 2014, Grand-Am merged with the American Le Mans Series to form the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. Taylor left to join his father's team, being replaced by Michael Valiante. The duo combined for three podiums as well as their sole victory at the 6 Hours of the Glen en route to third in the championship. The following year saw the team take its second consecutive 6 Hours at the Glen victory along with the win at Laguna Seca, and a runner-up at the Rolex 24. Despite Valiante and Westbrook finishing second in points, both drivers were released in favor of Marc Goossens and Scotsman Ryan Dalziel. Of note, Goossens raced with 2012 IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay at Long Beach due to Dalziel driving for Tequila Patrón ESM in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Against the dominant Action Express and Wayne Taylor Racing entries, VFR saw the podium twice, at Daytona and Laguna Seca, and Goossens finished 5th in the final standing.
References
- ^ Cavin, Curt (April 16, 2012). "Corvette Claims First Overall Win In Rolex Series". Autoweek. 62 (8): 80.
- ^ "Spirit of Daytona wins in Ohio". The Daytona Beach News-Journal. June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
External links
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