DAYTONA BEACH, FL: It was a landmark season for Spirit of Daytona in 2011. The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series team had its best year in the Daytona Prototype ranks with drivers Antonio Garcia and Paul Edwards racing in the top 5 each and every weekend, leading 108 total laps in 12 races.
Perhaps the most definitive race for Spirit of Daytona came at Barber Motorsports Park in April when the No. 90 Chevrolet-powered Coyote earned the team its first DP pole position. With Garcia starting the race, the team dominated the early stages of the event, leading a race-high 50 laps before a ignition coil failure dropped the car down a cylinder at the race’s halfway mark and left Edwards to limp around to a ninth-place finish. While Barber was a disappointment, it started a tremendous four-race stretch for the team that saw the No. 90 DP start on the front row four consecutive races.
While Spirit of Daytona undeniably established itself as a DP class contender for race wins no matter the track, a series of bad luck prevented the team from earning an elusive podium finish. The team’s best finish came at arguably the one track that they least expected when Garcia and Edwards brought home a fourth-place finish at Montreal in October. When all was said and done, Spirit of Daytona finished the season eighth in the Rolex Series DP standings despite leading the fifth-most laps in the series following the season-opening Rolex 24.
With an up-and-down year in the books, Spirit of Daytona sets its sights on what should be an exciting 2012 season. The team will take part in an October test at Barber Motorsports Park, as well as a pair of tests at Daytona in November and December. Stay tuned for exciting news regarding Spirit of Daytona’s 2012 plans in the coming weeks and months!
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
* Spirit of Daytona leads its first laps of the season, pacing the field in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
* By earning the pole at Barber Motorsports Park, Antonio Garcia gives Spirit of Daytona its first DP class pole.
* Driver Paul Edwards makes it two consecutive poles for Spirit of Daytona with a pole at VIR.
* The streak of consecutive front row starting positions reaches four after second place qualifying efforts at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen.
* Montreal sees Spirit of Daytona score its best finish of the season with a fourth-place finish at Montreal.
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