Hinchcliffe, Tracy gunning for Rolex 24 title
Posted January 28, 2012 10:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Canadian auto racers James Hinchcliffe and Paul Tracy are both attempting to win the coveted Rolex Daytona steel watch.
Although known more for their IndyCar careers, Hinchcliffe and Tracy will be in the running for the 50th anniversary of the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Saturday.
Hinchcliffe, from Oakville, Ont., will race in the GT class for SpeedSource in the Mazda RX-8 and joins Sylvain Tremblay, Jonathan Bomarito and Marino Franchitti, the younger brother of four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti.
The 25-year-old Hinchcliffe said in a team press release that he’s thrilled to compete in the twice-around-the-clock event.
“That race has been on my bucket list and to get the chance now is awesome,” Hinchcliffe said. “I know a little bit of what to expect because I did a race with SpeedSource back in 2005, so it will be great to reunite with Sylvain and the guys and get back in the RX-8. It’s a huge opportunity.”
Tracy, from Scarborough, Ont., joins Doran Racing’s Combos/Circle-K Ford-Dallara in the Daytona Prototype division, and will race with brothers Brian and Burt Frisselle and Dr. Jim Lowe.
On the team’s website, Tracy said he’s excited to return to Daytona, especially with Doran Racing.
“I drove my first Rolex 24 in a Doran JE4 design back in 2005 and it was a great experience,” Tracy said. “I’m grateful that Kevin (team owner Kevin Doran) put his trust in me as a driver and paired me with the Frisselle brothers and Jim Lowe.”
The green flag for the Rolex 24 at Daytona drops on Saturday at 3:30 ET.
