TRG – A Winning Rolex 24 At Daytona History

Team celebrates 15th year with impressive race stats

Petaluma, California, (January 25, 2011) – TRG will celebrate its 15th consecutive year of running the historic Grand-Am Rolex Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona when the green flag drops on the two-day, all night race January 29-30.  The team has entered five Porsche 997 GT3 Cup cars for this year’s Rolex 24.

-This year’s entries brings TRG’s total to 66 since the team first turned a lap at Daytona International Speedway in 1996.

-TRG drivers have stood on the podium in eight of the last nine years and took six of the nine podium spots in the last three years.

-TRG holds an incredible record of being the only team to have a one-two finish in GT, and a one-two finish in the Daytona Prototype class and to win both classes on the same weekend.

-With 24 drivers in this year’s five entries, TRG has provided the opportunity of running the twice around the clock event to 247 drivers since 1996.

-In their 15 years running the race, the team from California has entered 66 TRG prepared racers, 62 Porsches, two GT class Pontiacs and two Riley/Pontiac Daytona Prototypes (DP), 2011 inclusive.

-The 61 TRG entries, that have started the 24 to date, have covered 25,628-miles around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn World Center of Racing’s road course.  That is equal to driving a Porsche around the world 4.49-times.

-TRG has comprised nearly 13% of the Rolex GT Class (or GTU) field since 2000.

-The most impressive statistic would have to be that TRG has enjoyed an average finish of tenth from 2000 to 2010.  Since entering the Rolex 24 for the first time in 1996, the team has had an average finish of 11th in GT accounting for the full complement of TRG’s 59 GT entries and 218 drivers (numbers not including 2011) at the Rolex 24 since 1996.

-With all of the entries and drivers also comes wins, three to date.  This includes a GT class win in 2002 and an overall victory, crossing the finish line before a Daytona Prototype (DP) and the entire GT field, in 2003 and a one – two finish in 2009.  The team has stood on the podium 11 times, and recorded 27 top ten finishes.

-TRG has amassed 31 wins in the Rolex Series with 68 podium finishes leading to GT championships in 2005 and 2006.

-The team’s first win in 2002 had the TRG Porsche entry covering 669 laps, the next two wins in 2003 and 2009 the TRG Porsche covered 695 laps.

-The second place TRG entry of Long, van Overbeek, Bergmeister and Neiman in 2010 covered the most laps at Daytona in team history with 703, 2,503-miles the equivalent of driving from Daytona to Los Angeles.

-Team owner/driver Kevin Buckler has won the Rolex 24 Hour as a driver twice, in 2002 and 2003.  The 2003 victory was an overall win in a GT car, one of only two other teams to accomplish this feat in the 49 year history of the race.  He has one more Rolex 24 Hour victory in 2009 as a car owner.

Buckler takes a holistic approach to the Rolex 24.

“We really have a great history at Daytona,” Buckler said.  “We have been able to work closely with Porsche and assemble driving teams that combine amateurs and pros to maximize our winning potential every year.  We have a great team behind the scenes that doesn’t get to stand on the podium or turn a lap that are really the reason for our success.  The TRG Secret Sauce is our years of experience and long term approach to running this epic event.  Those team members back at the office and shop who work on these cars and do the work in the pits is what separates us from the rest of the field.  You have to have the whole package including the drivers, crew, car, strategy, reliability and those special ingredients that can carry the team over 24 hours to the winners circle.”

“The race gets tougher every year.  The other GT competitors get better and better as they focus more of their effort on the Rolex 24.  Porsche knows what it takes to win an endurance event like Daytona.  They run a half-dozen 24 hour races a year and they know how to build a car that will last in the right hands.  But like in every other successful venture it comes down to people to make it a winning effort.”

The Rolex 24 Hour At Daytona will be televised live on the SPEED Channel in two segments.  The first segment will air from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 29th, rejoining the action from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 30. MRN will broadcast four live segments, including two hours of coverage at the start and finish of the event, for SIRIUS NASCAR Radio Channel 128 plus more than 60 MRN affiliates throughout North America: 3-5 p.m. and 8-8:30 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Jan. 29; 7-7:30 and 2-4 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Jan. 30.  Six short updates are scheduled for the affiliates: 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. (ET) on Jan. 29; Midnight, 6 a.m., 10 a.m. and Noon (ET) on Jan. 30.

2011 TRG Rolex 24 Hour Entries:

4

TRG/Racing for Research/Porsche

Kenny Wallace

Ron Yarab

Daniel Graeff

Richard Zahn

Ryan Eversley

54

TRG/Black Swan/GMG/Porsche

Tim Pappas

Jeroen Bleekemolen

James Sofronas

Bret Curtis

Patrick Pilet

66

Ben Keating

Tim George Jr.

Dominik Farnbacher

Lucas Luhr

67

TRG/HP/South Point Casino/Porsche

Steve Bertheau

Brendan Gaughan

Andy Lally

Spencer Pumpelly

Wolf Henzler

53 TRG/Nadeau Motorsports

Coulter Mulligan

Bob Doyle

Jim Michaelian

TRG is a full-service motorsports company offering a total driver ladder approach.  This approach starts with track days, goes to club events, up into street stock series and culminates in the ultimate goal of professional motorsports.  With sports car focused facilities in Petaluma, California (Infineon Raceway) and Millville, New Jersey (New Jersey Motorsports Park) the team can offer turn-key support as well as arrive-and-drive programs.

The company’s NASCAR operations are headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina.  The team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry and has the capacity to run ARCA, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series.

The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of motor racing.  The team boasts Rolex Series GT championships in 2005 and 2006 and holds the record for the most wins in Grand-Am with 31.  The team’s resume is highlighted by five championships, three Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona victories and a Le Mans 24 Hour win.

© RIF | TRG