Two cars in the Grand-Am Rolex and two in the Continental Tire Series
When the 2010 racing season opens at Daytona International Speedway at the end of January, Stevenson Motorsports will introduce four brand new Chevrolet Camaro race cars. At the January test days – ‘The Roar Before The 24’ – the team will debut two new Pratt & Miller built Camaro GT.Rs for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16. They will also compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge Series with a pair of Riley Technologies built Camaro GS.Rs.
All four cars – and the drivers – will be introduced to the media at Daytona International Speedway during the “Roar Before The 24” test days to take place from January 8th through the 10th.
For fans of the Chevrolet marque, the return of the Camaro could not be a more welcome sight as the cold days of winter temporarily give way to a weekend of Florida sunshine. With the proven performance of the Stevenson Team – led by Team Manager Mike Johnson – preparing the cars, those fans should experience plenty of warm moments throughout the entire season.
Johnson is optimistic that the pieces of the new racing puzzle are coming together and will, in the end, present a picture of success. “I really have no idea how we went from running one car last season to now having four cars seemingly overnight, but the good news is that we have two seasons of experience with the Pratt & Miller chassis and we have the VIR race and a bunch of testing behind us with the Riley GS car. I feel we have a good knowledge base to work on. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive the 3rd and 4th car until right before Christmas, so the crew has been working many late nights in preparation for the Daytona Test.”
Andrew Davis complimented the crew on their dedication to preparing for what promises to be an exciting season. “I can’t say enough about the effort that the Stevenson Motorsports crew – along with everyone up at Pratt & Miller – has put forth to get the new cars ready for the first test of the new year. They have worked tirelessly through the holidays to complete the VinSolutions/BryanMark Financial No. 57 Camaro GT.R, and I am looking forward to getting behind the wheel at Daytona.
“This commitment to success extends all the way to the top of the organization, as evident by securing Jan Magnussen’s services for the Rolex 24. It’s going to be a great start to the 2010 season!”
Robin Liddell is eagerly anticipating a good run at the 2010 GT Championship for the new Camaro and he feels the first race at Daytona will work in the team’s favor for two solid reasons. “First, I couldn’t think of a better driver to join Andrew and me than Jan Magnussen. The man has an incredible record of performance and is just an incredibly quick driver. Next, I feel the aerodynamics of the new Camaro will help us on the banking at Daytona. We gave away some top speed there with the Pontiac and I am hoping the new wider and lower Camaro will help us gain some of the top speed we had been giving up in the past.”
The rapid expansion of the Stevenson operation comes with a challenge to manage all the resources it takes to compete in two series with four cars and eight plus drivers. Johnson provided an overview of what it takes to unite and direct those resources into a straight line aimed to bring the team success.
“We’ve been very fortunate to get some great people that have all worked together. Our crew has grown from 10 people to 27 just to manage the four cars. We also now have three trailers and a hospitality staff. So far the hardest part is just getting everything situated with so many moving parts at play. We are working out making sure everyone knows what to do and that they have the tools to do it.
“I start every day in my office with a plan of attack and yet I never seem to get to the plan until after 5:00 PM, when I finally get some work done. We’ve had a lot of help from Pratt & Miller, Riley and CRD to make all this happen, plus our suppliers have been putting in the hours getting us wheels, brakes, gearbox parts, etc.”
Johnson also notes his driver lineup benefits from having a combination of experience and young talent that will mesh into a cohesive and productive powerhouse.
“Another great thing about our program this year is the driver line-up. In GS, we have two race winners in Matt Bell and Hugh Plumb, plus our second GT car will be very strong with series rookie Günter Schaldach running with Mike Borkowski. Andrew Davis and Robin Liddell will be back in the 57 again which is great for the consistency they bring to the program. Jeff Bucknum, another veteran racer and team owner, will return to the Sunoco-Camaro livery which his father made famous. Finally, Al Carter, another series rookie will do 5-8 Continental races with Craig Stone filling the gaps. I think we have four cars that can win on any given weekend.”
The 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16 schedule begins with the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona on January 30th.
The 2010 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge Series schedule begins with the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona International Speedway on January 29th.
More information about the Stevenson Motorsports team, and the new Stevenson performance shop, can be found at www.stevensonmotorsports.com
For more information on the Grand-Am Rolex Series, go to www.grand-am.com/rolex/
Stevenson Motorsports operates out of a facility located in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Stevenson Motorsports To Field Four New Camaros In 2010 Season
Two cars in the Grand-Am Rolex and two in the Continental Tire Series
When the 2010 racing season opens at Daytona International Speedway at the end of January, Stevenson Motorsports will introduce four brand new Chevrolet Camaro race cars. At the January test days – ‘The Roar Before The 24’ – the team will debut two new Pratt & Miller built Camaro GT.Rs for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No.16. They will also compete in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sportscar Challenge Series with a pair of Riley Technologies built Camaro GS.Rs. read more »
