Frikadelli Racing looking forward to one of the team's biggest challenges ever – the Daytona 24
26.01.2016
• Renowned Nürburgring Nordschleife racers to start for the first time at the classic Rolex 24
• Five-strong driver line-up: “Speed Bee” Sabine Schmitz, team owner Klaus Abbelen, Patrick Huisman, Frank Stippler and Porsche junior Sven Müller
• First competitive outing for new Frikadelli-Porsche 911 GT3 R with more than 500 PS
• Team in a positive mood for 24-hour race after successful testing at the “Roar before the 24”
Frikadelli Racing is experiencing one of the most exciting weeks in the team’s history: Next week-end, the racing team from Barweiler at the world-famous Nürburgring will contest the Daytona 24 Hours for the first time ever. The crew around team owner Klaus Abbelen and “Queen of the Nordschleife” Sabine Schmitz is racing one of the first 911 GT3 R based on the model generation 991 that Porsche delivered to a customer team. Abbelen and Schmitz will take turns with experienced Daytona racers Patrick Huisman (NL) and Frank Stippler (D) as well as Porsche junior driver Sven Müller at the 911’s steering wheel.
The “Rolex 24” is arguably North America’s most famous endurance race. It ranks at eyelevel with the Le Mans 24 Hours and the 24 hour-race at the Nürburgring. The Daytona classic is held on a 5.73 kilometer track that combines the Daytona International Speedway’s banked curves known from the “Daytona 500” with a twisty infield section. In Florida, Frikadelli Racing is celebrating its international debut. Abbelen, Huisman and Müller already took part in the three testing around two weeks ago when the new Porsche 911 GT3 R’s strong performance raised a few eyebrows.
The event will go underway this Thursday with the first free practice at 9:25 a.m. (3.25 p.m. MEZ). The second session will be under way from 1:20 p.m. (7:20 p.m. MEZ). The 15-minute Qualifying starts at 4:00 p.m. (10:00 p.m. MEZ) night-time practice is scheduled between 6:30 and 8:00 p.m. (Friday 0:30 to 2:00 a.m. MEZ). Friday morning will see the fourth practice session from 10:25 to 11:25 a.m. (4:25 to 5:25 p.m. MEZ). The actual race will start on Saturday at 2:40 p.m. (8:40 p.m. MEZ).
Quotes from the run-up to the Daytona 24
Klaus Abbelen (Germany, team owner and driver): “I’ve been dreaming of competing in the Daytona 24 for 15 years. Now the time has come to turn the dream into reality. We have been working on the project since Le Mans 2015. It was there that I met Scole Scrogham who supports our team a great deal. I think that we have made our homework well. Now we are looking forward to a fantastic race.”
Sabine Schmitz (Germany, driver): “I’ve never before been to Daytona and I even had to skip the official testing due to business obligations. I tried to learn the track as best as possible by video and simulations and have extensively analysed our data. Now I hope that the guys will give me a little more time in the cockpit during the practice sessions.”
Patrick Huisman (Netherlands, driver): “We already saw in Daytona testing that the new Porsche 911 GT3 R is a big step forward. Te car is real fun to drive; it reacts well to changes in the mechanical and aerodynamical set-up. Thanks to a longer wheel-base compared to its predecessor it is also easier to drive and more precise. I am absolutely delighted to and looking very much forward to what will be my eleventh start at Daytona.”
Frank Stippler (Germany, driver): „The combination of the road-course type infield and the speedway passages with the oval’s banked curves makes Daytona very special. In Europe there is no track with a similar layout. We also have to watch the faster cars from the prototype category. When we race on the Nordschleife, we usually keep a watch on the cars in front, because our GT3 is one of the fastest cars there. The whole Frikadelli line-up has to adapt to looking into the mirrors quite often.“
Pics gallery Daytona Free Practise
Gallery
Download
| 1 | frikadelli_160125_daytona_vor (399,3 KB) |
| 2 | frikadelli_160125_daytona_vor_en (399,4 KB) |