GRANDAM: Allmendinger and Shank enjoy the fruits of victory

A. J. Allmendinger and car owner Michael Shank continue to enjoy the fruits of victory for winning the Rolex24 at Daytona, the 50th anniversary edition of the legendary endurance race. “The win hasn’t really sunk in yet, as I have been so busy since then,” Allmendinger said during a press conference on Wednesday.

“It is the biggest win I’ve ever had and for me, Mike (Shank) and everyone at Michael Shank Racing we have worked hard for seven years for this,” the co-winner stated. “We have had so many chances to win this race, only to have something go wrong. Nothing went wrong (this time) and the car was amazing. This is the first time I have been part of a win with four drivers and a special team and for it to end it the way we did was pretty amazing.”

Allmendinger and Shank have been together for seven years, and Allmendinger repeatedly said how important the victory was. The likable driver has been plagued by a series of ups and downs, admittedly more of the latter, but his outlook brightened recently when he signed with Penske Racing to drive a Penske Dodge on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit. His first outing with the new team will take place later this month in the Daytona 500.

Although Allmendinger has gotten the bulk of the attention, the NASCAR ace thought his co-drivers (Justin Wilson, John Pew and Ozz Negri) deserved an equal portion of the credit. “I was just a small part of it,” Allmendinger said. “None of the drivers put a wheel wrong in all 24 hours, which was hard to do. There was never a moment the car was off the race track, which was what you have to do to win these races. The big moment was when the Starworks car went off the track, and that gave us the opening we needed. We had great pit stops, and everything went as planned.”

Shank heaped praise on his entire organization and called it a team victory, one which he will never forget. He underscored the significance of the runs by co-drivers Wilson, Negri and Pew.

The Ohio native thought there were several key factors that led to the victory: the 4 a.m. decision to let Allmendinger rest while Wilson and Negri drove triple stints, the torrid battle with sports-car star Allan McNish, the brake pad change in the latter stages of the race, and the dependability of the new Riley car.

#60 Michael Shank Racing Ford Riley: Oswaldo Negri, John Pew, A.J. Allmendinger, Justin Wilson

Photo by: Greg Aleck

“We didn’t even have to blow the radiator out; that’s how good the cooling system is on the new Riley. It just ran and ran,” Shank stated. “And there were no mistakes by the drivers.” He indicated the most stressful activity was a late-race brake pad change. “We debated this for 20 minutes because Justin had a 20-second lead, but we needed to do it. So we decided to do a green-flag change, which was the scariest moment of the race for me. If my guys had made one little mistake, we would have been cooked and a lap behind. We put A. J. in the car then and he didn’t touch the brake pedal, which is very important. It was so stressful I couldn’t get off the stand to watch it, but it went perfectly. That sealed the deal for us.”

Regarding the late-race tensions, Allmendinger said, “I was just sitting there watching my teammates. Justin and Ozz were in the car a lot and they left it all out there on the race track. Justin built up a 38-second lead when he turned the car over to Ozz, who got a lot of pressure from McNish. I was watching on TV and I couldn’t help be pumped up. So I had to go out there and do the job and not let them down.”

He regarded the dual for the lead as another key step toward the victory. “It was so important to be leading the race, as both cars were so evenly matched,” he noted. “It was important to be leading going into the pit stops, and that is why we were fighting so hard. It was a fun battle. At that point, two hours to go to win a Rolex and if you are not pumped up about that, you shouldn’t be in the race car.”

Added Shank about the no-holds barred bout with McNish, “We weren’t going to be pushed around. If A. J. had taken us out of the race at that point, I would not have been disappointed with him. McNish pushed A. J. horrible wide in turn one, so A. J. got something back at him. That’s how we race. I was very proud of A. J., and he got to show the world what he was capable of.”

Michael Shanks Racing also took third place with an older car, and Shank toasted drivers Michael McDowell, Felipe Nasr, Jorge Goncalvez and Gustavo Yacaman for their gutsy performance particularly with their inexperience. “There were a bunch of 19 and 20-year olds driving it, and the great thing is they listened to us,” he said, praising them for regaining the lead lap after suffering a pair of flat tires. “They did a superior job in an old car.”

Even though there are several Rolex Series races between now and the Indianapolis event in July, Shank and Allmendinger discussed the importance of the race. “Indianapolis is the place; it is hallowed ground,” Shank said. “I tested the car there two years ago, and it was a great thing to do. I can’t wait for the race and I think we will put on a heluva show. We will be ready to go.”

Said Allmendinger, “When you say the name Indy, it is special. The last couple of years, the whole NASCAR weekend has kind of fizzled out and I think bringing Nationwide (Series) and Grand-Am will make for a fun racing weekend. It would be awesome to win the 50th Rolex24 and the first Indy Grand-Am.”

Allmendinger has the option to race in Indianapolis and he will likely do so, but in meantime, everyone at Michael Shank Racing will continue to enjoy the fruits of victory from the golden anniversary Rolex24 at Daytona.

Michael Shank Racing, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, 2009 test

Photo by: Andy Sallee

In addition to the winning team, the Daytona International Speedway, local businesses and the fans have benefitted from the weekend action. The fan turnout may have been the largest ever, certainly the largest in years, so substantive that the infield had to be closed to vehicular traffic on Friday and Saturday.

Hotels, restaurants and other businesses also reported an increase in sales due to the strong numbers of teams, fans and media that flocked to Daytona. Some 170 media outlets received credentials and about half of them represented the international set.

Adding luster to the weekend’s activities was the presence of 29 of the 42 winning cars along with 47 drivers that won the race at one time or another. Track officials worked hard for more than a year tracking down the winning cars and inviting the owners to bring their cars to Daytona.

The winning cars were on display at the nearby Ocean Center, and on Friday, they were driven to the track to the delight of fans that lined up along the streets. A day later, the 29 cars were rolled to the starting line prior and yesterday’s champions and today’s drivers came out for a close inspection of the cars and to renew acquaintances. Thereafter, the cars took parade laps around the track.

One of the many highlights took place when Dario Franchitti was invited to drive a winning Porsche 917 during the parade laps. Said the IZOD IndyCar champion, “In the past, I had sat in one but never have driven a 917. It was a typical Porsche -- the temperature perfect was perfect, the gear box lovely and it had lots of power. Overall, it was a stunning thing to drive and a fantastic experience.”

DP victory lane: class and overal winners A.J. Allmendinger, Oswaldo Negri, John Pew and Justin Wilson celebrate

Photo by: Eric Gilbert