Chevrolet Racing roars into Daytona for the season opener

DETROIT – Chevrolet is ready to get back to racing and kick off the 2013 GRAND-AM Road Racing season. The year will begin with the 51st running of the Rolex 24-Hour at Daytona, a legendary endurance race that tests both man and machine.

#5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP: Christian Fittipaldi, Felipe Nasr, Nelson A. Piquet

Photo by: Eric Gilbert

This season Team Chevy’s Rolex Sports Car Series roster is comprised of six Corvette DP teams, including the newly established 8Star Motorsports, which will field the No. 3 Corvette DP. 8Star will join Action Express Racing, which fields two entries: the No. 5 and No. 9 Corvette DPs. Long-time Team Chevy partner Wayne Taylor Racing will field the No. 10 Velocity Worldwide Corvette DP. Filling out the Team Chevy Rolex DP roster are the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette DP and the No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP.

Also competing in the Rolex 24-Hour under the Team Chevy banner will be No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GT.R and the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette GT.R.

"The Chevrolet teams in GRAND-AM are well-prepared and excited to kick-off the 2013 race season at Daytona International Speedway,” said Jim Lutz, GRAND-AM Road Racing Program Manager, Chevrolet Racing. “We will have a strong team and driver line-up in both the Rolex 24 Hour Daytona Prototype and Grand Touring, as well as in the Grand Sport class in Friday's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

"We were very pleased with the results of testing in the ‘Roar Before the 24’ early in January. Our teams have been working ’round the clock to be prepared for the season- opener and biggest race of the year.

"Success in the Rolex 24 Hour takes a dedicated engineering effort from all of our teams, technical partners and the Chevrolet Racing engineering group to produce cars that are reliable and fast, and to achieve the goal of a trip to Victory Lane."

Race fans at Daytona International Speedway for the Rolex 24 will also have the opportunity to experience the Team Chevy Racing Display, which was filled with show cars, production vehicles, Chevrolet Performance Parts crate engines, and parts and accessories. They are invited to participate in question-and-answer sessions with Team Chevy drivers.

“We’re excited to offer fans of the Rolex 24 a Chevy destination in the DIS infield,” said Maria Stenbom, Chevy Racing Motorsports Marketing Digital & Social/Manager, GRAND- AM. “The Team Chevy Racing Display will have something for everyone. Fans will have the opportunity to ask questions of drivers Lawson Ashenbach, Eric Curran, Ricky Taylor, Jordan Taylor and Richard Westbrook, Darren Law and Jon Fogarty, and spend time with one of our friendly product specialists and learn more about Chevy’s great vehicle lineup.

“I’m especially proud to be able to show the new 2014 Silverado and ZL1 Convertible to our fans! Also on display are Chevrolet Performance Parts crate engines and an assortment of accessories and performance parts for fans to purchase from their local Chevy dealer. We hope to see you there.”

Ashenbach and Curran will be at the display at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, and Ricky and Jordan Taylor and Westbrook, Law and Fogarty will visit the display at 11 a.m. on Saturday.