Photo by: Chris Von Wieldt
Marino Competing with Mazda in 50th Anniversary of Rolex 24 at Daytona
Marino hopes the success he enjoyed with Mazda North America in the ALMS in 2009 will be repeated when he is reunited with them at the 2012 Rolex 24 at Daytona in January. Next year’s Rolex 24, held between 26th and 29th January, marks a half-century of top-level sports car racing on the high banking and twisting infield of the Daytona International Speedway.
This historic event will be contested in the #70 works’ backed SpeedSource Mazda RX-8. Both team and car have taken the win for Mazda in the Rolex GT category twice in the last four years, in 2008 and 2010, so if victories come in alternating years, then hopefully 2012 will see them back on the top step of the Rolex GT podium. The #70 SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 is launched in its new 2012 livery (below) today.
The team not only boasts a winning car, but Marino joins a stellar driver line-up for the event; regulars Sylvain Tremblay, SpeedSource team owner, together with Jonathan Bomarito, Sylvain’s team-mate in the Grand-Am Series are the pairing who finished third in this year’s Championship in the Mazda RX-8 just 4 points off the lead. Completing the 4-man driver lineup is Canadian born, 2011 IndyCar Rookie and former Star Mazda driver, James Hinchcliffe. :
There were no second thoughts for Marino when he took the call from SpeedSource’s Sylvain Tremblay’s inviting him to join their Rolex 24 driver line-up in January. “I'm excited to be joining Mazda and SpeedSource for the 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, we have all the elements needed to battle for the GT victory and the team’s record at this event speaks for itself", said Marino. “It's a fantastic way to start the New Year; I'm really looking forward to the test in January and to working with Sylvain, Jonathan and James."
Marino will take his first turn behind the wheel of the SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 at the official test “Roar before the Rolex 24” at the Daytona International Speedway from 6 th – 8 th January, 2012.
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