
Adam Sinclair
Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway more than 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of traveling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week.
Adam spent several years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.
Be sure to tune in for his sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place (almost) every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.
Contact Adam: Email
Johnson Finds Watkins Glen a Real Laughing Matter
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Nico Rosberg gets back behind the wheel
Nico Rosberg, 2016 Formula One World Champion and CEO of Extreme E outfit Rosberg X Racing (RXR), finally stepped back into the race seat for an exclusive test drive in his team’s ODYSSEY 21 in Germany.
Following his Formula One title in 2016, Rosberg had vowed to quit racing and embarked on a career as a sustainability entrepreneur and investor. Since then, the 36-year-old has rarely been seen behind the steering wheel of a race car, though has taken to showing his audiences the Formula One tracks on his simulator. However, Rosberg has since decided to take RXR’s Extreme E ODYSSEY 21 for a spin on the Nürburgring Offroad Park near the team’s base in Neustadt, Germany.
Under close supervision from Team Principal, Kimmo Liimatainen, as well as RXR drivers Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky and Johan Kristoffersson, Rosberg had a chance to get acquainted with the ODYSSEY 21 and the one-kilometre off-road track before undertaking his first-ever laps in an off-road car.
After an exhilarating time back behind the wheel, Rosberg said: “This was simply a phenomenal experience. I cannot believe the power of this car. Off-road driving is so much fun.
“Even though I have not been behind the wheel for a long time, I immediately was in my element. The muscle memory came back instantly and I simply enjoyed myself. Rally driving is an entirely different beast from circuit racing, though, and I have a newfound respect for Mikaela and Johan.”
While the test was just a fun exercise for Rosberg, serious business is about to begin again for RXR with just two weeks to go before the next Extreme E event, the Island X Prix double-header in Sardinia.
After being crowned inaugural Extreme E champions in 2021, the team started Season 2 in triumphant style with victory at the Desert X Prix in NEOM, Saudi Arabia.
To learn more about Extreme E, visit - www.Extreme-E.com
The 61st Anniversary Rolex 24 At DAYTONA weekend is set for next January 26-29, 2023, and for fans who attend, they will see history in the making with the return of the iconic IMSA GTP class, which features new hybrid prototypes from a variety of different manufacturers.
In addition, garage access will now be included for all 2-day infield and single-day customers, enhancing the experience for guests by providing close access to the incredible cars and teams as they prepare for North America’s most prestigious sports car race. The iconic event, which is the ultimate test of endurance, speed and skill for world-class competition and at the World Center of Racing, will be held on Jan. 28-29 at Daytona International Speedway to open the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
It will be the first race for the new GTP class, hearkening back to a highly successful era of IMSA prototype racing in the 1980s and 1990s. Four manufacturers – Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Porsche – have already confirmed plans to field new hybrid-powered prototypes in the GTP class next season, with Lamborghini joining the fray in 2024.
As part of a historic convergence agreement between IMSA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) – which organizes the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship – the new generation of prototypes will be eligible to compete for overall victories all over the world, from Daytona to Le Mans and beyond.
“The 2023 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA begins a new tradition with state-of-the-art new prototype race cars and brings back an old one with the GTP class,” said Daytona International Speedway President Frank Kelleher. “It will be a continuation of the rich legacy here at The World Center of Racing. We are also thrilled to offer the up-close, garage access that we know fans from around the globe will enjoy.”
The Rolex 24 At DAYTONA will also showcase pre-race grid access, the popular ferris wheel and fireworks, autograph sessions, live entertainment and displays from the top manufacturers.
Practice sessions in all classes kick off the Rolex 24 At DAYTONA week on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 26-27. In addition, Friday’s slate will see the four-hour BMW M Endurance Challenge to open the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge season. The storied “twice-around-the-clock” Rolex 24 At DAYTONA gets the green flag on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Fans who attended the 2022 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA can log into their account to renew their experience now. The ’23 event will go on-sale to the general public in August. For information, fans can click here or call 1-800-PITSHOP. For all other information on the Rolex 24, click here.
The track will host back-to-back racing weekends with the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions on Jan. 20-22 (Friday-Sunday). Scout Days, a longtime tradition during the Roar Before the Rolex 24, is set during the weekend.
The NASCAR Foundation will host the 13th Annual ‘Taste of the 24’ in the Midway Suites at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, January 28th at 6 PM. Tickets for the exclusive food and beverage celebration, one of the premier kick-off activities of the 2023 motorsports season, will go on sale Wednesday, June 29.
The inaugural Rolex 24 was a three-hour event in 1962, initially known as the Daytona Continental, with Hall of Famer Dan Gurney taking the checkered flag. Held on Daytona’s world-famous 3.56-mile road course, the event is renowned for annually attracting many of the world’s finest race car drivers – from various racing disciplines – to make history against the world’s best sports car racers.
Historically, drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar, Formula 1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) have joined forces for the chance to win the coveted Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona. Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 Acura quartet of Helio Castroneves, Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud are the reigning Rolex 24 At DAYTONA Overall Champions.
Fans can stay connected with Daytona International Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as the all-new NASCAR Tracks App, for the latest speedway news.
There’s a Lot to Like about Watkins Glen
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Guy Cosmo takes on a new challenge this weekend, making his Trans Am presented by Pirelli debut in the competitive TA2 class at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. The Jupiter, Florida driver will be at the wheel of the No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang, part of a 35-car TA2 class during the Mid-Ohio Speed Tour.
He is filling in for Mike Skeen, a 2022 winner at Road Atlanta and Laguna Seca. Teammate Rafa Matos, driver of the No. 88 Ford, won at Sebring and enters the Mid-Ohio weekend as the points leader.
“I’m looking forward to the race, and I know it will be really competitive,” Cosmo said. “I’ve got a lot to learn about the car, but I’ll go out and give it my best. I’m sure I will have my hands full, but it’s a new challenge and will be a lot of fun.”
Cosmo was pleased with the car and his results after having a recent test with Peterson Motorsports at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C.
“I’ve known Doug Peterson for just about my entire pro career,” Cosmo said. “I’ve raced against him and I’ve raced for him, but it’s been a really long time since either of those. It’s fantastic to reunite with Doug and his crew. This will certainly be a lot of fun.”
TA2 qualifying will be held on Saturday and will be run in two groups, beginning at 3:20 p.m. ET Sunday’s 45-lap TA2 feature race is set to start at 10:55 a.m. ET. The race will be televised on CBS on Saturday, July 2, at 7:30 p.m. ET.
After nearly two months away, Premier Racing is eager to get back racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup North America Presented by the Cayman Islands. With the championship’s last event taking place in early May, it has been a long break for Adam Adelson (Las Vegas, Nevada now living in Los Angeles) and the Kent Moore-led operation. However, testing in the No. 24 Premier Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car and competition in SRO GT4-competition has kept the Las Vegas-based race team sharp. The race series, exclusively for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars, is widely recognized as the most competitive one-make race series on the continent. Rounds Seven and Eight of the 16-race championship will take place at Watkins Glen International, the iconic road course in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. Porsche Carrera Cup North America will run in support of the Six Hours of The Glen, June 23 – 25.
Testing two weeks ago at the 3.4-mile, 11-turn race course adds to the confidence of the team entering the season’s midpoint. The team used extensive input from both Adelson and SRO teammate and driving coach Elliott Skeer (San Diego, California) to fine-tune the 500 HP Porsche for this weekend’s race. Practice got underway on Thursday, June 23 with two 30-minute sessions. Adelson will have 30-minutes starting at 8:45 a.m. ET on Friday, June 24, to set his best time in qualifying for the Pro class of Race 1. The first of the two scheduled 40-minute rounds will take the green flag later that day at 1:25 p.m. ET/10:25 a.m. PT. The second race will be run at 11:05 a.m. ET/8:05 a.m. PT on Saturday, June 25.
Live timing and scoring of all sessions as well as streaming of both races can be found at www.PorscheCarreraCup.us . The races also air live on the Peacock Streaming App.
Adam Adelson, No. 24 Premier Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
“It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through the season; it feels like just yesterday we were rolling the 992 Cup car out of the trailer for the first time. It’s been an incredible experience so far, especially since we started bringing home wins and podiums in the SRO! The team has improved dramatically since the start of the season, and I feel the same way about my driving. Coming into rounds seven and eight of Porsche Carrera Cup, I’m feeling quite confident that we can move further up the field. The two day test we had here at The Glen a couple of weeks ago gave us invaluable data and information about the car. During that test I felt as if I was really figuring out how to drive the 992 Cup the way it wants to be driven. Now, it’s time to take everything we’ve learned so far this season and put it to the test. As always, the field in Carrera Cup is incredibly tight and packed with talent, but we’ve been on our A game and I’m excited to see what we can achieve here this weekend.”
Kent Moore, No. 24 Premier Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup |
“It has been a long break since Carrera Cup last ran but we have been anything but sitting still. We tested the Cup car here at The Glen a few weeks ago and we have raced several SRO GT4 races including capturing three wins with the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. We are keeping the team sharp, and we are keeping Adam sharp. There is no replacement for seat time, especially for a young driver and young team. We have been making sure Adam has plenty of time behind the wheel. The test here went well. Adam turned a lot of laps and we also got great input from Elliott [Skeer]. We are confident we have a good setup, and we are ready but this series is tight. You don’t get a chance to make a mistake that someone else won’t take advantage of. But that is why we are here, to battle the best.”
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