Michael Shank Racing Team secured fifth position overall in the Rolex 24 At Daytona 2010. As the race approached its end, team drivers John Pew, Ozz Negri, Burt Frisselle and Mark Wilkins racing in No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford-Riley made their way to a top five finish in the Rolex 24 At Daytona speedway on Sunday. It turned out to be great day for the Canadian racer Mark Wilkins who has made a satisfactory start to the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. With the crack of the morning, Michael Shank team, all geared up in Ford Riley, maintained their speed for the run to the podium, but due to a driveline failure and just one hour remaining for the finish, Michael Shank could not make it to the checkered flag as the automobile was registered as seventh at the finish. Michael Shank which is backed by the title of double top-ten team, opened in a grand way at the 2010 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series championship. The team gave a display of tremendous speed on the course over the four-day season opening event.

Michael Shank was expected to continue its glory, however, the final results of the Rolex 24 At Daytona revealed a different story altogether with Michael Shank registering fifth position in the championship. The long preparations were joined in by some pit work in the garage even as the crew of Michael Shank replaced the clutch and the splitter of the vehicle on Sunday morning while the race was on. But much damage had been done. These setbacks resulted in the car ending the race at the fifth position. The team owner Mike Shank apparently looked disappointed as he saw the final day not turning out to be as rewarding for the team Michael Shank. With the team scoring fifth position in the race, Mike Shank spoke about how the team members had delivered stupendous performances back-to-back during the weekend but could not achieve what they deserved. He maintained the spirit of the team and praised their efforts as well as that of the car Ford Riley.

The team members appeared happy with their achievement but reiterated the fact that there was a scope to do better in the championship. While team member John Pew, who had a great race after a long time at Daytona 24 felt elated with the success and admired his team for delivering an excellent performance even after many setbacks, Brian Frisselle felt that the race was an uphill task to complete following long hours of fatigue and dehydration. He considered it unfortunate that the team could not secure a place in top positions and looked forward to do better at Homestead. Another team member Ozz Negri who despite of grave pains in foot drove the speedway added that No. 60 Crown Royal XR Ford-Riley delivered good performance at Daytona. He felt that he had an interesting race overall. The optimistic racer hoped to get rid of the pains and perform well in the coming championships. Racer Mark Wilkins mentioned that Ford Riley drove very well and only got better as the race progressed. After making it to the fifth position in the Rolex 24 At Daytona 2010, the Michael Shank team is also set to hit the Homestead.

Oswaldo Negri and the rest of the Michael Shank Racing organization are eagerly awaiting Saturday’s Grand Prix at Miami to make a strong close at the 2009 Rolex Sports Car Series season. And they have good reason to as well; Oswaldo Negri closed the 2004 Rolex Series with a podium finish at Homestead Miami Speedway and returned to the podium with co-driver Mark Patterson in 2008. Oswaldo Negri and Mark Patterson will co-drive the No.60 Ford-Riley Daytona Prototype, while John Pew and Michael Valiante will share the No. 6 Ford Riley as they try to solidify their fifth place position in the championship standings. The kind of zeal and enthusiasm the drivers show towards the series is exactly what makes them achieve feats that have the power to create history. The same kind of history that the title sponsor Rolex creates in the world of watch-making. Rolex as a sponsor not only picks events that push people to deliver their best but also acts a role model with what it has achieved.

Rolex is always on the look-out to create timepieces that are not only works of art but are backed by sound technology and manufacturing. Similarly, Rolex sponsored events have the quality to present amazing sports talent to the world and also reward the same. The 2009 Rolex Sports Car Series is a perfect blend of talent on the tracks and individuals who are self-motivated to excel under any circumstances. The additional temperature might make it a task for the engineers to deal with the tires and the abrasive surface of Homestead, however, Mark Patterson seems to be delighted and takes it as a positive as it would give the racers more grip deeper into the race. Oswaldo Negri is psyched about racing at Homestead as he gets to do what he loves most, racing. Racing in front of his friends and family at the facility that he frequents to oversee careers of young karters makes it an ever more special experience for him.

The other local on the team happens to be John Pew who absolutely relishes the copious karting opportunities as well as the ocean-proximate setting that racing in the Miami area offers him. For Michael Valiante, the trek to Homestead has been the farthest event from his home in Vancouver of all the Rolex races during the 2009 season, but he has also shown that he is right at home on the 2.3-mile circuit by qualifying on the front row and leading 20 laps at the track last year. The 2008 Rolex season was closed by the team powerfully as it scored two wins and opened with a front row monopoly at the Rolex 24 At Daytona. The target for the team on Saturday too is to have the very same powerful season-close as last year.

The team members will also get to celebrate the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season in the year-end banquet with panache on Monday evening at the Hard Rock Café which makes them look forward to the weekend all the more. The Miami Grand Prix will get its green flag start at 1:00 PM on Saturday, with live coverage of the race.