01.02.2004 THE BE RACING FERRARI HOLDS ONTO A PODIUM SLOT IN GT AS DAYTONA 24 HOURS MOVES INTO FINAL QUARTER

Scott Pruett led away the 55 car field from pole in the Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley at the start of the 42nd Rolex 24 at the Daytona Speedway yesterday.

The first hour of the race instantly saw many on track dramas with caution periods culminating in a full course caution after the Craig Stanton Porsche spun at the horseshoe and became stuck in the tyre wall. During this opening hour the GT lead swapped hands several times as runners took advantage of the cautions to pit, and the flying Scuderia Ferrari of Washington Maserati GT Light signalled its intent by taking its turn to lead the GT field.

Into the second hour the Maserati maintained a top three class position until at a quarter to three on lap 41 a safety cone became lodged in the front grille enforcing an unscheduled pitstop. Meanwhile, as the first drops of rain were reported, the Red Bull BE Racing Ferrari 360 Modena was tearing through the field from its lowly starting slot, and by the end of the second hour of racing, had moved up to second in GT.

However the BE Racing team's good run came received a setback during the fourth hour, when on lap 100 it spun off the track. More drama followed eight laps later when the JMB Racing USA Ferrari spun at the chicane, losing its bonnet, and being forced to dive pitwards. At the end of four hours of race the flying Scuderia Washington Maserati was carrying the flag in GT, holding third place.

Another caution at 6pm saw both the Maseratis in the race head for the pits, with the Risi Competizione car, which was having a steady race, being docked 10 seconds for having a man over the wall during their stop.

The Ferrari and Maserati entries ran steadily during the early evening, but at eight twenty the BE Racing car was given a drive through penalty after not coming to a complete stop after blowing the chicane. Progress was barely dented however, and by nine o'clock, and despite heavy rain, BE were in a steady third, behind the class leading no74 Flying Lizard Porsche GT3 RS and the similar Orbit Racing example.

Lap 233, at 9.45pm, saw the Scuderia Washington Maserati GT Light head to the pits for fuel and to repair a niggling electrical fault. The same lap saw both the Mastercar Ferrari 360GT's, which were having a quiet race, make routine stops for fuel and water. However five laps later the no94 car suffered a flat tyre in turn three, forcing it to limp back to the pits for a second visit in rapid succession.

The tenth hour saw the BE Racing Ferrari pit for a new windscreen and wiper blades, while at 10.38pm on lap 256 the Risi Competizione Maserati GT Light pitted for fuel and attention to the engine, with Ralf Kelleners taking over driving duties.

Midnight saw BE maintaining a steady third in class behind the Flying Lizard and Orbit Porsches which had been trading positions, while at 12.15pm, the no94 Mastercar Ferrari returned to the fray after its long pit visit. Into the early hours BE continued to hold third, changing their windscreen wiper during a routine stop as rain started to become a problem for the runners, while at two thirty the no33 Maserati changed its front brake pads during a fuel and tyre stop.

The sixteenth hour saw more dramas for the no94 Mastercard Ferrari, with another lengthy visit to the pits, and at 4.46am, during yet another caution, the no33 Maserati emerged after a lengthy visit to its garage, its loss of time compounded when it was forced back into the pits two laps later to demist the windscreen.

As the daylight starts to break at Daytona, after a night of rain and severe cockpit visibility problems for almost all the crews, the race is still led overall by the Daytona Prototype of Andy Wallace, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhart Jr. By 6am they had completed 444 laps, and hold a four lap cushion. The sixteenth hour has again seen little action as with flooding in two turns, full course yellows have been maintained for the second consecutive hour.

Eleven laps back, and fifth overall is the GT class leading no44 Orbit Racing Porsche GT3 RS, with a two lap advantage over the no74 Flying Lizard car. Having covered 425 laps, holding third in GT, and ninth overall, is the BE Racing Ferrari which has run steadily throughout the night. The crew, Klaus Engelhorn, Philipp Peter, Andrea Montermini and Dieter Quester, all experienced at long distance racing, have maintained a fast but solid pace in the Red Bull backed car. However they are being shadowed closely by the no66 Racers Group Porsche of Kevin Buckler, Timo Bernhard, Jorg Bergmeister, and Patrick Long, which is on the same lap.

Still surviving, but way off the pace are the two Mastercar Ferraris. The no93 car is 11th in GT and 29th overall, 55 laps behind the class leader, its sister no94 car 15th in GT, a further 21 laps adrift.

In between these two come the Maseratis, still racing for pride with six hours remaining. The Risi Competizione example is 12th in GT, with the Scuderia Wasington car three laps behind. Both the Maserati GT Lights, which are making their race debut in the gruelling Daytona marathon, have suffered many overnight dramas but the teams are aiming to bring the cars safely over the finish line.