DAYTONA BEACH — Every year there seems to be one team or a driver who hogs the Rolex 24 At Daytona spotlight and captures the imagination of the sports-car tribe.
Last year it was Jeff Gordon, who retired from NASCAR Cup Series racing after the 2015 season, but showed up with his helmet to compete in the twice-around-the-clock sports car classic.
The belle of the ball this time around is Spain’s Fernando Alonso, who is a two-time Formula One world champion, still [...]
DAYTONA BEACH — Every year there seems to be one team or a driver who hogs the Rolex 24 At Daytona spotlight and captures the imagination of the sports-car tribe.
Last year it was Jeff Gordon, who retired from NASCAR Cup Series racing after the 2015 season, but showed up with his helmet to compete in the twice-around-the-clock sports car classic.
The belle of the ball this time around is Spain’s Fernando Alonso, who is a two-time Formula One world champion, still active with McLaren’s F1 effort.
Alonso took his first laps at Daytona International Speedway on Friday on Day 1 of the Roar Before the 24, which has become its own motorsports spectacle, with a race Saturday and “qualifying” scheduled Sunday.
“I did three laps (Friday) morning, but enough to have a feeling in the car and on the Speedway as well,” the popular driver said. “The corners with the high banking were special.
“You can feel the compression in your body; you feel the visibility change because you have a view from the car that is a little bit longer ahead. When you are in the corner of the banking, you can see the next 200 meters of the track.”
Alonso, 36, will wheel the No. 23 United Autosports Ligier LMP2 this weekend and return for the Jan. 27-28 Rolex 24.
He is co-driving the Daytona Prototype international with Phil Hanson and Lando Norris in a deal engineered by motorsports businessman Zak Brown.
This is the second time in as many years that Alonso has stepped out of his comfort zone and tried his hand at a different form of racing.
Last May he competed in the Indianapolis 500 and found a new legion of fans, along with his F1 faithful.
Now he is trying his hand at endurance racing in one of the most competitive Rolex 24 races in history. There are 20 Prototypes entered to compete.
Of course, Alsono’s presence has IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship officials simply giddy.
“I don’t remember a time during my tenure in sports car racing, which goes a long time now, that we’ve had an active Formula One driver on the grid,” IMSA president Scott Atherton said on Friday.
“To have an active Formula One driver of Alonso’s credentials, a two-time World Champion, is nothing short of remarkable.”
There is no guarantee that Alonso will enjoy the success that Gordon experienced in the 2017 Rolex 24. His team, Taylor Racing, won the race and then captured the IMSA Prototype championship.
Alonso said he just started his journey along this new racing learning curve.
“It’s more or less the same goal as Indianapolis as we try to learn different driving techniques, learn from the specialists of endurance races,” he said.
“I want to be a better driver when the 24 Hours is finished. That’s the first aim. This is my first time in an endurance race; first time in a Prototype car; first time driving at night; first time driving with GT (cars) around.
“Many new things to come and we do that step by step. There are many great challenges, but I’m ready to enjoy first of all. As it happened in Indianapolis, if you feel opportunity, if you feel competitive, you got to go for it.”
Atherton said Alonso’s entry only enhances a field that is already off the charts in depth of competition.
“His debut at Indianapolis last year could not be overstated the impact that it had,” Atherton said. “That created a groundswell of focus in the United States for sure, but mostly on a global scale.
“We are not so naive to think that we will have a repeat of that, but it will be significant.”
And Alonso appears to be enjoying every moment he experiences at the track.
“I’m only two days here, but you feel and smell motor racing, that’s a good feeling for any driver,” he said. “The Speedway is amazing. The size of everything is just huge.”