Roar Before 24 Sunday Notebook

***Two factory teams have packed up after completing their tests at this year’s Roar Before the Rolex 24. Both Corvette Racing and SpeedSource Mazda are satisfied with their efforts and opting not to partake in Sunday’s running. As both the Corvette C7.R and Mazda SKYACTIV-D prototypes were new a year ago, the development and progress made on both cars in the 12 months since has been evident.

***Performance Tech Motorsports also has departed after an incident Saturday. The team also leaves with one less driver, with David Ostella reportedly having left the team. Only Jerome Mee and James French’s names were listed on the team’s No. 38 Oreca FLM09 as of Saturday, and with Dalton Sargeant also out of a ride, the team has several vacancies to fill ahead of the Rolex 24.

***Meanwhile Turner Motorsport rolled out its No. 97 BMW Z4 GT3 for its first running at this year’s Roar Sunday morning. Markus Palttala was first out during the drizzly first session of the day, and seventh session of the weekend.

***The Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing entry will stick to just a three-driver lineup of Ian James, Mario Farnbacher and Alex Riberas in the No. 23 Porsche 911 GT America for the Rolex 24.

***Englishman Martin Plowman was hopeful to spend time in the second BAR1 Motorsports car, the No. 16, besides the No. 61 he’s in this week to sort out setup differences. Plowman also had his whole family on site beyond his fiancée Nicole, with parents Mark and Anita, his “nan” Sheila and family friend Ian all at the track.

***As of Sunday morning, Tequila Patron ESM was still building up its second HPD ARX-04b coupe in hopes of running it later in the day.

***The new RG Racing, LLC team has had a solid first weekend of testing with its No. 66 Riley-BMW. Team principal and co-driver Robert Gewirtz told Sportscar365 he expects a four-driver lineup for the Rolex 24. The team’s equipment was acquired from Michael Shank Racing and the former GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing and Team Sahlen operations.

***This weekend’s Roar test features approximately 2,500 tires from Continental Tire split between the TUDOR Championship and Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge, and also covering both slick and rain tires. Approximately 10,000, if not more, are expected for the Rolex 24 week.

***Over the weekend it was announced that Chicago-based integrated sports marketing and media services agency rEvolution has acquired Indianapolis-based Act(s) Marketing, which serves as Continental Tire’s official sponsorship marketing agency.