News & Notes Roundup: 12.2

Photo: IMSA

***The schedule for the Roar Before the Rolex 24 has been released, featuring more than 12 hours of track time for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors. Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge teams will also be in action for the three-day test on Jan. 7-10.

***O’Gara Motorsport could expand into a two-car Lamborghini Huracan GT3 operation later next season. Team boss Tom O’Gara revealed in an IMSA.com interview that he could see a second entry joining the already confirmed No. 69 car for reigning GTD champions Bill Sweedler and Townsend Bell.

***Piers Phillips has left Brabham Racing to join IndyCar outfit Schmidt Peterson Motorsports as its new General Manager. The former Strakka Racing and Level 5 Motorsports engineer had served as team manager/technical director for the crowdfunded team, which has yet to hit the track.

***Fernando Alonso has made further hints towards a potential career shift to the FIA World Endurance Championship, with the Spaniard lashing out at the current state of Formula One in an interview with Sky Sports F1. The two-time World Champion visited the WEC paddock in Bahrain last year.

***Alex Job Racing has taken delivery of its new Porsche 911 GT3 Rs this week. The Florida-based team, along with Black Swan Racing, have been the only confirmed IMSA entrants for the new 991-based model, although Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, Head of Porsche Motorsport, told Sportscar365 to expect up to six cars for Daytona.

***Falken Motorsports’ Porsche 911 GT3 R is up for sale. The iconic turquoise and blue car has been a mainstay in VLN and Nurburgring 24 competition since 2010, highlighted by a podium finish in the 24-hour race in 2015. The car has been shod with almost 900 tires each season.

***Ryan Dalziel raised more than $7,000 for research to Rett’s Syndrome in a raffle. Steven Kilsdonk won Dalziel’s 2015 helmet used in Pirelli World Challenge, while Iain Begg was the winner of Dalziel’s race boots. Robert Rosiek took home a Ryan Dalziel hoodie.

***North America’s longest endurance race, the UASF 25 Hours of Thunderhill takes place this weekend in Northern California. A number of IMSA, PWC and other professional sports car racing-related entries are set for the race, including a Toyo-shod Audi R8 LMS from Flying Lizard Motorsports.

Tony DiZinno & Laurent Mercier contributed to this report

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John