Pirelli P Zeros are racing toward the half-million mile mark in 2008 as a pair of tests at Daytona International Speedway in the next three weeks will wrap up the Italian tire manufacturer’s inaugural season in the Crown Royal Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.
At the conclusion of the 2008 series racing schedule a little over a month ago in the SunRichGourmet.com 1000 at Miller Motorsports Park, Daytona Prototype and GT competitors had officially logged 430,901.77 miles on the Pirellis. That number equates to 144,089 laps around North America’s premier road racing circuits, and the total will likely exceed 150,000 laps after the Daytona tests.
“The amazing number of miles and laps completed on Pirelli P Zeros is even more impressive when you take into account that most of that time was spent while competitors pushed our tires to the limit,” reports Rafael Navarro III, Pirelli’s North American director of media communications and motorsports.
“We are very proud of the performance of the Pirelli P Zeros as well as the outstanding effort of the teams and drivers in the Rolex Series,” he says. “Whether celebrating in victory lane or working with our Pirelli technical team to maximize the performance of the tires, the Rolex Series competitors proved throughout the racing season that they are among the best in the business.”
The upcoming Daytona tests include a three-day session this week that began Monday, Oct. 27. This test will mark the final time that competitors will race on 2008 specification P Zeros, but several established teams and some premier newcomers are taking advantage of the opportunity.
The second Daytona test, Nov. 11-12, will mark the on-track debut of Pirelli’s 2009 P Zero Grand-Am Rolex Series racing tires.
“We look forward to many more miles and laps with the Rolex Series teams as we end 2008 on a high note,” Navarro says. “At the same time, we are very excited about the launch of our 2009 Pirelli racing tires in mid-November. Like everyone else in the paddock, we learned a great deal about the on-track demands and challenges of the ultra-competitive Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series during our first year as its tire supplier. Our experience will be reflected in our soon-to-be-released 2009 Pirelli P Zero Grand-Am racing tire.”
After the final Daytona tests officially end the 2008 season, next year’s calendar will pick up immediately for 2009 when Pirelli and the Rolex Series teams return to “The World Center of Racing” on New Year’s Day for the traditional Rolex 24 Daytona Test Days. Paddock move-in will be the only activity on the holiday, but teams will take to the track for three days of testing beginning Friday, Jan. 2. The season-opening 47th Annual Rolex 24 at Daytona weekend will begin Thursday, Jan. 22, with the actual around-the-clock classic taking place on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 24-25.
For more information, visit www.us.pirelli.com.
