This week saw Sunoco Rolex 24 At Daytona champion Ross Kaiser successfully complete two days of testing at the challenging Homestead Miami circuit. As part of Kaiser’s prize he flew to Miami for more testing alongside Brian Frizelle, Mathias Beche, Henri Richard and Brad Jaeger also testing for Doran Racing in the next step towards racing in America’s premier endurance race.
Ross also had the chance to get his first look at the infamous Daytona International Speedway track where he will be racing for the Rolex 24. When Kaiser first landed in the US on Monday he went straight to the Daytona circuit where J.C France (grandson of NASCARs founder Bill France) showed him around.
‘Seeing the Daytona Circuit for the first time was amazing, J.C France drove me around the circuit where I saw the severity of the banking for the first time. It was an incredible opportunity to take everything in, there is nothing quite like it in the UK and seeing the banking and how large the circuit is was quite a spectacle’
‘I was also luckily enough that night to attend a dinner with everyone from GRAND-AM. Not only did I get to meet these amazing people but also the legend Hurley Haywood was there too. It was absolutely fantastic to get to speak to the man who is the most successful driver ever in the Rolex 24-he’s won it five times!’
From Daytona it was straight off to Miami Homestead where Ross completed more testing as the next stepping stone towards the Rolex 24. The circuit enabled Kaiser to drive on steep banking for the first time, although was quite a challenge Ross took to it like he had been doing it his entire racing career.
‘Even though the banking was completely new to me and a challenge, I loved driving on the circuit. I’m told it’s not as steep as Daytona but the banking there should be easier than at Homestead.’
