AIM/Doncaster Rolex 24 Hour-18 Update
Continuing Throungh the Wee Hours

2007.01.28: Doncaster Racing led the GT class during the third quarter of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but the team's No. 17 MineStar Tim Hortons Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car was then slowed by a water hose leak, forcing a 13-minute garage stop that dropped the team back 10 laps. At the 18-hour mark, the team was ninth in class as Dave Lacey, Greg Wilkins, Lance David Arnold, Tom Papadopoulos and Johnny Mowlem worked to regain lost track position.

AIM Autosport maintained a steady pace to hold seventh place overall for the No. 61 Lexus-powered Riley Mk XI sponsored by Exchange Traded Gold in partnership with Barrick Gold Corporation. Mark Wilkins, Burt Frisselle, Brian Frisselle and David Empringham combined with the crew for faultless pit stops.

Race Report, car 61 (7th place)
(time / driver / action)
0h00 / Mark Wilkins / race start
1h02 / Burt Frisselle in / tires, fuel
2h14 / Brian Frisselle in / tires, fuel
3h29 / David Empringham in / tires, fuel
4h40 / Mark Wilkins in, tires / fuel
5h50 / Burt Frisselle in / tires, fuel
7h18 / Brian Frisselle in / tires, fuel
8h25 / David Empringham in / tires, fuel
9h45 / Mark Wilkins in
10h50 / Mark Wilkins continues / fuel
11h26 / Mark Wilkins continues / engine difficult to restart after race stopage
12h25 / Burt Frisselle in / rain tires, fuel
15h16 / David Empringham in / dry tires, fuel
16h50 / Mark Wilkins in / tires, fuel, front brake pads
17h39 / Mark Wilkins continues /– rain tires, fuel

Race Report, car 17 (9th place)
(time / driver / action)
0h00 / Dave Lacey driving
1h00 / Greg Wilkins in / tires, fuel
2h02 / Lance David Arnold in / tires, fuel
2h51 / Tom Papadoloulus in / tires, fuel, replaced driver ID
3h55 / Johnny Mowlem in / tires, fuel
4h58 / Dave Lacey in / tires, fuel
6h04 / Greg Wilkins in / tires, fuel
7h15 / Lance David Arnold in / tires, fuel
8h25 / Tom Papadopoulos in / tires, fuel
9h37 / Johnny Mowlem in / tires, fuel
10h40 / Johnny Mowlem continues / fuel, tires
12h10 / Johnny Mowlem continues / fuel, tires
12h56 / Dave Lacey in / rain tires, fuel
14h31 Dave Lacey takes lead of GT class
14h41 / Dave Lacey continues / rain tires, fuel, replace wiper arm
15h09 / Greg Wilkins in / fuel, dry tires
15h42 / Greg Wilkins continues / fuel
15h51 Greg Wilkins regains lead of GT class
16h08 / Lance David Arnold in / tires, fuel
16h39 / Lance David Arnold continues / car into garage for coolant hose, rear brake pads
16h52 / Lance David Arnold continues / repairs complete, car rejoins race
16h56 / Lance David Arnold continues / add coolant
16h59 / Lance David Arnold continues / add coolant
17h46 / Lance David Arnold continues / rain tires, fuel

Comments
Dave Lacey: "The car was handling so well in the wet, but we always had an issue. The first issue we had was we had no windshield wipers; the windshield wiper had snagged on the tear-away. It was very difficult to see – I missed the turn-in a couple of times and I spun once. But the car was just really, really hooked up, I felt very confident in the wet. But it started to dry out and we were rolling in drier weather than I anticipated. The car was a real handful. It was fun, but it wasn't very fast."

Greg Wilkins: "The race for the GT car had gone remarkably well. It was really our best effort at competing for a win. Even though we've been on the podium a couple of times before, this race we were on the pace and we were running and able to stay in the lead. So it was really disappointing to have a small, little mechanical problem put us behind the wall. The record books won't look that impressive, but for awhile the run looked really strong."

Brian Frisselle: "It's been prettty positive for the whole AIM Autosport crew. The team is just amazing – they're new to the series, yet they prepared such a good race car, that's really why we're up front right now. We've spent no time in the garage and only a little time in the pits with some small problems. I thank Lexus for building a reliable motor. it's been a lot of fun, but it's also been a lot of hard work with the weather. There have been some tough stints, but hopefully we'll finish well."

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