Olly to race in Grand-Am with Banner Racing

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Olly to race in Grand-Am with Banner Racing
Published: 14/12/2010
Oliver is aiming for maximum air miles in 2011 after an additional racing programme in North America was today announced.

As well as looking forward to driving with the GM’s Corvette Racing team in the 2011 ALMS, the endurance specialist will be lining up in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 for Banner Racing, beginning with the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 29-30.

The 38-year-old from Northamptonshire will be entered in the No. 07 The Cool TV Chevrolet Camaro in the Rolex 24 with Gunter Schaldach, who will also be his team mate for an additional seven rounds of the 2011 Grand-Am season, and as-yet-unannounced additional drivers. Where clashes in calendars exist, Gavin expects that the ALMS will take precedence.

“I’m excited to be going back to the Grand-Am series and Daytona,” said Olly, “especially after missing out on racing in the Rolex 24 last year. Banner Racing has got a lot of experience in the series and the GT class, which I’m sure is every bit as competitive as other series. It’ll be great to be driving another Pratt & Miller car – we all know what a fantastic job they do on the engineering front.

“There will be a bit of extra spice to the challenge in the eight rounds I can be at as I’ll be up against my regular Corvette team mate, Jan Magnussen. That should make for some interesting racing!”

The Cool TV features all music videos and is on cable television and over-the-air Digital TV (D-TV) nationwide in a growing number of markets.

Schaldach joined the Rolex Series in 2010, running a full season with Stevenson Motorsports. He finished eighth in the championship, ending the year with back-to-back second place finishes in a Camaro at Montreal (with Ronnie Bremer) and Miller Motorsports Park (with Jan Magnussen).

Olly is a two-time winner in Rolex Series competition, taking overall victories at Phoenix and Mid-Ohio among five podium finishes in the Sports Racing Prototype class for Intersport Racing. He finished second for the team in the 2000 finale – the return of the Six Hours of The Glen – after a wheel-to-wheel battle with Dyson Racing’s Butch Leitzinger. A four-time class winner in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he led the British Racing Drivers Club contingent in the London Marathon last April, running a personal best time of two hours, 54 minute, 20 seconds.

The 49th Rolex 24 at Daytona is set for January 29-30 at Daytona International Speedway. The next Rolex Series activity will be the Roar before the Rolex 24, with testing set for January 7-9 at Daytona International Speedway.