No. 60 Tire Kingdom/Curb Records Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 shows well in 24-hour debut as Michael Shank Racing fastest car at Rolex 24

Daytona Beach, Fla. (25 January 2015) – When Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian entered the gates of Daytona International Speedway for the 53rd running of the iconic Rolex 24 At Daytona, the team understood the challenge that lay ahead as it opens a new chapter for the organization with its new Ligier JS P2 car and new Honda engine platform. But the Ohio-based squad was confident in its new package and rose to the challenge in a big way.

In six on-track sessions held throughout the Rolex 24 event, Michael Shank Racing’s No. 60 Tire Kingdom Ligier JS P2 Honda set the fastest time in every single one of them. Longtime Shank driver Ozz Negri led the way in Thursday’s qualifying to deliver the team its second Rolex 24 pole and third overall pole.

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger set the fastest race lap during the twice around the clock event with a time of 1:39.576-seconds as Michael Shank Racing demonstrated the potential of the new package and went six-for-six with the quickest time in each session.

Negri and Allmendinger combined with John Pew and Matt McMurry for the team’s 12th consecutive start in the event. McMurry made history when he became the youngest driver ever to drive a prototype in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Read More »

Daytona Beach, Fla. (22 January 2015) – With team owner Mike Shank urging him on via the team radio, Ozz Negri dug deep to find the extra speed to put the No. 60 Tire Kingdom Service Centers Honda-Ligier JS P2 on the Rolex 24 At Daytona pole for Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian on Thursday.

The fast lap of 1:39.194-seconds around the iconic 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course earned Negri his second career Rolex 24 At Daytona TOTAL Lubricants pole position as the Ohio-based team continued to impress with the new Honda-Ligier JS P2 combination after only taking delivery of the all-new car at the beginning of December.

After scoring his second pole in the event, Negri will chase his second win in the race starting on Saturday (LIVE FOX network broadcast 2:00 PM ET) with co-drivers John Pew, Matt McMurry, and AJAllmendinger.

“This is all a testament to the partnerships that we have with Tire Kingdom, Curb, Onroak, and Honda, all the incredible work this team has put in, and of course another awesome job from Ozz (Negri),” said Shank. “It was very, very, close with the times but as the Continental Tires kept warming up, we kept picking up speed. This is a great way to kick off the Tire Kingdom partnership but we didn’t come here to qualify well. It’s always good to be starting up front, but we are very focused on what we want to do in the race.”

Read More »

Pataskala, Ohio (22 January 2015) – With a new car and motor package, a revised driver line up, and new and returning commercial partnerships, Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian already has 2015 off to a flying start before the first green flag of the season has even flown.
Read More »

CLICK HERE for PDF Version

MEDIA NOTES:
- Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian will announce a new team partnership on Tuesday, January 20
- Matt McMurry will become the youngest prototype driver in history to compete in the Rolex 24
- Honda Media Availability, Friday January 23 at 2:00 PM ET in the Daytona International Speedway Media Center: Team Owner Mike Shank and Drivers John Pew, Ozz Negri, AJ Allmendinger, & Matt McMurry available for interviews along with Honda Representatives and ESM team members
- Driver Ozz Negri has qualified for the Olympic Distance race at the 2015 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships after finishing in the top 10% of his age group in the Trilogy II Triathlon and Duathlon
- This is Michael Shank Racing’s 12th consecutive Rolex 24 event with 21 car starts in the race
- The team has completed nearly 12,000 laps and over 41,000 miles in the Rolex 24 and won the 50th Anniversary of the event in 2012
Pataskala, Ohio (19 January 2015) – For Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian, the work has not stopped since the checkered flag dropped on the 2014 IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship at Road Atlanta last October. It has been perhaps the busiest off season to date for the Ohio-based organization, which took on a big challenge when the team switched to a Honda-powered Ligier JS P2 car for the 2015 season.

As the group travels to Daytona International Speedway this weekend for the 53rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the team is eager to see the fruits of its labors in action as Michael Shank Racing with Curb/Agajanian debuts the No. 60 Ligier JS P2 in the classic 24-hour endurance event. Longtime Michael Shank Racing drivers John Pew, Ozz Negri, and AJ Allmendinger are joined by 17-year-old Matt McMurry, who will become the youngest prototype driver in Rolex 24 history when he straps into the No. 60 machine.

Read More »