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Negri's teammate Mark Patterson is a successful businessman who has taken his competitive mindset to the track as he has leapfrogged his way to the top levels of the sport in his typical relentless pursuit of victory.
Running a limited schedule in 2005, Patterson scored a podium in just his third start with Negri before having a break-out season in 2006.
The South African native scored second place in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, won the Trueman Award for the most successful gentleman driver and closed out the season with a victory after a grueling nine-hour battle at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah co-driving with Negri.
With a strong team behind him, and the experience of winning a race under his belt, Patterson has even higher expectations for 2008.
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Don't let Negri's quiet, humble manner deceive you-he's one of the fastest drivers out there. With a pedigree that includes rubbing elbows, and sometimes wheels, with guys like Barrichello, Coulthard, and de Ferran, Negri has proven quick in anything he's ever driven.
Negri put in a signature drive to close out the 2006 season, battling through the darkness to hold a bevy of chasers at bay and take his first Rolex Series victory at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah. Nearly every team had three drivers for the nine-hour event, but Negri and Patterson took on the challenge themselves, and were rewarded with a win.
And as many in the paddock will attest, it isn't just Negri's lightning quick lap times that are impressive-he's also a highly sought-after driver coach, and clearly knows how to get the most out of a race car while making sure there's something in reserve for the finish. A father of two, Brazilian-born Negri has made his home in Miami.
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After an impressive partial 2007 Daytona Prototype campaign with MSR, Pew has signed on to join Ian James for the entire 2008 season. John PewPew brings racing background that is markedly similar to 2006 Trueman Award winner Mark Patterson’s to the team. With extensive formula car experience including a Star Mazda Masters Championship from 2005, Pew is also no stranger to the Rolex Series, having made multiple starts in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GT class as well as one Daytona Prototype start last season. Pew will team with James in the No. 6 Playboy Racing Lexus-Riley.
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Michael Valiante joined Michael Shank Racing as co-driver with John Pew for the 2009 Rolex Sports Car Series season. Regarded as one of the best karting drivers in North America, Michael quickly made his way through the motorsports ranks. He made his major league debut in the Champ Car World Series with an attention-getting drive, tested impressively with several Champ Car teams and signed to race a prototype in the famed 24 Hours of Daytona in early 2005, and moved to the category full time in 2006, joining MSR in advance of the 2009 season for a full season campaign with John Pew.
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James joined Michael Shank Racing for the 2007 season looking to check off the final class of Grand American racing that he has not yet won in-the Daytona Prototypes. James followed the typical single-seater ladder through the ranks in Europe before racing Stateside and has a wide scope of experience in the sport, including taking the 2004 LMP2 Championship in American Le Mans competition.
The Britsh-born racer made one Daytona Prototype race start in 2006 in the Rolex 24 At Daytona co-driving with Henri Zogaib, but engine problems early in the day prevented him from scoring a strong result. Teamed with Pew, James brought top-tens with metronomic regularity and his feedback will help MSR get the most out of the new Forld-Riley combination.
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Allmendinger, who made his rookie run in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2007, has two starts with Michael Shank Racing under his belt. He made quite an impression his first time out, as he crossed the finish line in second place overall with the team in the 2006 running of the Rolex event, kicking off a tumultuous season that saw him break through for his first Champ Car victory before taking three on the trot to finish the season third in the Champ Car championship standings. "AJ" also has Barber Dodge Pro Series and Toyota Atlantic Championships to his credit. Allmendinger will team with Pew, Frisselle, and James for another Rolex run in 2008.
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Sam rejoined Michael Shank Racing for the 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona. Sam has one previous start in the famed event, co-driving with team owner Mike Shank in 1999, the same year he raced with the team in Toyota Atlantic competition. Sam went on to take three IndyCar championships, and added an Indianapolis 500 title to his resume in 2006.
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Castroneves, the original Spiderman, also joined Negri and Patterson in the Fresh From Florida Lexus-Riley for the 45th annual Rolex 24 At Daytona in 2007. Castroneves took wins in Champ Car with Penske Racing before moving to IndyCars, where he scored two successive Indianapolis 500 wins, and took second place in his third try. Castroneves has one endurance race under his belt-winning the 1000k of Interlagos in his native Brazil in 2006, and will be looking to keep his endurance racing perfect record intact as he tackles the Rolex 24.
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Paul Tracy first raced with Michael Shank Racing in 2006, storming to the lead in the No. 6 Lexus Riley in the opening laps in his trademark ‘take no prisoners’ style. His second MSR Rolex Series start saw him take a podium in Mexico City with Mike Borkowski, and led him to remark that "...this is the kind of racing you wake up for-good, close battles with some top drivers." Tracy rejoined the team for the Rolex 24 again in 2007 as the No. 6 once again spent time out front.
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Graham Rahal made his Michael Shank Racing debut last January as part of the Westfield Insurance No. 60 Ford-Riley effort in his third Rolex 24 start. The young American has impressed at every step-from Formula BMW to Star Mazda to runner up in the Atlantic Championship to his 2007 Rookie of the Year run in Champ Car. Rahal brought that speed and control to the Daytona Prototypes with Mike Shank.
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Former Formula One racer Wilson made quite the impression in his first Rolex start, helping to score the teams best finish at that point with a Rolex 24 At Daytona podium in 2006. He rejoined the team in 2007’s season finale to secure another top ten result, and was also part of the Westfield Insurance effort that started from the pole before taking sixth overall.
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