DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Reigning Rolex 24 At Daytona GT co-winner Jean-Francois Dumoulin will attempt to defend his title in a different car for the 2008 season.
Following talks with longtime friend Tom Nastasi, Dumoulin will co-pilot the No. 15 Blackforest Motorsports Ford Mustang Cobra GT next season. The Quebec native took his first laps Wednesday in the car, which he'll share with Nastasi and David Empringham, who teamed for last year's Fresh From Florida 200 win at Daytona — in the Rolex 24.
“Obviously I’m very happy Tom is giving me the opportunity to be part of this team, to win the Rolex 24 and try to get to work for a championship,” Dumoulin said. “I think being in this Crawford-built Mustang, we will have a pretty good chance.”

• John Stevenson, owner of Stevenson Motorsports, announced Wednesday the team will campaign a new Pontiac GXP.R GT car in 2008 Grand-Am Rolex Series competition.
The North Carolina team ran Corvette GT cars last year. The GT regulars posted three top-10 finishes in 2007. The team will take delivery of the No. 57 Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R in time for the January test at Daytona.
“We believe the combination of Pontiac Motorsports, Pratt & Miller, and KATECH offer a package that is reliable, fast, and a true contender in the GT class,” Stevenson said. “The Pontiac seems to be the less stressed of all the cars, and we believe it can be a real contender for the championship. Our goal in 2008 is to be considered a true threat for the Championship in 2008. I expect us to fight for podiums all year long by not making mistakes on or off the track, and use our strengths to outlast and outsmart the competition.”
Stevenson Motorsports has secured the driving talents of sports car racing veterans Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis.

• Wayne Taylor and SunTrust Racing worked with Michael Valiante this week at November Test Days. Valiante, who raced with Finlay Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates over the past two seasons, is looking to join Max Angelelli as the regular co-driver in the No. 10 SunTrust Dallara for 2008.
"We're talking about a deal, and hopefully this is a start of things coming together," Valiante said. "Things look good. It’s an honor to be driving for them; it’s a prestigious team. Wayne hasn't driven for most of the year; he's getting used to the car again and he's been quick right away. His son (17-year-old Ricky Taylor, who tested the car both days) has been doing real well, too, so it should be a strong effort.”
Plans are for the SunTrust team to race the Riley Pontiac at the Rolex 24, and then switch to a new Dallara chassis for the Grand Prix of Miami.

• Spirit of Daytona is testing with a “Porsche-based” five-liter V-8 engine based on a block from a Cayanne. The team used Guy Cosmo, Marc-Antoine Camirand and Shane Lewis to get the car up to speed this week. The driver lineup for the Rolex 24 and the 2008 season has yet to be determined.
“We have a little different motor program, and I think it’s working, and we've learned a lot about aero,” team owner Troy Flis said. “This is only the second time that we've got to work on the car. We’re trying to learn a lot, because we’ve got a lot of data on Crawfords, but we don't have a lot of data on the Fabcar. We’re trying to gather as much data as possible so we can make better and quicker decisions.”
Flis is working with the current Fabcar bodywork, but if the Cheever team shows major improvement with their new bodywork, the team may also go in that direction.
“We want the best package we can get with our budget; whatever makes the most sense for us,” Flis said. “We'd like to run all year, but we want to run a limited schedule for sure. And we want to run up front if we run a limited schedule.”

• Cheever Racing team owner Eddie Cheever, Jr. sought three Italians on Wednesday to drive his No. 39 Crown Royal Special Reserve Pontiac Riley during the two-day test.
Among those was Italian Formula Mazda driver Alberto Costa and former FIA GT World Champion Matteo Bobbi. Both drivers were making their debuts in Rolex Series participation.
“This is a very, very beautiful facility,” said Costa, who was in the U.S. for the first time. “Being my first time here, it is very difficult to learn. I was driving today (Wednesday) to get a feeling for the car, because it is my first time in a Daytona Prototype. Being here is definitely a very good experience.”
Bobbi only lapped the track five times Wednesday before gaining more time on the track Thursday. While he admitted the session was just a test, he remained positive about a ride for 2008.
Cheever and Richard Antinucci also spent time in the No. 39. In addition, Cheever revealed a new number and a black-and-gold paint scheme were two changes for the 2008 season.
“This is the car we will race in the Rolex 24, but with different bodywork,” Cheever said. “The car itself is going through constant evolution. We’re making the chassis lighter and stiffer; we’re changing the ergonomics. We have a very long list of things we need to change by the end of the year on the Fabcar. It will look different from this. It will have a new number and will black with gold trim — very classy. It will have a more efficient lift-over-drag coefficient with the bodywork, and we’ve changed a lot of things within the parameters of the rules to make it more competitive.”

• Autohaus Motorsports gave Tim Lewis, Jr. and Lawson Aschenbach track time in a borrowed Pontiac GXP.R during the test, the team's first under the Grand-Am sanction.
The team, utilizing the No. 72, borrowed the No. 30 Pontiac GXP.R, which last year ran under the Racers Edge Motorsports banner.
Aschenbach said Thursday he and Lewis have each inked a deal to drive fulltime during the 2008 season with the first-year Rolex Series team, which is expected to receive its new Pontiac GXP.R prior to the January Test Days.
Aschenbach drove the same car during the 2007 season when it was owned by Racers Edge Motorsports, while Lewis earned a victory in a Pontiac GXP.R with Banner Racing in 2007. Aschenbach has competed against Autohaus and current engineer Nathan McBride in the past and welcomes working with them this time.
“I’ve spent time in the car before, and it is obviously different with the new Pirelli tires,” Aschenbach said. “However, a lot of the same principles apply. It’s a Pratt & Miller built car, so I know how it drives. It's a pretty neat car.”
Aschenbach said he expects the team to make an announcement on the full Rolex 24 driver lineup in the near future.