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Local resident caught speeding at Daytona Raceway
by Laurel E. Anderson
Kanata Kourier Standard Jan. 26/07
With the new year brings a fresh road of racing
and local resident Pierre Bourque, Canada’s only full-time NASCAR race car
driver, is out of the blocks fast with a spot in the
45th running of the Rolex Daytona 24 hour Race taking place this upcoming
weekend in Florida. This race is part of the Rolex Cup, North America’s premier
road racing circuit and is billed as an exciting race to watch.
To ready himself for this challenging 24 hour four person team race, Pierre visited the Daytona track for testing in early November for three days and again earlier on in January. The last series of tests included an important night practice, as this is a 24-hour race during which the drivers will experience anything that mother nature and father time decides to throw at them throughout the race. Pierre shared that “it was quite a cool experience banking at Daytona after nightfall at 170 mph!”
Pierre will be sharing car number 67, a Porsche GT3 Cup, with a team that includes three other drivers; Mike Solley from Florida, Tom Cloet from Belgium and Auston Harris from California. The drivers will take turns driving in intervals that can last up to two hours.
When describing the course, Pierre mentions that the oval parts are pretty bumpy but that you get used to it fast enough. And fast is key on a track that is a mix of an oval and in-field road course that is approximately 2.6 miles long and takes cars about 2 minutes to cover, maybe a little less on some laps.
I was able to get in a quick interview with Pierre before he literally, sped off to Daytona earlier in the week.
Laurel Anderson: What kind of challenges might mother nature throw at you during the race?
Pierre Bourque: The biggest challenge will be the rain in terms of what mother nature might throw at us. Beyond that, driver fatigue and mechanical wear will be the biggest concerns.
LA: How is this race different strategy-wise from single driver races that are of shorter duration?
PB: The difference between my NASCAR duties and this race are many. First, this driving.ca Canada.com working.com Porsche 997 that I will be driving is about 1,000 pounds lighter than my NASCAR. Next, this will be a 24hr race while my NASCAR events usually last between one and two hours. Another difference is that I don’t have teammates sharing the car in NASCAR, while I have 3 fellow drivers to share the duties at Daytona, each of us completing a 1.5hr stint before turning the car over to the next driver. That puts each of us in the car 4 times through the 24 hours.
LA: You are working as part of a team. Take me through your pre race prep.
PB: Prep-wise, I have a personal trainer on-site shared with a few of the drivers and he’ll be looking to optimize energy, focus, nutrition and hydration throughout the event from Thursday till Sunday afternoon. The team has a motor home for each car (we have 5 cars entered in the race) so there will be a spot to rest and stretch during downtime between shifts.
It’s a huge undertaking; staging this race and participating in it but Pierre says that with the support of his wife Kristine and his family, it’s all worth it. “It’s one of the most prestigious races in the world and I’m raring to go.”
Tune in to cheer Pierre on during the race this weekend. Live coverage will be carried on the Speed Channel at the following times:
January 28th Part 1 @ 12 p.m. ET
January 28th Part 2 @ 8 p.m. ET
January 29th Part 3 @ 8 a.m. ET
More information is available at www.pierrebourque.com and www.daytona24hr.com