The ever rising popularity of Grand Am Rolex racing received a big boast with the 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series as it brought forth newer champions in terms of team and drivers, and added lot of glamour to it all as well. It was the year that had its own share of highlights with GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing grabbing the title with two of the best of the drivers in the motorsports world Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty sharing the title, and Patrick Dempsey one of the very popular Hollywood actors making his Grand Am Rolex Series debut. In fact the 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series had everything in it, unimaginable competition among cars, teams, drivers; twists and turns of motorsports world; unexpected wins and expected wins; and strengthening of a relationship that has been evolving between Rolex and Grand Am Racing Association.

Rolex, the world’s number one maker of luxury watches and Grand Am Racing Association, the flag bearer of world of motorsports, have formed a relationship to create a perfect platform for the best racers from all over the world to come and race alongside the very best in some of the most difficult and challenging race courses in the world. The 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series demonstrated exactly what this partnership was formed to ensure at the very first place.

The 2007 Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series had more to it than most of seasons gone by and for many more to come. No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley had the honor of enjoying the services of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty whereas other teams also had some of the best race drivers driving their Daytona Prototypes for one of most prestigious racing tournaments in the world. No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates was one of the strongest teams with drivers like Scott Pruett and Salvador Duran who were assisted by Juan Pablo Montoya, the future Indy Car and Formula One winner.

Ryan Dalziel, Darren Manning, Patrick Carpentier and Milka Duno joined hands for the No.11 CITGO/SAMAX Pontiac Riley team and faced stiff competition from the No.10 SunTrust Racing Pontiac Riley team which had champion racers like Max Angelelli, Jan Magnussen and Wayne Taylor. Then there was Luggage Express which had Bill Auberlen and Mat At Alhadeff, and Alex Rob’s Ruby Tuesday which had great drivers like Jorg Bergmesiter and Pat Long. The lineup was as strong as it could have been and the end result was fiercely and closely fought races for Daytona Prototype championship as well as the GT crown.

The most important of all 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona was so closely fought that the end result was the third closest in the history of the race, till that time. With everyone trying hard the race was finally won by Scott Pruett driving for No. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates. The last race of the season at Miller Motorsports Park was also memorable for two reasons, first the championship was decided there and Patrick Dempsey made his Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series debut. The season ended on a high note with Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty deservingly sharing the title and fans of Rolex Racing hoping to have a greater racing season the next year.

One of the top of the pyramid motorsports events in the world that has been enthralling the adventure sports enthusiasts for a decade now Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series is undoubtedly the number one racing event in the world especially in terms of competition, technology and popularity. Organized by the Grand-Am Racing Association and started in 1999 the hugely successful car racing tournament has the honor of having the name of number one watch maker of luxury watches in the world Rolex as part of its very title. Rolex which thrives on its philosophy of promoting brilliance through the countless platforms it offers as a result of the sponsorships it ensures for various events adds incomparable value to those events. The coming together of the house of Rolex and the king of motorsports Grand-Am Racing Association was the major step in the overall promotion of the spirit of human endurance and dreaming big, aspiring to realize those very dreams and finally realizing them.

That winning the Rolex promoted event was the most cherished dream for many has been a fact known to all and with this year’s Grand-Am Rolex winner how important such a win is has been reinforced quite forcefully. The 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series was the battleground for the best cars, driven by the best drivers and supported by best car crews. Starting off at the start of the year itself and culminating earlier this month, the entire season was the perfect embodiment of the high competition, tireless efforts and unexpected results. Every race driver and team was trying and hoping to be crowned the overall championship winner but the crown eventually deservingly went to the Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team. The team was one of the most competitive and consistent throughout the 2009 season but still had to wait till the last race and had to fight it out till the last laps of the last race to emerge as the winner.

2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series win was Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing team’s second after 2007 and winning the team as well as driver championship was even sweeter for the team considering it won it after great performance at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, a place where the team has struggled in the past to come out with good performances. The duo of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty won in the Pontiac Riley Daytona Prototype driving it to outrace others handsomely. The Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has been celebrating the win by displaying the exact replica of the car across various venues. After having already visited quite a few places the show car shall be making the next stop at the 42^nd annual Mountain Moonshine Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia.

Gainsco Auto Insurance had started its award-winning show car program in the year 2007 and continues for more than 200 days every year. This year the enthusiasm among the team and its fans has risen higher considering Gainsco/Bob Stalling Racing has won the prestigious 2009 Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series championship and is going to bask in the glory of the win for a long time to come.

One of the most popular and powerful motorsports governing bodies and the organizer of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Grand-Am Racing Association is all set to move into its new headquarters. An impressive eight storey structure is coming up at the heart of motorsports racing at the Daytona Beach, Florida. The new home of Grand-Am Racing Association is going to be at the most suitable location with the world famous Daytona International Speedway situated right across.

The upcoming headquarters of Grand-Am Racing Association would be the headquarters for International Speedway Corp. and NASCAR as well. Once the building is completed and as some of the most critical global motorsports governing bodies would literally come under one roof this would surely garner an iconic place in the history of motorsports and memory of millions of fans of motorsports.

The building which will house the Grand-Am Racing Association headquarters would be very aptly called the International Motorsports Center and would be an embodiment of the spirit of motorsports and human excellence, something which is part of the core of philosophy of Rolex. In fact one of the basic reasons behind Rolex’s move in supporting the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series has been to become a medium for promoting human endurance and excellence and give an opportunity for the racers to drive down the multiple race courses at breathtaking speeds in those life defining moments.

If the shape of the International Motorsports Center has been designed keeping in mind the tri-oval element of Daytona International Speedway then expected LEED certification from US Green Building Council would ensure that the building would be energy conserving and environment friendly, the two issues Rolex holds close to its heart.

Rolex has been an integral part of the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series for many seasons now. Grand-Am Racing Association has been organizing the Grand-Am Road Racing since its establishment in 1999. The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 has become the testing ground for the best racers in the world to come face to face and test their skills and the power and durability of their cars. The Rolex Series Daytona Prototype category is the number one prototype sports car racing championship in the entire world and is a favorite of the motorsports fans.

The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series also includes Rolex Series GT class which has emerged as the first choice for the production-based sports car racing. To see two different categories of race cars racing along the same track at the same time ensures an unimaginable level of thrill that only someone who has enjoyed those races from the stands can experience.

The relationship between Grand-Am Racing Association and Rolex started six years ago when Rolex rendered its name to the title of the racing championship which was also rechristened Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. Its reputation of ensuring maximum possible durability and top class quality in the watches that Rolex offers is what Rolex has brought to the world of motorsports. And with the new headquarters of Grand-Am Racing Association the same would be strengthened, stronger and wider.