Practice - One of the Playboy cars. Yes, they did bring some Bunnies with them.

 

More Practice. The #7 Citgo/SAMAX Pontiac Riley was driven by Dario Franchitti, Scotland; Milka Duno, Venezuela; Marino Franchitti, Scotland; and Kevin McGarrity, N Ireland. I think that's Milka Duno now driving on the wrong side of the apex of the east horseshoe. They went on to finish 8th overall and 8th in class after 24 hours of racing. .

Getting Ready to adjust the lights on the #12 Lowes car.

 

The lamps were loose in the buckets and couldn't be adjusted. The adjuster bearings had pulled from the carbon fiber so some work was needed to refit the bearings. The nose had to be removed for that job.

 

After refitting the lamps we can actually adjust the headlights. These are Hella 90mm high beam lamps. Best case is four lamps, two to a side. That way you can adjust one pair dead straight ahead to light up the track ahead and the second pair to the right and left to serve as apex lights. With only two lights, one per side, we adjust them so they cross - the track ahead is lit and the apexes are lit as well.

 

The #86 Microsoft car in the garage before the race - nice and shiny and ready to go. Unfortunately, this car only finished 17 laps before it came back to the garage on the hook. The car stalled going into the chicane on the back straight. The team worked on it for a few hours and apparently went back onto the track for another lap or so and then finally withdrew after 6 1/2 hours. This performance was good enough to get them next to last - 65th.

 

The #39 Crown Royal car getting a drive-train transplant the day before the race - Engine, Differential and Gearbox - front to back.

 

The spare nose of the #89 Playboy/Vonage car. This is a $20K piece of carbon fiber. This car finished 44th overall, 23rd in class after 14 1/2 hours on the track.