Mowlem bullish about Daytona chances

Mowlem is sharing the new car with NASCAR ace Tony Stewart and Dutch legend Jan Lammers in the twice-round-the-clock classic. It will be his first chance of racing a prototype after building his reputation in the GTS and GT classes.

"We were third quickest overall in last week's test at Daytona and we never went flat out," said an upbeat Mowlem at the AUTOSPORT International show. "We did no new tyres/low fuel runs and we were running overweight too. I reckon we have a good shot at qualifying on the front row."

But he is more cautious about his chances in the race. In the past two years, the prototypes at Daytona have failed to last the distance, leaving the race to be won by the GTS-class Chrysler Viper and Chevrolet Corvette. Mowlem believes that trend should be bucked this year, but is making few predictions. He is just looking forward to getting into the heat of battle.

"What struck me most about the prototype was realising how much downforce they have and the power of the brakes too," he said. "I'm told it is on a par with a 1990 F1 car."

He is also looking forward to working with Stewart, who has become one of the biggest names in NASCAR. "You don't realise how famous he is in the States," Mowlem said. "Every time we went anywhere people were asking for his autograph. But he is really down to earth, there is no ego at all. A really nice guy."

The Daytona 24 Hours takes place on February 3/4.