BUSY IMSA TEST OPENS '95 SPORTS CAR SEASON AT DAYTONA

A BUNCH of cars -- and a number of quick ones -- made the annual
International Motor Sports Association's open test session preparing for
the Feb. 4-5 Rolex 24 At Daytona an exceedingly interesting proposition
on Jan. 7-8 at Daytona International Speedway.

The Exxon World Sports Car track record unofficially took a beating
Sunday as four cars bettered the mark set by Spaniard Fermin Velez in
qualifying for the '94 Rolex 24.

As nearly 50 IMSA cars tested for the season opener, Scandia
Motorsports' two Ferrari 333 SPs set the pace. Velez drove the #3
Ferrari to the fastest lap of the session, 1:43.731, an average speed of
123.550 mph. Italian Formula One driver Michele Alboreto drove the team
car, #33, to a lap of 1:44.510, 122.629.

Also breaking Velez's lap record of 1:45.934, 120.981, was defending WSC
champion Wayne Taylor of Altamonte Springs in the #30 Ferrari, 1:44.767,
122.329; and James Weaver in the #16 Riley & Scott Mk. 3, 1:45.480, 121.502.

The test concludes Monday. A section of the Oldfield Grandstand will be
open, with access through the Visitors' Center.

                              NOTES

* No less than 14 World Sports Cars were on hand for the test. An
additional three entered that did not appear. Fast laps follow, with
(additional drivers) followed by a listing of cars/fast laps with
undocumented driver of record:
                               WSC
NO  DRIVER(S)                      ENG/CHAS       TIME      SPEED

 3  Fermin Velez (Evans, Baldi)    Ferrari 333SP  1:43.731  123.550
33  Michele Alboreto (Gentilozzi)  Ferrari 333SP  1:44.510  122.629
30  Wayne Taylor (Salazar, Theys)  Ferrari 333SP  1:44.767  122.329
16  James Weaver (Dysn/Sharp/Paul) Ford R&S Mk 3  1:45.480  121.502
35  Mario Andretti (Wollek/Gdyr)   Porsche WSC95  1:45.985  120.923
50  Sigala/Barbazza                Ferrari 333SP  1:47.630  119.075
63  Downing/Dickens/McAdam         MazdaKudzu DG3 1:50.454  116.030
 7  Brown/Bell/Wagner/Julian       Chevy Spice    1:51.737  114.698
 6  Sutherland/Gray                Olds Spice     1:52.698  113.720
 8  Mandeville/Camferdam           MazdaHawk MDR3 1:54.870  111.570
43  Payne/Williams                 Olds Denali    1:57.448  109.121
xx  TBA                            Ferrari 333SP  NT        NS
 7A Brown/Bell/Wagner/Julian       Buick Tiga     NT        NS
94  Kopf/Cunningham                FordChevronB71 NT        NS

                              GTS-1
90  Tommy Riggins (Delano/Petery)  Olds Cutlass   1:49.593  116.942
 5  Brassfield/Hoerr/Dismore       Olds Cutlass   1:53.597  112.820
72  Adam/Peters/Vargo              Porsche 911 T  1:55.004  111.440

                              GTS-2
55  Trejos/Quiros/Aase             Porsche 911RSR 1:59.450  107.292
22  Epps/Newman                    Porsche 911    2:00.532  106.329
 0  Quester/Halsmer/Donohue        BMW M-3        2:01.143  105.792

                              NOTES

* Scandia Motorsports, Pirelli and Ferrari collaborated on a press
conference on Saturday at which team owner Andy Evans announced a
three-year deal whereby Scandia would serve as "exclusive development
team" for Pirelli in IMSA. "With the technical expertise of Ferrari and
Pirelli, we believe Scandia Motorsports now has the potential to win a
championship in 1995," Evans said. He announced the season-long lineup
for one Ferrari 333 SP would be Mauro Baldi and a driver TBA. Michele
Alboreto and Stefan Johansson would partner Baldi at Daytona. The second
car will see Evans and Fermin Velez do the season, with defending Rolex
24 winner Paul Gentilozzi and Robbie Groff at Daytona.

* Tony Southgate, the designer of the 333 SP, spoke at the press
conference of it being "20-odd years since Ferrari had seriously
attempted to win a 24-hour race." At the time of the conference,
he spoke of two completely new cars and one other, Scandia's first
chassis, as being in the garage. Before the test was completed, two more
Ferrari's had joined them -- one '94-spec car that was driven on Sunday
by Massimo Sigala and Fabrizio Barbazza; and the other a '95-spec car
that was frantically being assembled in the paddock on Sunday evening.
"The #3 car has a 24- hour engine," said Southgate, "while the #33 and
the #30 have sprint engines running at low revs, because the engine
shop's trying to get the other engines done. This is not a completely
new car. On the '95 version the most obvious changes are in the bodywork
-- a new nose for more downforce and less drag; and side panels with
a different oil cooling arrangement, because that was inadequate as
it was. The basic chassis is the same. The biggest difference is the
endurance engine and transmission package." In response to another
question, Southgate simply replied that Ferrari "officially is not going
to Le Mans..."

* Paul Gentilozzi said the Ferrari was obviously much different than the
sedans he was used to driving in both IMSA and the SCCA Trans-Am Series,
but that the car was "surprisingly comfortable and an excellent car to
drive. The engine is very smooth and it revs up quicker than anything
I've driven. I think we can drive it easily and still complete 750 laps,
which I think it will take to win." NOTES

* Michele Alboreto said he was "much more dark in the hair," the last
time he had been to Daytona for a race. "I was here in 1981, with the
Lancia Martini," said Alboreto. "Daytona is one of the most important
races in the world. It would be important to my career to win it."

* Andy Wallace reported that the new Auto Toy Store Chevrolet Spice was
frantically being completed in South Florida, therefore it was not at
the Daytona test. Wallace reported the team hoped to test the car for
the first time at Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm Beach on Tuesday.
His Daytona teammate and another former Rolex 24 winner, Jan Lammers,
was also on foot at the test.

* Four-time Rolex 24 winner Bob Wollek was effusive in his praise of the
new Porsche World Sports Car, which he briefly tested at Charlotte Motor
Speedway before Christmas. "How can you expect better than to drive a
Porsche and get paid for it," said Wollek, who shared the car with Mario
Andretti and Scott Goodyear. "It's difficult to say how good this car
will be... It's brand-new and hasn't been tested a lot. We'll be able
to tell a lot more by Monday, because there's so little mileage on the
car, now. I've never seen a bad TWR car, or a bad Porsche. (With TWR and
Porsche) working together, I can't see it being a flop. There's too much
experience and know-how; and the ability to react if something's wrong
for it not to be a winner."

* Four-time IMSA GT champion Geoff Brabham arrived on Sunday and was
due to test the Porsche for the first time on Monday. He will share the
second car with Hans Stuck and 1985 Rolex 24 winner Thierry Boutsen.
"It was a bit of a surprise when Porsche called me," said Brabham, "but
it was an opportunity worth taking a chance with. It's nice to join an
effort where nothing's good enough but to win. I have driven a Porsche
before -- I drove a couple races in 1986-87 -- at Mount Fuji in Japan in
a 962."

* Chevron's new World Sports Car, the Ford-powered B71-94, arrived at
the Speedway late on Sunday. Engine builder Ted Wenz was splitting time
between the Chevron and Dyson Racing's Riley & Scott Mk. 3. According to
James Weaver, Dyson's car was "run-in" at Roebling Road Raceway, a club
and testing circuit outside of Savannah, Ga. "We wanted to take care of
all the new-car problems," said Weaver of the car's first runs. Designer
Bob Riley, Bill Riley and Mark Scott were all on hand at Daytona to see
a promising first outing at the "World Center of Racing" for drivers
Dyson, Weaver, Scott Sharp and John Paul Jr.

* Paul Jr. was pleased to report that he would be on hand for the
Rolex 24 -- a race he won in 1982. Team owner Kevin Doran said his
NASCAR SuperTruck program, for which Paul will drive the full season,
is slightly behind schedule, therefore Doran thought it more important
that Paul become committed to drive at Daytona. "I might put a Winston
Cup driver in the truck for Phoenix (Craftsman SuperTruck opener, on
the same weekend as the Rolex 24)," said Doran, who also added he was
seeking sponsorship for the Truck program.