2012
24 hours of Daytona
George "Pollito" Goncalvez achieved a Historical Podium
Alex Popow, Enzo
Potolicchio and Jorge
Goncalves escorted by the
victors in the traditional
competition reached its
fiftieth anniversary edition.
Daytona .- The Venezuelan
pilots and Enzo Potolicchio
Alex Popow, Starworks
Motorsports team, and
George "Chicken"
Goncalvez, training
Michael Shank Racing took
the podium at the 24 Hours
of Daytona, legendary
competition on Sunday
ended his 50 edition.
In the Daytona Prototype class stellar, Popow-Potolicchio the pair next to the Scottish Ryan
Dalziel, Allan McNish and Lucas Luhr German,
finished second in a grueling test that began
Saturday at 3:30 pm and ended on Sunday at
the same time.
Goncalvez Meanwhile, teaming up with
Michael McDowell, Gustavo Yacaman and
Brazilian Felipe Nasr, managed to place the
car marked with the number 6 in the third
podium position of tremendous
demonstration.
The winner this year was the fiftieth anniversary
Michael Shank Racing team composed of John Pew, Oswaldo Negri, AJ Almendinger and
Briton Justin Wilson, who did an incredible job over nearly 800 laps at Daytona International
Speedway.
Venezuelan pilots on the podium at the 24 Hours of Daytona
He made history in the youngest team of 24 hours
“POLLITO” GONCALVEZ PROUD OF THE
PODIUM MADE IN DAYTONA
The flawless performance accomplished by the
Venezuelan driver Jorge Andres Goncalvez on his
debut at 24 Hours of Daytona in which culminated in
the third place, set several records both in the race
to the national auto racing, presentation also serves
as an excellent endorsement for the 2012 season
that will see him as a candidate for the title in the
IndyLights series.
Jorge "Pollito" Goncalvez seamlessly led a two Ford
models belonging to the team Riley Michael Shank
Racing and made in the company of Brazil's Felipe
Nasr, Gustavo Yacaman of Colombia and the U.S.
Michael McDowell, the latter being the only one with
experience in mechanical Marathon Florida quartet
who surprised everyone by completing the third
place overall in the same round of the winners after
covering nearly 4500 km.
The prospectus native of Los Teques 20 years of
age completed three shifts of operation, two of them at night and the third on the morning of Sunday, for a total of nearly
6 hours behind the wheel, a presentation that made him the Venezuelan more young to take part in the classic
American competition, and thus, in early on the podium, with the team that signed the lowest average age, the quartet
had just turned 22 years old.
"Of the 4 drivers, I had the third shift at the wheel: the first time I rode in the car it was dark - Pollito Goncalvez told -
The race was very difficult from the beginning, we had to fight hard because we had to start from the pits because last
night we changed the engine problem in qualifying. In the minutes before you get on the car I was very nervous since
the driver change pit has to be perfect, is a moment where you can not relax, it makes a lot of time at that point, I had
three shifts in the Ford Riley, about 2 hours each. Despite the cold that made in Daytona, we got off the car drenched
in sweat, one of the most stressful things in the trafficking of GT type cars as it will not make quick turns and has to be
very careful with them for the difference speed, is very easy to hit and going to the pits to fix the car without necessity. "
Another notable performance points Goncalvez and colleagues was the fact that he managed one of the previous
generation Ford Riley, facing the Daytona Prototypes that their debut in this race that have a significant aerodynamic
developments and make technical changes much faster.
"We had a very good pace, the team did an excellent job in the pits when changing tires, brake pads and refueling -
continued Goncalvez-fatigue factor for the dream I thought it would be worse, but once you're so focused on the race, it
is difficult to rest. We were the first cars to finish the second generation and third overall. We finish at the lead lap and
in the last minute we were fighting near the second, just as we become the great surprise of the race, because we were
the youngest team with virtually no name compared to the big stars that were running in the other cars, which is a great
honor for me as a driver and motorsport fan. To compete against the likes of McNish, Pruett, Montoya, Franchitti, Dixon,
Allmendinger, Negri and many more while we were rookies and nobody expected much to talk about, was an
inexplicable emotion finish this race on the podium in our first '.
The third place finish by Jorge Andres Goncalvez it the first Venezuelan driving the podium in his debut at 24 Hours of
Daytona, a test that also competed in the past legendary specialists as Francisco Romero, Ernesto Soto, Luis Ramon
Rodriguez, Oscar Notz, John Cochesa and in recent years the likes of Milka Duno, Enzo Potolicchio, AlexPopow and
EJ Viso.
"Pollito" Goncalvez gets ready for what will be the start of IndyLights cars championship, tournament will start on the
streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, the last weekend of March. The venezuelan finished the 2011 season in fifth place in
the overall standings with four podium finishes with the team Belardi Auto Racing.
Jorge "Pollito" Goncalvez SEEK VICTORY IN ST. PETERSBURG
The Venezuelan Jorge Andres Goncalvez start its second season Saturday in the championship
IndyLights, direct prelude Indycar star division,
race to be held in the circuit townsman of St.
Petersburg, Florida, USA.
George "Pollito" Goncalvez, 20-year-old will
compete again with the formation Belardi Auto
Racing, combination in the temporada 2011
was ranked fifth in the standings, taking over
four podium finishes, all made on banked
tracks.
Goncalvez, who completed a spectacular debut
in the 24 Hours of Daytona in late January to
arrive in the third place overall in a Ford Riley
of the Daytona Prototype category maximum
points to win their first series victory IndyLights,
division that will training as a companion to the
Israeli Alon Day.
The native of Los Teques comes to meet the
collective training of the category that took place on Monday and Tuesday at Barber Motorsport Park in
Alabama, the scene of the second round of the schedule set for next week. During the month of February,
Goncalvez also had the opportunity to work on the track at Sebring and Homestead as part of their
preparation for the new season.
In the 2011 Jorge Andres Goncalvez had to cope with the physical limitations caused by a fracture of the
femur suffered a few weeks before the start of the race, an injury that forced him to use crutches for about
six months, effort and sacrifice will not be prevented models an actors along the fray.
The starting grid IndyLights has been enriched with the addition of half a dozen prospects, a group of 18
competitors in the American flyers who will leave in the role of favorites, thanks to the presence of the
experienced Argentine Esteban Guerrieri, Colombians and Gustavo Yacaman, Sebastian Saavedra,
Victor Carbone Brazilian and Venezuelan Jorge Goncalvez. Similarly, the French Tristan Vautier and
Irishman Peter Dempsey start with very good credentials to fight for the crown.
The 2012 calendar is structured IndyLights a total of twelve dates, half of them develop on road courses or
street, three to be held on oval tracks, including the legendary Indianapolis, while in the heart of the
program will compete in three competitions Canadian territory.
Caracas, march 22, 2012
Sport Writing
Ref: Jorge “Pollito” Goncalvez
Octavio Estrada
SEEK VICTORY IN ST. PETERSBURG
Jorge Goncalvez finished eleventh in the streets of St Petersburg
The Venezuelan Jorge Andres Goncalvez arrived at the eleventh position on the opening day of the Indy
Lights championship, competition was held Saturday at the houses of St. Petersburg, Florida, USA.
Jorge "Pollito" Goncalvez weekend confronted with
many technical difficulties that prevented it from
reaching a competitive pace, having to settle for
completing the distance and accumulate as many
points as possible to look forward to improve their
performance on the second date to be place this
weekend in Birmingham, Alabama.
The mirandino 20 years of age, a member of the
team Belardi Auto Racing, took the start from the
eleventh placement and crossed the finish with a lap
of disadvantage against the winner, Frenchman
Tristan Vautier, who completed the podium Esteban
Guerrieri and Colombian Sebastian Saavedra.
"It was a very difficult weekend for us in the team Belardi - said Jorge Goncalvez - during the race confront
problems with gearbox failure that has prevented us from maintaining a steady pace, so we did the whole
race to the defensive, very uncomfortable on a track like St. Petersburg where the slightest mistake and end
up against the defenses. We are confident that next week at Barber things will get corrected and we can be in
the firing point. "
The test was attended by sixteen competitors and partner in the formation of Creole Belardi, Israeli Alon Day,
in his Indy Lights debut arrived in the twelfth box Goncalvez made a spin in Turn 4 on Lap 28, proves that had
a 45 drafts that were fulfilled in just under an hour.
The second valid Indy Lights Championship will be held this weekend at Barber Motorsport Park track in
Alabama, traced in a few days ago the stars of the class met two days of collective testing. / Prototypes
Caracas, March 26, 2012
Diario Meridiano
