Johnson, Petty join field for Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Last season's NASCAR Cup Series runner-up Jimmie Johnson and veteran Kyle Petty are the latest stock car drivers to join the field for the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

	Jimmie Johnson spun on his second practice lap Saturday at Daytona. Credit: Autostock

Johnson got his first Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series laps Saturday at Daytona International Speedway in a Daytona Prototype that is a team car to fellow NASCAR Nextel Cup standouts Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Johnson joined former Rolex 24 winners Elliott Forbes-Robinson and Butch Leitzinger in a No. 4 Boss Snowplow Chevrolet Crawford prototype that began a three-day test with 53 other cars.

Johnson could only smile after he spun on his second lap in the car, but was happy to be shaking off the cobwebs from a winter of inactivity.

"It's a totally different vehicle to be in (and) I'm going to have a lot of fun with it," Johnson said. "I'm really looking forward to it (race) -- it's going to be a great experience."

Earnhardt and Stewart will each make their second appearance in the Rolex 24, this time as teammates in a No. 2 Crawford DP, driving for Howard-Boss Motorsports with former three-time Rolex 24 winner Andy Wallace.

The Crawford effort, specifically that for the Nextel Cup drivers, is backed by the Chevrolet factory.

"GM Racing and Chevrolet are pleased to be involved with this endeavor," Gary Claudio, GM Racing Group marketing manager, said. "With the addition of Jimmie Johnson, three of our NASCAR Chevrolet drivers will be participating in this event with Howard-Boss Motorsports, making this event exciting for the fans as well as the competitors."

Johnson said running in the Rolex 24 had always been a goal of his.

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"I've always wanted to compete in it (but) I didn't realize I was going to have a chance to compete at such a great level with the Crawford group and the Daytona Prototype class," Johnson said. "Through the holidays, it's been the first thing I've been thinking about."

Johnson will open his NASCAR Nextel Cup test program at Daytona on Jan. 13 with his No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Lowe's Chevrolet. He said before that, he'll enjoy the sports car experience.

"I know Daytona is coming for us in the Cup car," Johnson said. "But my first race is going to be the Rolex race. It's just for fun (but) it's obviously a serious effort -- they (Crawford) want to win the race.

"For me, it's a great way for me to work out all the rust out of my head and get all my hand and eye coordination working proper. It's a great way for me to knock off the rust and have some fun."

Petty, who has several starts in the twice-around-the-clock classic that will open Speedweeks 2004 on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, was named Friday to drive a Porsche Fabcar with actor/racer Paul Newman, Gunnar Jeannette and Michael Brockman.

It will be Petty's first opportunity to race a prototype car, with all his previous appearances coming in GT Porsches, including a seventh place finish in 2001.

	Kyle Petty will team with actor Paul Newman at Daytona in the Rolex 24. Credit: Autostock

Steve Park, who reportedly will switch from Winston Cup to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004, is also slated to see sports car action for the second consecutive year.

Park will once again drive in the companion Grand Am Cup event scheduled for Friday, Jan. 30, in a Nissan 350-ZX fielded by Schuitemaker Motorsports.

Three-team Nextel Cup owner Chip Ganassi adds an additional NASCAR presence. Ganassi debuted his Chip Ganassi Racing Grand Am operation Saturday at Daytona.

The owner, who also fields cars in the Indy car teams, has entered a Lexus (Toyota) Riley prototype for Scott Pruett -- who made two Winston Cup starts for Ganassi last season -- and Max Papis.

Sports car regular Boris Said, who earned an entry in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona when he won the Winston Cup Bud Pole Award at Infineon Raceway in June, is driving a factory-backed GT class BMW.

Coy Gibbs, who in recent years drove in the Craftsman Truck and Busch Series in vehicles owned by his father, Joe Gibbs, is slated to test a SGS class Porsche for Foxhill Racing, with sponsorship from longtime Gibbs backer MBNA.

Johnson said he wasn't surprised to see the other NASCAR pilots competing in the race, and at the test session.

"I think we're all racers," Johnson said. "If it fits in our schedules, we would love to do it. It's just so hard to do anything else during our busy season.

"After (the season) you're so burned out you don't want to do anything. But something before (the season), we're dumb enough to climb back in and do it again."