Daytona  24 Hours

      Feb 1, 1981

     1981 Ferrari 512BB/LM S/N 34445, with co-driver Rick Knoop for Ron Spangler's private Ferrari team: Prancing Horse Farm.  Lee Dykstra redesigned rear geometry to accept 19" wide wheel/tire combination, the only 512 at the time with that modification.  It worked well, but the taller tires affected gearing, no lower gearing was available thus slow accelerating out of the turns.

     The engine had normal aspiration & about 450 HP.  Great top speed, 212 mph at start finish, plus superb braking.  I swapped front brake master cylinder for the rear ) to give more rear brake.

Left to right:  Bob Donner, Jon Masterson, Tony a2z, Rick Knoop,

and chief mechanic Francois Sicard

This caused some hysteria with the mechanics at the time.  With the braking balanced, the car was awesome stopping... just squatted evenly.  Brian Redman said no one could out-brake us into turn one. I saw many a 935 spinning in my rear view mirrors trying to out brake us. 

The business end of the Ferrari 512 BB/LM

Early in the race:  The aerodynamic Prancing Horse Farm Ferrari

Tony is about to enjoy Daytona's night life

The NART entry, driven by Pete Halsmer and Al Unser, Jr. succumbs to an engine room fire after only nine laps.  Glad I wasn't driving it this year.

You don't want to hit this wall at 212 mph - not in a Ferrari anyway!

Tony Adamowicz, Gary Wheeler, Tony a2z, Tony Adamowics, a2zRacer, Gary Wheeler, Tony Adamowicz

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