AIM Autosport Announces 2008 Driver Line-Up
Mark Wilkins and Brian Frisselle, who teamed for four top-tens from nine starts together in 2007, will co-drive the No. 61 Exchange Traded Gold Ford-powered Riley for the full 2008 Rolex Sports Car Series season. Joining the two young chargers for the Rolex 24 will be Colin Braun and Andrew Ranger.
“We’re really excited about this season and look forward to getting things off to a good start in the 24," said Ian Willis, AIM Autosport team principal. “Our move to Ford power is one we are really happy about because they offered us a package that wasn’t just motors. There are a lot of engineering resources they are making available to us, and for a small team like ours, that’s really important so we can take the fight to the big guys."
Willis, who has an impressive resume of drivers he has worked with in his career as an engineer, is particularly excited to be working with so many familiar faces for the 24.
“It’s amazing how much experience these young drivers already have and we are really optimistic about the kind of results we can achieve not just in the 24, but all season long," said Willis. “The whole team is already really comfortable working with Mark and Brian and Andrew, and we know Colin will fit right in as well."
The 2008 Rolex campaign will be the seventh season of racing with AIM Autosport for Wilkins, who has proven adept in every category he has raced in. Though only 24-years-old, Wilkins will be making his fifth Rolex 24 appearance this year. In 2004, he finished on the SGS class podium with a third-place finish and backed that up with another run to the GT class podium in the 2005 Rolex event. The move to Daytona Prototype competition was one that Wilkins relished, and the young Toronto native is anxious to get back to work in 2008.
“I am really happy to be a part of this driver line up and feel really confident about our Ford-Riley combination," said Wilkins, who is putting his recently acquired degree in automotive management to work as part of the AIM Autosport effort. “This team is like an extension of my family and I am happy to be back for another season. We learned a lot last year and had a solid year, but solid results are not what this team is after. We want to win, and really feel like we have the pieces in place to do that."
Frisselle, also 24, will be making his fourth start in the Rolex 24, and will be looking to improve on his career-best finish from last year. Frisselle shared the co-driving duties with his brother Burt during the 2007 season, but has been signed by AIM to run the full slate of Rolex events in 2008.