First Impressions

Since I missed the first class, I'm not able to provide my first impressions of Advanced Sports Reporting class. However, I can reflect on my experiences of last week, which prevented me from making class.

For the past three years, I've been covering the auto racing scene, writing and reporting on mainly sports car/endurance racing for a variety of publications. These assignments have taken me across the country, following every twist and turn of the sport.

My 2009 season kicked off at The World Center of Racing, Daytona International Speedway, for the Rolex 24 at Daytona. This 24-hour enduro classic features some of the biggest names in racing, including three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson, defending IRL IndyCar Series titlist Scott Dixon as well as a whole fleet of Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series stars. It was my fourth year covering the Rolex 24 and second spearheading coverage for Motorsport.com.

After a handful hours of sleep folowing the twice-around-the-clock marathon, it was off to Sebring, Fla. for the annual American Le Mans Series winter test. The three days of action under the sun included the public debut two new contenders for the 2009 season. During a media dinner Monday night, Acura unveiled its revolutionary ARX-02a LMP1 prototype, while BMW hit the track running with its M3 challenger for the GT2 ranks. My job at Sebring included conducting audio interviews for my spring internship with Michelin Motorsports, as well as writing a handful of stories for Motorsport.com.

Here's a selection of the dozen-plus stories written over the course of my eight-day adventure:

Le Mans 24 Hours vs. Rolex 24 at Daytona: the true test of endurance?

New challenge, same goals for Bernhard and Dumas

TRG Porsches bag 1-2 finish in GT at Daytona

Acura unveils revolutionary ARX-02a

BMW, Rahal confident of strong debut