Q and A With Edmonton's Mike Forest

Mike Forest of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada will make his second start in the famed Rolex 24 At Daytona race Jan. 30-31 at Daytona International Speedway. The season-opener for the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will feature more than 40 cars contesting North America's premier endurance race.

Forest, who broke onto the Rolex Series scene in 2008 in the GT class, leapt to the exotic Daytona Prototypes midway through the 2009 season, driving for Beyer Racing, and now finds himself with Starworks Motorsport, a first-year team, for the entire 2010 campaign. His teammates in the No. 7 BMW Riley will be Bill Lester, a former NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Dion von Moltke and Kasper Andersen.

Forest began his career in the open-wheel ranks, and is a former champion of the Pacific Formula 2000 Series.  He spends the majority of his time now in Colorado Springs, Colo., and recently sat down to answer some questions regarding his second Rolex 24.

The Rolex 24 At Daytona is undoubtedly the biggest endurance race in North America. What exactly does this race mean to you?

"Running the Rolex 24 is a dream come true for all drivers. It is the one race that has top drivers from all disciplines running together. When you look at the entry list and see the drivers you get to race against, it is unbelievable. It always shocks me when you look at the car after the race is over and you see how much it has been through, yet it kept running. It is one of the hardest and yet most enjoyable races of the season."

Last season, you ran the Rolex 24 and ran the early hours of the morning. What times will you be racing, and how do you prepare for your shifts before leaving for Daytona?

"This year we plan on doing a more traditional rotation. It's kind of easier to go in after having run one (Rolex) 24 before. Now I know that you can't count on much rest, mostly because you are still excited when you get out of the car and if you were to take a nap it's never long enough and then you must overcome the groggy feeling when you wake up. This year I plan on getting as much sleep as possible leading up to the race and then just dealing with it."

There are four drivers on your team, so that means once you get out of the car, it'll be awhile until you get back in. How do you spend your time when you are not behind the wheel?

"Playing video games! No, just kidding. Usually, I head back to the RV, have some food to replenish, try to relax a little but soon enough you get the curiosity as to how things are going on track so you head back to pit lane to check the timing and scoring and talk with the engineers. Soon enough, it's time to get ready as you usually need to be down in pit lane, ready to go an hour before your scheduled so that if something comes up you are ready."

You are running with a solid group of drivers this year, with a team that is pretty new. Talk about some of your expectations regarding this effort.

"Well, given the high level of competition you can't take anything for granted. There are teams with many years experience and very good drivers, but we have a pretty good lineup as well. It's about staying out of trouble and what you can do as an average lap time not a single fast lap. I'd say we are shooting for a top five; it's a lofty goal but achievable if we can execute our plan."

How did you get hooked up with Starworks Motorsport?

"I began speaking with Peter Baron last year. He had a team that showed great promise but was kind of under the radar. I knew Ryan Dalziel from back when he ran Champ Car and I was in Atlantics; he was always a driver I respected. Over the offseason it was up and down and then finally right before the January test, things just kind of came together."

Having started in the Rolex Series GT class, have you yet become accustomed to the faster Daytona Prototypes? What do you think about these cars?

"I think I am going to like running in the faster class in the 24. The Daytona Prototypes are great cars. They really promote close, tough racing, which is what everyone wants to see. Sometimes there is a little less of the door banging in the 24 because you need to make sure the car doesn't get unnecessary damage early on. But last year's finish was unbelievable, after 24 hours of racing to win by seconds really shows how competitive it has become. There is not cruising anymore; it's flat out the entire time."