It is the dawn of a new racing season for the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship, at a place that has known the thrills of speed for over a century... Daytona Beach. The first race contested on these hallowed sands was between Ransom Olds and Alexander Winton. For the next five decades, the beach would see many triumphs and tragedies in the worlds of land speed record racing. One ofd those triumphs was the fastest speed ever set by a land speed racer on the beach, in 1935, when Sir Malcolm Campbell took his Bluebird streamlined racer to a record of 276 miles an hour and would move onto the equally flat slab of salt at Bonneville in Utah, once he had achieved his record on the great slab of sand known as Daytona Beach.
Then came, stock car racing and the pioneers of NASCAR, racing for glory on the beach depending on the ocean tides. Red Byron, Lee Petty, Tim Flock, and Paul Goldsmith were some of those great drivers. In 1959, NASCAR moved inland to the now legendary (but then new), Daytona International Speedway, and in 1962, sports cars followed onto the speedway. The first event was the three hour Daytona Continental, won by someone, we now fondly remember, who we lost just recently, the great Dan Gurney. He did so, even though his Lotus race car, ran out of gas in the final straightaway just at the checkered flag.
Several changes have occurred to the road circuit section of the track over the years, eliminating segments of the backstretch chicane that became unnecessary. However, the mystique of the legendary track remains. It has also become the world's first and only motorsport's stadium. For 56 years, drivers have come from around the world, to Daytona. It's the beginning of a championship. A dream fulfilled. Each driver's purpose is to prove they are the best/ Anxiety, frustration, and fatigue are constants in endurance racing. This race is meant to be dangerous and meant to have attrition. The Rolex watch, is the reward to the victors, that tells the story when it is awarded.
The time is now, for the Rolex 24.
In 1966, Roger Penske debuted his team, here, and won in 1969. They are back now. Roger Penske recalls racing a Corvette in 1969, and he is thrilled to be a part of the 24 hours once again. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, is transitioning from IndyCar to sports cars with the new Acura DPi. 20 DPi cars will start this race. This race is a new adventure for two Formula 1 drivers. Two-time champion, Fernando Alonso, and Canadian F1 standout, Lance Stroll. Alonso knows he has new concepts to learn, and he is confident he will do well.
Champ Car and NASCAR veteran. A.J. Allmendinger, has won the Rolex 24 before. He is back, but in a GT Daytona spec Acura NSX GT3. He is teamed with Alvaro Parente, Katherine Legge, and Trent Hindman. GT Le Mans is the most competitive, complex form of racing on the planet. These are the samecars found in the World Endurance Championship. The grid is being cleared. 20 years for Corvette Racing, this year. Their rivals are from Ford, BMW, Porsche, and Ferrari. Jan Magnussen has pole, sharing with Antonio Garcia and Mike Rockenfeller.
Scott Pruett has raced, for five decades, and has five Rolex 24 wins, tying the great Hurley Haywood. Today, this Rolex 24, will be his last. Five overall wins, and ten class wins, for Pruett. 14 makes, 50 teams and cars. This is going to be a wonderful race. This is an enormous race. Rookie and veteran drivers alike. We have veterans, rookies, champions, all levels. Patricio O'Ward has qualified fourth. In front of him, Helio Castroneves. Fernando Alonso is racing at Daytona. Only once in history has an active F1 driver driven in the Rolex 24... Jack Brabham. The transition from the banking to the road course, and from the road course back onto the tri-oval, is a major thing.
We;re ready to get the race underway. Chip Ganassi gives the command to start the engines. Wright Motorsports has a tire issues even before the race starts! Robert Renauer at the wheel of it. Did he wreck? Did he have a tire come apart? The race begins! Cadillac runs 1-2 as Helio Castroneves is trying his bestto make a move. Felipe Nasr in the #31 Cadillac passes Tristan Vautier. Everyone is battling for position as Fernando Alonso is getting roughed up by the Red Dragon. The #6 Acura of Dane Cameron does not have the car sorted. They've had brake bias issues. Alonso has never raced a closed cockpit car, and has never raced at night.
Alonso said "this is the least important qualifying session of my life." To win, Alonso and his young team mates Lando Norris and Phil Hanson, have to be there with four or so hours left. Both Ford GT's have gone into the lead in GT Le Mans. Discipline early is the key. Joey Hand leads Richard Westbrook in GTLM. Porsche, Ferrari, and Corvette battle in GTLM. Felipe Nasr wants to move on Helio Castroneves. These drivers don't know each other's styles. So, they'll have to watch out for each other. Castroneves slams the door in Nasr's face.
Dane Cameron is wheeling #6 and Penske changed their braking system. Cameron is now scrapping with the #37 Jackie Chan DC Racing car of Robin Frijns. This is turning into a sprint race as the Nasr and Castroneves battle continues! Wow! This is really hard racing right now between Nasr and Castroneves. Problems have to be dealt with early. Sharpen your weapon for the threash to the end tomorrow. Look at the sky. It coukd rain tomorrow. A few laps ago, Castroneves got loose. Nasr has also been sliding the Cadillac.
Wright Motorsports says there is a lot of damage to their car. Christina Nielsen is the defending GT Daytona champion, and they need to go for it. Tristan Vautier locks the brakes on the #90 Cadillac DPi-V.R. Cadillac is now using a 5.5 liter V8, but the engine still has bottom end power. Oliver Gavin passes Jan Magnussen. Manthey and Risi Competizione battle in GTD. Manthey has had lots of success in the VLN at the Nurburgring in Germany. Land Motorsports and their Audi want to do a season long championship. Andy Lally is also back at Magnus Racing in the #44 Audi sharing with Marco Seefried and company.
Tight competition on the road course section. The intensity of traffic is amazing. All three classes are battling for their own trophies. Renger van der Zande and Cadillac lead the race, currently. Fernando Alonso and Stephen Simpson run together. Great to see the Red Dragon back in Prototype with Stephen Simpson at the wheel of it. Fernando Alonso is getting used to running at night, and he is very capable of dealing with it. Bruno Senna is in the sister United Autosports entry in #32. Oliver Jarvis is piloting the #77 Mazda RT24P. He has won Sebring and Le Mans before, overall. Ford leads GT Le Mans. Three Cadillac's currently lead this motor race.
It is the Filipe and Felipe show as Albuquerque passes Nasr. Everyone is now trying to find a rhythm. Be careful through the turns on the road course and we have an unscheduled pit stop for one of the Ptototypes, for a nose change. Not sure which car that is. Hang on. It is the #78 of Alex Brundle. A battle ensues between the #5 and #10 Cadillac's. Shades of last year. The manufacturer's midway is big, and now, we see the #5 Cadillac pitting. Filipe Albuquerque in the lane, on short fuel runs, and double stinting tires.
Some argy bargy in the lane between Colin Braun and Jonathan Bomarito. Team Joest is running the Mazda team, and Joest has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 13 times. Joest pioneered how you run a 24 hour race. They pioneered a four minute rear end change. Joest and Penske are here and are two of the greatest teams in racing history in any discipline. Let everyone get intop a rhythm. Renger van der Zande likes getting information and asks about this on the radio, and also on his dashboard display.
Get the butterflies out on the pit crews as well. Action Express is running well. Corvette Racing is side by side at the moment. Jan Magnusden and Oliver Gavin. Miguel Molina leads GT Daytona in the #82 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3. Silver and Bronze level Pro Am drivers are allowed to race in GTD. We also saw the 24 hour race in Dubai a few weeks ago. So this is the second 24 hour race in just a few weeks. Sheldon van der Linde and Sam Bird battle in GTD. GT Daytona will be amazing, based on GT3 spec cars. The Balance of Performance is right at it's zenith right now and will be adjusted through the season of course.
A little squeeze play in GTD and into the lane comes the #64 Ferrari of Sam Bird. There is a driver change. Car #20 is off the pace, the BAR1 Motorsports Prototype. Brendan Gaughan at the wheel of it. Alex Popow is the list driver, as Miguel Molina pits the Risi Competizione GTD entry changing over to a new pilot. The #51 Spirit of Race entry is also in the lane. Daniel Serra started the car. Wow! The WeatherTech Ferrari was the meat in the sandwich between the two Cadillac's! Yikes! Renger van der Zande has a great ability to read the traffic and go for it when he has to.
Speaking of reading traffic, the #90 Cadillac is dealing with some on the backstretch. Dominik Baumann just pitted the #14 Lexcus RC F GT3. Baumann did not hit his mark in the pit lane. He was not in line with the tape. He we way too far to the pit wall and so, they lost spots. Baumann and his co-drivers will have to be careful. Filipe Albuquerque is working his way past GTLM traffic on the high banks. Tristan Vautier slams past Renger van der Zande! Wow. van der Zande is going to feel he got squeezed. Focus forward. You must continue even if you have a problem.
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