I am extremely proud of our team at Action Express, through all of the challenges we faced this year at the Rolex 24, a race that never goes easy on any of the teams or the competitors. Every single year is a challenge, and for Action Express, we met those challenges. We led the opening hour of the motor race, and stayed consistent with the #31 car, up until having to take on fuel as part of an emergency service pit stop. The #48 Ally Financial Cadillac, the all-star car with Jimmie Johnson, Simon Pagenaud, Mike Rockenfeller, and Kamui Kobayashi, stayed very consistent throughout the race, and the four drivers absolutely put everything into their stints, as the hours went by. Pagenaud's stint at the halfway mark in the race was particularly noteworthy in doing his very best to run down the eventual race winner, the #10 Acura. Both the #48 Ally Cadillac and the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac took turns in the lead of the race, as the rosy glow of a Florida dawn approached Daytona Beach, and the great speedway.
A few of our competitors did eventually pass us by, but our resolve to keep fighting never wavered. In the race's 19th hour, a scare, as the #31 Whelen Cadillac headed to the paddock. The gearbox began to labor, and the car was stuck in fourth gear with Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr both struggling before it lost drive. This is when the team, as we always do, sprang into action to fix the problem and had a plan to keep us in the race. The goal for the #31 would be to finish at the very least. Felipe Nasr said he heard a loud bang from inside the engine compartment and knew something was wrong. We had also discovered the floor of the car's tub, and the exhaust system, had somehow been damaged. There was an audible ticking sound from the car's onboard camera, which, to me, was surely something in the exhaust system.
I prayed long and hard that we'd make it and we'd be able to salvage something for the #31, that Pipo, Felipe, Mike Conway, and Chase Elliott, would be able to fight the good fight and finish the race. Eventually, the #31 did get back on track and the problems with the gearbox and the exhaust system were fixed. Chase Elliott drove one of his last stints in the car and absolutely gave it everything. In the meantime, Kamui, Jimmie, Simon, and Mike Rockenfeller, they kept the #48 up towards the front and were very, very consistent.
In the end, #48 came home second behind the winning #10 Acura. Jimmie Johnson, Mike Rockenfeller, Simon Pagenaud, and Kamui Kobayashi brought Action Express a podium at the Rolex 24 at Daytona! We finished a mere 4.7 seconds behind the winners. #31 finished in the top ten, in eighth overall, 24 laps behind, but the most important thing is that the team persevered all the way through the mechanical adversities with the gearbox and the exhaust system. Never give up. That is the motto in endurance sports car racing and Action Express exemplifies it. Hopeful that we can run with Jimmie and the #48 car in more of the Michelin Endurance Cup races later in the season, or have him and/or Chase join us with the #31 entry, in events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, 6 Hours of Watkins Glen, and Petit Le Mans.
That of course, remains to be seen as Chase is running the full NASCAR Cup championship again and Jimmie has plans to race on the road courses in the IndyCar championship. Thanks to Hendrick Motorsports for allowing some of their top drivers to compete at the Rolex 24 with Action Express in this dream team. It was an amazing experience. Both teams deserve a lot of credit, as do our eight wonderful drivers. As a fan, I am extremely proud of our team and what we were able to accomplish, and we will be back, to win it, next year. The Rolex 24 is the biggest race, but it is merely one race in a ten race season for the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. Bring on the rest of the season. Expect To Win.
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