As another Kurr-racking’ twice Round Ye Clock race
goes into the Record books, Tick Tock…
Otay, so I’m going off Ye Memory once again, since
I might be slightly Cornfuzed? So take these statistics with a grain ‘O salt, especially
since Thar now from a Gory Year ago, Crikeys! Although I think they’re fairly correct?
As they were
gleamed from a few Daytona Beach News Journal stories I listened to via
my NFB Newsline for The Blind telephone service, when my main telephone was working,
Urgh! As it’s got a Nasty Habit of just going Kuhput’ every 14.5 months,
Sheisa! But I digress…
Naturally, of the five categories contesting last
year’s Rolex 24, the top flight (DPi) Daytona Prototypes International runners were
the fastest cars, topping out at 200mph with 580 Horsepower on tap. While the
LMP2 (Le Mans Prototypes) have a top speed of 190mph with the same 580bhp
derived from Thar Gibson normally aspirated V-8 lumps’, with the LMP3 runners
reaching maximum velocity at 185mph from their 460bhp Nissan V-8’s. And then
supposedly the GT LM (Le Mans) and GTD (Daytona) Tintops’ claim a top speed of
180mph, with the GT LM machinery pumping out 500bhp. Although I’d Arse-sume
that the GTD cars are slightly slower top speedwise, as All of the IMSA categories
are controlled via BoP. (Balance of Performance)
Although apparently Thars’ not enough separation
between the LMP3 cars and the GT runners, specifically the now deposed GT Le Mans
which have been replaced by GTD Pro in 2022.
The DPi and LMP2 were allowed 38 sets of tyres
for the race, with GT LM allocated 37 sets and LMP3 & GTD 30 sets, as the
latter two categories are “Cost Controlled” and the GT cars make fewer Pit
Stops for fuel Me Thinks…
Green-Green-Green!
Began by tuning into the IMSA Radio Broadcast at
High Noon here on thou Oregon coast, as it was the perfect weekend to stay
inside and listen to a 24hrs motor race. Since it Rained All Day long both
Saturday and Sunday, with Saturday’s High being 49 degrees F with a low of 45,
but I digress…
Although every time
I listen to a motor race instead of watching it on Thy Telie, I hear the
late Robin Miller’s voice from a long
ago email saying to Mwah: Why would Anybody want to listen to Indy Cars on the
Radio?
But if you’re
blind like your Humble No Fenders Scribe Tomaso is, then you Glean a Helluva
lot More information this way vs. television, where it’s Arse-sumed the viewer
can See not only All of the Action, but the myriad ‘O graphics Onscreen…
As Jeremy Shaw tossed out the tidbit that the
Chip Ganassi Racing’s Cadd-Oh-lacc’ DPi chassis was actually the ex-Juncos
Racing Cadillac that had been wrecked Up North eh! At what forever will simply
be Mosport to Mwah last year, Uhm, two years ago which Riccardo Juncos and his
Minnowesqe group ‘O Mechanics completely rebuilt afterwards.
As I jotted down on a piece ‘O paper I cannot
read that the first of many Full Course Cautions occurred in the race’s first 15mins,
with a total of three in the first two hours! As Cooper MacNeil would later
proclaim that the BMW M8 GTE of Booby Ruble’s squad had pulled an Amateur move
when Crashing into his Porsche 911 RSR on the race’s opening lap!
And then like Racer’s Marshall Pruett notes in
his Most Excellante Beth Paretta Podcast Interview; for reasons unknown, that’s
as far as I got Folks, and never finished this riveting Postscript!
Although I’ll point Y’all towards two
languishing Racer Hourly Updates from last year, since I do recall that I
managed to partake a whopping 16 hours of the race, a la two thirds distance, which
I’d say is pretty stout for somebody getting Old-ER, Hya!
https://racer.com/2021/01/30/rolex-24-hour-8-fireworks-and-standout-performances/
As Sunrise neared at Dawn’s 16th
Hour mark, CGR’s Render Van der Zande in the #01 Cadillac led the race, albeit
having been harried by K-Squared’, aka Kamui Kobayashi who brazeningly passed
the dutchman before pirouetting Off-track and resuming in fifth place. As some
Dancin’ fool named Hulio’ (Castroneves) led a two car Acura train P2-3 with
Whelen Engineering’s Pipo Derani in fourth, all Ahead of the demoted Kobayashi.
Closest battle Ontrack was the three car GT LM
Scrum between the #25 BMW vs. the two Corvettes, as the latter’s No. 4 led
ahead of it’s Seester No. 3 with the #25 BMW M8 GTE Coupe bringing up the rear,
with All three covered by a Blanket at 0.3 seconds apart!
https://racer.com/2021/01/31/rolex-24-hour-16-ganassi-leads-through-dawn/
Renger, Watch Out for That Tyre!
Although I know I “Watched,” Err listened to
the finale of the race, I’ll confess that it’s now long been forgotten from Thy
Memorex! So I’d feel Foolish typing elaborately about how everyone finished!
Since I had to look up the results in order to remember that Renger Van der
Zande “Blew” a Michelin tyre with just some seven minutes remaining!
As eventual winner Felipe Albuquerque claimed He could See The Whites of Renger’s
Eyes! Every time He looked in his rear view mirror at the Hard Charging
Dutchman. But Albuquerque felt that Renger was
simply Over-abusing his Michelin’s with the Uber Aggressive lines He was taking
in his attempts to pass for the lead, before Kah-Blamoe!
With Van der Zande having to limp to the Pits
for a new tyre, effectively sealing the #10’s victory! Although Kobayashi,
remember him? Made a valiant effort to close on the leader, coming up just some
4.7-seconds adrift, Crikeys!
https://racer.com/2021/01/31/wtr-completes-rolex-24-at-daytona-hat-trick-with-new-acura/
While the win gave Wayne Taylor Racing a
Historic Three-peat’, joining the likes of rival Chip Ganassi Racing. Along
with being Wayne Taylor’s fourth W’ in
the past five years. It was a Watershed moment for Acura, scoring it’s
Breakthrough Overall 24 Hours of Daytona victory.
Although I was previously unaware that Comptech
Racing had won at Daytona with a Spice SE90CL Prototype chassis, propelled by
an Acura lump’ then in the GTP Lights Class, ironically 30 years ago, which
Marshall Pruett chronicled in his usual Brilliant writing! As that Comptech
entry was put on it’s Class Pole by some Cat named Parker Johnstone, remember
him Y’all? As think He was one of Ye Oldest
IndyCar blogger’s Geo. Phillips favourite IndyCar Announcers, Hya!
https://racer.com/2021/01/30/rolex-24-retro-acuras-wild-breakthrough-daytona-win/
Not to mention that Team Penske gave nod to those
Comptech Acura’s of year’s past, when it ran it’s brace of Acura DPi’s in the
same red and white colour scheme…
Whilst some other History was made in the GTD (Daytona) ranks, when the #57 AMG Mercedes GT3 not only won it’s class, but led a 1-2 Merc’ sweep, Followed Home by the #75 Mercedes! Being the first time ever that the three pointed Star make had won at the Rolex 24.
Note
Unintentionally, I neglected to mention that the late Peter Gregg also has “Three-peated” at Daytona, winning the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1973, 1975-76, as there was No race in ’74 due to the Oil Crisis. While Chip Ganassi’s cars won three in-a-row from 2006-08…