As the 63rd Rolex 24 once again, was another Barn
Burner!
First off, very cool for Jamie Chadwick to be
the race’s Grand Marshall! Although part of me feels like this is some sort of
consolation prize for Her. As hope Chadwick’s Sports Car career blossoms like
Jack “Achey Breaky” Aitken’s has…
Tuned into IMSA Radio’s “Countdown to The
Green”, and was super happy to hear the voice of my Numero Uno IndyCar Radio
pit reporter Ryan Marin. Along with the return of Jamie Howe. With my apologies
to Peter Mackay, as initially I thought that ‘Ol EO Speedwagon’ Dario
Franchitti was in the announce Booth…
Even better yet, Marin got copious amounts of
time in the announce Booth, most notably
alongside lead Announcer John Hindhaugh…
Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3’s swept
the front row of GTD Pro, with Rocky’, aka Mike Rockenfeller on pole in the #64,
followed by it’s #65 stablemate. Being Rocy’s first pole position since March,
2006 at Homestead, Miami, Youza!
BMW Team RLL, ergo Rahal Letterman Lanigan
Racing bookended the GTP grid. With Dries Vanthoor taking Pole in the No. 24
BMW M Hybrid V-8. While the #25 started last, P12 due to hybrid electrical
issues.
Meyer Shank Racing two Acura ARX-06’s were
quick off the bat. With comment made about the No. 93 being a nod to Honda’s
history in IMSA Sports Car racing. Although Nick Yelloly reported a vibration,
and then slid off at the west Horseshoe, dripping to seventh…
Pfaff Motorsport, fondly known as the “Plaid”
Lamborghini had a miserable first pitstop, unable to remove the front left
wheel. Needing a chisel to take the wheel off, then suffering a speeding
penalty. Before being involved in a six car pile-up in Hour Eight!
As Louie’ Deletraz spun out of control on a
race restart in the No. 10 Waynte Taylor Racing Cadd-Oh-lac’ V-Series.R GTP
machine, before ricocheting back onto track and ultimately causing six cars,
including the No. 9 Pfaff Lamborghini to retire from the race!
Much noise was made over the weather
conditions, most notable the thirteen hours and sixteen minutes duration of
darkness. Along with expected very cold overnight temperatures. As Sunset set
at 5:58PM and Sunrise was at 7:15AM. (Eastern) Leaving me wondering if we’d
once again have reports of frozen Iguanas falling out of the Palm trees. Or was
it Geckos?
The race ultimately was one of attrition, with
somebody in the announce Booth mentioning that eventually 21 of the 61 starters
failed to finish! Which I won’t even try attempting to recap these, or the
entire race…
Other than taking note early of the #11 TDS
Racing LMP2 entry, with Hunter McElrea at it’s keyboard when initially having
trouble on-track. Having been in it’s garage for two hours with a gearbox
issue, but hadn’t retired as of 3PM Pacific.
(2:50PM Pacific) The first of the IMSA GTP
Contendahs’ suffered Heartbreak. As Alex Palou in the #93 suffered a left rear suspension failure
and had to return to the garage via Flatbed.
The race’s restart saw K-Squared Harem Scarem’
vs. Colin Brown! As John Hindhaugh says I want to have whatever Kamui Kobayashi
had for dinner! As He pulls out 8.5 second lead vs. Brown!
Listened to the majority of the first ten hours
via IMSA Radio before getting sleepy, but failed to record who was leading at
that point? Although it didn’t really matter, since the race has a history of
totally changing complexion overnight…
Then listened to Hour number 13? Tuning in as
the Eighth full course yellow for Charlie Eastwood’s No. 36 DXDT Corvette
catching on fire was thrown! Pulling into an orange fire zone expertly at
Speedway Turn-2! Just past the halfway point of the race; listening for another
hour before calling it quits for the night…
Awaking before the alarm clock went off, I
listened to the final three and one-half hours, which I’d say had more drama
then the race’s first 3.5 hours! Beginning with nobody apparently wishing to
claim LMP2 class honours. As first the leading No. 88 AF Corse entry ground to
a halt on-track with mechanical woes.
Then Spike-the-Dragon’, the #99 AO Racing entry
which had inherited the lead, failed to restart following one of it’s final
pitstops! As its battery had run out of charge and refused to refire the Gibson
V-8 lump!
With just a half hour remaining? The leading
#18 Era Motorsport got drilled in the Keister’ by the trailing #52 PR1/Mathiasen
Motorsports entry! Both coming to the pits, with the #52 receiving a Drive-thru
penalty. All the while seeing le Hamburgular’, nee Sebastien Bourdais who’d
been watching the scrum ahead of Him steal another victory aboard the No. 8
Tower Motorsports entry…
The GTD Pro battle was even more chaotic! As
the #4 Corvette of Tommy Milner was leading with the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW
M4 Evo hot on His tails when they came upon the second #48 Paul Miller Racing
entry, being several laps down in 12th place. Yet the #48’s Agusto Farfas
decided to play Blocking Back for the Seester’ No. 1 a little too aggressively!
Slowing in the corners and essentially blocking the Vette’s progress. Before
the No. 1 hit the left corner of the Vette’ when trying to overtake for the lead.
As a disgusted Milner said after climbing out
of the damaged Corvette that it was just plain dirty pool and they should be
embarrassed! Having given Farfas the you’re Number One salute who received a Drive-thru
for His antics…
Thus I clapped estatically when in the closing
minutes of the race, the No. 1 BMW M4 suddenly found itself the meat in a Pratt
Miller Corvette sandwich! As the team’s #3 entry was hounding Dennis Olsen
leading in the No. 65 Ford Mustang, who I had two sets ‘O fingers crossed for!
As all of a sudden, WHAM! The #4 Vette’ tagged the BMW! Also receiving another Drive-thru.
Yet All of this Argie-Bardgie allowed Olsen relief with a sudden 2.7-seconds
lead, before taking the cheqered flag for Ford!
Being the Mustang’s maiden GT3victory, not to
mention Sebastian Priaulx coming home third in the Seester’ No. 64, which gave
Ford it’s first GTDPro pole position earlier…
The GT Daytona class was just as exciting, with
the lucky No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Matt Bell at the wheel taking the
win by 1.4 seconds. As Bell had also played the bump ‘n run game with one of
the Aston’s, albeit the Aston Martin Vantage doing the bumping…
With 22mins remaining, Felipe Nasr said
“Playing Thru” as He and Matt Campbell in the Seester No. 6 Porsche touched!
Whilst the announcers had spent hours repeating how Porsched hadn’t finished
1-2 at Daytona since 1987. Which Tom “The Bomb” Blomqvist ensured didn’t happen
again. As the MSR HotSchue’ passed Campbell with five minutes remaining to
finish Vice Champion, Err runner-up…
Thus Nasr scored back-to-back wins aboard the
No. 7 entry, the same Porsche 963 He’d won the year before aboard with
Campbell, Dane Cameron and Josef Schlick’ Newgarden.
And there’s more I wanted to scribble about. But I’ll save it for another meandering No Fenders post…
