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| Rolex 24 Hours: Ganassi Claims DP Win, SpeedSource Claims GT Win |
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Plagued by overheating problems before the race was half over, team principal Kevin Buckler instilled patience throughout his roster, which helped claim the final two podium positions.
Andy Lallyfinished the 24-hour race in the No. 66 TRG Marquis Jet/Mitchell Rubber Porsche GT3, just seconds ahead of No. 67 TRG Monster Cable/Need For Speed Porsche GT3 teammate Emmanuel Collard. The two cars, which each finished two laps behind the GT winners' pace, swapped the lead during the middle and late stages of the race and consistently ran among the top five.
"It was a long day," Lally said. "It was one of these deals where there were 41 cars in the class and we came home second. It's my third second-place finish in the Rolex 24 and we won it once. Second stings a little bit, to tell you the truth, but it's a great way to start a season for the points. Ted (Ballou) and Bryce (Miller) are now P2 in the points and have a real good start to their year for the championship. We're on the podium in Daytona, and there is no better place to be on the podium. This is pretty cool."
Added Pumpelly: "It was a relief. We fought until the very end. I was sick. We had to nurse it home for hours and hours. We came to win, and we weren't able to, but at the same time, there were a lot of positives. We started the season higher in the points. We had a really good effort. The team worked very well, so my enthusiasm and optimism are very high. I'm truly honored to be a part of an effort like this. There's nothing else like it."
Lally shared the No. 66 with Bryce Miller, Ted Ballou and Richard Westbrook, while Collard, Romain Dumas, Spencer Pumpelly, Tim George Jr. and Bryan Sellers piloted the No. 67.
For the second straight season, the No. 64 TRG/J-Lowe Racing Porsche GT3 finished in the top five in the Rolex 24 in GT competition, as co-drivers Jim Lowe, Jim Pace, Johannes van Overbeek, Tim Sugden and RJ Valentine.
SpeedSourcealso rounded out the top five with Emil Assentato, Nick Longhi, Jeff Segal and Lonnie Pechnik, who drove the No. 69 SpeedSource FXDD Mazda RX-8.
Defending race winners Alegra Motorsports/Fiorano Racing ran into the night with both of its Porsche GT3s, but neither car finished. Team owner Carlos de Quesada, who along with Scooter Gabel, Jean-Francois Dumoulin and Marc Basseng won last year in GT, bowed out with the No. 22 machine late Saturday night with electrical problems. The team's No. 29 machine ran late into Sunday morning before a flat tire forced the car into the Turn 14 outside wall.
Reigning Rolex Series GT champion Dirk Werner also struggled at Daytona for the second straight season, but rebounded with an eighth-place finish after early mechanical woes. Werner led early, but a damaged control arm put him and co-drivers Dominik Farnbacher, Timo Bernhard and Pierre Ehret behind shortly after. However, their efforts in the No. 87 Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 were rewarded with the team's highest finish of seven cars.
The Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will continue racing March 28-29 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the GAINSCO Grand Prix of Miami.
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