Ford has done it again in a 24 hour race after winning this year’s Daytona 24 Hours with the same crew that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year. The American manufacturer managed to dominate the GTLM class but not without hot pursuit from Porsche and Ferrari. In the end, the #66 Ford GT of Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais crossed the finish line first to win the 55th Daytona 24 Hours.
The #911 Porsche 911 RSR finished second, marking a successful debut for the new 911 RSR. The factory car was driven by Patrick Pilet, Frederic Makowiecki and Dirk Werner. Ferrari rounded off the GTLM podium with a P3 finish from the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE of Giancarlo Fisichella, James Calado and Toni Vilander.
The top Prototype class set forth the most thrilling moments and it was Cadillac that walked away with the main prize of the 2017 Daytona 24 Hours win. Cadillac was so in form they scored a 1-2 in the race, despite lengthy safety car periods brought about by wet weather and a number of track incidents.
The #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DP1 of brothers Ricky and Jordan Taylor, Max Angelelli and Jeff Gordon won the race away from the #5 sister car of Action Express Racing. Filipe Albuquerque was in the lead with just 4 laps left in the race, Ricky Taylor in the #10 Cadillac closed in and somehow tapped the rear wheels of Albuquerque, leaving him into a spin. Taylor grabbed the lead and went ahead to claim the overall win. Rene Rast, Marc Goossens and Renger van der Zande finished third overall in the #90 Riley prototype.
With Cadillac’s win, history was made through NASCAR veteran Jeff Gordon who now joins Mario Andretti, AJ Foyt and Jamie McMurray all who have won both the Rolex 24 and the Daytona 500. Gordon retired from competitive racing in NASCAR back in 2015, he has won the Daytona 500 three times.
Moving on to the GTD class, Porsche had yet another reason to celebrate after the #28 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Alegra Motorsports Porsche took chequered flag first. The car was driven by Michael Christensen, Daniel Morad, Jesse Lazare, Carlos and Michael de Quesada (father and son).
Christopher Mies finished second in GTD driving the #29 Audi R8 LMS while Jeroen Bleekemolen placed the #33 Mercedes-AMG GT3 third in its first American race.
Full results can be viewed here.
I totally forgot Cadillac returned to racing Prototypes … I would’ve watched. I stopped watching when SRT quit.
Thanks for sharing, Earl!