Verizon IndyCar Series Drivers Win Two Classes at Rolex 24 at Daytona
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| IndyCar drivers Tony Kanaan (L) and Scott Dixon (R) teamed with Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray for the overall win |
| LAT USA for IMSA |
IndyCar drivers continued their domination in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, taking the overall win and the GT Le Mans class win at the season-opening sports car endurance race. Verizon IndyCar Series drivers Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, along with their Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates teammates Kyle Larson and Jamie McMurray, took the overall race win in the No. 02 Target/Ford EcoBoost Riley.
This is the second Rolex 24 at Daytona win for Dixon (2006, 2015) and the first for Kanaan. The team now has six wins in twelve attempts at the historic event. A Verizon IndyCar Series competitor has co-driven the winning overall entry the past five years.
"It's such a team effort here," said Dixon, who sealed the victory in the final hours. "The whole last part of the race is so horrible because you're thinking something is going to go wrong, is going to break."
"I like watches; I've always bought them and I got one for free today," said Kanaan, who dedicated the victory to his wife, Lauren, and their infant son.
In the past decade, other Verizon IndyCar Series drivers who have co-driven to the victory include Sebastien Bourdais (2014), Charlie Kimball (2013), Justin Wilson (2012), Graham Rahal (2011), Juan Pablo Montoya (2013, 2008, 2007), Buddy Rice (2009), Dario Franchitti (2008) and Dan Wheldon (2006).
INDYCAR's influence extended to a class victory in GT Le Mans (Ryan Briscoe in the No. 3 Corvette Racing entry), second place in Prototype (Bourdais, No. 5 Action Express Racing entry), second place in Prototype Challenge (Martin Plowman in the No. 16 BAR1 Motorsports) and third place in GTLM (Simon Pagenaud in the No. 4 Corvette Racing car).
Rahal co-drove the No. 24 BMW Team RLL entry to fourth place in GTLM, while Townsend Bell, a class-winning driver in 2014, co-drove to sixth place in GT Daytona in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa car.
Following a full-course caution with 19 minutes left, Dixon maintained a sizable advantage over Bourdais and won by 1.333 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 11-turn Daytona International Speedway road course. Dixon drove the final 3 hours, 32 minutes.
The diverse 17-race Verizon IndyCar Series schedule commences March 8 with the Brasilia Indy 300 in the capital city of Brazil and will include aerodynamic bodywork kits introduced by Chevrolet and Honda at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 27-29.
Verizon IndyCar Series drivers finishing class positions (unofficial):
Prototype (Class Position):
1. Scott Dixon/Tony Kanaan – No. 02 Target/Ford EcoBoost Riley, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
2. Sebastien Bourdais – No. 5 Corvette DP, Action Express Racing
7. Sage Karam/Charlie Kimball – No. 01 Ford EcoBoost/Target Riley, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates
10. Ryan Hunter-Reay – No. 7 Riley DP, Starworks Motorsport
13. James Hinchcliffe – No. 70 Mazda, SpeedSource
Prototype Challenge (Class Position):
2/6. Martin Plowman – No. 16/61 ORECA FLM09, BAR1 Motorsports
5. Jack Hawksworth – No. 11 ORECA FLM09, RSR Racing
GT Le Mans (Class Position):
1.Ryan Briscoe – No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, Corvette Racing
3. Simon Pagenaud – No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, Corvette Racing
4. Graham Rahal – No. 24 BMW Z4 GTE, BMW Team RLL
GT Daytona (Class Position):
6. Townsend Bell – No. 63 Ferrari 458 Italia, Scuderia Corsa
13. James Davison – No. 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage, TRG-AMG