Rolex 24 Finish: Blomqvist outduels Albuquerque to give Acura a 1-2 victory

Tom Blomqvist has been the fastest driver all week at Daytona and when all the chips were on the table for the final sprint to the finish, he drove the wheels off the #10 Meyer Shank Acura to gap Felipe Albuquerque in the #10 Wayne Taylor/Andretti Acura to win the IMSA Rolex 24 by 4.190s in the new Hybrid era of sportscar racing.

Blomqvist co-drove with Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. It was the 3rd straight Rolex 24 win for Pagenaud and 2nd in row for the others.

Winners #60: Meyer Shank Racing W/Curb-Agajanian, Acura ARX-06, GTP: Colin Braun, Tom Blomqvist, Helio Castroneves, Simon Pagenaud, podium

LMP2 finished in a photo finish with the 16-year-old James Allen nipping Ben Hanley by 0.016s with a slingshot around the outside.

#04: Crowdstrike Racing by APR, ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2: George Kurtz, Ben Hanley, Matt McMurry, Esteban Gutierrez, #55: Proton Competition, ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2: Fred Poordad, James Allen, Giammaria Bruni, Francesco Pizzi

Aston Martin squad The Heart of Racing claimed victory in the GTD class beating the WeatherTech Racing Mercedes. Marco Sorensen, in the #27 Aston Martin, crossed the line 2.3 seconds ahead of Maro Engel, who shared GTD Pro honors with Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Cooper MacNeil.

#27: Heart of Racing Team, Aston Martin Vantage GT3, GTD: Roman De Angelis, Marco Sorensen, Ian James, Darren Turner

Gounon out-dueled Milner’s #3 Corvette at Le Mans chicane and held off Antonio Garcia by 3.916s who took the #3 Corvette home for the final stint.

Corvette Racing’s Antonio Garcia, Jordan Taylor and Tommy Milner took 2nd in GTD Pro and the third-placed Vasser Sullivan Lexus crew of Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat and Mike Conway was close behind.

#79: WeatherTech Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3, GTD PRO: Cooper MacNeil, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon, Maro Engel

“Wow! Just wow,” MacNeil said. “Before this race, my greatest accomplishment in racing was finishing second at Le Mans last year. To finish my career in IMSA with a win at Daytona, you can’t ask for more. I couldn’t have done it without my dad (David MacNeil), WeatherTech and Christian Ried and his Proton team. Mercedes gave us three of their best drivers. They build a great car that was fast and fair today. It was us, Corvette, and Lexus for the last fourth of the race. You have to have all of the elements to win here, car, drivers, support, teamwork and fast drivers. We had all of that today.”

Gounon knows it takes a total team effort.

“To win for David and Cooper and WeatherTech is a privilege,” Gounon said. “I think it was Cooper’s last race in IMSA, so this is a proper send off. You need to be the best on the track and in the pits to win this race and we were over the 24 hours. Cooper, Maro, and Dani all drove great, and I had a good day myself. I think tonight we can celebrate with something nice on our wrist.”

Juncadella likes the win and the points for the rest of the season.

“I can hardly believe it,” Juncadella said. “We went through so many emotions during the race. To start the year like this with a bang is great! I am very happy for Proton with their win in P2 as well. I am thankful to the MacNeil family for a great effort and support. I love racing here and starting the year like this is great. We scored all the points available today, the six hour, 12, and 18 endurance points and the overall win. Just great!”

Engel closed out the day on the track battling the best of Corvette and Lexus.

“I am just so happy,” Engel said. “Huge thank you my awesome teammates Cooper, Jules, and Dani, they did an awesome job today. The whole WeatherTech Racing/Proton team, together with Mercedes, gave us all of the tools to win today. At the end it was a dog fight out there, especially with those yellows which is what you don’t want to see when you are leading. We did it! Big thank you to Cooper, David and everyone at WeatherTech.”

Mark Cipolloni reporting for AutoRacing1.com

Rolex 24 Hours Final Results

Pos	Pic	No.	Class	Drivers*	Team	Vehicle	Laps	Behind/Gap
1	1	60	GTP	T. Blomqvist / C. Braun H. Castroneves / S. Pagenaud	Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian	Acura ARX-06	783	0.000s 0.000s
2	2	10	GTP	R. Taylor / F. Albuquerque L. Deletraz / B. Hartley	Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06	Acura ARX-06	783	4.190 4.190
3	3	01	GTP	S. Bourdais / R. van der Zande S. Dixon	Cadillac Racing	Cadillac V-LMDh	783	9.630 5.440
4	4	02	GTP	E. Bamber / A. Lynn / R. Westbrook	Cadillac Racing	Cadillac V-LMDh	783	11.176 1.546
5	5	31	GTP	P. Derani / A. Sims / J. Aitken	Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac V-LMDh	Cadillac V-LMDh	771	12 Laps 12 Laps
6	6	24	GTP	P. Eng / A. Farfus / M. Wittmann C. Herta	BMW M Team RLL	BMW M Hybrid V8	768	15 Laps 3 Laps
7	1	55	LMP2	Poordad / F. Pizzi / J. Allen Bruni	Proton Competition	ORECA LMP2 07	761	22 Laps 7 Laps
8	2	04	LMP2	G. Kurtz / B. Hanley / M. McMurry E. Gutierrez	Crowdstrike Racing by APR	ORECA LMP2 07	761	22 Laps 0.016
9	3	88	LMP2	F. Perrodo / M. Vaxiviere / J. Canal N. Nielsen	AF Corse	ORECA LMP2 07	761	22 Laps 5.618
10	4	35	LMP2	F. Heriau / G. van der Garde J. Pierson / J. Van Uitert	TDS Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	761	22 Laps 7.467
11	5	8	LMP2	J. Farano / S. McLaughlin J. Newgarden / K. Simpson	Tower Motorsports	ORECA LMP2 07	759	24 Laps 2 Laps
12	6	51	LMP2	E. Lux / D. Defrancesco / A. Cindric P. Fittipaldi	Rick Ware Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	758	25 Laps 1 Lap
13	7	52	LMP2	B. Keating / P. Chatin / A. Quinn N. Lapierre	PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports	ORECA LMP2 07	757	26 Laps 1 Lap
14	7	7	GTP	M. Campbell / F. Nasr M. Christensen	Porsche Penske Motorsports	Porsche 963	749	34 Laps 8 Laps
15	1	17	LMP3	A. Mantella / W. Boyd / N. Varrone T. Merrill	AWA	Duqueine D08	737	46 Laps 12 Laps
16	1	27	GTD	R. De Angelis / M. Sorensen I. James / D. Turner	Heart of Racing Team	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	729	54 Laps 8 Laps
17	1	79	GTDPRO	C. MacNeil / D. Juncadella J. Gounon / M. Engel	WeatherTech Racing	Mercedes-AMG GT3	729	54 Laps
18	2	44	GTD	J. Potter / A. Lally / S. Pumpelly N. Thiim	Magnus Racing	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	729	54 Laps
19	2	3	GTDPRO	A. Garcia / J. Taylor / T. Milner	Corvette Racing	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD	729	54 Laps
20	3	14	GTDPRO	J. Hawksworth / B. Barnicoat M. Conway	Vasser Sullivan	Lexus RC F GT3	729	54 Laps 7.037 65
21	3	70	GTD	B. Iribe / F. Schandorff / O. Millroy M. Kirchhofer	Inception Racing	McLaren 720S GT3	729	54 Laps 3.169 8
22	4	66	GTD	S. Monk / K. Legge / M. Farnbacher M. Miller	Gradient Racing	Acura NSX GT3	729	54 Laps 4.106 279
23	5	12	GTD	A. Telitz / F. Montecalvo K. Kirkwood / P. Thompson	VasserSullivan	Lexus RC F GT3	728	55 Laps 1 Lap 7
24	4	63	GTDPRO	A. Caldarelli / M. Bortolotti J. Pepper / R. Grosjean	Iron Lynx	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	728	55 Laps 4.684 238
25	5	9	GTDPRO	K. Bachler / P. Pilet / L. Vanthoor	Pfaff Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	728	55 Laps 18.924 106
26	6	93	GTD	A. Harrison / D. Formal K. Marcelli / R. Briscoe	Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR	Acura NSX GT3	727	56 Laps 1 Lap 36
27	7	78	GTD	M. Goikhberg / L. Spinelli / B. Hites M. Mapelli	US RaceTronics	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	726	57 Laps 1 Lap 62
28	8	1	GTD	B. Sellers / M. Snow / C. Lewis M. Martin	Paul Miller Racing	BMW M4 GT3	726	57 Laps 7.470 142
29	2	33	LMP3	L. Willsey / J. Barbosa / N. Pino N. Siegel	Sean Creech Motorsport	Ligier JS P320	725	58 Laps 1 Lap 634
30	9	16	GTD	R. Hardwick / J. Heylen Z. Robichon / D. Olsen	Wright Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	723	60 Laps 2 Laps 279
31	3	38	LMP3	J. DeAngelis / C. Allen / C. Bloum C. Shields	Performance Tech Motorsports	Ligier JS P320	721	62 Laps 2 Laps 170
32	10	023	GTD	O. Triarsi / C. Scardina / A. Rovera A. Bertolini	Triarsi Competizione	Ferrari 296 GT3	719	64 Laps 2 Laps 7
33	11	77	GTD	A. Brynjolfsson / T. Hindman M. Root / K. Estre	Wright Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	719	64 Laps 32.596 104
34	6	53	GTDPRO	M. Kvamme / T. Estep J. Magnussen / J. Hart	MDK Motorsports	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	717	66 Laps 2 Laps 35
35	4	13	LMP3	O. Fidani / M. Bell / L. Kern M. Kranz	AWA	Duqueine D08	717	66 Laps 24.290 283
36	7	23	GTDPRO	R. Gunn / A. Riberas / D. Pittard	Heart of Racing Team	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	716	67 Laps 1 Lap 108
37	5	85	LMP3	T. Bechtolsheimer / T. van der Helm L. Mars / M. Filippi	JDC Miller MotorSports	Duqueine D08	715	68 Laps 1 Lap 122
38	12	19	GTD	C. Schiavoni / R. Ineichen R. Giammaria / F. Perera	Iron Lynx	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	714	69 Laps 1 Lap
39	13	57	GTD	R. Ward / P. Ellis / I. Dontje D. Morad	Winward Racing	Mercedes-AMG GT3	710	Not Running 207
40	14	80	GTD	P. Hyett / S. Priaulx / G. Jeannette H. Tincknell	AO Racing	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	710	73 Laps
41	15	32	GTD	M. Skeen / M. Grenier / K. Koch M. Goetz	Team Korthoff Motorsports	Mercedes-AMG GT3	709	74 Laps 1 Lap
42	8	6	GTP	M. Jaminet / N. Tandy D. Cameron	Porsche Penske Motorsports	Porsche 963	700	Not Running 690
43	16	91	GTD	A. Metni / K. van Berlo / J. Evans J. Andlauer	Kellymoss with Riley	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	699	84 Laps 1 Lap
44	17	96	GTD	P. Gallagher / R. Foley / M. Dinan J. Klingmann	Turner Motorsport	BMW M4 GT3	695	88 Laps 4 Laps
45	8	64	GTDPRO	T. Giovanis / H. Plumb / M. Plumb O. Trinkler	TGM/TF Sport	Aston Martin Vantage GT3	674	109 Laps 21 Laps
46	18	83	GTD	R. Frey / S. Bovy / M. Gatting D. Pin	Iron Dames	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	659	124 Laps 15 Laps
47	19	21	GTD	S. Mann / L. Perez Companc M. Molina / F. Castellacci	AF Corse	Ferrari 296 GT3	655	Not Running 296
48	9	25	GTP	C. De Phillippi / N. Yelloly S. van der Linde / C. Herta	BMW M Team RLL	BMW M Hybrid V8	652	131 Laps 3 Laps
49	8	20	LMP2	D. Andersen / E. Jones A. Fjordbach / R. Marciello	High Class Racing	ORECA LMP2 07	646	Not Running 112
50	9	95	GTDPRO	B. Auberlen / C. Hull / B. Spengler J. Edwards	Turner Motorsport	BMW M4 GT3	635	Not Running 296
51	6	87	LMP3	Y. Kanamaru / A. Serravalle N. Boulle / J. Vance	FastMD Racing	Duqueine D08	618	Not Running 586
52	9	18	LMP2	D. Merriman / R. Dalziel C. Rasmussen / O. Jarvis	Era Motorsport	ORECA LMP2 07	510	Not Running 405
53	7	36	LMP3	J. Andretti / G. Chaves D. Dickerson / R. Lindh	Andretti Autosport	Ligier JS P320	371	Not Running 174
54	8	43	LMP3	S. Alvarez / J. French G. de Oliveira / D. Frost	MRS GT-Racing	Ligier JS P320	368	Not Running 8
55	20	42	GTD	R. Megennis / J. Conwright / K. Li A. Deledda	NTE Sport	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	356	Not Running 179