One hopes the 50^th celebration of anything will run without a hitch. That racing legend A.J. Foyt should fall ill shortly before his spell as Rolex 24 grand marshall began wasn’t the best start. Saying that, nobody could have predicted that the bi-centennial running at Daytona would prove to be one of the closest in recent years.

Those still awake with four hours of the day-long event to run witnessed a titanic three-way battle for the lead between last year’s race winners Chip Ganassi Racing and the event’s dark-horses, Starworks Motorsports and Michael Shank Racing. Although expected to dominate proceedings from the get-go, engine issues in qualifying had slowed the Ganassi steamroller, and the #8 and #60 Fords were already in a fight of their own by the time the #01 car caught up. The trio several times sparked white knuckles on pit road by running three-abreast through traffic into turn one.

Just as both Ganassi cars had done the day before, the #60 (driven by a resurgent A.J. Allmendinger) and the #8 (with Ryan Dalziel at the wheel) went door mirror-to-door mirror on the 300+kmh back straight. Though the lead continued to swap hands, a late off-track excursion by reigning FIA GT1 World Champion Lucas Luhr allowed Starworks to maintain its lead to the flag.

After a record 761 laps and 4345 km covered during the 24hrs, Allmendinger, Ozz Negri, John Pew and Justin Wilson – who made his racing return at Daytona after an injured back left him on the bench for 2011 – secured Michael Shank Racing’s first Rolex 24 victory at their ninth attempt. Only five seconds deprived Dalziel, Luhr, Alex Popow, Enzo Potolicchio, and Allan McNish – twice a runner-up in the Rolex 24 already – of their moment on victory lane.

Despite jumping both rival cars on pit road, the #01 Ganassi BMW/Riley’s challenge was abated when four-time Rolex 24 winner Scott Pruett was unable to select any low gears when exiting pit lane. Circulating more than 20s off the pace, a lengthy pit stop to remedy the problem dropped Pruett, Graham Rahal, Joey Hand and Memo Rojas to a disappointed sixth. After a consistent run, the second Michael Shanks car – driven by Michael McDowell, Jorge Goncalvez, Gustavo Yacaman, and reigning British Formula 3 Champion Felipe Nasr – came through to take the final step on the podium.

The second Ganassi car, driven by reigning IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti, Scott Dixon, Jamie McMurray, and former-Formula One race winner Juan Pablo Montoya came home in fourth. A broken shifter on the #02 BMW/Riley meant this was the first Rolex 24 without a Ganassi car on the podium since the team’s event debut in 2005. Starworks’ sister Ford/Riley machine – with Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Mayer, and Michael Valiante at the wheel – rounded out the top ten.

Corvette’s highly promoted five-car DP line-up suffered setbacks on its debut. Action Express Racing’s #5 entry of Darren Law, David Donohue and Christian Fittipaldi overcame early electrical problems to finish fifth, the team’s sister #9 – in the hands of Joao Barbosa, Terry Borcheller, Max Papis and J.C. France – dutifully took the flag in ninth after recurrent suspension problems caused multiple trips to pit road. Spirit of Daytona drivers Antonio Garcia, Richard Westbrook, Oliver Gavin and Jan Magnussen finished seventh after driveshaft failure dropped them 14 laps down. Doran Racing’s #77 was the lone Ford/Dallara in the top ten, Burt and Brian Frisselle, Jim Lowe, Paul Tracy and late sub Billy Johnson completing a reliable run in eighth.

Magnus Racing secured its first Grand-Am victory at the Rolex 24, Andy Lally, Richard Lietz, Rene Rast and team owner John Potter taking GT honours just 9s ahead of race-long rivals Wolf Henzler, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Spencer Pumpelly, Marc Goossens and Steve Bertheau in the TRG Porsche. Brumos Racing’s Leh Keen, Andrew Davis, Marc Lieb, and five-time Rolex 24 GT winner Hurley Haywood – who completed his 40^th and final run at Daytona – completed a Porsche 1-2-3.

With limited time to prepare, UAE-based Oryx Racing endured a tough event. After fuel issues left them stranded on-track at the two-hour mark, clutch issues ground the Audi R8 to a halt on several occasions. Steven Kane, Saeed Al Mehairi and team owner Humaid Al Masaood were at least happy to make the chequered flag, albeit in 47th place >>>

Shots By Camden Thrasher

Daytona Rolex 24

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