Autos

PHOTOS: 61st Rolex 24 Sees Biggest Attendance, Ushers in New Hybrids Era

Published

2 months ago

January 28, 2023

2022 Rolex 24 champion Tom Blomqvist of Meyer Shank Racing, driving the GTP class Acura ARX-06, kicks off the 61st Rolex 24 At DAYTONA in the first position Saturday, January 28, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) ignited the auto racing world this weekend with the debut of hybrid engines in the top GTP class. And with IMSA being the only North American series using hybrid technology, all eyes are on the 2023 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA this weekend, boasting its largest crowd for the prestigious endurance race in its 61 years.

The GTP class has four different manufacturers: Acura and Cadillac and, new this year, BMW and Porsche. Lamborghini also plans to enter the series before the end of the year. The top GTP class cars use a hybrid powertrain combined with a traditional internal combustion engine. Given the newness of the the cars and supply chain challenges leading to this point, many are uncertain about the cars’ durability.

“History is being written starting today,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner of the two BMW GTP entries.

The No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8, one of the new hybrids in this year’s GTP class, prepares to enter the 61st Rolex 24 At DAYTONA at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday, January 28, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Rahal moved up to the top class for the new era, while Roger Penske returned to sports car racing and hopes to take his two Porsches to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June. Michael Andretti, meanwhile, partnered with Wayne Taylor Racing to join the grid and a Saturday morning news conference of the seven GTP team owners was comprised of five owners of IndyCar teams.

The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsports’ Porsche 963 is led to Pit Road before the start of the 61st Rolex 24 At DAYTONA at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, January 28, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

This year’s Rolex 24 At DAYTONA drew the race’s largest audience in its 61-year history. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

The race got more interesting after sunset as the first third of this year’s Rolex 24 AT DAYTONA came to a close showcasing the new hybrid GPT cars from BMW and Porsche (pictured, with Lambourghini at left). Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

All the GTP team owners, who spoke with the media at Daytona International Speedway Saturday (see full press conference below), stressed the importance of IMSA, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and the Federation International de l’Automobile (FIA) merging rules that has widened IMSA’s participation and given North American sports car teams a chance to race Le Mans.

“This seems to be a real platform for us to take sports car racing to the next level here in the United States,” said Penske, “and then to be able to compete on the international platform at Le Mans for our teams and our brands will be special. I look at competing with these folks as going to be terrific.”

The GTP Hybrids Hold Up in the First Eight Hours

Only two of the nine GTP hybrids fell out of contention within the first eight hours of the race Saturday. One of Rahal’s BMW cars had a mechanical problem in the first hour of the race and dropped out.

The second hybrid to go was the second-level LMP2 class ORECA LMP2 07, driven by Josef Newgarden, Scott McLaughlin (known on social media as the “Bus Bros.”), and up-and-comer Kyffin Simpson, for Tower Motorsports. John Farano, who owns the car, was driving it in the first hour Saturday and, according to McLaughlin, a water bottle leaked onto the electronic control issue to cause the car to stall.

Watch this space for the winner to be announced Sunday.

___________________________________________________

Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com

Up Next

PHOTOS: Meyer Shank Repeats, Acura Makes Rolex 24 History with First GTP Win

Don't Miss

Jimmy Johnson, Jensen Button, Mike Rockenfeller Tapped for Historic 2023 Garage 56 Le Mans Driver Lineup

Click to comment

Autos

Garg Doubles Up, Liefooghe Gets Redemption in VP Racing Challenge Race 2 at Sebring Managing Traffic Was Key to Victory in Both Classes

Published

3 weeks ago

March 12, 2023

FNN SPORTS

SEBRING, Fla. – After leading every lap en route to victory in this morning’s first race of a Sunday doubleheader at Sebring International Raceway, Bijoy Garg had a much tougher time in this afternoon’s second 45-minute IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race.

But the end result was the same, as Garg drove the No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320 back into Victory Lane. Despite starting the race from the pole position, Garg surrendered the lead to Dan Goldburg in the No. 73 JDC MotorSports Duqueine D08 on the opening lap.

Goldburg grabbed the advantage just before the full-course caution came out due to a first-lap incident in Turn 1 involving Adrian Kunzle in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier, Scott Neal in the No. 86 Kellymoss with Riley Ligier and Courtney Crone in the No. 99 Forty7 Motorsports Duqueine. When the green flag flew again 10 minutes into the race, a three-car battle ensued at the front of the LMP3 field that included Goldburg, Garg and Antonio Serravalle in the No. 18 Muehlner Motorsports America Ligier.

Though no positions changed hands, the battle remained close among the three cars through the halfway point of the race. It was particularly close between Goldburg and Garg, who made several runs at Goldburg in traffic before finally making the decisive pass in Sebring’s famed Hairpin (Turn 7) with 15 minutes left in the race.

“I did a pretty big dive bomb, but it worked out and none of us got damage,” said Garg.

Garg then went from hunter to hunted for the next few laps as he navigated traffic with Goldburg in his mirrors, before catching a break when Goldburg spun in Turn 7 with under 10 minutes remaining. Garg went on to win by 4.949 seconds over Serravalle, picking up a Sebring weekend sweep for himself and his Jr III Racing teammates.

“I lost the lead off the start, but I wasn’t too worried,” Garg said. “I knew it all came down to the traffic and just finding an opportunity there, so as long as I stayed with (Goldburg), I was fine. I used some lapped cars, set a pick for him and then got it.

“From there, it’s all about the traffic management, as usual. It’s not easy going to a multi-class. I’m just really happy to come out with the win today.”

Serravalle was one of a number of series newcomers in the 30-car field at Sebring. He had a double podium day with a third-place run in the morning before his runner-up performance in the afternoon for the Muehlner squad.

Goldburg recovered from the spin to finish third for his fourth consecutive podium result to open the VP Racing Challenge season. He will depart the weekend atop both the overall LMP3 championship standings, as well as the Bronze driver standings. He has been the highest-finishing Bronze-rated driver in every race so far.

The next event for the VP Racing Challenge is scheduled for July 7-9 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as part of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Challenge Chevrolet Grand Prix weekend.

Liefooghe Rebounds for GSX Class Victory in No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW

Gregory Liefooghe started from the GSX class pole in the No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 and led every lap but the last one in this morning’s first 45-minute race.

And while he also started this afternoon’s race from the class pole, it appeared on the opening lap like he might come up empty on the day as he fell from first to fifth at the end of the first lap.

“The start was pretty sporty,” Liefooghe said. “There was two LMP3 cars that crashed right in front of me. I was on the outside, so I kind of got stuck, fell back and almost got collected, so I was really happy to survive.”

He did more than survive. Liefooghe went right to work when the race went back to green following a 10-minute full-course caution period, picking off the cars in front of him, including Luca Mars, who won this morning’s race in the No. 59 KOHR MOTORSPORTS Ford Mustang GT4 but had to make an unscheduled trip to pit lane early in Race 2.

“Unfortunately, Lucas broke down,” Liefooghe said. “I’m not sure what happened to him. We were looking forward to a battle with him and see how we improved our car compared to his since this morning.”

Liefooghe would not be denied in Race 2, especially with Mars out of the picture. He drove away from the field after taking the lead, and took the checkered flag 22.712 seconds ahead of Sebastian Carazo, who finished second in the No. 27 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS.

“It just seems like our car was really good on the high-speed stuff,” Liefooghe surmised. “(Turns) 17 and 1 was our strong suit. It felt like we were able to brake a lot deeper than the other competitors and we kind of squeaked by in those two spots on track.”

While Liefooghe and Carazo, who also finished third this morning, had podium finishes in both of the day’s races, they were greeted by a new face on the podium at the end of Race 2. Patrick Wilmot came home third in the No. 88 Split Decision Motorsports BMW.

Autos

2023 DAYTONA 200: Josh Herrin Claws Back from Penalty to Snatch Victory

Published

3 weeks ago

March 11, 2023

Mellissa Thomas

Josh Herrin (center) celebrates his DAYTONA 200 win at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 11, 2023, 12 years after his last win. Josh Hayes won second place and Cameron Petersen won third. Photo: J. Willie David III/Florida National News.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN) – Josh Herrin rallied back from the 7th position in a ten-lap restart to defeat Josh Hayes by .070 seconds in the 81st running of the DAYTONA 200, the annual single-man motorcycle endurance race.

Josh Herrin started strong and held the lead for most of the race. Two racers crashed out early, but things didn’t really get disruptive until the race got down to less than 10 laps remaining.

The most notable crash of the race was Herrin’s contact with Richie Escalante, who had been keeping up with Herrin for the majority of the race. The contact sent Escalante sliding off the track–and out of the running–with just eight laps to go. Escalante attempted to lift the bike up to get back on it, but there was no chance remaining for him to get back in the race. Seeing his chance of victory lost, he slammed his gloves to the ground as he removed them.

The call of whether the contact was an intentional push or race incident was tricky because when played back in slow motion, the collision looks incidental since Escalante had leaned in a bit too far and then just barely lifted back up at the last second while Herrin went wide in the turn as he was sometimes doing throughout the race. However, when played back in real time, it looks like Herrin intentionally went wide to knock Escalante out. The collision went under review.

Despite the brief break after Escalante’s crash, Herrin regained the lead. With five laps remaining, Teagg Hobbs crashed into Jason Waters, causing a red flag. After the red flag period, Herrin got penalized for his collision with Escalante by dropping six positions to the number seven spot. Five laps were added, making it a 10-lap race for the restart.

Ultimately, Herrin was penalized six positions to start at seventh for the restart. Herrin confessed he wasn’t sure he could make it to the end, given the amount of pain he was in, but he heard the struggling conditions of several other racers, since they couldn’t switch out tires during the red flag period, and give it all he had.

“After 15 years of trying I finally got it right,” Herrin said. “This is by far my favorite event that I ever get to race. It’s the one race a year where we really see the teamwork that goes on.”

_______________________________________

Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com

Autos

PHOTOS: 2023 DAYTONA Supercross: Eli Tomac Matches Richard Petty with Historic 7th Daytona Win

Published

4 weeks ago

March 4, 2023

Mellissa Thomas

Eli Tomac crosses the finish line, winning the DAYTONA Supercross at Daytona International Speedway a record seventh time, matching Richard Petty's record Saturday, March 4, 2023. Webb took second place. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN) – The DAYTONA Supercross brought double the thrills for motocross fans Saturday, always showcasing races for 250SX and 450SX class dirt bikes on motocross legend Rick Carmichael’s insane course.

The gates drop to start the 450SX main event race during the 2023 DAYTONA Supercross at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 4, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

This year’s DAYTONA SX was bound to make history in several ways:

-The potential for 450SX legend Eli Tomac, who broke Ricky Carmichael’s DAYTONA SX winning record last year with his sixth win, to match NASCAR legend Richard Petty’s record as the only other athlete to win seven events at the Daytona International Speedway.

-The potential for any one of six rookies–Haiden Deegan, Tom Vialle, Chance Hymas, Talon Hawkins, Caden Braswell, Josiah Natzke–to get their first Daytona victory.

The 250SX Winners

In the end, this year’s 250SX saw two international winners take the podium and saw: Aussie rider Hunter Lawrence took his first DAYTONA Supercross victory Saturday, with English rider Max Anstie following in second place and Haiden Deegan, who wasn’t quite sure about his supercross career, closed out the DAYTONA Supercross 250SX podium in third place.

The 450SX Winners

Eli Tomac speeds through the white sand portion of the Ricky Carmichael-designed DAYTONA Supercross course in the 450SX main event race at the Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 4, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Florida rain, which began during the 250SX main event, intensified when the 450SX main event race began, making it that much more chaotic. Eli Tomac fought hard and early to steal the lead from Cooper Webb, who began in the lead. The two made contact twice, the first of which saw Tomac lose his footing a little, but he was able to regain the lead. The record is meaningful to Tomac not only for the record’s sake, but his practices didn’t end well–he came out fourth. He was fine the end of the very first 450SX heat, though: he finished first, giving him a bit of a break as the others continued to compete for their spots in the main event.

Eli Tomac (#1) gains on Cooper Webb to nab the lead during the 2023 DAYTONA Supercross at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 4, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Cooper Webb won second place while Chase Sexton rounded out the 450SX podium in third place.

Eli Tomac and Cooper Webb shake hands after Tomac wins the 2023 DAYTONA Supercross at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 4, 2023. Webb took second place. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Chase Sexton crosses the 450SX finish line in third place during the 2023 DAYTONA Supercross at Daytona International Speedway Saturday, March 4, 2023. Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.

Sexton and Justin “Bam Bam” Barcia traded hits several times throughout the race to attain or maintain dominance, but in the end, Barcia made a miscalculation close to the finish line that knocked him out of the running for top three, and Sexton quickly took his place to nab third.

________________________________________

Mellissa Thomas is Editor for Florida National News. | mellissa.thomas@floridanationalnews.com