52nd Running of Rolex 24 Hour at Daytona Concludes with Win from Joao Barbosa and Action Express Racing Team

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The 52nd run of the Rolex 24 race at Daytona commenced yesterday captivating automotive enthusiasts all over the world. The field started off as any man’s race but was abruptly halted momentarily with a red flag due to a horrific crash involving the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari (GTLM) driven by Matteo Malucelli who was plowed into by Memo Gidley in his No. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Corvette DP (GTLM). Both drivers were awake and communicated after being admitted to the hospital where Gidley required surgery for a broken back, injuries to his left arm and left leg. Malucelli is being held for additional evaluation but resting comfortably.

90 minutes or so later the race restarted after a lift of the red flag and clearing the crash debris.

Joao Barbosa (Sebastien Bourdais, Christian Fittipaldi) in the No. 5 Action Express Racing Corvette DP took home the over-all win and win in the Prototype class while Patrick Pilet (Richard Lietz, Nick Tandy) in the No. 911 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR captured the win for the GT Le Mans class. Alessandro Pier Guidi in the No. 555 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia finished first in the GT Daytona class but some controversy ensued as officials announce a time penalty for allegedly having contact or not leaving a lane to Markus Winkelhock (Nelson Canache, Spencer Pumpelly Jr, Tim Pappas) in the No. 45 Flying Lizard Audi R8 LMS, which ultimately took the win. Colin Braun (James Gue, Jonathan Bennett) brought home the win in the No. 54 Core Autosport ORECA FLM09 for Prototype Challenge class.

Update: Level 5 Motorsports No. 555 Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 has been announced as the new GT Daytona Class winner after IMSA officials revealed the situations after a protest filed by Level 5.

Official Statement:

“A full post-race review of the incident on the last lap of the 52nd Rolex 24 At Daytona was completed by IMSA Supervisory Officials. The decision has been made to reverse the decision by the race director, rescind the penalty against the No. 555 Level 5 Motorsports Ferrari 458 Italia team, and reinstate drivers Scott Tucker, Bill Sweedler, Townsend Bell, Jeff Segal and Alessandro Pier Giuidi as the GT Daytona class winners. We regret the confusion following the race, and appreciate the patience by our fans, drivers, teams and the media so we could properly review and subsequently report this decision.”

Elkins expanded on that official statement shortly thereafter: “The uniqueness of this was that it was on the last lap of a 24‑hour race, and so the race director was doing exactly what he is expected to do, which is to make a decision and try to have some finality prior to the end, and that’s what he did,” he said. “The process worked.  If you’re asking could we have done it differently, I don’t think so.”

“The fact is the winning team is now declared the winner, and I think that’s the right thing that needs to happen.”

 

Rolex 24 at Daytona Full Results

Finish CLASS CAR CAR TYPE LAPS COMP BEHIND LEADER BEHIND NEXT IN CLASS
1 P 5 CORVETTE DP 695 – – – – – –
2 P 10 CORVETTE DP 695 1.461 1.461
3 P 9 CORVETTE DP 695 19.489 18.028
4 P 90 CORVETTE DP 693 2 LAPS 2 LAPS
5 P 6 NISSAN ORECA 692 3 LAPS 1 LAPS
6 GTLM 911 PORSCHE 911 RSR 679 16 LAPS – – –
7 GTLM 55 BMW Z4 GTE 679 16 LAPS 2.838
8 P 42 NISSAN MORGAN 678 17 LAPS 14 LAPS
9 PC 54 ORECA FLM09 678 17 LAPS – – –
10 PC 25 ORECA FLM09 677 18 LAPS 1 LAPS
11 P 2 HPD ARX-03B 676 19 LAPS 2 LAPS
12 GTLM 91 SRT VIPER GTS-R 675 20 LAPS 4 LAPS
13 PC 38 ORECA FLM09 669 26 LAPS 8 LAPS
14 GTLM 56 BMW Z4 GTE 668 27 LAPS 7 LAPS
15 P 02 FORD ECOBOOST/RILEY 667 28 LAPS 9 LAPS
16 GTLM 4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R 666 29 LAPS 2 LAPS
17 PC 52 ORECA FLM09 662 33 LAPS 7 LAPS
18 GTD 555 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 662 33 LAPS – – – penalty for contact
19 GTD 45 AUDI R8 LMS 662 33 LAPS 1.293
20 GTD 58 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 662 33 LAPS 0.159
21 GTD 72 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 662 33 LAPS 13.760
22 GTD 35 AUDI R8 LMS 661 34 LAPS 1 LAPS
23 GTD 556 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 661 34 LAPS 3.061
24 PC 8 ORECA FLM09 659 36 LAPS 3 LAPS
25 GTD 94 BMW Z4 659 36 LAPS 2 LAPS
26 GTD 22 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 656 39 LAPS 3 LAPS
27 GTLM 93 SRT VIPER GTS-R 653 42 LAPS 13 LAPS
28 GTD 30 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 652 43 LAPS 4 LAPS
29 GTD 65 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 649 46 LAPS 3 LAPS
30 GTD 63 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 647 48 LAPS 2 LAPS
31 GTD 44 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 645 50 LAPS 2 LAPS
32 GTD 73 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 645 50 LAPS 31.014
33 GTD 64 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 645 50 LAPS 25.084
34 GTD 23 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 639 56 LAPS 6 LAPS
35 P 50 DINAN/RILEY 631 64 LAPS 36 LAPS
36 GTD 48 AUDI R8 LMS 626 69 LAPS 13 LAPS
37 GTLM 57 FERRARI F458 ITALIA 625 70 LAPS 28 LAPS
38 GTD 51 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 620 75 LAPS 6 LAPS
39 GTD 49 FERRARI 458 ITALIA 618 77 LAPS 2 LAPS
40 GTD 33 SRT VIPER GT3-R 615 80 LAPS 3 LAPS
41 P 31 CORVETTE DP 613 82 LAPS 18 LAPS
42 PC 7 ORECA FLM09 612 83 LAPS 47 LAPS
43 P 01 FORD ECOBOOST/RILEY 610 85 LAPS 3 LAPS
44 GTLM 97 ASTON MARTIN VANTAGE V8 610 85 LAPS 15 LAPS
45 GTD 19 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 603 92 LAPS 12 LAPS
46 GTD 28 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 601 94 LAPS 2 LAPS
47 P 60 FORD ECOBOOST/RILEY 599 96 LAPS 11 LAPS
48 GTD 007 ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE 580 115 LAPS 21 LAPS
49 GTD 71 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 566 129 LAPS 14 LAPS
50 GTD 27 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 566 129 LAPS 13.590
51 GTD 81 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 560 135 LAPS 6 LAPS
52 GTD 009 ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE 516 179 LAPS 44 LAPS
53 GTD 18 PORSCHE 911 GT AMERICA 492 203 LAPS 24 LAPS
54 GTLM 912 PORSCHE 911 RSR 489 206 LAPS 121 LAPS
55 PC 87 ORECA FLM09 460 235 LAPS 152 LAPS
56 P 07 MAZDA SKYACTIV-D 445 250 LAPS 154 LAPS
57 P 70 MAZDA SKYACTIV-D 369 326 LAPS 76 LAPS
58 PC 08 ORECA FLM09 361 334 LAPS 99 LAPS
59 P 1 HPD ARX-03B 359 336 LAPS 10 LAPS
60 GTLM 3 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C7.R 329 366 LAPS 160 LAPS
61 P 0 DELTAWING DWC13 288 407 LAPS 71 LAPS
62 P 78 DINAN/RILEY 238 457 LAPS 50 LAPS
63 PC 09 ORECA FLM09 177 518 LAPS 184 LAPS
64 GTD 32 AUDI R8 LMS 151 544 LAPS 341 LAPS
65 P 99 CORVETTE DP 92 603 LAPS 146 LAPS
66 GTLM 62 FERRARI F458 ITALIA 88 607 LAPS 241 LAPS
67 GTD 46 AUDI R8 LMS 5 690 LAPS 146 LAPS