GTD PRO at Rolex 24: WheatherTech victory

IMSA

Feb 13

Written By Car Racing Reporter

The BoP limited the candidates for GTD PRO class victory

📷 © Luc Warnotte. #9 Porsche 911 GT3 R and #62 Ferrari 296 GT3 at ROAR before ROLEX 24 2023.

In the GT classes, in which different manufacturers compete with a variety of vehicle concepts, the playing field is levelled out via a so-called Balance of Performance system. The governing body of the IMSA series did not succeed in achieving this in Daytona. The defending GTD PRO champions, Pfaff Motorsports (Porsche 911 GT3 R #9) and last year podium seater Risi Competizione (Ferrari 296 GT3) were so severely handicapped in terms of engine performance that their qualification time was more than 2 seconds slower than the fastest Mercedes-AMG.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. BMW GT3 #95 and Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 #63 at ROAR before ROLEX 24 2023.

It was clear before the Rolex 24 At Daytona that, together with Turner Motorsport BMW GT3 #95 and Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 #63, those four vehicles had next to no chance of success.

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD #3 was also starting the 61st edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona with a serious handicap as the qualifying lap of Andy Garcia was 1.293” slower than the Mercedes-AMG in GTD PRO class.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. As a result, the battle for victory in GTD PRO would be between Mercedes-AMG GT3 #79, Lexus RC F GT3 #14 and Aston Martin Vantage GT3 #23.

Three contenders emerged the last 2 hours

Nevertheless, Sunday around mid-day, the three cars still in contention for the class win were: the #3 Corvette, the #14 Lexus and #79 Mercedes who swapped back and forth through the last three full-course caution periods in the span of an hour and 20 minutes before a final 26-minute run to the flag.

WeatherTech Racing first GTD PRO win at Rolex 24

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Mercedes-AMG GT3 #79 at ROLEX 24 2023.

Engel (Mercedes-AMG GT3 #79) crossed checkered flag first of GTD PRO class after a fierce battle with the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 driven by Jack Hawksworth and Antonio Garcia in the #3 Corvette Racing Corvette C8.R GTD.

His teammates Juncadella and Gounon both earned their first IMSA race wins. It was Engel’s third win in IMSA competition and Mac Neil’s first Rolex 24 At Daytona GTD PRO win.

P2 for Corvette Racing

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Corvette C.8 R GTD #3 at ROLEX 24 2023.

Things began to look dire near the 10.5-hour mark when the #3 Corvette suffered a left-rear flat tire just before Taylor came on the Turn 1 speedway banking while running second in class. He nursed the car back to pitlane even as the tire came off the wheel before the Corvette made it back to pit entry. The team quickly changed tires but had to stop a lap later to change the Corvette’s rear brakes due to damage from the flat tire. It dropped the #3 C8.R to two laps down. A. Garcia, J. Taylor and T. Milner ran third in class and seven seconds from the lead as the race entered the final eight hours. They crossed checkered flag second, 3.916 seconds behind the winning Mercedes-AMG after leading GTD PRO class during 201 laps of the 729 covered.

A podium in GTD PRO for Vasser Sullivan

Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat and Mike Conway completed the GTD PRO podium for Lexus with Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 (10.953” behind the GTD PRO winners) and were 5th mixed GTD-GTD PRO, 13.316 seconds behind the winning Aston Martin Vantage #27. The Lexus team was always in contention but only lead 76 laps during the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 at ROLEX 24 2023.

One lap behind the top three

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 #63 at ROLEX 24 2023.

Lamborghini Factory Drivers Romain Grosjean, Andrea Caldarelli, Mirko Bortolotti, and Jordan Pepper made use of their excellent experience and racing knowledge to deliver a great race in the #63 Huracan GT3 EVO 2 deploying a brilliant racing and pitstop strategy. This helped the #63 Iron Lynx squad to weather multiple full course yellows and restarts, ensuring they could lead 7 laps during the whole race but ended one lap behind the top three in P4.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Porsche 911 GT3 R #9 at ROLEX 24 2023.

The defending GTD-Pro champions, Pfaff Motorsports reached the finish line in fifth place after a valiant effort from works driver Laurens Vanthoor as well as Klaus Bachler and Patrick Pilet.

More than 12 laps behind

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Porsche 911 GT3 R #53 at ROLEX 24 2023.

Porsche 911 GT3 R #53 MDK Motorsports driven by M. Kvamme, T. Estep, J. Magnussen, J. Hart took the flag in sixth place.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Aston Martin Vantage GT3 #23 at ROLEX 24 2023.

The #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage manned by AMR factory drivers Ross Gunn, Alex Riberas and David Pittard led the class during 215 laps (out of 402) the first 14 hours before suffering technical problems two hours before sunrise. They end 7th in class, 13 laps behind the class winners.

📷 © Luc Warnotte. Aston Martin Vantage GT3 #64 at ROLEX 24 2023.

Sister Aston Martin Vantage GT3 #64 from TGM/TF Sport driven by T. Giovanis, H. Plumb, M. Plumb and O. Trinkler ended 8th in GTD PRO class … 55 laps behind the winning Mercedes-AMG!