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By IMSA Wire Service
Wayne Taylor Racing recorded the victory in Sunday s Rolex 24 for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Daytona International Speedway. Photo: IMSA Wire Service
Filipe Albuquerque suspected something was amiss with his closest competitor near the end of the race. He was right.
Albuquerque watched in his mirrors and heard his team’s reaction over the radio Sunday when Renger van der Zande was forced to pit with a flat right rear tire with 7 minutes, 50 seconds left in the race, allowing Albuquerque to sail to victory in the 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona. The historic race opened the 2021 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
31 January, 2021
The tight contest for the overall lead of the 2021 Rolex 24 At Daytona was as spirited as predicted 12 hours into the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener as it was at the drop of the green flag.
And at the midpoint of the race, a familiar name was showing the way.
Filipe Albuquerque had the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing/Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 DPi out front, holding the No. 48 Action Express/Ally Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R and Mike Rockenfeller off by less than a second with Chip Ganassi Racing’s Kevin Magnussen and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott, in the pole-winning No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac, giving chase.
By David Phillips-IMSA Wire Service
The 49-car field for this weekend s 59th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered for a photo opportunity on the front straightaway of Daytona International Speedway Wednesday morning. Photo: Rick Dole, IMSA/LAT
And a new racing season dawns, as it has for close to six decades, with the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Unique among the world’s headline motorsports events, there are no competing races on the international calendar this weekend. Thus, the Daytona International Speedway paddock is akin to a scene in a “Star Wars” cantina this week, such is the diverse cast of characters attracted to the event from throughout the motorsports universe.
By IMSA Wire Service
Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani won Sunday s Motul Pole Award 100 at Daytona International Speedway, and will start on the pole for next weekend s Rolex 24 along with co-drivers Chase Elliott and Mike Conway. Photo: IMSA Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Rain and a penalty didn’t create any problems Sunday for Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani.
Relegated to a sixth-place starting position after their No. 31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac DPi V.R failed technical inspection Saturday night for being underweight, the duo rallied to win the inaugural Motul Pole Award 100, which determined the starting order for next weekend’s 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona.