Grand-Am Rolex Series Pole sitter DAVID DONOHUE/No.58 Brumos Porsche Riley Daytona Prototype won the closest ever finish of the famed Rolex 24 at Daytona Sunday with a Margin of Victory of 24:09:04.
Donohue edged last year’s Rolex 24 winner, JUAN PABLO MONTOYA/No.01 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates Lexus Riley. It’s been 31 years since Porsche last won overall at the famed Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.
Third at the 47th Anniversary of the twice around the clock sports car endurance race was Donohue’s Brumos teammate, JOAO BARBOSA, who set the races’ fastest lap in the fourth hour with a time of 1:42.140 on Lap 125.
Fourth was MAX ANGELELLI/No.10 SunTrust Racing Ford Riley DP, who gave it all he had, poking here and there.
There were lead changes abounding each lap, so I’m not sure how Timing & Scoring was able to record them all or correctly.
The two teams set a blazing nose-to-tail pace for the last three hours on the 3.56-mile road course.
It’s been 40 years since David Donohue’s late father, MARK DONOHUE, won the 24 Hour race, driving a Lola for Penske Racing.
The GT race was also close, although the top car felt back to ninth place after running eighth for hours. R.J. VALENTINE/NO.67 TRG Porsche GT3 took the victory, the only GT on the lead lap. Second was teammate SPENCER PUMPELLY in No.66, one lap down in tenth place. Third was PATRICK PILET in No.33 Wright Motorsports Porsche GT3.
There were 25 cautions for 100 laps. Nine different drivers led laps in the 735-lap race, which ran 24 hours:09.-4 seconds.
Much more to follow.