Helio Castroneves leads Meyer Shank Racing to Rolex 24 victory
Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 Sirius XM Acura DPi claimed overall honors in last weekend’s (Jan. 29-30) 60th running of the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona International Speedway. The effort was led by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves in the final hours of the race, holding off a former teammate for the win.
The win is the second for car owner Michael Shank in the prestigious race, coming 10 years separated from the 2012 triumph. Additionally, it’s the first win back for MSR in the top class of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition since returning to the division last year.
The battle watched around the world in the waning minutes of the 24-hour endurance, however, was the GT Daytona Pro (GTDP) fight for the win. Two Porsche 911 GT3s entered by Pfaff Motorsports and KCMG scrapped hard with Mathieu Jaminet and Laurens Vanthoor respectively dueling. It came to the final corner on the last lap, where the No. 9 Pfaff Porsche blocked Vanthoor through the grass in the bus stop, denying a pass and resulting in a spin for Vanthoor.
DPi
Shank’s No. 60 full-season duo of Olly Jarvis and Tom Blomqvist got plenty of seat time in the all-day marathon. For Blomqvist, it marked his debut drive at Daytona after visa issues left him stranded in Europe three years ago. Joining them and Castroneves was Shank’s newest driver, Simon Pagenaud, who takes over the team’s No. 60 IndyCar this season.
The second straight Rolex 24 victory for Castroneves came after the No. 60 team recovered losing a lap from a flat tire within six hours of the race. The tire went down with Castroneves behind the wheel, driving up on the banking of NASCAR turn 1. He was able to cruise the car back to the pit lane and caught a timely yellow.
The Chip Ganassi Racing prepared Cadillac Daytona Prototype Internationals (DPi) were consistently the fastest cars in the race, however, mechanical woes sidelined both factory aligned entries throughout the early morning hours.
A crash with a GT car ended the quest for a Rolex on the Ally Racing squad. Jimmie Johnson in the No. 48 Cadillac clipped a GT through turn 2, sending him spinning through the grass. On his way back into the pit lane, he lost control of the car with a broken suspension and spun again.
60th Rolex 24 Results
DPi Results
1: (60 / Acura) Jarvis / Blomqvist / Castroneves / Pagenaud
2: (10 / Acura) R. Taylor / Albuquerque / Rossi / Stevens
3: (5 / Cadillac) Vautier / Westbrook / Duval / Keating
4: (31 / Cadillac) Derani / Nunez / Conway
5: (48 / Cadillac) Rockenfeller / Kobayashi / Johnson / Lopez
6: (02 / Cadillac) Bamber / Lynn / Ericsson / Magnussen
7: (01 / Cadillac) van der Zande / Bourdais / Dixon / Palou
LMP2 Results
1: (81) Lux / DeFrancesco / O’Ward / Herta
2: (29) Van Eerd / van der Garde / Murry / VeeKay
3: (8) Farano / Deletraz / Pinto de Andrade / Habsburg-Lothringen
4: (52) Keating / Jensen / Huffaker / Lapierre
5: (68) Heriau / Rasmussen / Ed Jones / Rast
6: (22) McGuire / Smith / Hanson / Owen
7: (18) Merriman / Tilley / Dalziel / Chatin
8: (11) Thomas / Pierson / Bomarito / Tincknell
9: (69) Falb / Allen / Ghiotto / van der Helm
10: (20) Andersen / Fjordbach / Scherer / N. Mueller
LMP3 Results
1: (74 / Ligier) Robinson / Fraga / van Berlo / Cooper
2: (33 / Ligier) Barbosa / Jakobsen / Priaulx / Willsey
3: (54 / Ligier) Bennett / Braun / Kurtz / Jonsson
4: (36 / Ligier) J. Andretti / Burdon / Lindh / Chaves
5: (13 / Duqueine) Fidani / Wittmer / Kern / Bell
6: (26 / Duqueine) Siegel / Shields / Crews / de Wilde
7: (38 / Ligier) Goldburg / Abe / Grist / Pino
8: (8 / Duqueine) Kvamme / McCusker / Estep / Doquin
9: (6 / Duqueine) Castro / Krantz / Ori / J. Miller
GTDP Results
1: (9 / Porsche) Campbell / Jaminet / Nasr
2: (62 / Ferrari) Pier Guidi / Calado / Serra / Rigon
3: (2 / Porsche) Vanthoor / Pilet / Olsen / Imperatori
4: (14 / Lexus) Hawksworth / Barnicoat / Kirkwood
5: (15 / Mercedes) D. Mueller / Cindric / Assenheimer
6: (3 / Corvette) Garcia / J. Taylor / Catsburg
7: (25 / BMW) De Phillippi / Edwards / Farfus / Krohn
8: (79 / Porsche) MacNeil / Andlauer / Cairoli / Picariello
9: (24 / BMW) Eng / Wittmann / Yelloly / van der Linde
10: (4 / Corvette) Milner / Tandy / Soresen
11: (97 / Mercedes) MacNeil / Juncadella / Engel / Gounon
12: (63 / Lamborghini) Ineichen / Mapelli / Caldarelli / Bortolotti
13: (23 / Aston Martin) Gunn / Riberas / Martin
GTD Results
1: (16 / Porsche) Hardwich / Robichon / Heylen / Lietz
2: (44 / Aston Martin) Potter / Lally / Pumpelly / Adam
3: (32 / Mercedes) Skeen / Davison / McAleer / Andrews
4: (21 / Ferrari) Mann / Perez Companc / Nielsen / Vilander
5: (70 / McLaren) Iribe / Schandorff / Millroy / Pepper
6: (57 / Mercedes) Ward / Ellis / Grenier / Auer
7: (64 / Porsche) Giovanis / H. Plumb / M. Plumb / Trinkler
8: (71 / Lamborghini) Goikhberg / Perera / Llarena / Paul
9: (27 / Aston Martin) De Angelis / James / Turner / Gamble
10: (99 / Porsche) Ferriol / Legge / Wilson / Boulle
11: (19 / Lamborghini) Sweedler / Megrue / Altoe / Segal
12: (98 / Aston Martin) Dalla Lana / Pittard / Eastwood / Thiim
13: (66 / Acura) Simpson / Bechtolsheimer / M. Miller / Farnbacher
14: (47 / Ferrari) Lacorte / Sernagiotto / Fuoco / Rovera
15: (12 / Lexus) Montecalvo / Telitz / Heistand / T. Bell
16: (42 / Lamborghini) Yount / Hites / Conwright / Paltala
17: (39 / Lamborghini) Megennis / Lewis / Mitchell / Westphal
18: (96 / BMW) Foley / Auberlen / Dinan / Klingmann
19: (59 / McLaren) Bergstein / J. Miller / Gallagher / Holton
20: (28 / Mercedes) de Quesada / Morad / Lundqvist / Goetz
21: (75 / Mercedes) Schiller / Habul / Stolz / Marciello
22: (34 / Porsche) Washington / Sofronas / Bleekemolen / Bachler
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