Jan
2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona – From Start to Dark
In their multi-championship winning 2016 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge season, #nevergiveup became the mantra of Alegra Motorsports. Without missing a beat, that same fighting attitude has brought the #28 Porsche 911 GT3 R from 22nd place in class, and back into contention at the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
After losing a spot on the start, Daniel Morad soon brought the car back to eighth place in the highly competitive GTD class, with the same smooth, controlled driving style we’ve come to expect from him. “The first stint was all about being safe. Once you take the green, there’s 23 hours and 59 minutes ahead of you,” said Morad, spouting wisdom far beyond his years.
Following Morad’s stint, 2007 Rolex 24 At Daytona winner Carlos de Quesada took over the inSync sponsored Porsche, just as bad luck reared its ugly head. With a bit of help from behind, Carlos soon found himself facing the wrong way in the runoff of turn one. Once restarted, the car had fallen back to 22nd place, but Carlos quickly started to recover those lost spots.
Following Carlos, another young Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge champion, Jessie Lazare soon found comfort in his race pace. He continued to claw back those lost positions, reclaiming a lap from the leader. By then end of his stint, Alegra found themselves sitting in 15th, only one lap down.
The car was then handed over by the youngest driver in today’s grid, Michael de Quesada. While only 17 years old, Michael is an ultra competitive veteran Porsche racer, with a Gold Class win in the 2016 GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama. While running a long, two-hour stint, Michael charged into the dusk, returning fast, consistence laps.
Next to take over the car is Michael Christensen, a factory driver on loan from Porsche Motorsports. By the end of Christensen’s two-hour drive, the Porsche of Oakville sponsored 911 GT3 R was running as high as seventh. With another 18 hours left, one thing is for sure, Alegra will #nevergiveup.