29
Jan

Rolex 24 At Daytona – Night Report

In endurance racing, a race can’t be won in a single corner, but it could easily be lost. This was proven multiple times at the 2017 Rolex 24 At Daytona. As the long-feared rain started to fall, slick conditions followed.

Daniel Morad, a skilled rain racer, quickly found his groove as the rain continued to trickle down. It was an important stint for the Alegra team, as, thanks to pit stop timing, the Porsche 911 GT3 R was briefly in the lead of the GTD class. Once the dust had settled from all the pit stops, Morad found himself sitting in a consistent 5th. Impressive, considering the car was running in 22nd just a few hours prior.

As Jessie Lazare and Michael Christensen completed their respective stints, the rain continued to fall. Eventually, a 54-minute weather-related caution flag came out, due to poor visibility. Morad hopped in, and completed the stint under yellow.

While still under the extended yellow, Michael de Quesada took over. “Our time behind the pace car brought us back onto the lead lap, so that’s always a plus,” de Quesada said. Finally, the green flag dropped and he could continue the smooth, fast, consistent laps we’ve come to expect from the young racer.

After being able to enjoy a brief run under green, Lazare was in the hot seat when another weather-related yellow came out. This yellow lasted for 1 hour and 40 minutes, and required a mid-lap change of pace car, as the original was funning low on fuel.

As the sun rises, there’s hope that the weather will clear and green running will return shortly.