Daytona drew AWA Corvette's lucky No. 13
While everyone at Pratt Miller — and Trackhouse by TF Sport, for that matter — will exit the paddock Sunday frustrated after Ford's Mustang prevailed in GTD PRO, AWA's achievement in the 22-car strong GTD class is still reason for the General Motors concern to celebrate.
Mirroring the Mustang GT3, the Corvette Z06 GT3.R has a 24-hour win under its belt now, too, after enduring a tough debut marred by mechanical woes at last year's Daytona event.
The difference is this achievement came via the efforts of a private team. For Corvette Racing's young customer program, the win could prove to be vital for the car's future in GT3 racing globally.
Ahead of the race, everyone at AWA was confident not only in the capabilities of their car but also in their level of preparation. The team looked entirely at ease with the car and the event this year, snatching the win in a huge 22-car field stacked with high-quality teams from nine manufacturers.
British pro driver Matt Bell was in at the end of the race and, frankly, put in the most impressive performance of his racing career, fending off attacks from multiple cars including Heart of Racing's Aston Martin driven by the hard-charging Mattia Drudi.
'Honestly, I can't remember a thing,' he said when asked to recall his winning move. 'There were PRO cars, there were GTD cars… I don't remember that. I'll have to watch the video later. Every time there was a car in front of me, I was trying to overtake it. I asked the guys to stop giving me updates on the radio.
Fidani, Bell, Kern and Kirchhofer were harried at Daytona, but their victory may be a sign of what's to come later this year. Jake Galstad/Lumen
'I just saw a GT car and wanted to pass it; that's all I was focused on. I can't thank my teammates and everyone enough. That's one beat-up Chevrolet Corvette, but they make them tough in Detroit.
'This means absolutely everything,' Bell, continued. 'To me, to my teammates Orey (Fidani) and Lars (Kern) and Marvin. Everybody on this team has worked so hard. To think where we were this time last year and how far we've come now… it's so much hard work to do this.
'From the minute the checkered flag fell at Petit Le Mans, no one took a rest. No one took a break. It's been 24/7 since then to get a car that is capable of winning the Daytona 24 Hours.
'AWA gave the four of us a car to do it.
'IMSA is the hardest championship in the world. Our competitors gave us a hell of a run. I had to work so hard to get on top of those guys but we managed to make it work and bring it home in the last 10 minutes.
'This all feels like a dream — a dream that we hope won't end.'
The result is massive for the championship, the brand, the car and the team's future. Now, as a result of its performance this weekend, AWA finds itself in with a chance to achieve something truly special in June.
'This is a huge boost for the team and myself heading to the 24 Hours Le Mans for our debut,' 2024 IMSA Bob Akin Award winner Orey Fidani said. 'If we can win this one, I think Le Mans also is a possibility as well. We'll take that energy from here and roll it forward into that.'
That's for tomorrow, though. Right now, it's time for the team to pop the champagne corks stateside.
Story originally appeared on Racer
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