Latest news with #ORECA07
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tower Motorsports 'deeply disappointed' by Rolex 24 penalty
Following Wednesday's announcement that Tower Motorsports has been stripped of its LMP2 class win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Team Manager Rick Capone contends that it did not willingly violate IMSA's technical regulations. 'Tower Motorsports is deeply disappointed by IMSA's decision to penalize our No.8 LMP2 entry following post-race technical inspection at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Our team strongly contests this ruling and maintains that we did not intentionally violate any technical regulations,' Capone said in a statement. 'The infraction cited by IMSA relates to excessive wear on the skid block, an issue that can naturally occur over the course of an intense endurance race due to variables outside of a team's direct control. The No.8 car has consistently passed technical inspection throughout the event and in previous competitions without issue. We firmly believe that this outcome does not reflect any wrongdoing or competitive advantage on our part.' Post-race inspections by IMSA found that the skid block underneath the No.8 ORECA 07 had worn beyond the maximum allowable rate of five millimeters as stated in the FIA Technical Regulations, demoting Tower Motorsports to last in its class a little more than 48 hours after taking the checkered flag at Daytona. 'We filed a formal protest, which IMSA has denied. While we respect the regulatory process, we are extremely disheartened by this decision. We are incredibly proud of this team, and it does not discount the tremendous effort and dedication of our drivers, engineers, and crew, who performed flawlessly over 24 hours of competition,' Capone said. 'We also understand that this was a difficult decision for IMSA to make, and we appreciate their communication and insight throughout this process. While we may not agree with the outcome, we recognize the complexity of their role in enforcing regulations. 'We remain committed to upholding the integrity of the sport and will review all possible options in response to this penalty. We extend our gratitude to our fans, partners, and supporters, who continue to stand by us as we navigate this challenging situation.' It means that Sebastien Bourdais will not get to keep his third Rolex 24 At Daytona victory, after coming back from being involved in a multi-car accident on Saturday night. 'Racing can be cruel but governing bodies can be far worse,' Bourdais wrote in a post on social media. 'Tower Motorsports won the Rolex 24 LMP2 class. Bourdais attributed the results of technical inspection to a failed suspension component. 'The rear third damper that controls rear ride height failed allowing the rear to come down too much, subsequently over wearing the rear skid. In recent memory, IMSA always used common sense when enforcing rules that were breached by technical failure. Unfortunately, not today,' he wrote. 'I want to thank everyone in the team for their flawless execution and dedication. Making them look like cheaters makes me sick as they always operate by the book. I sure hope we get a chance to win more races in the future!' Story originally appeared on Racer
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
United Autosports declared LMP2 winner at Rolex 24 after penalty to Tower Motorsports
United Autosports USA has inherited the LMP2 class win in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona after Tower Motorsports' car was penalized due to a technical violation. After a lengthy-post-race inspection found that the skid block underneath the car had exceeded the maximum allowable wear of five millimeters, As a result, Tower Motorsports and drivers John Farano, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Alvarez, and Job van Uitert have been demoted to 12th and last in LMP2. A subsequent protest by Tower Motorsports was filed and later denied by IMSA. The No. 22 United Autosports ORECA 07 of Daniel Goldburg, Paul di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and James Allen originally finished 44.697s behind the No. 8 Tower Motorsports car, and are now elevated to first place in LMP2 and eighth place overall. 'We came to Daytona with one very clear goal and we have achieved it,' said Richard Dean, United Autosports CEO. 'To win the Rolex 24 At Daytona any year is pretty special, but to win it only a few months after celebrating victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours makes it an extra-special moment. Zak [Brown] and I would like to thank the entire team for their dedication and commitment. We can all be very proud of what we have achieved.' 'It's massive to have another 24-hour win,' said Di Resta, who also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with United in 2020. 'We've achieved the two big ones in LMP2 both with United Autosports in the No. 22… which is a very cool thing to say. It takes relentless dedication. 'We felt very hard done by on race day with the penalty — and after watching the video back, it does feel wrong. But we kept fighting, you fight all the way to the very end. It's massive for the championship — Daniel Goldburg did a remarkable lap to qualify on pole, and now with what we've achieved… it's just huge.' 'It's never the way you want to win but it feels great to win the Rolex 24 at Daytona again!' said Allen. 'I can't thank my teammates enough — Daniel, Paul and Rasmus — as well as the whole team at United Autosports USA for both the opportunity and the hard work and dedication they put into this program. I'm so happy to have shared this victory with them and wish them success for the rest of the championship!' This is United Autosports' second 24-hour race win in the last eight months, after winning the LMP2 class at the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's Allen's second LMP2 win at Daytona in three years, following his famous photo-finish victory as part of Proton Competition in 2023. Goldburg, Di Resta, and Lindh all pick up their first career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship wins. 'The team, the drivers and I all had a similar feeling on Sunday,' Goldburg said. 'We knew we should be pleased with pole and second… but we just weren't. We had executed the race so well, made no mistakes … and then a strange penalty took us out of the fight for the lead right at the end. 'It took about 36 hours for me to come to terms with it, and I did ultimately feel pleased. Then I got the call to say we've won it! Wow. Just wow. What a start to the season.' The No. 74 Riley ORECA is second in the revised classification, and the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports car completes the podium in LMP2. This was not the only significant post-race penalty handed down after Sunday's finish: The No. 21 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 was moved to the rear of the GTD class (22nd) for a drive-time violation, as Stevan McAleer had driven more than the maximum four hours in a six-hour period overnight. Story originally appeared on Racer
