IMSA – Mazda and Corvette triumph at Daytona

In July 2019, Mazda unlocked its victory counter in IMSA by triumphing in quick succession at the 6 Hours of the Glen then at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, thanks to Tincknell-Bomarito-Pla and Nunez-Jarvis respectively.

The RT24-P definitely loves the seventh month of the year since last night, the Japanese scored a double at the Daytona 250, second round of the 2020 season. In no way disturbed by the violent storms having postponed the start by 40 minutes , Jonathan Bomarito and Harry Tincknell were the first to see the checkered flag – 10” ahead of Jarvis and Nunez's sister car – after taking the reins of the event with 30 minutes to go, at the end of the last salvo of supplies.

At the end of a very lively race at the start due to very varied tire choices due to a still wet track, Sébastien Bourdais and Joao Barbosa complete the podium in their JDC-Miller Motorsports Cadillac DPi-VR.

Less luck for Acura Team Penske, so brilliant in free practice and qualifying. Starting from pole position, the ARX-05 n°7 of Helio Castroneves-Ricky Taylor was a victim of his mechanics, while the No. 6 of Juan Pablo Montoya-Dane Cameron finished just off the podium.

© Courtesy of IMSA

But the statistic to remember concerns GTLM. For its third racing outing, its second in IMSA, the C8.R offered Corvette Racing a 100th victory across the Atlantic. A success that has been awaited since the 2018 Long Beach Grand Prix, more than two years!

If the No. 4 of Oliver Gavin-Tommy Milner started from pole position, it was the No. 3 of Jordan Taylor-Antonio García which allowed the Yankee team to triumph for the first time with a car powered by a rear engine. The battle was tough, since the six competitors in the category led the debates for a time and the gap at the finish with the Porsche #912 by Laurens Vanthoor-Earl Bamber is only 1”9.

On the third step of the podium, we find the second 911 RSR-19, namely the No. 911 of Frédéric Makowiecki and Nick Tandy, while the two BMW M8s finished 4th and 6th while framing the second Corvette.

Finally, in GTD, the AIM Vasser Sullivan monopolizes the first two steps of the podium, the No. 3 Lexus RC F GT14 of Telitz-Hawksworth having finished ahead of the No. 12 of Montecalvo-Bell. Two Acura NSX-GT3s follow.

At the championships, it's an understatement to say that it's close. In DPi, Jarvis and Nunez lead the dance with 64 points, four more than the pairs Van der Zande-Briscoe, Bomarito-Tincknell and Barbosa-Bourdais, all three tied. In GTLM, Bamber and Vanthoor are at the top with 64 units on the clock, compared to 63 for Garcia-Taylor and 60 for the Krohn-Edwards and Makowicki-Tandy duos. Finally, in GTD, Jack Hawksworth is alone in the lead with 57 points ahead of a Telitz-Lally-Potter trio who total 54.

See you on July 18 for the third round, a 2h40 race at Sebring Raceway, still in Florida.