Reed Wins at Torrey Pines Despite Rules Controversy
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ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2021 SPORTS 14 Albuquerque holds off Kobayashi and Van der Zande Wayne Taylor Racing win record-tying 3rd consecutive Rolex 24 DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, Feb 1, (AP): Wayne Taylor Racing won its record-tying third consecutive Rolex Kuwait’s Al-Dhafeeri completes Qatar Group N Rally triumph 24 at Daytona, using a new car and a new lineup to beat some of the best DOHA, Feb 1, (KUNA): Meshari quality of the competition, prom- Kuwait’s leadership, attributing racers in the world. Al-Dhafeeri of Kuwait and his co- ising not to rest on his laurels and his success to the overwhelm- Filipe Albuquerque held off Kamui driver Qatari Nasser Al-Kawari strive for greater achievements ing support he has received at Kobayashi and Renger van der Zande won the MERC 2 or Group N home, as he encouraged his - both part of WTR’s winning teams category of Qatar International RALLYING compatriot youngsters to follow the last two seasons and both seeking Rally on Sunday, fi nishing the in his footsteps. to become the fi rst winners of three race in a total time of two hours, Dating back nearly four dec- 17 minutes and 10 seconds. to show how far motorsport has ades, the three-day racing event consecutive Rolex races - to give the come in Kuwait. overhauled Taylor team its fourth win In comments after the win, Al- marked the 41st edition of the Dhafeeri cited the world-class He dedicated the victory to Qatar International Rally. in the last fi ve years at Daytona Inter- national Speedway. race but decided to turn it over to Albu- battling to become the fi rst winning GT Le Mans class. The winning lineup CAR RACING querque because the Portuguese driver drivers of three straight Rolex races. included Nicky Catsburg and Antonio was rested and could tackle track con- The Dutch driver closed on his old Garcia, who was pulled by General ditions that included increased wind team multiple times in the fi nal 25 Motors with seven hours remaining Albuquerque was challenged over speeds. minutes but couldn’t make a pass for when he tested positive for COVID-19. the fi nal 25 minutes by van der Zande, the lead and was eliminated when his The Konica Minolta racing team, (from left to right), Filipe Albuquerque, “We decided we wanted somebody Garcia was tested during the race driving a Cadillac for Chip Ganassi as fresh as possible in the car,” Ricky tire blew. weekend so he could return to Spain Racing, until a punctured tire sent van Alexander Rossi, team owner Wayne Taylor, Helio Castroneves and Ricky “I could see his eyes in my mirrors,” Taylor celebrate with the championship trophy after winning the Rolex 24 Taylor said. “He got in there and was after the Rolex. He drove nearly eight der Zande to the pits with seven min- an absolute monster and carried it at Albuquerque said of van der Zande. hours in the race and was last in the car utes remaining. hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, on Jan 31, in Daytona “He was so hungry for this, especially Beach, Florida. (AP) the end.” Sunday morning. Kobayashi cycled into second but The victory snapped a four-year with the whole story of leaving Wayne “The protocols we have are super didn’t have enough to catch Albuquer- then the Wayne Taylor Racing pro- a whole new engine, with a whole winning streak for Cadillac, which Taylor. I was lucky that they had a serious, the drivers don’t really get to que, who closed out the fi rst overall gram won it overall. new partnership and I thought I need- got a second-place finish from an Ac- puncture.” interact, even in a 24-hour,” Jordan Rolex victory for Acura in the prestig- “As a family, it was a very, very ed something to be consistent. So I tion Express all-star car that included The Ganassi team also suffered a tire Taylor said. “Antonio, I saw him be- ious twice-round-the-clock endurance special day.” hired all the same drivers Roger had,” seven-time NASCAR champion Jim- puncture about two hours earlier when fore the race and that was the last time, race. Wayne Taylor took ownership of his Wayne Taylor said. mie Johnson. Kobayashi carried the six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dix- and even then, we’re always social dis- Wayne Taylor left General Motors new cars - used Acura’s handed down It was WTR’s fourth Rolex win in load for an Action Express lineup on was driving. The team also rallied tancing, we’re always taking the cor- after 28 years at the end of last season when Roger Penske closed his team at fi ve years and fi fth overall, one behind that also included Indianapolis from two penalties incurred by new- rect protocols. to become a factory Acura program. the end of last season - in November Ganassi’s record six victories. The 500 winner Simon Pagenaud and comer Kevin Magnussen, who spent “Surface-to-surface, we’re wearing He brought his oldest son, Ricky, back 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Mike the last seven seasons in Formula One. gloves, we’re wearing balaclavas and and needed every day during the off- three-straight wins tie Ganassi’s mark. to the team for the refresh and they cel- season to prepare for Daytona. He re- Rockenfeller. The team fell to fi fth in the fi nal stand- helmets in the car, so nothing in the car ebrated the overall victory as youngest placed his entire lineup with newcom- It’s the fi rst Rolex for Castroneves When Taylor switched to Acura, ings. could be a risk for us.” son, Jordan, earned a class victory with er Albuquerque and Acura holdovers and Rossi, who have won four com- he released van der Zande, who was “Absolutely gutted,” Magnussen Era Motorsport won the Le Mans Corvette Racing. Ricky Taylor, Helio Castroneves and bined Indianapolis 500s. Albuquerque grabbed by Ganassi as the team re- said. “Looked like we had the race Prototype 2 class in an Oreca LMP2; “Today is probably one of the best Alexander Rossi. won in 2018 driving a Cadillac; Ricky turned to sports car racing after a won right there. Renger had really Riley Motorsports won the Le Mans days I’ve ever had,” Wayne Taylor The trio all drove the Acura the last Taylor won in a Cadillac for his fa- one-year hiatus. Kobayashi was not good pace catching (Albuquerque) Prototype 3 class in Ligier JS P320; said, equating it to the 2017 WTR vic- three seasons for Team Penske and ther’s team in 2017. retained by WTR for endurance events and I think he would have had a really and Winward Racing in a Mercedes- tory when both sons drove for him. Taylor hoped would help the transi- Ricky Taylor, who closed out the so he signed on for Daytona with Ac- good chance to win the race.” AMG GT3 won the GT Daytona class, “We won it with Ricky, and Jordan tion. 2017 Rolex win for WTR, was in the tion Express, and former teammates Jordan Taylor closed the race to earn which at 20 entries was the largest won the GT class with Corvette, and “I was getting a whole new car, with car late and had the option to fi nish the Kobayashi and van der Zande were a a 1-2 Corvette Racing fi nish in the class of the 49-car fi eld. Halep, Svitolina advance Reed wins at Torrey Pines Serena through easily in Australian Open tuneup MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb 1, (AP): Serena Williams found a sil- despite rules controversy ver lining in the delayed start to the Australian Open, the season-opening Grand Slam tournament that is starting three weeks later than usual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Time to recover from an Achilles injury that ended her run at last year’s French Open before her second-round match. Extra time with her daughter, albeit in hotel quarantine. The 39-year-old American, a seven- time Australian Open champion, restart- ed her lengthy quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Daria Gavrilova on Monday in a tuneup tournament at Melbourne Park. TENNIS United States’ Serena Williams makes a forehand return to Austra- There are six tournaments being lia’s Daria Gavrilova during a tuneup staged this week to give players some tournament ahead of the Australian chance at competitive tennis before the Open tennis championships in Mel- fi rst major of the year starts next Mon- bourne, Australia, on Feb 1. (AP) day. Williams is playing in the Yarra Valley Classic, along with top-ranked Earlier, Coco Gauff was up a ser- Ash Barty and defending Australian vice break in the second set and ap- Open champion Sofi a Kenin. peared to be on the verge of victory The fi fth-seeded Williams said she in her fi rst-round match before having was “pushing the limits” just being fi t to fend off Jil Teichmann 6-3, 6-7 (6), enough to compete at Melbourne Park. 7-6 (5). Williams played an exhibition match The fi rst Grand Slam tournament of against Naomi Osaka in Adelaide last the year was delayed by three weeks to Friday in her fi rst post-quarantine ac- allow for COVID-19 protocols which tion. required all people arriving in Austral- Against Gavrilova on Margaret ia to spend 14 days in quarantine.