IMSA Wet, Wild Rolex 24 Win for Konica Minolta There have been plenty of wild finishes through practice and qualifying in lead-up in the 57 editions of the iconic Rolex 24 At to Saturday and Sunday’s twice-around- Daytona. But arguably none have been wet- the-clock endurance marathon, it took little ter than Sunday’s rain-shortened conclusion time for the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac of the 2019 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar DPi-V.R to find its way to the lead. Taylor’s Championship season opener, in which the ultra conservative opening stint yielded just No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R one lap led during a round of green-flag pit team, with its all-star driver lineup of Jordan stops. But once Alonso got behind the wheel Taylor, , Kamui for his first race stint just shy of the two- Kobayashi and , weathered hour mark, the sleek, black racecar found treacherous conditions to score its second itself in and out of the lead for the remainder victory in the last three events at Daytona of the event. Alonso promptly raced his way (Fla.) International Speedway. into the lead, and logged 44 laps led before One of those wild Rolex 24 finishes came turning the car over to van der Zande just just two years ago, when Taylor’s older past the four-hour, 30-minute mark. brother and then co-driver The 32-year-old Dutchman, who most won a furious battle in the closing minutes recently brought home a thrilling win for the to earn the Taylor brothers their first career team on the last turn of the last lap of last Rolex 24 victory alongside third and fourth year’s season-ending at Road drivers Max “The Ax” Angelelli and four- Atlanta, played it relatively conservatively time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff during his opening stint and led 18 laps Gordon. before handing the car back to Taylor in the This year, the younger Taylor brother was wee hours of Sunday morning. The racecar joined by 2018 full-time co-driver van der remained strong through Taylor’s second Zande alongside former Formula One and stint, in which he led 45 laps before turning resumed in third place and carefully bided it comes together in this victory here right current World Endurance Championship things over to Alonso just short of the 15th his time before positioning himself to take now. Thanks a lot to my teammates, the regular Kobayashi, and two-time Formula hour of the race. advantage when Derani’s teammate Felipe whole team, and I’m very happy to bring One world champion Alonso. And the fear- But, shortly after Alonso took over, Nasr ventured off course in turn one and home a (Rolex) watch and a lot of victory some foursome turned a highly anticipated expected rain showers finally arrived, and giving the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac feelings. What more to say?” Rolex 24 victory into reality with their varying degrees of precipitation would DPi-V.R the lead for good at the 21-hour, “I’m so happy to be here, and obviously driving consistency and ability to stay out remain through the rest of the day. He led 49 54-minute mark. I think. like the 24‑hour race, it’s never of trouble through all hours of the day and laps in all during the mostly wet stint, which The race was red-flagged three laps later easy even when you have a good car or night, in conditions that ranged from fast included an almost two-hour red-flag period as Alonso and most of the rest of the field whatever because you have so many issues, and dry to chilly and extremely wet. for extreme wet conditions through the track reported near zero visibility under heavy problems,” Kobayashi said. “I think today Together, they led a race-high 249 of 593 at the 16-hour, 43-minute mark. rains just short of the 22-hour mark. we had really extremely difficult conditions. laps around the 12-turn, 3.56-mile super- Alonso continued for a short time after Officials waited for a chance to restart I think all the team guys, the drivers, did a speedway road circuit from the sixth quali- the race resumed at the 18-hour, 31-minute the race until the 23-hour, 49-minute mark great job. I think the team did a really, really fying position earned Thursday by Taylor, mark, leading several more laps before before waving the checkered flag, and good job, and obviously the car was really who equaled the two career Rolex 24 victo- handing the car back to Taylor just short of celebration ensued in the No. 10 Konica good.” ries earned by his three-time sportscar-rac- the 19-hour mark. Taylor’s final stint of the Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R camp. “I’m very, very proud of the job that we ing-champion father and team owner Wayne weekend netted 17 of 43 laps led through “I think it was an interesting race with the achieved today, but it was not a one‑day job, Taylor, and helped his teammates each earn very wet conditions. It featured a powerful conditions changing, very tough, but I think, it was a one‑month job,” Alonso said. “For his first career Rolex 24 win. Alonso, in fact, pass of the No. 31 Action Express Racing like everyone else says, everyone did their me, in December we started preparing for became just the third Formula One world Cadillac DPi-V.R of at the job,” said Taylor, who scored his 21st career the race and receiving all the documents, champion to win a Rolex 24, joining Phil 19-hour, 20-minute mark, then a remarkable victory. “All four drivers led in their own how the Cadillac works and how Wayne Hill and . The Spaniard also maneuver to avoid a spinning GT-class car right and drove to the lead, different parts Taylor Racing works, some procedures that scored a first career victory in the 24 Hours ahead of him under heavy braking into turn of the race, and it was all about survival. maybe are different compared with other of Le Mans last June. one. You saw a lot of guys taking a lot of risk teams. We tried to have a quick integration, After struggling to crack the top-five all Then came the final stint for Alonso, who early in the race, but we waited with the Kamui and myself, trying to learn as much game plan of running our own race and not as we could from the team in the Roar (Be- getting caught up in anyone else’s battles. I fore the 24 test days) and then, on the race We Will Beat Any Competitor’s Price!! think it was the right game plan. We stayed itself, it was very, very difficult. Conditions out of trouble, no car damage, no one went were changing all the time.” off the track. That’s the way you win these Round two of the 2019 IMSA Weath- 24‑hour races, and we kind of came into the erTech SportsCar Championship is the grid thinking almost every single car can 67th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring on win the race, and you see guys making little Saturday, March 16, at Sebring (Fla.) Inter- mistakes here and there, and this team has national Raceway, where newly announced now done six out of seven years finishing third driver Matthieu Vaxiviere of France Largest Selection of Tires - Since 1990 on the podium without issues. I think it’s a will join Taylor and van der Zande behind huge testament to Racing.” the wheel of the No. 10 Konica Minolta THE ORIGINAL DISCOUNT TIRE “I’m super happy,” said van der Zande, Cadillac DPi-V.R. Live television coverage who scored his 12th career victory. “Fantas- begins on CNBC at 10:30 a.m. EST and 6423 Fairburn Road in Douglasville, GA tic. I think I said before the weekend, I think concludes on NBCSN 3:30 to 11 p.m. Between Hospital Drive & Bankhead Highway to the team, Wayne and Max (Angelelli, team owner), fantastic that they put such Story/Photo courtesy of IMSA 770-949-7382 little pieces together. It’s a big puzzle and 10 • JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 • www.MotorsportAmerica.com