Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By JENNA FRYER
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A fleet of Cadillacs held control of the Rolex 24 at Daytona a third of the way into the endurance race as Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express swapped the overall lead multiple times in unusually cold temperatures and chaotic track conditions.
The 60th running of the twice-round-the-clock race featured 61 entries, the most since 2014, and aggressive early driving that aggravated several of the top contenders. Adding to the intrigue was Florida’s coldest day in four years — it was brisk 46 degrees when the race began.
With temperatures expected to drop to into the low 30s overnight, reigning IMSA champion Pipo Derani worried humidity could cause the track surface to freeze.
“With temperatures being so low, I assume there’s a chance that maybe we can have some ice on the track,” said Derani of Action Express Racing. “If there’s a little bit of humidity, and it’s so cold, you never know. I hope it’s not the case but they are saying extremely low temperatures during the night, maybe like historic lows we’ve never seen before.”
Teams were bundled in hats, gloves and heavy coats up and down pit lane as they watched Action Express and Ganassi battle for the overall lead.
Kamui Kobayashi, a two-time Rolex winner and reigning World Endurance Champion, charged to an early lead in the No. 48 Cadillac that is fielded by Action Express in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports. But his push to the front made him an early target for overaggressive driving, a notion he quickly dismissed.
“Well, you know me,” he said. “I can say I drive like normal. I didn’t go crazy. I tried to manage minimum risk, to be honest.”
Jose Maria Lopez, his WEC teammate making his Daytona debut with the No. 48, said he watched Kobayashi’s stint and saw nothing unusual from the driver considered one of the best in the world.
“I think he was aggressive and I think it was great,” Lopez said. “I never saw him doing something dangerous or risky. I thought he was fantastic.”
Sebastien Bourdais of Ganassi disagreed after losing position to Kobayashi during the first stint.
“I think it’s Kamui. He threw me off the track twice at Sebring in the closing stages and nobody ever says or does anything about it,” Bourdais said. “So he just keeps doing it. It feels completely out of line for a 24-hour race, but it’s OK. Keep moving.”
Bourdais later ran into the back of the No. 48 but it was after Lopez had replaced Kobayashi in the car. Bourdais believed Lopez didn’t hold a line and moved into his path.
Scott Dixon, one of a dozen IndyCar drivers in the field, picked up critical points in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup by holding onto the lead at the six-hour mark of the race. Dixon kept one of the two Ganassi “star cars” ahead of Mike Conway of Action Express on a restart following a full course caution to pick up five points for the No. 01 team of Dixon, Renger van der Zande, Sebastien Bourdais and Alex Palou.
Kevin Magnussen was behind the wheel of Ganassi’s No. 02 car and right behind Dixon eight hours into the race, with Conway and Action Express running third.
Jimmie Johnson, the architect of the No. 48 program that will run the four endurance events for a second season, ran a double stint his first time behind the wheel — seat time he earned by showing considerable improvement in the sports car. The seven-time NASCAR champion and now IndyCar driver had been limited in drive-time in his previous races because his teammates are far more experienced.
“You think endurance racing you should get a ton of laps and ton of time in the car, but you don’t,” said Johnson. “If you’re not on pace, you’re getting pulled early. Last year I wasn’t close enough to earn that time, we just hit the minimum (required drive time) and got me out. This year I seem to be on pace and the team, I think it was the first time they asked me if I wanted to stay in longer. I earned more time in the car.”
___
More AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports