A Ford GT Is The Winner Of The 2017 GT Le Mans Class At Rolex 24 Daytona Race

Jan 31, 2017 05:10 AM EST | jonathan aguilar

The winner of the 2017 GT Le Mans Class at Rolex24 at Daytona was difficult to predict since two Porsche entries were factored to compete with the early favorites. In the end, it was a Ford GT that won the Rolex 24 Race at Daytona.

The latest entry for two-car Porsche GT team was the Porsche 911 RSR, a rear engine car that was made into a mid-engine race car. Questions about its ability to run fast and finish the race were intriguingly raised prior to the race, as reported by Auto Week.  

Both the Porsche 911 RSR and the 912 did well in the race with 911 RSR seriously contending for a win but only finishing second to a Ford GT. The second placer 911 RSR came less than only 3 seconds behind.  

The story on the Ford GT win was even more dramatic. As the strongest favorite to win the race, the GT was under pressure to redeem itself from the unimpressive performance in the 2016 race.  

The Ford GT that claimed the Le Mans class victory was driven by the trio of Joey Hand, Dirk Müller and IndyCar star Sébastien Bourdais.  After 652 laps of difficult grind and 12 hours of intermittent drizzles, the Ford GT emerged victorious.

Ford entered four cars into the race; two GT's came from North America and the other two are European versions. All four entries competed and fiercely assaulted the tracks in the close and exciting race.  

Driving the second placed Porsche 911 RSR were the team of Patrick Pilet, Dick Werner and Frédéric Makowiecki. The third and fourth places were taken by a Ferrari and the Chevrolet Corvette, respectively.  

The fastest lap times of the first four finishers were less than one second apart and the top 7 cars that finished were all from the lead lap. The race was really difficult for all competing cars and it was No. 66 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT that won the 2017 GT Le Mans Class at Daytona's Rolex 24 race.  

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

© 2024 Auto World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Most Popular Autoworld Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics