6 Ways Lexus was Victorious at Rolex 24
Lexus returned to sports car racing recently at the 24 Hours of Daytona and had a respectable showing. They didn't come in first, but they did manage to make a respectable showing for a brand new car.
1. Triumphant Return to GT Racing
Lexus makes great cars. They are fast, sporty, and reliable, so racing in endurance events for GT cars seems like a natural fit. From 2004-2009 they won the Rolex Daytona 24 hours 3 times in their Daytona Prototype car, powered by the TRD V8, but then retired from sports car competition to focus on other events. Now the new Lexus RC F GT class racer has returned, and unlike the Daytona prototype, it features modified production car bodywork and a production based engine.
2. Qualifying Mid Pack
Both the Lexus RC F and the Acura NSX racer are new for this year. The teams from Acura managed to quality in 7th and 9th places, but the Lexus was right behind them in 13th and 20th. Putting that in perspective, though, the Acura has a mid-mounted twin turbo motor, and the Lexus uses a tradition front engine with their 5.0 liter V8. Making a front engine car that can run with the mid-engine sports cars is an accomplishment in itself.
3. Scott Pruett Running in 8th at Hour 2
The A-team for Lexus at Daytona was veteran driver Scott Pruett and Saga Karam in the number 14 car, painted blue and black. With Pruet driving the first stint, they had worked their way up from 13th position to 8th, when this accident took place 2 hours in. The team worked at it for hours, but the damage to the structure of the car was too extensive to get back out there and make it worth it. The good thing is that the car was running just as fast as the much further developed racing Corvettes and other GT racers.
4. Lexus Leads other Debut GT cars at Hour 3
By just the 3rd hour of the 24, the Lexus B-team in car number 15 was leading all the other debut cars from Mercedes and Acura and was 7th in class. Jack Hawksworth and Robert Alon may have been the 2nd tier Lexus team, but they managed to be faster and more consistent than a lot of the other teams in the GT class.
5. Lexus Leads at Hour 8.5
With the #14 car running well, the Lexus team plays a strategy game and it pays off: At 11 pm they are officially leading the GT Class! The team chooses to stay out on the track and not come in during the full course yellow that brought in most of the leaders, which allowed them to work their way to the top of the pack, albeit briefly.
6. Tire Blowout Can't Stop Lexus Team
Not long after taking the lead, the tortured rear tires of the Lexus GT team could take no more. At about 11:30 the right rear tire blew out, taking off most of the body work from the door to the bumper on that side. The team was able to quickly get a new wheel and tire on the car, but the bodywork was in bad shape. Working quickly, they were able to tape the door shut and tape up as much of the body as possible, but the aerodynamics were not the same, not to mention the resale value.
7. 14th in Class, 36th Overall
14th in class is certainly not winning, but it is not bad for a totally new team in a new car. Some of the other cars in their class that they did beat were the Lamborghini Huracán, Ferrari 488, Mercedes AMG, and several Porsche 911. This Lexus team will be one to watch, whether you are a fan of the brand or not because they are just as good or better than many of the European supercars out there.
For help getting your Lexus running well, see the how to section in ClubLexus.com