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NASCAR driver Harrison Burton won Friday’s BMW M Endurance Challenge overall by beating hard-charging sportscar veteran Spencer Pumpelly by just 0.688 seconds. .
Driving alongside Jeroen Bleekemolen and Tom Collingwood, Pumpelly put pressure on Burton as he moved the No. 83 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport from fifth to second in the final 30 minutes of the four-hour race. lead each lap.
But the 22-year-old Burton, who drives the famed Wood Brothers Ford full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, piloted the No. 42 PF Racing Ford Mustang GT4 error-free on the high-pressure circuit and outscored teammate Zane Smith – 2022. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion and IMSA debutant – became the first NASCAR regular to win the race.
2021 NASCAR Truck Champion Ben Rhodes and fellow NASCAR Truck Series driver Haley Deegan finished third in the No. 41 PF Racing Mustang to finish on the podium in the 32-car Grand Sport (GS) class.
The 23-year-old Smith won an impressive third, making headway right at the start and holding a sizeable lead with just under three hours remaining. However, due to a delayed pit strategy by competitors, the line-up shifted as the No. 41 Mustang pitted to change drivers, with Smith out and Burton in.
Burton made steady progress, taking third place with just under 50 minutes remaining. He took the lead outright when No. 47 Nolasport Porsche leader Elliott Skeer had to retire with his 22 minutes remaining.
“I was kind of shuffled around after the first pit stop, so I felt a little disappointed early on,” said Burton as he made his second start in the race. I thought, ‘I don’t want to be the person who disappoints the team and doesn’t finish the race.
“But some restarts came and we shuffled around a bit. There were a lot of hard races,” he added with a smile. “It’s pretty much like NASCAR racing, to be honest. A dose of rambling, aggressive dive bombs and such — I kind of felt at home in it. It was fun.”
Smith, who will attempt his first Daytona 500 start in February, gave his friend Burton a thumbs up for his work.
“I shivered in my boots when I saw Harrison coming in at the end with Spencer, but he made no mistake,” said Smith, rejoicing at his victory at the famous track. If you can beat it, whether it’s a dirt bike, a go-kart, a stock car, or now a GT4 Mustang, it’s pretty cool.
“Daytona brings a completely different atmosphere to other racetracks. Not just winning at Daytona, it’s a very cool first start.”
Road Shaguar sends current No. 61 Audi to TCR winner
No. 61 Road Shagar Racing, Audi RS3 LMS SEQ, TCR Winners: Gavin Ernstone, Jon Morley.Griffith Bean/Lumen
John Morley and Gavin Arnstone drove the No. 61 Road Shaguar Racing Audi RS3 LMS SEQ for one last memorable ride, winning the Touring Car (TCR) class at Friday’s race.
However, the victory was not easy. At the wheel in the second half of the 4-hour race Morley was in the No. 73 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic FK7 TCR and driver Mike Ramallah and he battled hard for 45 minutes.
Morey tackled the lead from Ramallah with just 12 minutes remaining and held off No. 73 for the final eight laps.
“We made a pit stop, put on new tyres, had a full-course yellow and wiped out a big lead (13 seconds),” Morey said. “It was a battle from there.
“We couldn’t get rid of him (Ramala),” Morey added. “Even after passing him, I thought I was going to drop him because the car was good in the early laps. I just couldn’t get him out of my mirror.”
It was the fifth Michelin Pilot Challenge win for both drivers after failing to win in 2022.
“I’m glad I got out there and won,” said Arnstone. “Most of the races, I finish on the podium. Last year was just miserable.
It also appears to be the last race for the car they used. Audi plans to retire to make room for the new generation of his RS3.
“I got a new car about two weeks ago and haven’t had a chance to test the car,” said Arnstone. “It was always planned for this to be the last race for this car.
“This car goes in my trophy cabinet, if only I could squeeze it in there,” he added.
The No. 61 Audi was involved in a multi-car accident at Turn 6 midway through the race, but Arnston was unharmed.
“I was very lucky to pass,” he said. “It’s like the divide in the Red Sea, with a space in the middle and I threw it there. Everything went crazy around me. This is just amazing. It was a big team effort.”
The No. 73 Honda finished 0.427 seconds behind the winning Audi. Finishing third was the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb driven by Mark Wilkins and Mason Filippi in an Agajanian Hyundai He Elantra N TCR.
CNBC will telecast the race on Saturday, February 4th at 9am. The next Michelin Pilot Challenge race is the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday 16th March.
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