When Angelelli does ride into that sunset, taking off his helmet for the last time on Jan. 29 at the end of his final stint in the Rolex 24, an era of intensity like no other in sports car racing will come to an end.
No longer will drivers being chased by the dark No. 10 WTR prototype be on edge because they know their margin is being eaten alive by one of the best chasers and closers in the business.
No longer will that late-race charge be executed as flawlessly as Angelelli does, simply because he was the one who defined it in the sports car racing textbook.
And no longer will one of the best in the industry be behind the wheel, with a chance to extend his numbers in a career arguably second only to Scott Pruett’s in the modern era of the Prototype class.
The last 13 seasons of Prototype racing in the west have been defined by two men: Pruett and Angelelli.
Combined, they won seven of the last 10 Grand-Am titles and 72 of the 169 races contested during the modern era, spanning from 2004 through 2016. (Note: neither driver has raced full-time since the Grand-Am/ALMS merger.)
The former moved on late last year, grabbing hold of a new challenge in the form of the Lexus GT3, which he will drive for a full season this year alongside Sage Karam in the WeatherTech Championship.
Now the latter takes his final bow, preparing to open up the record books of the Prototype class to a new and familiar cast of challengers for the future, spearheaded by his partners in crime: the Taylor brothers, Ricky and Jordan.
Perhaps it’s appropriate, that as a new era (in the form of the Daytona Prototype international cars) begins to dawn, the last great star of the former DP era says his last goodbye at the namesake track of the world-renowned cars.
All that’s left to be seen is if he can go out a winner one final time.
The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Race Chaser Online, the Performance Motorsports Network, Scorpion Radio Group, their sponsors or other contributors.
About the Writer
Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.
Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.
The 22-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.
Email Jacob at: editor@racechaseronline.com
Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77
Email Race Chaser Online: news@racechaseronline.com
Follow RCO on Twitter: @RaceChaserNews
