Co-drivers Jordan Taylor and Gordon were also understandably buzzing in victory lane.
“What an amazing experience,” Gordon said with a huge smile. “It wouldn’t have been the same without Wayne. (The Cadillac DPi) … it’s not just fast and beautiful, but (it’s) the strongest car I’ve ever driven.”
“It was amazing,” added Jordan Taylor. “First race back, we win it … there’s no better way than to send Max off a winner into retirement.”
The win was the second Rolex 24 win for Wayne Taylor as a team owner, but the first where he was not driving. Taylor won the 1996 event with Doyle Racing and added a second overall win in 2005 with Angelelli as one of his co-drivers.
“I don’t have words for this,” said Wayne Taylor. “Ricky and Jordan have always been really, really special kids. It’s funny … when people talk to me about them, it’s about how good of kids they are, not (about) how fast they are.”
“We always knew Ricky would pull this off. The way he drove against such a classy driver as Albuquerque … what an amazing day.”
Albuquerque, alongside full season co-drivers Joao Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi, came up .671 of a second short at the finish line, the only other car on the overall lead lap.
Marc Goossens, Renger van der Zande and Rene Rast completed the Prototype and overall podiums, finishing one lap down at the finish in third
The Prototype Challenge result was never truly in doubt, with the No. 38 Performance Tech Motorsports ORECA FLM09 of Nicholas Boulle and co-drivers James French, Pato O’Ward and Kyle Masson cruising to victory by 22 laps despite a spin during the overnight hours.
Johnny Mowlem brought the No. 26 BAR1 Motorsports ORECA FLM09 home in the runner-up position, alongside co-drivers Tom Papadopoulos, Adam Merzon, Trent Hindman and David Cheng.
The sister BAR1 entry, the No. 20 of Mark Kvamme, Don Yount, Buddy Rice, Chapman Ducote and Gustavo Yacaman completed the PC podium, 39 laps down to the class winners.
In GT Le Mans, the pole-winning No. 66 Ford GT of Dirk Mueller held off a furious late-race charge from Patrick Pilet’s No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR en route to the victory, just seven months after the Blue Ovals also won at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Joey Hand and Sebastien Bourdais combined with Mueller on the winning squad for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing.
The GT Daytona class battle also went down to the wire, but saw Alegra Motorsports’ No. 28 Porsche 911 GT3 R claim a narrow victory with Michael Christensen driving alongside Carlos de Quesada, Daniel Morad, Jesse Lazare and Michael de Quesada.
Finishing second, by just .293 of a second, was the No. 29 Audi R8 LMS GT3 from Montaplast by Land-Motorsport with Christopher Mies, Connor De Phillippi, Jules Gounon and Jeffrey Schmidt.
For more on the GT finishes, click here.
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continues its 2017 season with the Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring fueled by Fresh From Florida on March 18, from Sebring Int’l Raceway.
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
