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I'm not sure is anyone will pit this time, since it hasn't been 10 laps since the last pit, and they have been averaging 22 laps per stop.
55 has 1 less pit than other 5 cars on lead lap.
Last edited by Bladecutter; Jan 31, 2021 at 12:46 PM.
Yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic. They definitely need to stop again. Hopefully 10 and 48 would also need fuel but they probably topped up their tanks during the last full course yellow.
Looks like 55 will need to do 2 more pit stops to get to the end of the race.
Lap 773, and lap 795, if we keep running at full green and 22 laps per stop.
Right now in 2nd on lap 768
Both 55 and 10 pitted on lap 773
60 pitted earlier on lap 770, which was early for them.
Last edited by Bladecutter; Jan 31, 2021 at 01:49 PM.
How did we drop down to 10 seconds back from the leader in 4th? Bad pit stop? Still great to see Mazda where they are considering they were 3 laps down at one point.
I'll take it.
Great come back from all the problems earlier, and more importantly, finishing at speed in the 24 with no signs of slowing down to save the car.
What a wild finish
Bummer Tincknell got passed so late, thought they were going to finish 2nd but one hell of a race and what a comeback!
When they dropped 3 laps down, I wasn't feeling very optimistic but the team never quit. Great way to start the season
I wonder what the difference was for the 01 vs the 48, since they both pitted at the same time, but the 01 needed to stop again just before the finish?
So strange that 1 made it to the end, while the other couldn't.
What a wild finish
Bummer Tincknell got passed so late, thought they were going to finish 2nd but one hell of a race and what a comeback!
When they dropped 3 laps down, I wasn't feeling very optimistic but the team never quit. Great way to start the season
What a wild finish indeed. I am super proud of Multimatic and the works of Leena Gade to pull the #55 and its drivers back into podium competition even with the absolute **** luck for half of the race.
I was certainly looking forward to the #55 finishing in 2nd place after #01 blew its tire, until the #48 left the #55 in the dust on the straights. A bit suspicious how quick the #48 was even with it drafting the #55. Lets not forget the #48 gained nearly 5 seconds within 2 laps on the #55 and that's with the #55 running on significantly newer tires.
Overall it was a great race! For Mazda to place 3rd after being 3 laps down at one point is a feat in itself. It'll be fun to see what the 55 can do where momentum driving and lower weight can compensate for the lack of torque (6 hour at the Glen).
ah, looks like we know the culprit towards the end of the race.
It definitely would explain their lack of pace and why Kobayashi was able to get around him so easily .
Tincknell: Rear Wing Issue Denied Mazda Chance of Victory
Locking pin failure the culprit on Mazda speed disparity issues in Rolex 24…
An issue with the Mazda RT24-P’s rear wing assembly ultimately denied the manufacturer a chance of victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona according to Harry Tincknell, who has described its up-and-down race.
The Multimatic-run DPi entry finished third in the hands of Tincknell, Oliver Jarvis and Jonathan Bomarito, rebounding from a three-lap deficit early on.
While having rolled off the grid late due to an electrical issue, the sole Mazda encountered an air jack problem in the fourth hour that put it initially one lap behind as it fought handling issues.
A stop for malfunctioning rear lights shortly afterwards solved the root cause of the problem, as the rear tail and wing assembly had come unlatched due to a damaged locking pin.
Strategy and a series of full-course cautions and wave-bys put the Mazda back onto the lead lap and up to as high as second only for for the rear deck locking pin to start to fail again in the closing stages with Tincknell behind the wheel.
“The plan was to stay on the lead lap and take no risks so we would be in the running at the end,” said Tincknell. “That went straight out the window when the pace at the front was so hot and we were playing catch up from the start.
“We had just got back on the lead lap when we pitted under yellows to change the rear deck of the car, which wouldn’t go back on and we lost three laps.
“All you can do in situations like these is to go back out there and be the fastest car as that keeps everyone’s heads up so that’s what I did.
“We knew we had a mountain to climb but we kept at it.
“The turning point came during my next run as I managed to unlap myself by passing the leader, then it went yellow, which gave me another lap back straightaway with the pass around.
“One of the big takeaways for us is that we had no contact during the race.
“When you consider that there were over 50 cars on a 3.5-mile track and they are being driven by a mixture of professionals and amateurs, it’s amazing to come out unscathed.
“This is the sort of result that stings in the aftermath but the following morning you feel proud of the job the whole team did.”
Multimatic’s Larry Holt added the result was an “impressive achievement” considering they “clawed back” to the lead lap after the early setbacks.
“If we hadn’t had the wing issue again at the end I’m thinking that the outcome might have been even more impressive,” he said.
“But that’s racing and none of the crew, engineers or drivers left anything on the table, it was a sprint all the way.
“I really want to thank them all for the never give up attitude that they all displayed, despite the times when it was looking a bit dismal.
“We have a little work to do on the rear tail mount, the same arrangement that we’ve been using for years, but the rest of the car, engine and gearbox was impeccable.”
A great quote I saw from Tinknell on another site was:
Tincknell said: “We gave it everything we had but it just wasn’t enough. Kobayashi gave me the option of letting him through or crashing to take second place from me. If it had been for the win I probably would have gone for Option B! We’re gutted not to win but we left nothing out there today.”
since we've got a little down-time between races, here's a cool little recap / breakdown of what is happening with the GTLM class and it's transition to GTD Pro next season.
Mazda to Terminate DPi Program at End of Year; No LMDh
Japanese manufacturer to end prototype involvement at conclusion of 2021 season… by John Dagys
Mazda will terminate its IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship DPi program at the end of this season, having confirmed that it will also not pursue an effort under the new LMDh regulations.
The Japanese manufacturer, which has been present every year in the top prototype category since the Grand-Am/ALMS merger 2014, announced a realignment of its motorsports strategy on Friday afternoon.
It comes after scaling back the Multimatic-run factory Mazda RT24-P program to a single entry for Harry Tincknell and Oliver Jarvis for 2021.
The duo teamed with Jonathan Bomarito for a podium finish in last month’s season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.
A statement from Mazda says the decision to end its prototype involvement was made after an “internal assessment of the current DPi series and the future LMDh series.”
“Mazda has a long history in racing and recently added several DPi victories and podium finishes during the 2020 season. This is a tribute to our ‘never stop challenging’ spirit,” said Mazda North American Operations chairman and CEO Masahiro Moro.
“We’re especially proud of our victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring, podium finishes at Daytona’s Rolex 24 in both 2020 and 2021, and record-setting laps at Daytona in 2019 and 2020.
“These are significant accomplishments in the history of Mazda Motorsports. We thank our drivers, team, partners, and our fans for their years of support, and look forward to a strong 2021 season.”
Additionally, Mazda Motorsports director Nelson Cosgrove will be departing the manufacturer at the end of this month, with motorsports marketing chief Mo Murray set to oversee the DPi program for the remainder of its term.
The manufacturer’s motorsports focus will center on the single-make Mazda MX-5 Cup, which kicked off in January under IMSA sanction, as well as other forms of grassroots racing.
Mazda’s withdrawal will leave just Cadillac and Acura on the DPi grid for the 2022 WeatherTech Championship season, in the expected final season of the formula prior to the introduction of the ACO and IMSA’s new joint prototype regulations.
At least 16 manufacturers had been involved in LMDh technical working group meetings in recent months, with Audi, Porsche and Acura all confirming programs for 2023.
“Mazda is one of the winningest manufacturers in IMSA history, with more than 200 victories at the highest level of IMSA competition and the potential to add to that total through the balance of the 2021 WeatherTech Championship season,” said IMSA President John Doonan, who had served as Mazda’s motorsports director until joining IMSA in 2020.
“Mazda was the first to reveal its DPi race car, the RT24-P, which went on to win iconic events like the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Advance Auto Parts and the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen among other races, and along the way became a fan favorite.
“While we will miss seeing that beautiful prototype out on the racetrack, we look forward to our continued partnership as the sanctioning body for the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires and the excitement that series will continue to provide for IMSA fans.”
