The #01 team combined to lead a race-high 468 of the 668 laps run. Montoya led 170 laps, while Pruett spent 161 orbits at the head of the field and Duran led 137 laps in his Rolex 24 debut. It was the second-consecutive Rolex 24 victory for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, making Ganassi and Sabates the first team owners since Al Holbert in 1986 and 1987 to take back-to-back wins in the race.
“For a rookie in this event, I felt really good going in with a team like this behind me and the great drivers I was fortunate enough to have been paired with,” Duran said, “I think I learned that this race is all about consistency and confidence. Scott and Juan played their cards right, while at the same time giving me the confidence to drive to the best of my ability. I think I was able to make the right moves at the right times, and that ultimately led to this team getting through the race nearly incident free.”
The #11 team of Dalziel, Carpentier, Darren Manning and Milka Duno had an outstanding run to finish second. Dalziel acquitted himself well by keeping world-renowned road racers Montoya and Angelelli in his mirrors for more than 45 minutes, and was rewarded for his efforts with a second-place result, which matches the Scotsman’s Rolex Series career-best performance. He led a total of 37 laps.
"It’s kind of funny because, earlier on today, two of my biggest heroes were
Juan Pablo Montoya and Jimmie Johnson, and I got to race both of them one time,” Dalziel said. “That’s what’s good about
Daytona. The CITGO/SAMAX car ran strong all day. This was my second time doing the Rolex 24, although I had less success last year. This was a fun race, a hard race. Everybody was giving it 100 per cent. To come down that close among the three cars was pretty amazing. It was a really good event."
![The Pruett/Montoya/Duran #01 Ganassi Riley-Lexus takes the Rolex 24 chequer at Daytona [pic credit: Grand-Am.com]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/286129.jpg)
