Ganassi repeats in close one.

Sunday, 28th January 2007

In one of the most spectacular finishes in the 45-race history of the Rolex 24, the #01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley trio of Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Salvador Duran emerged on top in a three-car battle over the final hours of the 2007 race.

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Shortly after daybreak, the #10 machine returned to the lead lap and Angelelli took the lead on lap 577, some 546 laps and 20 hours after his first stint in the lead. Angelelli and Magnussen kept the pressure on throughout the closing stages but, with 40 minutes remaining, Magnussen encountered brake problems in turn one and slid off-course. He limped the car back to the pits and the team repaired the braking system, but the #10 wound up two laps down to the winners.

“It was a really fun race,” said Angelelli. “I was pushing and everybody was pushing from the beginning. It was nice to see all the drivers come from all these series to this race. Hopefully, we can come back next year and win it.”

Four-time NASCAR Cup champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner, Gordon was competing in his first Rolex 24 at Daytona. He commented after the race, however, that it certainly would not be his last.

“I had a great experience with Wayne and his whole group,” he said, “I worked a lot with Max during the tests and him and Jan were so helpful to get me up to speed. I had a blast out there, but I made some mistakes so I’m going to have to come back because I don’t like to make mistakes. I want to come back and fix those and give it another try and just be more of an asset to the team. All in all, it was a really great experience for me. All the hard work these guys put in is unbelievable. It’s a very challenging race.”

Five-time Rolex 24 winner Haywood and co-drivers Roberto Moreno, Joao Barbosa and JC France combined to turn in a stellar fourth-place result aboard the #59 Brumos Racing Porsche Riley. The quartet came home six laps behind the winners, but was a fixture in the top five for much of the race.

Another solid performance came from the #61 Exchange Traded Gold/AIM Autosport Lexus Riley team of Mark Wilkins, David Empringham and Burt and Brian Frisselle. The foursome, co-driving the same car that Scott Pruett qualified on the pole position for the 2004 Rolex 24, wound up fifth, nine laps back.