The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship curtain-raiser didn’t take off as Mario Farnbacher and his team Magnus with Archangel had hoped. After tyre damage and technical problems, the Acura driver and his teammates Andy Lally, John Potter and Spencer Pumpelly had to settle with eleventh place at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
“Of course, we expected more”, the Franconian explained after the Florida race. “It wasn’t an easy weekend and we had to cope with a lot of minor problems. We tried to make the best of it, but simply couldn’t keep up with the frontrunners.”
The quartet behind the wheel of the Acura NSX GT3 Evo #44 started from eleventh on the grid. Positions had been assigned a week earlier at the official test, the Roar before the Daytona 24. From 29 to 31 January, there were four practice sessions scheduled at the Daytona circuit before the 24-hour race.
However, instead of starting the chase, the Acura team suffered a premature setback, when tyre damage in the first hour forced them to pit. Fighting spirit and all attempts to make up the lost laps went unrewarded. Technical issues during the night dashed all further hopes of recovery and so finally only an eleventh place was possible.
“We really tried everything, it just wasn’t our weekend”, said the 28-year-old afterwards. “Nevertheless, many thanks to the entire crew, Magnus Racing, Archangel Motorsports, Acura and of course my teammates. We fought together till the end.”
