According to the unofficial results, after a day of competition on the track of the Daytona the Speedway International (3,56 miles), the equipment integrated by the American Scott Pruett, the Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and the Mexican Salvador Durán of 01 equipment no. TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley, it conquered 45º edition of 24 Rolex AT Daytona, first competition of the Series Grand-A.m. Rolex Sports Car presented by Crown Royal Special in 2007.
The winners crossed 668 returns. Its better turn (602) during the race was in a time of 1:44.395, to an average of speed of 99,024 mph.

Scott Pruett, Juan Pablo Montoya and Salvador Durán celebrate the obtained triumph. Richard Petty was the teacher of ceremony

This is the second consecutive victory for the equipment Chip Ganassi Racing in four races in the 24 hours of Daytona. The pilots of Ganassi, Give Wheldon, Scott Dixon and Casey Mears gained the 2006 event.
With this Pruett result one becomes the leader in triumphs in the Daytona Prototypes of the Rolex Series (13).
“This triumph is something immense. To have run with these two boys - Juan Pablo and Salvador was incredible. The work that has made Ganassi also is fantastic. And every year we have seen that the work that has made the Rolex Series is better. We maintained these cars in the return of the leader, to only a pair of hours to finish, with pilots who gave a great spectacle. That one is. When you arrive at the last stages from the race and beams that, you say much with respect to the series and to the equipment that prepares those cars they run and them”.

Car no. 01 TELMEX/Target Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley was unbeatable during the debilitating competition. Also they obtained the fastest return of the day

On the other hand, the Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya is united to Mario Andretti in the line of winning pilots of a Rolex 24 AT Daytona, races of Formula One, Championship of IndyCar or Champ Car (CART) and 500 miles of Indianapolis (Mario Andretti: Rolex 24, 1972 - race of 6 hours, in the tradition of the 24 hours of Daytona; triumphs in Formula 1 -12; Indy 500, in 1969; Championships of CART/USAC: 1984, 1969, 1966, 1965).
Interrogated with respect to the simple thing that seemed its handling from outside, Montoya commented that “He was hard. The turn in that I ran (against) Angelelli and Dalziel, was really hard. It caused that my life was quite miserable (…) Was a good form to begin the year with Chip (Ganassi)”.
Durán (21), becomes first the Mexican in gaining the race since 1971 made in Pedro Rodriguez and in addition, secures the triumph in its first attempt.
“I feel very well. We had a good car, incredible. It was a subject to stay (the rate) in the track and to be consistent and fast. The three we were very good. Juan Pablo and Scott gave much confidence me”.

Brilliant second position of the equipment integrated by Patrick Carpentier, the Venezuelan Milka Duno, the Scot Ryan Dalziel and the Briton Darren Manning

In the second position the equipment of car no. was located 11 CITGO/SAMAX Pontiac Riley for which they ran Canadian Patrick Carpentier, the Venezuelan Milka Duno, the Scot Ryan Dalziel and the Briton Darren Manning.
“The car was fantastic”, assured Carpentier. “We did not have problems during the 24 hours. Only in the end, I committed a small error. As much Darren, as Ryan and Milka handled very well during all night. He was funny. The equipment did a great work in each one of the shutdowns in pits”.
Milka Duno secures therefore the best result obtained by a woman in the 45 years of the race. In season 2006 already it had been located in the group of the women with better results when finishing in the eighth square of the general.
New escudería Wayne Taylor Racing secured the third place with the car SunTrust Pontiac Riley. The equipment was integrated by the Italian Max Angelelli, the South African Wayne Taylor, the American Jeff Gordon - tetracampeón of Glass NEXTEL of NASCAR and three winner of Daytona 500 - and the Danish Jan Magnussen.

Porsche GT3 Cup de Jean-Francois Dumoulin, Scooter Gabel, Carlos de Quesada and Marc Basserg dominated class GT and surpassed to the 07 no. Pontiac GXP-R

In class GT, the winner was the equipment of Jean-Francois Dumoulin, Scooter Gabel, Carlos de Quesada and Marc Basserg (22 no. Porsche GT3 Cup); the second place of podio occupied escudería of Paul Edwards, Nelly Collins, Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O'Connell (07 no. Pontiac GXP-R) and in the third party crossed the goal, the runners of TRG, Jim Lowe, Jim Pace, Johannes van Overbeek and Ralf Kelleners.
The results of other Latin pilots include the fourth place of the Brazilian Brown Robert (no. 61 Waxes Porsche Kendall Porsche Riley); seventh of the Mexican Michel Jourdain Jr and Serbian Oriol Spanish, that shared member responsibilities of handling as of the equipment No.77 Feeds The Need/Gild Racing/Ford Doran; ninth of Brazilian the Oswaldo Negri and Helio Castroneves (No.60 Michael Shank Racing Lexus Riley); and 14º of its compatriot Christian Fittipaldi (39 no. Cheever Racing).
The other car Chip Ganassi Racing, in which the Mexican Red Memo competed, retired after an accident in the return 541, in which the front part of its car was damaged.

Alex Gurney obtained pole position but its no. 99 GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing Pontiac Riley underwent mechanical problems and had to retire of the competition

The Argentinean Gastón Mazzacane (VICI Racing Porsche Fabcar) also was itself involved in an incident in the return 240 that ended its participation in this Rolex 24. Mazzacane was transported to the hospital like precaution measurement, and later it was registered.
The race had 13 yellow flags for a total of 82 returns, and one red flag. Nine cars were located in the first place of the general and 15 different runners were in the first position.
The pilot who led major number of returns was Montoya (170), escorted by Scott Pruett (161) and Salvador Durán (137).
The next race will dispute the 3 of March in City of Mexico, in the Automobile race track Brother Rodriguez.

Source: Average Racing
Photos: http://www.grandamerican.com/