The #0 Claro/TracFone DeltaWing Racing Cars team were on the pace early in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona before more of the transmission problems that had blighted the team throughout testing ended the teams efforts in only the second hour.
Briton Andy Meyrick was the starting driver for the team, and was running inside the top five early before a puncture sent him into the pits. He was heading back towards the front of the pack, setting the fastest lap of the race at that point, but was forced to pull off at the side of the road and into retirement as his transmission failed.
He and his team-mates Katherine Legge, Gabby Chaves and Memo Rojas were left to rue the retirement, with the team packing up and heading back to base to prepare for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
“You have to be respectful of your own car and everyone around you at the start of a 24-hour race,” reflected Meyrick. “It was a bit of a game of poker at the start, to figure out where we were fast and where our positives and negatives were.
“The puncture put us out of sequence but it was clear that we had the pace to run at the very front and lead the race. From a drivability point of view, it really does feel like an endurance racecar, which is a step forward. So for that, it’s encouraging.
“I’ve become accustomed to how resilient and hardworking this team is. With a brand new component in the car and not much room to manoeuvre, they’ve gone above and beyond. To qualify so well and to run so well shows that they’re the real heroes.
“The season looks really strong as soon as we get over these teething issues. We’re very disappointed, but there’s lots of positives to take away.”
