Mazda lost Rolex 24 victory shot with rear wing issue
Mazda lost a shot at victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona with a rear wing issue that robbed its solo entry of downforce in the closing stages.
Harry Tincknell, who was at the wheel of the Multimatic-run Mazda RT24-P for the run to the flag, believes that he could have won the race together with teammates Oliver Jarvis and Jonathan Bomarito, but for the problem.
"The car went from being a rocketship to something that wasn't, in a short space of time," Tincknell told Motorsport.com after claiming third place in the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
"Something broke on rear wing; we think it was a strut that changed the wing's angle of attack. Suddenly the car got very loose."
The Mazda in Tincknell's hands had passed the Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac driven by Renger van der Zande for second position as the end of the penultimate hour approached before the problem struck.
The DPi-V.R van der Zande shared with Kevin Magnussen and Scott Dixon was less than a second behind Filipe Albuquerque in the race-winning Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 when it sustained its second right-rear puncture with seven minutes to go.
"When I passed Renger, I thought, 'Right let's go on and win this thing'," said Tincknell. "I'd passed Alexander Rossi in the [WTR] car that ended up winning as we got back on the lead lap, so I thought we had a good shot at it.
"Renger was able to really have a go at Filipe before the puncture and I'd passed him, so this really feels like one that got away. To lose second place right at the end only added to the disappointment. I admit I had a little cry on the slowing down lap."
The Multimatic Mazda ended up third, two seconds down on the Action Express Racing Cadillac shared by Jimmie Johnson, Kamui Kobayashi, Mike Rockenfeller and Simon Pagenaud. Kobayashi overtook Tincknell for second with just four laps remaining.
The Mazda had mounted a comeback over the final hours of what Tincknell described as a "rollercoaster race" for the Multimatic squad.
#55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi: Oliver Jarvis, Jonathan Bomarito, Harry Tincknell
Photo by: Richard Dole / Motorsport Images
Jarvis, who was due to start from second on the grid, had to take the green flag from the back of the field after he struggled to select first gear as the cars went out to start the formation laps when the transmission went into standby mode.
The RT24-P struggled for pace initially and dropped off the lead lap in the fifth hour. It had just regained that lost lap when it needed a new tail section after the rear lights stopped working. Three laps were lost because the pins on which the rear bodywork is mounted broke.
The Mazda came back onto the lead lap in the 19th hour when Tincknell first overtook race leader Rossi in the winning WTR Acura co-driven with Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves and then got a wave-around during a subsequent safety-car period.
It moved into contention during the 11th of the 12 safety cars shortly before the 22-hour mark.
Related video
Previous article
Risi Ferrari's lack of Rolex 24 pace "hard to take"
Next article
BMW can be "proud" of third against Corvette - Wittmann
About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Event | Daytona 24 |
| Drivers | Harry Tincknell |
| Teams | Mazda Motorsports |
| Author | Gary Watkins |
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why the GTE ruleset looks to have run its course
The GTE ruleset has served sportscar racing in both Europe and the United States well over the past decade. But now there are clear signs that the end of its life is in sight as manufacturer support continues to fade.
