| What a great way to start the 2021 sportscar classic season, as the Rolex 24 at Daytona served up a real IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar thriller over the weekend. Hats off to Wayne Taylor Racing and Acura, as the team scored its third consecutive Daytona 24 Hours win – and achieved a landmark success for the Honda brand that it switched to in a very compressed off-season. There was added subtext drama as Renger van der Zande, in Chip Ganassi’s Cadillac, chased down Filipe Albuquerque in the closing moments – the Dutchman having a score to settle after being dumped by WTR. But his revenge wasn’t to be, as a puncture thwarted his victory bid in the last six minutes of the 24 hours – what an agonizing way to lose out! It was also great to see NASCAR champion Chase Elliott take part in the top prototype class, and in tandem with Jimmie Johnson’s comeback to the event, that really helped raise the profile IMSA’s showpiece season-opener in America. Meantime, GT Le Mans victors Corvette’s celebrations were muted by Antonio Garcia’s mid-race Covid-19 diagnosis. I hope he gets well soon, and that somebody grabbed his Rolex watch for him… 
Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief
Motorsport.com | 
