| The Porsche Drivers Raced Hard and Clean to Set up an Epic Finish February 2, 2022By John OreoviczIMSA Wire Service  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Seems like the entire racing world is talking about the 60th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona. Especially the GTD PRO class finish.The images of a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 Rs duking it out over the last laps Sunday on Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course attained “Instant Classic” status for anyone who enjoys clean, fair, hard-fought racing. And after all was said and done, the two drivers involved shared nothing but mutual respect for each other. In the No. 2 Porsche making KCMG’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship debut, Laurens Vanthoor stalked Pfaff Motorsports’ identical No. 9 Porsche driven by Mathieu Jaminet over the final two hours of the legendary 24-hour endurance contest. Both are Porsche contracted drivers, and both teams enjoyed factory engineering support as the GTD PRO class made its series debut. Time and again, Vanthoor got a stronger run exiting Turn 1, but Jaminet was able to repeatedly hold the lead through the potential passing zone at the International Hairpin. Then with just under five minutes remaining, Vanthoor finally made the move stick. Jaminet tried to retaliate and drew alongside, but he was forced to lift for the kink approaching Turn 5. Jaminet stayed close and got a big run through the Daytona tri-oval as the cars entered their final lap, pressuring Vanthoor into getting a bit loose under braking into Turn 1 of the infield road course. The Pfaff car then eased ahead in a clean move through the International Hairpin. But Vanthoor wasn’t done. The blue-and-white KCMG Porsche bumped the plaid Pfaff car through Turn 5 before unsuccessfully trying an over-under move through Turn 6 as the cars headed onto the Daytona oval one last time. They entered the Le Mans Chicane side by side, with Jaminet on the inside for the initial left-hander. Neither driver gave an inch as they aimed for the next apex, both cars spearing across the grass. Vanthoor, now on the inside for the first of the chicane’s right-handers, lost control. His Porsche spun while Jaminet held on and completed the lap to take the checkered flag. Vanthoor slid to a stop before resuming, but the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 snuck past to take second place, with the KCMG Porsche third. After the epic duel had concluded, Vanthoor demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship. Longtime friends, competitors and Porsche colleagues, he and Jaminet shared a warm embrace. “I had a clear goal: After my wins at the Nürburgring, Spa and Le Mans, I was determined to win the 24 Hours of Daytona and round off the quartet,” Vanthoor said. “I did everything I could to make this happen but unfortunately, it didn’t work. “I’ll definitely replay the scenes from the last laps in my mind for a long time,” he added. “I cried on the way back to the pit lane. I tried everything but didn’t win. The better guys won today. That was Pfaff Motorsports.”  Vanthoor also credited his friend Jaminet in a social media post that read in part: “The battle I had with Mathieu was exceptional. I have absolutely zero hard feelings. We raced hard, very hard. But both with 100% passion.”Steve Bortolotti, team manager for Pfaff Motorsports, noted that the KCMG car whittled down what was once a 30-second lead to draw level into the race’s final two hours. Bortolotti and team owner Chris Pfaff were also acutely aware of how talented Vanthoor is. The Belgian teamed with Zacharie Robichon to win four races and the GT Daytona (GTD) title for Pfaff in the 2021 WeatherTech Championship. “When the sun came up, we felt like it was between us and the (No.) 2 car as the strategy was playing out,” Bortolotti said. “The margins between us and the (No.) 2 car were very small, and we thought, ‘All right, this is how it’s going to go down.’ We worked with Larry (Vanthoor) last year, we kind of knew where he was at. “’Jam-Jam’ (Jaminet) was getting everything out of it,” he added. “He drove the wheels off of it, and thankfully brought us home the win in the 24 Hours of Daytona.” An hour after the race, Jaminet himself could scarcely believe what had just happened. “What a crazy fight with Laurens!” he exclaimed. “We all know how good he is, one of the best GT drivers out there in the world. We had a great fight. It was sometimes on the limit, maybe even over. The last chicane was kind of crazy. “For us, we made it, so I’m really pleased,” Jaminet continued. “It was a great race until the end, and this is what people want to see.” Sunday’s results were certainly what Porsche wanted to see, with the marque taking victories in both GTD PRO and GTD (with Wright Motorsports). Both classes use cars built to international GT3 technical regulations, but GTD PRO teams feature mostly pro drivers and often have factory funded drivers and engineering support. “Customer racing at a factory racing level, that’s what we witnessed at Daytona,” said Sebastian Golz, project manager for Porsche 911 GT3 R. “That finale has left me speechless.” |
