Jordan Taylor and Max Angelelli ended the GRAND-AM era in style with a dominant victory at Lime Rock Park that also earned them the final Daytona Prototype championship in Rolex Series history, while Alessandro Balzan and Dr. Jim Norman put their names into the history books as the series’ final GT and GX class champions respectively.
Taylor, driving the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Corvette, was forced to withstand one last restart with three minutes remaining after a multi-car incident involving Patrick Long, Richard Westbrook and Alex Gurney brought out the yellow with less then 10 minutes to go.
But just as he showed in the late going at Kansas and Laguna Seca, Taylor came up clutch when it counted and quickly pulled away of his rivals to secure the win and the championship.
In a season that saw multiple squads take over the DP points lead only to give it up because of various calamities on the track, he and Angelelli were the ones to finally keep a grip on the prize.
“I’m a bit of a loser in a way – racing is my life and I’ve only got a few friends,” Taylor said self-deprecatingly afterwards to Fox Sports. “But it’s family, friends and racing for me, so I’m just happy to finally get a championship with, basically, my brother, Max.”
Angelelli, who once again opened things for the No. 10 today and claimed his second career Rolex Series title, was beaming with pride.
“It’s just a fantastic job, the whole team,” Angelelli said. “We are all together. Pit stops, strategy – they were just fantastic. Everything worked out.”
Meanwhile in GT, the championship was altered dramatically in the opening laps when the class-leading No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche of John Potter made contact with Richie Stanaway in the No. 66 TRG Aston Martin and was sent spinning in Turn 2.
The No. 11 Lotus GX machine of Scott Dollahite then slammed into the No. 44, causing considerable front end damage and forcing it behind the wall for necessary repairs.
The car would eventually come back and finish 13th in class, which was not enough to stop Balzan from claiming the GT crown after surviving a mid-race run-in with fellow Ferrari pilot Jeff Segal and then finishing second to the race-winning No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette of Eric Curran and Lawson Aschenbach.
“It was the hardest race ever in my life,” Balzan said. “For me to be here, the first year for me and the first year for Scuderia Corsa, to get the championship – I think we’re going to spend one fantastic holiday this winter.
“It was really unlucky what happened to the [Magnus] Porsche, but it was a really wild race, especially in the last 40 minutes. Not everyone was really fair, but you know, I’m the champion, the team is the champion, Ferrari is the champion. We cannot ask for more.”
Early in the race, the GX title was clinched by Dr. Norman, who went on to finish second with co-driver Spencer Pumpelly in the race behind winners Tom Long and Sylvain Tremblay.
“It’s been a great year for us battling those factory Mazdas,” Norman said following an early stint. “I’ve got a great teammate, Spencer’s an amazing driver and a great coach. We’re really proud and pleased to be the first champions [of this class].”
Also earning a GRAND-AM title today were Nick Longhi and Matt Plumb, who claimed the Grand Sport title in the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge earlier this morning.
With GRAND-AM’s fond farewell this afternoon, the sports car world now turns to the other piece of #TheFuture – the American Le Mans Series, which will stage its penultimate race next weekend at Virginia International Raceway before closing up shop with the Petit Le Mans from Road Atlanta on Oct. 19.
The two series will merge into the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship next season.