Penalty for Tower Motorsports' No. 8 at Daytona 24 changes LMP2 winner

The United Autosports USA team claimed victory in the LMP2 category of the 24 Hours of Daytona after the No. 8 Tower Motorsports car was penalized for a technical infraction detected during post-race inspection.

Technical Penalty and Result Changes

The No. 8 Tower Motorsports entry, driven by John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, Job Van Uitert, and Sebastien Bourdais, was disqualified due to excessive wear of the skid block, a component located on the underside of prototypes that regulates ride height. According to FIA regulations, the maximum allowable wear is 5 mm, and the Tower Motorsports car exceeded this limit. IMSA confirmed the penalty after review and rejected the team's appeal, relegating them to the last place in the category.

This decision promoted the No. 22 United Autosports USA car to first place in LMP2. The car, driven by Daniel Goldburg, Paul Di Resta, Rasmus Lindh, and James Allen, had originally finished second in the race, but this adjustment in the results awarded them their first Rolex 24 victory in the category.

Race Development

From qualifying, the No. 22 United Autosports car performed well, securing the Motul Pole Award with Goldburg at the wheel. During the race, incidents and lead changes marked the competition. In the eighth hour, a multi-car accident eliminated the No. 2 United Autosports car and the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports entry, while the No. 8 Tower Motorsports car sustained damage but was able to continue.

Throughout the race, teams like Inter Europol Competition, Af Corse, and AO Racing competed for top positions. However, penalties and mechanical issues took them out of contention. In the final part of the race, Era Motorsport attempted to repeat its 2024 victory with a fuel-saving strategy, but contact between Paul-Loup Chatin (Era Motorsport) and Mathias Beche (PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports) altered the outcome.

Initially, the No. 8 Tower Motorsports car crossed the finish line with a 44.697-second lead, but its later disqualification reshaped the podium. The No. 22 United Autosports USA car was declared the winner with a final margin of 6.716 seconds over the No. 74 Riley Motorsports entry, while the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports car secured third place.

Reactions and Controversy

The penalty to Tower Motorsports sparked divided opinions in the paddock. Sebastien Bourdais, one of the No. 8 drivers, expressed his dissatisfaction on social media, stating that the failure of the rear damper was a technical issue and not intentional manipulation.

“Competition can be tough, but governing decisions can be even worse. Our team won on track, and the penalty decision makes us look like cheaters when we have always followed the rules,” commented Bourdais.