Tower Motorsports "deeply disappointed" by Rolex 24 penalty

Following Wednesday’s announcement that Tower Motorsports has been stripped of its LMP2 class win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Team Manager Rick Capone contends that it did not willingly violate IMSA’s technical regulations.

“Tower Motorsports is deeply disappointed by IMSA’s decision to penalize our No.8 LMP2 entry following post-race technical inspection at the 24 Hours of Daytona. Our team strongly contests this ruling and maintains that we did not intentionally violate any technical regulations,” Capone said in a statement.

“The infraction cited by IMSA relates to excessive wear on the skid block, an issue that can naturally occur over the course of an intense endurance race due to variables outside of a team’s direct control. The No.8 car has consistently passed technical inspection throughout the event and in previous competitions without issue. We firmly believe that this outcome does not reflect any wrongdoing or competitive advantage on our part.”

Post-race inspections by IMSA found that the skid block underneath the No.8 ORECA 07 had worn beyond the maximum allowable rate of five millimeters as stated in the FIA Technical Regulations, demoting Tower Motorsports to last in its class a little more than 48 hours after taking the checkered flag at Daytona.

“We filed a formal protest, which IMSA has denied. While we respect the regulatory process, we are extremely disheartened by this decision. We are incredibly proud of this team, and it does not discount the tremendous effort and dedication of our drivers, engineers, and crew, who performed flawlessly over 24 hours of competition,” Capone said.

“We also understand that this was a difficult decision for IMSA to make, and we appreciate their communication and insight throughout this process. While we may not agree with the outcome, we recognize the complexity of their role in enforcing regulations.

“We remain committed to upholding the integrity of the sport and will review all possible options in response to this penalty. We extend our gratitude to our fans, partners, and supporters, who continue to stand by us as we navigate this challenging situation.”

It means that Sebastien Bourdais will not get to keep his third Rolex 24 At Daytona victory, after coming back from being involved in a multi-car accident on Saturday night.

“Racing can be cruel but governing bodies can be far worse,” Bourdais wrote in a post on social media. “Tower Motorsports won the Rolex 24 LMP2 class.

Bourdais attributed the results of technical inspection to a failed suspension component.

“The rear third damper that controls rear ride height failed allowing the rear to come down too much, subsequently over wearing the rear skid. In recent memory, IMSA always used common sense when enforcing rules that were breached by technical failure. Unfortunately, not today,” he wrote.

“I want to thank everyone in the team for their flawless execution and dedication. Making them look like cheaters makes me sick as they always operate by the book. I sure hope we get a chance to win more races in the future!”