Kyle Busch will have a long drive ahead of him when he finally gets behind the wheel in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
He will likely climb into a Lexus RC F GT3 short on speed and a handful to drive.
Click to Gallery
Kyle Busch will have a long drive ahead of him when he finally gets behind the wheel in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Busch is the third driver scheduled to get into the Lexus for AIM Vasser Sullivan. Jack Hawksworth started the race 37th out of a record-low 38 cars and struggled to gain any ground.
The yellow flag finally came out when Helio Castroneves, in a Team Penske Acura, had an incident with Harry Tincknell that sent Castroneves into a barrier and then the garage. His Acura had heavy damage to the front wing, and Harry Tincknell from Mazda Team Joest received a drive-thru penalty when IMSA ruled Tincknell was responsible for the crash.
“It's not even four hours into the raace and I was taking my time,” Castroneves said. “I was taking it easy and the guy just decided to dive into the bus stop. I am taking it easy and he does that, for what? My car is just destroyed.”
Penske, who turns 83 next month, said he'd be staying awake atop the pit stand for the entire 24 hours for the third consecutive year. Team Penske returned to sports car racing in 2018 and earned a third-place finish in last year's race, while Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron teamed to win the IMSA championship.
“He’s been one of the easiest teammates to work with; the guy is demanding of the crew and equipment but also respectful of everybody and the challenges,” Hawksworth said. “With a nickname like Rowdy, I didn’t know what to expect, but he’s very easy to work with and with all the teammates I’ve worked with, he’s definitely up there in terms of easiest to work with.”
“Sometimes I think he thinks we can build new parts for the car and change things on the fly. In general it’s been really good. Anyone like him, he’s obsessed with it and thinking about it all the time and constantly trying to improve it.”
Acura Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves signs autographs before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
Acura Team Penske driver Ricky Taylor, right, signs autographs as teammate Alexander Rossi looks on, before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
The car struggled early and was running at the back of the field near the four-hour mark of the race that began Saturday at Daytona International Speedway.
Acura Team Penske owner Roger Penske gestures to a crew member during the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
Busch is the third driver scheduled to get into the Lexus for AIM Vasser Sullivan. Jack Hawksworth started the race 37th out of a record-low 38 cars and struggled to gain any ground.
Hawksworth said the car was in need of both speed and adjustments to help the handling.
“The position right now doesn't make a difference, but we'll need to find some performance by the end of the race,” Hawksworth said. “We desperately are looking for yellow.”
Acura Team Penske owner Roger Penske looks at a monitor during the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
The yellow flag finally came out when Helio Castroneves, in a Team Penske Acura, had an incident with Harry Tincknell that sent Castroneves into a barrier and then the garage. His Acura had heavy damage to the front wing, and Harry Tincknell from Mazda Team Joest received a drive-thru penalty when IMSA ruled Tincknell was responsible for the crash.
Castroneves appeared to be furious as he sat inside his cockpit awaiting repairs. He finally climbed from the car when the team realized it needed a lengthy repair to the radiator.
The Brazilian was animated as he discussed the incident with teammates Ricky Taylor and Alexander Rossi, who has hardly turned any laps yet this weekend because Taylor crashed in qualifying.
Acura Team Penske driver Juan Pablo Montoya signs autographs before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
“It's not even four hours into the raace and I was taking my time,” Castroneves said. “I was taking it easy and the guy just decided to dive into the bus stop. I am taking it easy and he does that, for what? My car is just destroyed.”
Rossi pulled a replay of the incident up on his phone and the three drivers shook their head in disgust as they watched.
Roger Penske informed his drivers — his six-driver lineup includes four Indianapolis 500 winners — they have no excuse not to win the race that ends Sunday afternoon.
Oliver Jarvis (77) Mazda Dpi leads the field early in the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
Penske, who turns 83 next month, said he'd be staying awake atop the pit stand for the entire 24 hours for the third consecutive year. Team Penske returned to sports car racing in 2018 and earned a third-place finish in last year's race, while Juan Pablo Montoya and Dane Cameron teamed to win the IMSA championship.
The build-up, though, has been about Busch's first endurance race and the reigning NASCAR champion needs an improved Lexus to give Busch a chance to be competitive.
Hawksworth praised the effort Busch has put in so far.
Jordan Taylor, right, driver of the Corvette Racing C8.R signs autographs as teammate Nicky Catsburg looks on before Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
“He’s been one of the easiest teammates to work with; the guy is demanding of the crew and equipment but also respectful of everybody and the challenges,” Hawksworth said. “With a nickname like Rowdy, I didn’t know what to expect, but he’s very easy to work with and with all the teammates I’ve worked with, he’s definitely up there in terms of easiest to work with.”
Busch has been very involved in his first trip to the Rolex and quick to offer suggestions and ideas to improve the Lexus.
“The guy’s like a sponge. He takes in all this information, studying the setup, the driving, every aspect of it,” Hawksworth said. "So a guy like that is always going to spring ideas and have a different way of looking at things. He’s been helpful in many elements with the car. I feel like he doesn’t quite understand the regulations are as tight as they are.
Scott Dixon driver of the Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R gives a thumbs up to a fan before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
“Sometimes I think he thinks we can build new parts for the car and change things on the fly. In general it’s been really good. Anyone like him, he’s obsessed with it and thinking about it all the time and constantly trying to improve it.”
The GT Daytona class that Busch is competing in has a class-high 18 entries and is the most competitive in the field. The cars aren't fast enough to compete for the overall win, and a pair of Cadillacs have so far paced the field in the twice-round-the-clock endurance race.
The race will be won by one of the eight entrants in the Daytona Prototype class, which appears to be a race between defending winning team Wayne Taylor Racing and JDC-Miller Motorsports in Cadillac Dpi's, along with pole-winning team Mazda Team Joest and Penske's Acuras.
Acura Team Penske driver Simon Pagenaud signs autographs before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
Acura Team Penske driver Helio Castroneves signs autographs before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)
Acura Team Penske driver Ricky Taylor, right, signs autographs as teammate Alexander Rossi looks on, before the Rolex 24 hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP PhotoTerry Renna)