Grasser Scores Second Straight Rolex 24 GTD Win

Grasser Racing Team claimed back-to-back Rolex 24 at Daytona class victories in a come-from-behind performance for the Lamborghini squad in Sunday’s rain-shortened enduro.

The No. 11 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo of Mirko Bortolotti, Christian Engelhart, Rolf Ineichen, and Rik Breukers took the Italian manufacturer to victory, benefiting from a pair of late-race spins from the No. 29 Montaplast by Land Motorsport Audi R8 LMS Evo and No. 33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Engelhart held the class lead during the final full-course caution period and eventual race-ending red flag.

IMSA declared the race over with 11 minutes left on the clock.

The Austrian squad rebounded from a three-minute and 40-second stop-and-hold penalty for an improper wave-by early on as well as a drive-through penalty for running over a refueling hose. 

Seperate incidents for Daniel Morad in the Land Audi and Luca Stolz’s Riley Mercedes handed Englehart the class lead with two hours to go.

Despite the late-race spin, Morad and co-drivers Ricardo Feller, Christopher Mies, and Dries Vanthoor finished second, followed by the No. 12 AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Frankie Montecalvo, Townsend Bell, Aaron Telitz, and Jeff Segal, which completed the class podium in the team’s debut.

It marked Bortolotti, Ineichen and Rik Breukers’ second Rolex 24 class win, who were joined this year by ex-Lamborghini factory driver Engelhart. 

Lamborghini, meanwhile, gave its new-for-2019 Huracan GT3 Evo its first victory in the Evo kit’s debut.

The No. 88 Team WRT Speedstar Audi and No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo, meanwhile, completed the top-five in class,

Attrition hit the category hard with just five of the 23 entered cars remaining on the lead lap in the end.

RESULTS: Rolex 24 at Daytona