HAND: An Epic, Yet Emotional Emergence

For starters, we have to talk about the massive crowd – the biggest crowd in the history of the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Being there for that record-breaking race is such a big deal because I’ve seen… let’s just say many, many sports car races in my career and the atmosphere there was like none other.

We are in a very exciting time of the sport. I don’t even think we’re at the peak; we’re continually building up, and that’s great for everyone involved, which includes Ford Multimatic Motorsports.

It’s an awesome time to be a part of IMSA sports car racing and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

To the Starting Line

Being the starting driver for this one, it was really cool and memorable to be able to take the first official racing laps of the new Mustang GT3. We were joined by the Ford family during the ceremonial grid walk – but not just the Ford family, but all the executives that came out to support us for this special time for our program.

They all wanted to witness this for the first time, just like a lot of people – whether you’re a Mustang owner or Mustang fan. It was so cool experiencing that feeling again: Standing by the car, taking selfies, and those moments gave me those warm and fuzzy feelings again in my return to full-time racing.

Everybody has a “thing” before a race, and you get some drivers that don’t like to be in the mix of the grid walk. I actually enjoy being on the grid by the car. I take that time to talk to my team, because honestly, we don’t have the opportunity to do that often while we’re preparing for races.

Right there, we’re all hanging out, and I enjoy getting to know them – from fishing to home renovation, those kinds of conversations are calming.

As soon as I leave the pits and do my big, smoky burnout though, that really is the switch that flips me into “race mode.” I’ve been doing that for a long time, and I don’t need anything more than that to get me in the zone.

It was “go time.” You suit up, looking forward to the 24 hours ahead between three drivers. You kind of wonder what’s going to happen – no matter how much you prepare for it.

Those first laps, starting ninth in class (GTD Pro) and 23rd in the field of GTD cars, was a hornet’s nest. The goal for me was to just get through that first lap clean.

You hear people say, “Oh, it’s a 24-hour race, so it’s unnecessary to get damage on the first lap.” But what you learn right away and throughout those first 10 laps is that the level of competition and aggression is high.

Guys were getting pretty aggressive, and this will be the case all year long – especially in IMSA. With so many manufacturers in the field, a lot of people feel like there’s a lot to prove. But with so many people to beat… that’s what makes it fun.

The car ran well at the start, and I capitalized on a few opportunities which progressed us through the field. I had one nicely timed restart, where I caught the green just right and wailed by six or seven cars.

Those restarts really tell you how the year is going to play out, and let me tell you, in the first couple hours of the race there was a lot of aggression. At the same time, that’s what it’s all about.

I’m excited about the thought of a real racey series. When it’s all said and done, we’re all in show business in some way – those are the moments that attract people to our races. To take a Mustang and throw it into the mix, too, really makes for a good show.

That particular restart stands out for me, now that the dust has settled. Down on the front straightaway and into the green flag, I shoved the car down in there and made a few spots – two of which split me.

One went to the outside, and I hear my spotter: “Outside, outside.” I saw him, but where’d the other guy go?

Again: “Inside, inside. He’s in the grass.” He slid into my door, pushing me up into the other car, and I had to tactically back off to save the car.

That sequence for me was like, “Well all right, I see how we’re going to roll here.” I could tell how intense this race was going to be. I mean, you’re talking two hours into a 24-hour race. I just immediately pictured what was coming down the road and for the year. Bring it on.

You hope to pass the car off to your buddy undamaged, and the goal is to do that for hours upon hours. When I get out of the car, personally, I immediately do a little debrief with the team in the pit box, change out of my racewear into something dry and refuel.

With a three-driver combo though, it’s not long before you’re back in the seat – you’re talking two, one-hour stints consecutively and four hours out of the car. That’s not counting the time you’re ready at the pit-box, which is 45 minutes to an hour.

Throughout the night, I slept for probably 45 minutes between one stint and 30 minutes after another. But, it’s energizing to see the sun rise and your car still going.

The Final Feeling

We had an issue with the rear deck lid which caused us to go a lap down, but we were very much so still in the hunt. The car ran well throughout the night, and when it was all said and done, I had just completed my fourth stint in the car and handed it off to Freddy (Vervisch). I noticed the car was in the garage not long after the driver change… two hours remaining in the race.

Freddy was still in the seat when we decided to retire. The most powerful moment of the weekend, for me, was sharing the tears and embracing with our crew. You’re not always going to have the result you wanted, and it wasn’t any of our first day.

But it all just came out – the amount of effort and passion that has gone into this from the shop to the track. I was a small piece of that.

These guys and gals have worked relentlessly, around the clock, to get these cars to the Roar. They made a great sacrifice, and that was raw emotion. It was a bit sad initially, but for me, it was a very big moment because others may shrug it off.

But this team has a lot of fight and passion – it’s contagious. I don’t know if I’ve ever had that, but that “coming together” is motivating to see because I think it’ll make us stronger as a team. That will go a long way.

It’s tough to roll-out a new car and have your longest race be your first race. That’s the way IMSA sports car racing is – you start with “the big one.” You hope you have everything figured out through testing, and we felt pretty good. But you can’t foresee everything.

You need all those race hours, because you don’t push the car in testing like you do a race. You have so many cars, so much pick-up of debris in the radiator… you have all these different things you can’t simulate.

There were a lot of things we recognized and adapted to during the race, and the team did an incredible job. I was impressed with how we did as a team and what we learned for the future.

Now, we look to Sebring – our second-biggest race of the season. Some would say it’s harder on cars and drivers despite being 12 hours long.

I would agree with that, because there are a lot of different tests that we will experience there like more shifting, turning and bumps, with less vision in the night. I feel good about what we learned, and I’m just super excited to be back racing with this program in Mustang.