Louis Deletraz voiced his pride in the performance of Wayne Taylor Racing by Andretti at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, where the team secured a podium finish despite facing significant challenges. Driving alongside talented teammates Jordan Taylor, Colton Herta, and Jenson Button in the No. 40 Acura ARX-06, Deletraz emphasized the team's incredible effort in a race that tested their limits.
"I think we can be very proud of the podium," said Deletraz. "I am not someone who likes to complain, but clearly the whole ten days we were not the strongest. Our competitors had an advantage on pure pace and on the long runs."
The race concluded with Deletraz and his team finishing in third place, trailing behind the dominant No. 7 Penske Porsche 963 and the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R. Deletraz's ability to maintain competitive positioning until the final stages of the race was remarkable, especially considering the pre-race evaluations had highlighted the Acura's shortcomings in speed compared to its rivals.
"To be on the podium, and even to hang on against the second Penske [Porsche] when we saw how fast they were, it’s a reward for the whole crew," Deletraz remarked. This was a significant achievement for the team, particularly as it marked their debut race as the No. 40 crew, making the podium finish even sweeter for Deletraz.
During the final moments of the race, Deletraz was faced with a tense situation as he defended his third-place position from Matthieu Jaminet in the No. 6 Porsche. The two vehicles were neck-and-neck, and Deletraz was fully aware of the stakes. "I was happy when the yellow came out because I thought we might have a chance to win, but I was also worried about keeping the other cars behind," he shared.
He described the exhilarating side-by-side racing at the restart: "It was a bit close with Matthieu at the restart at Turn 1. We went side-by-side and I had to make sure I stayed ahead. We are good friends, there is a lot of respect between us, and it was good racing."
The race was not without its challenges for Deletraz and the Acura team. During the event, the No. 40 car faced a critical moment when it suffered a loss of power shortly after the halfway point. Reflecting on the situation, he intently worked to address the issue, recalling, "The car shut down in a very similar way to the No. 10. I lost everything, and I thought it was game over."
Despite the setback, Deletraz managed to perform a power cycle on the car while it was still rolling, allowing him to recover only a single lap during the ordeal. In contrast, the sister No. 10 WTR Andretti vehicle, driven by Filipe Albuquerque, experienced a similar problem, failing to finish after a significant repair.
Deletraz said, "We definitely couldn’t have done any better, but we could have done a lot worse. Everyone did a perfect job. It’s good points for the championship, and it might be my first year [as a full-time driver], I definitely want to win this."
The gripping events at Daytona not only showcased the resilience of Deletraz and his team but also set a promising tone for the rest of the season. As they look ahead, the hope is that the lessons learned from the Rolex 24 and the experience gained will serve the team well in their pursuit of future victories.