A series of caution periods in the final hour and 20 minutes disrupted fuel-saving strategies and set the stage for an intense battle for victory in the endurance classic, favoring Deletraz.
The 26-year-old Swiss driver, piloting the No. 40 Acura ARX-06 for Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, had a slight advantage with fresher tires compared to Bourdais, who opted not to change rubber during their last pit stops.
Starting from third position, Deletraz swiftly overtook Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Penske Porsche 963 and began to pursue Bourdais in the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R. Despite several restarts following brief caution periods, the final 15 minutes witnessed Deletraz closing in on Bourdais, particularly excelling in braking zones.
With less than six minutes remaining, Deletraz made a daring move into Turn 7, resulting in a tight battle between the two drivers as they pushed the limits of the track and their cars. Despite multiple instances of contact as they raced side by side through the narrow sections of the circuit, Deletraz managed to gain the upper hand.
Although Bourdais attempted to mount a comeback, Deletraz held on to secure victory by a margin of 0.891s after 12 hours and 333 laps.
Reflecting on the race, Deletraz remarked, “Every time I got close, there was a yellow pretty much, which is not helping me. I saw I was strong on braking, especially the low speed, T7, and T10.
He was close, defending well on the inside. I was on the outside, and he squeezed me off. I realized quickly I was never going to make it on the outside, which was fair enough. It’s IMSA racing, it’s tough.
“I thought about it, saw a gap in (Turn) 7. I went for it. Bleed off the brake, try to avoid him crossing back. I think we had more contact on the straight. Again, hard racing, but I think fair. We both made it to the flag. I couldn’t have done it by myself. If he didn’t respect me, we’d both be in the wall. Really thankful for that.”
This marked only the second time Deletraz had been tasked with finishing a race, the first being the Daytona 24 Hours in January. Ultimately, he secured Acura’s first win, also marking the second victory for Honda Racing Corporation (formerly Honda Performance Development).
Teamed with co-drivers Colton Herta and Jordan Taylor, this victory also signaled Wayne Taylor Racing’s return to Victory Lane for the first time since 2017.
“It meant a lot,” Deletraz expressed. “First I want to say a big thank you to the team, Acura, HRC, the two guys right here [Colton and Jordan]. Obviously without them it was not possible.
“The car was really strong in the end. I knew we were in a position to win, which to be fair was a lot of pressure. I’ve never really done that. Daytona was my first time. That’s my second time finishing a race.
“I just obviously wanted to win and bring points for the championship. I saw I had the opportunity. Seb was tough, but fair, so thanks to him. Yeah, in the end I saw the gap. I went for it, I had more pace and we won. That’s fantastic. I think I’ll remember this one for a long time.”
