HEADLINES
- Incredible Rolex 24 debut sees Nicky finish second in GTD
- Nicky chased victory in the final two hours but missed out at the last moment
- Perfect team balance and game plan sees Black Swan Racing climb from 51st to 15th overall
VITAL STATISTICS
- The #540 Porsche misses out on the GTD win by just three seconds after 24 hours of racing
- Black Swan Racing saves Nicky for a final push to apply pressure on its rivals
- Three GTD cars finish on the lead lap after a frantic final two hours
- Black Swan Porsche #540 completes 703 racing laps and 2502 miles with an average speed of 104.25mph
- Fastest lap: 1m47.4s (119.22mph)
- Nicky drives for six hours, completing 180 laps in total
Nicky says…
On achieving a fantastic second place on his Daytona debut…
“It was a better result than I was expecting to be honest. My first race in the USA included different rules to get used to, a new driver line-up and a car that was clearly not the fastest in the GTD class, so to finish second is amazing!”
On the disappointment of not strapping on a winners’ watch…
“To finish second is nice on one hand, but being just three seconds away from a possible win in the Rolex 24 is a bit tough to take. With half a lap more and a near-perfect strategy, we all knew we could have done it, so, while we should be happy with what we achieved, the whole team was a little flat.”
On the Daytona experience…
“It is one to remember, as it’s so very different, there’s great fan involvement and being in such a special place is very nice. The history and presence that surrounds the facility and it being the first race since the completion of the ‘World Centre of Racing’ just made it extra special. I can’t wait to come back and do it again.”
On the Black Swan Racing team, his co-drivers and the strategy…
“It has been amazing to work with the Black Swan Racing team and top American race drivers like Andy (Pilgrim) and Pat (Long). Tim (Pappas) did so well and was actually really quick and the team was flawless. A lot of teams made mistakes, but we didn’t and that’s the way to get results in a 24-hour race.”
On his hopes for the season…
“This result really sets us up well for the remainder of the season in the WeatherTech United SportsCar Championship and puts us in a nice position in the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup at the same time. I hope we can carry the momentum to Sebring and I don’t see why we shouldn’t.”