Lamborghini clinches fourth consecutive Daytona 24 Hours podium with Paul Miller Racing

Lamborghini kicked off its 2021 racing season with a well-deserved podium finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the opening round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.

Having won the prestigious endurance event around the clock for the past three years, Lamborghini came into the weekend with three cars capable of taking the GT Daytona (GTD) class triumph.

The #1 Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo of defending winners Andrea Caldarelli, Corey Lewis, Madison Snow and Bryan Sellers put in a sterling drive to finish third, just 23 seconds off the winning Mercedes crew.

Just as importantly, the Paul Miller Racing quartet picked up valuable points for the Michelin Endurance Cup, which were handed out at the six-, 12-, 18- and 24-hour mark. Lamborghini won the Manufacturers’ title in 2020 and began its quest for back-to-back championships in promising fashion.

The #1 started the 59th edition of the 24 hours from 16th on the grid after suffering a mechanical issue in the ROAR before the 24 qualifying race the previous week. Despite this, Caldarelli, Lewis, Snow and Sellers proved they had lost none of the cohesion and determination that brought them the class win last year and worked their way up to second by the end of the first quarter, using a shorter fuel-only stop to leapfrog several positions.

The quartet remained in the hunt as the sun rose, and Caldarelli moved the #1 back onto the podium after passing Klaus Bachler’s Porsche after the penultimate Full Course Yellow.

Unfortunately, neither of the two Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evos made the finish. The #111, which started third on the grid with Steijn Schothorst, Rolf Ineichen and Lamborghini Factory Drivers Mirko Bortolotti and Marco Mapelli encountered electrical issues while the #19 of Factory Drivers Albert Costa and Franck Perera, alongside Tim Zimmermann and Misha Goikhberg also hit mechanical problems. Both had been running well inside the top five before retiring. 

The next endurance race on the calendar takes place on 20th March with the 12 Hours of Sebring, a race in which Lamborghini is chasing its third victory after success in 2018 and 2019.