Valiant Debut by Gdovic in Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona
China Grove, N.C. (February 1, 2016) – Brandon Gdovic joined Performance Tech Motorsports to compete in the 54th annual Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona January 30-31st at Daytona International Speedway. Gdovic, on the heels of securing the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Gallardo World Championship, has been on a trajectory straight to the most prestigious endurance race in North America. Gdovic spent his time behind the wheel of the ComServe Wireless and WindStax® Wind Power Systems-sponsored No. 38 ORECA FLM09 battling between second and third position, but unfortunately engine problems saw the race conclude early for the Performance Tech Motorsports team.
Touted as one of the most difficult cars for stock car drivers to adjust to, the ORECA FLM09 features an open cockpit and a right-side driver’s seat. The aggressive brake package and high downforce makes the racecar even more of a challenge. Unfortunately for Gdovic, rainy weather conditions during practice days limited his seat time to only five laps. Gdovic would need to rise to the occasion in the race.
The green flag for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona waved at 2:40 p.m. ET with Gdovic scheduled to be the third of five drivers to take the wheel. Each driver would compete in three 45-minute sessions which saw Gdovic swap in for his first stint at 7:30 p.m. ET. Gdovic completed a smooth driver swap with teammate Josh Norman and hit the 3.56-mile road course in the third position. Brandon experienced a bit of handling issues early on, but soon settled in to a comfortable rhythm and was able to advance into the second position before swapping with teammate and former 24 Hours of Daytona champion Jim Norman at 9:45p.m. ET.
As the race closed in on midnight, transmission issues plagued the Performance Tech Motorsports team and they were forced to bring the No. 38 ORECA FLM09 to the garage for repairs. It returned to the track a handful of laps down in the sixth position, but with plenty of time to make up the set-back.
Around 9 a.m. ET, Josh Norman radioed to the team that the car wasn’t reading proper oil pressure. He drove the Prototype Challenge car to the garage for the Performance Tech team to remedy the apparent electrical issues. As they investigated the source of the problem, they discovered that it was unfortunately a fatal engine issue and were forced to end the 24 Hours of Daytona with only three hours remaining. The No. 38 team concluded the race in the sixth position.
Brandon Gdovic Quotes:
“It was a good experience getting to compete in my first 24 Hours of Daytona. Unfortunately, the day didn’t go the way we would have liked but that is just part of racing. Thanks to ComServe Wireless and WindStax for this opportunity and to everyone on the Performance Tech Motorsports team for all of the hard work to try to get us back out on the racetrack. I would like to thank the O’Neill family for this opportunity to drive for a great team. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to be in the 55th 24 Hours of Daytona next year.”
About Performance Tech Motorsports:
Brent O’Neill founded Performance Tech Motorsports in 1982 with the goal to help drivers become more competitive and move up the racing ladder, based on his experience as a driver and team manager in more than three decades in International Motor Sport Association (IMSA)-sanctioned sports car racing. Performance Tech Motorsports-prepared cars and drivers are racing in the Prototype Challenge (PC) category of the new, top-level IMSA Weather Tech SportsCar Championship and in the Cooper Tires Prototype Lites Powered by Mazda series, IMSA’s official Development Series that grooms drivers for Prototype and PC competition in the Weather Tech Championship.
About ComServe Wireless:
ComServe Wireless is a Premium Authorized Retailer of Verizon Wireless equipment, services, and accessories with multiple retail locations in the Virginia and Maryland area. ComServe is dedicated to providing the best customer experience in the Wireless industry with a unique first class in-store experience and top notch employees. ComServe Wireless – “The Speed You Need”. For more information, visit ComServe Wireless on Facebook or call 757-890-2801.
About WindStax Wind Power Systems:
WindStax® Wind Power Systems is a full-service wind power company. We design and manufacture our own unique brand of plug-and-play wind power systems for residential and commercial off-grid, micro grid, and supplemental stationary power requirements. WindStax® Wind Power Systems incorporates many industry firsts – including high-performance energy management in a self-contained and reliable green energy system that is easy to install and inexpensive to own and operate. For more information, visit WindStax on Facebook or at http://windstax.com.
Sources: Cortney Dryden/Precision Performance Motorsports PR