Mazda Team Joest Drivers Earn Second Place at the Rolex 24
The Rolex 24 at the Daytona International Speedway just saw Mazda’s best overall finish at the notoriously grueling race. Two Mazda RT24-Ps, No.77 and No.55 started the race from the pole position and third place, respectively. Over the course of 833 laps, the No.77 Mazda led the pack for 190 laps. Mazda RT24-P No.77 took second place, overall, while No.55 faced some unexpected challenges — but still managed to snag sixth.
In the No.77 car, driver Oliver Jarvis traded off with Tristan Nunez and Olivier Pla, while Jonathan Bomarito shared the No. 55 Mazda with Harry Tincknell and Ryan Hunter-Reay.
Pick a Winner: Choose the 2020 Mazda CX-5
Celebrating with Team Joest
Olivier Pla, one of the drivers who helmed the No. 77, was thrilled by Team Joest’s performance. “Thanks to the crew, to everyone at Multimatic, and to my teammates Olly and Tristan, we had a very fast Mazda RT24-P,” Pla stated. He and his teammates fought hard throughout the whole race, earning an impressive win and plenty of championship points.
The No.55, on the other hand, still managed sixth place despite a mechanical issue it suffered in the closing hours of the competition. Drivers Bomarito, Tincknell, and Hunter-Reay overcame a traffic incident, body damage and a penalty to secure those treasured championship points.
“Having both cars finish the race and putting one on the podium, and battling for the lead throughout the whole race, shows how the team has continued to improve and push the program forward,” Bomarito said. “This puts us in a really good spot and gives us a lot of momentum for the rest of the season.”
Beat the Competition: Don’t let your car fall behind with maintenance
Earning pole position
For two years running, driver Oliver Jarvis and his No. 77 Mazda RT24-P have snagged the pole position for the Rolex 24. To win that coveted position, Jarvis achieved a time of 1:33.711 on his run around the Daytona International Speedway. Fellow Mazda RT24-P driver Jonathan Bomarito followed close behind him, earning third place with a time of 1:34.169.
Kimiko Kidd is a native Daytonian. She graduated from Wright State University with degrees in environmental science and sociology. She loves her trusty old Honda Civic, but dreams of owning a 1974 Ford Falcon XB with a custom paint job and a vintage Kawasaki Z1000. In her free time, Kimiko can be found watercolor-painting, baking muffins, collecting rocks, playing old-school Nintendo games, writing her novel, sewing stuffed animals, and cosplaying as her favorite Mad Max characters. See more articles by Kimiko.