CONCORD, N.C. – Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 team crossed the finish line for an overall second-place finish at the Rolex 24 at DAYTONA Sunday afternoon.
Johnson was behind the wheel of the No. 48 Cadillac DPi-V.R when the flag went green and helped maneuver the car throughout the 24 hours to finish second in the event and the DPi class. It marks the eighth Rolex 24 for Johnson but his first since 2011.
Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 Acura ARX-05 team earned the overall Rolex 24 title and topped the DPi class at the Daytona Beach, Florida, combination course.
Teamed with Simon Pagenaud, Mike Rockenfeller and Kamui Kobayashi, Johnson lauded his teammates for pushing their Action Express DPi into second. Kobayashi was behind the wheel in fourth place with seven minutes left in the race when the No. 01 DPi had a tire malfunction. Kobayashi zipped into third place, then quickly passed the No. 55 Mazda. However, he ran out of time to catch the No. 10 Acura.
"That was a long race as we all knew it would be," Johnson said. "Kamui’s commitment at the end to pick up a couple more spots was so impressive. Of course, we always want more. This is my third second-place finish in this race. This is a special one and I’ll keep coming back. It’s just a very special race. I’m very thankful to have the support from Ally, Cadillac, and Action Express Racing to be here."
Chase Elliott and the No. 31 Cadilla DPi-V.R placed sixth in the DPi class and eighth overall. Along with Mike Conway, Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr, Elliott helped rally the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac after it fell back 22 laps with five hours left in the race due to a broken gear.
After driving the Cadillac across the finish line, Elliott said he’s proud of the improvements he made from the first 12 hours of the race to the second half and how he and his teammates pushed their way back into the overall top 10.
“(I) just really appreciate these guys letting me be here,” Elliott said after the race. “It’s been a lot of fun. This is quite the event. What an amazing race this is. (An) honor to be a part of it. I hope I get to come back and apply some of the things I’ve learned and be able to be more of a help next time around. Just really enjoyed my time.”
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Johnson now will turn his attention toward his rookie year in the IndyCar series while current Cup Series title holder Elliott will gear up for the DAYTONA 500. "The Great American Race" will start at 2:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 14 and air on FOX.