A proud masked quartet of Rolex 24 victors

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A proud quartet of drivers delivered to Wayne Taylor Racing a hat-trick of wins in the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Sunday.

Filipe Albuquerque, former F1 driver Alex Rossi, Helio Castroneves and Ricky Taylor never put a foot wrong at the Speedway at the wheel of their #10 Konica Minolta Acura during the fiercely disputed event.

Yet Albuquerque was forced to pull out the stops to fend off the faster # 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R driven by Renger van der Zande in the closing minutes of the race.

Alas, the Dutchman, who co-drove alongside an impeccable Kevin Magnussen and Scott Dixon picked up a puncture with just over seven minutes remaining on the clock, a cruel misfortunate that sealed the team's fate and the triumph of its WTR rival.

"I think it was a hell of a show," Albuquerque said after the race, commenting on his titanic battle with van der Zande. "I could almost see eyes in my mirrors, he was so hungry for this.

"He was faster than me, but it’s one thing to catch and another thing is to pass. He was really pushing hard. I was lucky that they had a puncture. This was probably the hardest race of my life."

While the victory was WTR's thord consecutive win, it was also the team's sixth overall triumph in the Rolex 24. That’s a lot of precious chronographs!

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.