Ricky Taylor used a gutsy pass with less than seven minutes remaining Sunday, grabbing victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona for his Wayne Taylor Racing team and driving teammate Jeff Gordon.
Taylor's move put Gordon in a group with Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Jamie McMurray as the only drivers to win both the Daytona 500 and this prestigious sports car race.
The team was in the top three for 23 hours but found itself trailing Action Express in the final hour in a battle of new Cadillacs. Taylor's shot at victory was down to one final attempt at a pass of Filipe Albuquerque, and Taylor dived inside of him entering Turn 1 of the road course. Contact between the cars sent Albuquerque spinning, but IMSA reviewed the move and said there was no offense.
"There was only one way to win, and it was to go for it," Ricky Taylor said. "Any driver would have done what I did."
Gordon didn't have a large part in the victory but was beyond satisfied.
"I haven't been this emotional for a win like this for a very long time," he said.
SOccer
Arena makes return
Bruce Arena coached the U.S. soccer team for the first time since 2006, securing a 0-0 exhibition draw against Serbia in San Diego.
Arena replaced Jurgen Klinsmann as U.S. coach in November, after going 71-30-29 from 1998 through 2006.
