Even though the result at the end did not match expectations, everyone associated with car 51 at Daytona should be proud of the efforts made during the event, which made it possible for us to take the chequered flag last Sunday in sunny Florida.

A very unfortunate first lap problem with an oil leak cost us around 16-17 laps. That was a bitter blow so early in the race. But all I could think about was Le Mans 2005. There, we also had to pit at the end of lap 1, due on that occasion to overheating problems. Admittedly we did not loose as many laps then, but it taught me that you must never give up in a 24-hour event. Times like these really show the true spirit of a Team and Eddie Cheever Racing rose to the task, with the crew working non-stop for the remainder of the race. Although we had other setbacks, with a cooling problem and front suspension damage, the car ran very strongly when on-track and we were often matching the pace of the front-running cars.

However, we lost far too many laps, thanks to our various problems, and with that our hopes and aspirations for a podium finish evaporated. Nevertheless the whole experience was very positive. I like to think that we made some new friends at Cheever Racing. It was a real honour to share the car with Stefan Johansson; someone who’s been at the front of International Motorsports for so many years. Great guy!