Last in a Four-Part Series Recalling the Year’s Highlights
By IMSA.com Contributors
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There was so much incredible racing across the IMSA spectrum in 2021 that it’s nearly impossible to choose just one as the best of the year.
Our five regular contributing writers tried to do just that in the last of our four-part series chronicling the highlights of the year. In some instances, however, they listed an entire series or team’s season as their “Best Races of 2021.” No wonder, considering how difficult it was to narrow it down.
John Oreovicz: Sometimes it’s worth showing up for the support act, like when a before-they-were-famous Guns ‘N Roses opened for an already-aging Aerosmith back in 1987. The modern motor racing equivalent could be the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Goodrich Tires, which habitually stages close-fought races that often end in photo finishes. The final laps of the 2021 races at Daytona International Speedway, Sebring International Raceway and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta had to be seen to be believed and are worth seeking out on YouTube. Don’t miss the action in 2022!
Godwin Kelly: Oh, man. Tough category. I’m going to be a “homer” here and go with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, specifically the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class running for overall honors. The margin of victory, after 24 hours of high-speed racing, was a handful of seconds between the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura and No. 48 Ally Cadillac Racing teams. Jimmie Johnson, who finished second, still hasn’t fully digested it. “It’s hard to imagine that a 24-hour race is only decided by three seconds,” he said. It was actually 4.7 seconds, but you know what he means.
David Phillips: Sure, a season finale that saw Jan Heylen capture the IMSA Michelin Pilot Series’ Grand Sport (GS) crown for Wright Motorsports by pressuring archrival Bill Auberlen into a tangle with race leader Eric Foss in the waning laps of the campaign ranks is one heckuva race in and of itself. But Heylen’s victory was just the tip of an 11-month deep iceberg extending back to a crash in practice at Daytona International Speedway that prevented the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport from participating in the opening round and left the team in a deep hole in the championship points. But a (nearly) relentless series of podium finishes by Heylen and Ryan Hardwick highlighted by wins at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and VIRginia International Raceway set the stage for that dramatic final race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Jeff Olson: Road America. Not the most aesthetically pleasing race – the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R beat the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda RT24-P to the finish line by 1.594 seconds – but the most significant in the championship run by Pipo Derani and Felipe Nasr. The victory brought Derani and Nasr within 41 points of the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Acura ARX-05 co-driven by Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor with three races remaining. “The fight is on,” Nasr said afterward. “I want to bring this championship to all of us here.” Mission accomplished.
Holly Cain: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Daytona (GTD) class took a lot of high anticipation into the season-finale Motul Petit Le Mans, with three teams still technically eligible to earn 2021 championship honors based on the outcome of that single race. One of those teams – Paul Miller Racing – won the pole position, only to suffer tough luck in the race, and the other two teams put on a dramatic battle for the title, with the Pfaff Motorsports Porsche nearly winning both the race and the championship. Its runner-up finish to the Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin – by less than eight seconds – was still good enough for Pfaff Porsche drivers Laurens Vanthoor and Zacharie Robichon to hoist the operation’s first season championship trophy.
IMSA’s Memorable Year: Best Performances of 2021