Filipe Albuquerque found himself in a challenging situation behind the wheel of the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 as it came to a halt on the track, necessitating recovery by a tow truck.
Albuquerque, in collaboration with Ricky Taylor, Brendon Hartley, and Marcus Ericsson, had initially taken the lead after adopting an off-strategy approach in the opening hour. Despite running with the front pack for the first eight hours, an unforeseen issue dashed any hopes of contending for victory.
When questioned by NBC about the possibility of fixing the problem in the garage, Albuquerque expressed uncertainty, detailing the sequence of events. He reported a burning smell at the Bus Stop, initially thinking it was the GT car in front.
However, after passing the car, the smell persisted, leading him to report the issue. Subsequently, as he shifted into seventh gear on the straight line, the engine failed, resulting in a loss of power and system functionality.
Albuquerque conceded that their Acura was not realistically in contention for victory, with Cadillac’s V-Series.R appearing to be a strong favorite. Despite the setback, he believed they could have fought for a podium position and expressed enjoyment during the race.
Team boss Wayne Taylor reflected on their initial aspirations to stay on the lead lap for the first six hours. However, the car encountered a loss of power after Albuquerque detected a burning smell, leaving them without clarity on the issue’s origin.
The No. 40 WTRA Acura had previously lost a lap due to power steering failure in the fourth hour but managed to recover during a full-course caution, bringing them back into competition.
Colton Herta, at the wheel during this phase, shared his perspective, acknowledging the team’s competitiveness. Despite not being overly ecstatic, he expressed optimism after swiftly resolving the power steering issue and believed they could still be formidable.
Jenson Button, part of the team at the Rolex 24, found himself in fifth place at the Hour 9 mark.
