CrowdStrike Racing by APR on LMP2 class win in Daytona: "We finally get the monkey off our backs"
- Ghazlan Atqiya Firmansyah
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
The wait is finally over for CrowdStrike Racing by APR. After several heartbreaking near-misses at Daytona in recent years, the No.04 crew overcame an early setback to secure a long-awaited LMP2 class victory at the 2026 24 Hours of Daytona.
During the Roar Before the 24, CrowdStrike Racing believed their Oreca 07 had a strong package. The team focused on refining its short-run pace and consistency across the long stints. Every marginal advantage counts in a class where all teams run the 07.
Starting from sixth, the team's prospects took an immediate hit at Turn 1. The No.04 car was swept up in a chaotic multi-car pileup triggered by a spinning No.11 TDS Racing entry, a collision that sent the LMP2 field into early disarray.
CrowdStrike Racing managed to continue and pitted for repairs on its left-rear suspension and bodywork damage. However, laps were lost to the LMP2 leaders, and the team was penalised with a 10-second time penalty for improperly served emergency service.
There were many hours left on the clock, and the No.04 car began its recovery drive after the second full-course yellow (FCY). The main goal at the time was to return to the leading lap, which was achieved when the team recovered two laps during a brace of FCY pass-arounds around the third hour.
CrowdStrike's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), George Kurtz, completed a mammoth stint totalling about three hours and 15 minutes across 96 laps. The 55-year-old put the team back into stability and worked back into contention.
Toby Sowery took over and surged from ninth to second with decisive moves in nine laps. As the race entered its golden hour, the Briton was able to match the pace of the class-leading No.99 AO Racing car.
The field was neutralised once more early in the evening, allowing Sowery to rest as Alex Quinn took over. During the 25-year-old's stint, CrowdStrike Racing was able to fight for the class lead.
Quinn eventually moved to the lead and sustained the pressure before extending the No.04 car's advantage shortly after the six-hour mark, where the first Endurance Cup points were awarded.
Kurtz returned to the cockpit after several unsynchronised pit stops and fought with the No.99 car during his night shift. His charge was cut short following another rear-end collision with a fellow LMP2 runner, which caused him to spin at the International Horseshoe at Turn 3.
Malthe Jakobsen was introduced shortly before midnight, with the Danish driver tasked to recover the lost places. He was in fifth, but was not on the lead lap.
An unlikely assist came during the record-breaking FCY caused by fog that lasted six hours and 33 minutes. The prolonged caution period reshaped the competitive order, and the team gained a fuel advantage thanks to the strategy that positioned itself for a stronger restart.
As the flag went green, Quinn immediately charged and climbed from fifth to first place before stretching the team's advantage. The team would be penalised for an alleged blocking offence, resulting in a drive-through that dropped them to seventh.
This did not deter the team, as it erased its deficit by demonstrating its ability to run longer than its class rivals between fuel stops.
The No.04 car fended off challenges from the No.343 Inter Europol Competition car and the No.99 AO Racing. Jakobsen took control at the front as he pulled away from the other Inter Europol car, the No.43, by seven seconds.
Quinn was the man to finish the job. The grip from single-stint tyres and efficient pit stops balanced his fuel economy efforts. The No.04 eventually crossed the line in first place and achieved what it longed for.
Kurtz mentioned that the team was focused on executing their strategy and simply did the job: "Overall, CrowdStrike Racing by APR did an amazing job to recover after getting caught up in an incident at Turn 1.
"We never gave up, we focused on executing and simply did our jobs, and to have the monkey off our backs is one of the greatest feelings ever. Winning the 24 at Daytona makes us look forward to the rest of the 2026 IMSA season."
Sowery said: "It’s great to finally get the monkey off our backs by winning the 24 at Daytona.
"This race win had eluded CrowdStrike Racing by APR for multiple years, and it’s also my first win with the team in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, so for this to come together is a spectacular feeling.
"From being taken out and receiving some damage on lap one to fighting back to the top step of the podium is a real testament to our team, mindset and skills. It highlights how you have to always keep your head up and in the game.
"I couldn’t be more thankful to George, Alex and Malthe, as well as Sam and Stewart Cox. It was a truly amazing team effort, and it’s a special achievement."
Quinn felt it was a dream come true: "It really is a dream come true to win the 24 at Daytona and, for sure, it’s the biggest victory of my career to this point.
"I’m so happy to have joined CrowdStrike Racing by APR, knowing and feeling the heartbreak they have been through at Daytona in the past. To go and bring the car home on the top step is something I’m very proud of.
"The entire team and all three of my teammates, George, Toby and Malthe, were perfect all week long. It’s a dream start to 2026."
Jakobsen said this Daytona win is the biggest and the best of his career to date: "The 2026 24 at Daytona was an amazing race, and this victory stands as the biggest and best of my career to date.
"I’m very happy for everybody at CrowdStrike Racing by APR, George, and especially Stewart and Sam. To share the car with George, Toby and Alex is something really nice, and I think we had a strong team around us."
Algarve Pro Racing (APR) Team Principal Stewart Cox said: "For me, it was more relief than a celebration because we have contested the 24 at Daytona so many times, led it and had the victory snatched away from us by milliseconds.
"We have always turned up at Daytona with a car that’s capable of winning and have come so close, but we aligned our ducks this year. I have to thank absolutely everybody for doing such a stunning job.
"All four of our drivers were fuel-saving for much of the race, and Alex was the only one who was released to show our true pace as a warning shot to the competition. He was quickly reined in, though!
"The race wasn’t without its challenges and, as I said, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief that we have finally taken P1 and won those iconic Rolex watches."
