Team stalwart and former Champ Car racer Jan Heylen saw the #16 Porsche 911 GT3R’s lead out to 57sec with two hours to go until the penultimate caution period compressed the field and allowed Nicklas Nielsen in the AF Corse Ferrari 488 to close up. But on the subsequent restart and the final restart, Heylen was able to drive the 1st Phorm Porsche well clear of the opposition, sitting in the slipstream of the dueling GTD Pro 911s. His pace advantage over his rivals was exacerbated by a drive-through penalty for Nielsen for passing under yellow flags, leaving Magnus Racing’s Aston Martin in second place. Heylen was able to drive home to victory in the 911 he shares with Ryan Hardwick and Porsche experts Zach Robichon and Richard Lietz.
Hardwick, who last year missed the Rolex 24 after a heavy accident in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, said: “What a day. What an experience. For me personally, from being in a hospital room across the street a year ago watching this race, to coming back one year later with my same team and winning this historic race… this will forever be the most special moment of my life.
