Following Wednesday's announcement, Tower Motorsports has been stripped of its LMP2 class win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona due to technical violations. The team maintains they did not intentionally breach any regulations.

Team manager Rick Capone explained that the violation involved excessive wear on the skid block, which can naturally occur during an endurance race. The No. 8 ORECA 07's skid block had worn beyond the maximum allowable rate of five millimeters according to FIA Technical Regulations, resulting in the team's demotion to last place in its class.

The penalty means Sebastien Bourdais loses what would have been his third Rolex 24 victory. Bourdais attributed the technical violation to a failed rear third damper that controls rear ride height, which allowed excessive wear on the rear skid.

Key points from Tower Motorsports' response:

• Filed a formal protest which IMSA denied
• Car had previously passed all technical inspections
• Team maintains no competitive advantage was gained
• Committed to upholding sport integrity while reviewing options

"Racing can be cruel but governing bodies can be far worse," Bourdais stated on social media. He emphasized that the team has always operated by the rules and expressed disappointment in IMSA's decision, noting that similar technical failures had been treated with more leniency in the past.

The team remains proud of their drivers, engineers, and crew's performance over the 24-hour competition, despite the disappointing outcome of the post-race inspection.

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