Tempers were flaring at Rolex 24 At Daytona. With the stakes high, on-track incidents became an inevitable reality, and frustrations peaked in the GTD Pro category, particularly between Tommy Milner and the Paul Miller BMW team, who were engaged in a ferocious battle for the lead. Milner could be heard venting out on the IMSA radio, saying, “It’s not what sports car racing is about” after his Corvette’s left bumper cover side was torn off, prompting him to do something not often seen on live television anymore.

With Formula 1 currently in the middle of the off-season, plenty of fans tuned into the 24 Hours of Daytona and were surprised by what they saw. In an era of political correctness and clinical racing, watching anger-fueled reactions at Daytona International Speedway was a refreshing change for many motorsports enthusiasts.

Milner accuses BMW rival of poor sportsmanship

The stage was set for Tommy Milner. With less than three hours remaining at the 24 Hours of Daytona, the No. 4 Corvette driver was firmly in the lead but was sandwiched between two BMW racers. Connor De Phillippi was trailing the IMSA veteran closely behind, while Augusto Farfus, who was several laps behind, was in front of the 38-year-old. In an attempt to assist his teammate, Farfus resorted to aggressive blocks to close the gap down, which resulted in a drive-through penalty by race control.

However, the drama didn’t end there. Farfus’ slow entry into the pit road forced Milner to make a mistake, as the Corvette slammed into De Phillippi’s BMW, tearing the left side of the bumper cover. Infuriated at the damage, Milner had no problems showing Farfus how he felt at that moment, as the irate driver opened his window and gave a traditional one-fingered response while driving at 180 mph. Unfortunately, the damage was already done. Even though the No. 4 Corvette team tried to tape the damage, they ran out of time as the refueling was already done, forcing Milner back onto the track.

As expected, the makeshift repair didn’t last long, forcing race control to issue a black flag for Milner and prompting him to get back into the pits. Understandably infuriated at the race developments, Tommy Milner didn’t hold back when he said, “It’s disappointing. I don’t have an issue with the number one car [De Phillippi] — those guys are in their own race. It’s just the sister car that is out there just to be a nuisance. It’s poor sportsmanship, poor driving. Just embarrassing on their part.”

Known as one of the most prestigious events in endurance racing, the Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona has often been portrayed as a refined competition to test the limits of speed and endurance. However, it seemed like anything but in the GTD Pro category, with no love being lost between the BMW and Chevrolet Corvette teams. However, any plans for revenge will need to wait for almost two months, as the next IMSA event is the 12 Hours of Sebring in March. Will the drama continue to unfold at Sebring International Raceway? Time will tell.

Fans enjoyed the action at Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona

For many motorsports enthusiasts, the drama at Rolex 24 At Daytona took them on a trip down memory lane. It reminded them of a time when the world of motorsports retained its authenticity, with on-track drama creating new rivalries, and frustrations resulting in intentional wrecks on the track. Many fans hailed the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) for the way they have overseen the endurance race at Daytona International Speedway, with a fan writing on Reddit, “I’ll give it to IMSA with a lot less regulations, makes some good racing.”

Another motorsports enthusiast compared the way rules are enforced in IMSA to Formula 1’s sanctioning body Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), highlighting that the U.S based organization is helping the Rolex 24 retain the essence of the sport. The fan said, “Sorry FIA but a driver racing giving the finger to a rival will always look raw as fu-k.” Another Reddit user couldn’t help but complimented the drama-filled race, going on to write, “The action of this race has been absolutely fantastic all across the field. No holds barred.”

While manufacturers from all over the world compete at the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona, the on-track drama involved Corvette racer Tommy Milner, who showed Augusto Farfus the hand gesture after the on-track incident. As the controversy involved Chevrolet, an American team, one fan drew parallels with Mario Andretti’s failed Formula 1 entry attempt and said, “It’s an American team. No wonder the FIA doesn’t want American teams in F1. We have no filter. 😂”

With the FIA being an international governing body for motorsports, the organization is responsible for setting the standard for rules and regulations of motorsport events from around the world. While the IMSA operates as an independent body, it does adopt certain technical and regulatory rules from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, especially for endurance racing events such as the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona. This prompted one fan to write, “Just reminder the FIA has its hands in IMSA if they really want to they can push the same rules from F1 into it.”