Shank Racing pulls stunner at Daytona

The little team with no pedigree knocked off the big boys with all those championships.

Michael Shank Racing did it with a pair of drivers hoping Sunday's victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona is the kickoff to their career comebacks.

NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger closed out the twice-around-the-clock win by piloting the No. 60 Ford Riley for the final stint, a nearly three-hour drive that included some door-to-door banging with the competition. It was Allmendinger's first win in a major series in almost six years, and comes about a month after he landed the job of a lifetime with Roger Penske's NASCAR team.

IndyCar Series driver Justin Wilson, meanwhile, turned in his own strong performance with a three-hour drive during the morning hours that proved he's healthy — but more importantly, he's still fast — after a six-month layoff because of a broken bone in his back. Wilson announced recently he's reuniting with Dale Coyne Racing for the upcoming IndyCar season.

The two paired with Grand-Am regulars Ozz Negri Jr. and John Pew to give Michael Shank its first win in one of the most prestigious sports car races in the world.

"I am just grateful," he said of winning the 50th running of the 24-hour race.

Allmendinger was suffering from severe leg cramps at the end of the race, and had to be helped from the car in Victory Lane. While waiting to start the post-race news conference, he rested his head on a chair with his eyes closed.

"I'm beat. I'm cramping all over," he said nearly two hours after the race ended. "I've never felt anything like this. But it's a good feeling."

Wilson said he had cramping in his legs and lower back, but said it was unrelated to the broken vertebrae he suffered in an August accident at Mid-Ohio. He had to wear a protective shell for almost three months after the accident.

Ryan Dalziel was at the wheel for Starworks Motorsports' second-place finish, and Felipe Nasar was driving for Shank when he crossed the line in third.

Ford swept the top three spots of the Daytona Prototype class and won the race for the first time since 1999.

It required holding off the vaunted teams from Chip Ganassi Racing, which finished fourth and sixth after both cars had mechanical issues.

NASCAR driver Juan Pablo Montoya was behind the wheel when the "star car" — the lineup also included IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti, fellow Indy Car driver Scott Dixon and NASCAR driver Jamie McMurray — crossed the finish line one lap down, in fourth.

"It was an epic race," Ganassi said. "We just weren't a part of it. We struggled the whole 24 hours to keep pace with the Fords. It was a stretch for us to do it."