A statement just issued by Winward Racing confirms the following:
Lucas Auer, the driver of the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, has been admitted to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach. According to attending medical personnel, Auer sustained significant fractured lumbar injuries in an incident earlier Thursday near the end of the first official IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session of the 61st Rolex 24 At Daytona. Auer has been awake and alert since the incident and has been communicating with family back home in Europe and his Winward Racing teammates here in Daytona Beach.
Everyone at Mercedes-AMG Motorsport and Winward Racing wishes Lucas a full and rapid recovery.
Winward Racing will compete in this weekend’s race and a replacement tub is presently on its way to Daytona International Speedway from the team race shop in Texas. A replacement driver for Auer is currently being finalized.
DSC joins all of the above in wishing Lucas well.
To expand on the above statement
The pole setting #57 Mercedes AMG GT3, will be replaced by Winward Racing’s spare car after the incident left the car damaged beyond repair, the extraction of Lucas Auer necessitated both the use of the FIA mandated roof hatch and, in addition, the car’s roll cage to be cut over the driver’s door.
Key team members have been flown direct to Houston to prepare and load the replacement car ahead of a c.13 hour truck journey to Daytona.
The spare car is understood to be in near complete endurance specification with the damaged car this evening having useful parts removed ahead of the arrival of the replacement, currently expected late morning tomorrow.
