Godstone Ranch Soldiers on to a Top 26 Finish at the 50th Rolex 24 at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Godstone Ranch, teamed with Belgian Muehlner Motorsport, drove their #18 Porsche GT3 Heart Car to a Top 26 finish in this weekend’s 50th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, benefitting the Texas Heart Institute. Finishing in front of many of the world’s most elite sports car teams and drivers, Godstone can be justifiably proud of this huge milestone.

“This race is a showcase for Godstone’s mission to fight heart disease using the allure of motor sports. We have rolled out our cell phone giving campaign where anyone can text “CAR”

The team was challenged early on when a late-night incident found John McCutchen II contacting the wall heavily at the bus stop. Blessed with a long yellow flag, the mostly German and Belgian crew made short work of the front-end repairs and had the Heart Car back on track with a minimum loss of laps.

NASCAR star, 2011 Grand Am Reserve Champion, Bill Lester, would perform flawless triple-stint driving duties late into the night and early morning, handing the car over to Le Mans and Daytona 24 champion, Davy Jones, completing the first of many driver rotations.

Canadian, Mark J. Thomas, a Muehlner Motorsport regular, put in an impeccable drive, posting the team’s fastest lap Sunday morning. John McCutchen II would go on to have a trouble-free race after his early mishap. Godstone founder, Karen Garrett, the team’s driver changer, managed to be on duty the entire 24 hours!

A nearly race-ending transmission failure with just over 2 ½ hours left on the Rolex clock, would have sidelined most cars, but the talented crew, supernaturally swapped the transmission and sent the bruised and bandaged Heart Car back into the fray. Mark Thomas, at the wheel, tracked down and passed the #41 Team Seattle Mazda in the closing laps for the “heart-to-heart” challenge win.

The team was cheered on in the pits with Godstone supporters, including actress, director, and NY Times best-selling author, Lisa Nieme Swayze and Mica Mosbacher, Honorary Consul to Iceland. Texas Heart Institute transplant patient, the “Bionic Bride,” Ally Babeneaux, was also on hand.

Explained Karen Garrett, “This race is a showcase for Godstone’s mission to fight heart disease using the allure of motor sports. We have rolled out our cell phone giving campaign where anyone can text “CAR” to 50555 and donate $10 to THI.”