"We had good pace in practice, but qualifying was disappointing, and so many things happened at the beginning of the race. "We did everything right to win this race; it went right on the pit lane, and we controlled the race," Hardwick said. "That final safety car just hurt us; we lost a 20-second lead, and in the championship, we've lost ground. 33, with just one top-five finish all season (a win in Qatar), remain mathematically in the hunt. So the WEC’s milestone race delivered not just history, but also set the stage for an epic climax.