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Porsche Celebrates Historic 20th Victory At The 24 Hours Of Daytona With Stellar Performance
Porsche Penske Motorsport celebrated a significant achievement at the 24 Hours of Daytona, securing their second consecutive victory. Felipe Nasr from Brazil, Nick Tandy from the UK, and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium guided the No. 7 Porsche 963 to triumph. This victory marks Porsche's 20th overall win at this prestigious event, reinforcing its legacy in endurance racing.
The race commenced on January 25 at Daytona International Speedway with 61 cars competing across four classes. The GTP class saw intense competition under sunny skies. The Porsche 963, boasting 707 PS (520 kW), emerged victorious, continuing its dominance from last season's championship standings.
The No. 6 Porsche 963, driven by Matt Campbell from Australia and French teammates Mathieu Jaminet and Kévin Estre, secured third place. Both Porsche entries led for much of the race, with a decisive sprint to victory occurring in the final minutes after a yellow flag period. Nasr clinched his second consecutive Daytona win.
Nick Tandy made history as the first driver to win all four major 24-hour endurance races: Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, and Daytona. "I am so proud to have won this race with Porsche," he stated. "Three years of hard work have brought us here."
JDC-Miller MotorSports finished sixth overall with their striking yellow No. 85 car. However, Proton Competition retired early due to suspension damage during the night. Meanwhile, António Félix da Costa faced challenges and did not finish with the LMP2 team Inter Europol.
In the GTD class, Wright Motorsports secured second place after starting from pole position. Former Porsche Junior driver Ayhancan Güven and his teammates celebrated a well-deserved podium finish. The Iron Dames debuted in IMSA with an eighth-place finish in their class.
Drivers Reflect on Their Performances
Kévin Estre expressed mixed feelings about finishing third despite leading for long stretches: "The others had fresher tyres and a bit more luck in lapped traffic." Pascal Wehrlein noted that sixth place was a good result given their challenges: "We had some difficulties throughout the race."
Rahel Frey of Iron Dames shared her determination: "We fought to the maximum throughout the entire race... Our goal is to reach the top." Adam Adelson expressed high expectations for future victories: "When second place leaves you unsatisfied... winning is our goal."
Porsche's Championship Lead
This victory propels Porsche to lead in both the GTP class championship standings and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. This special classification includes other endurance races like Sebring's 12 Hours and Road Atlanta's Petit Le Mans.
Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President of Porsche Motorsport, praised his team's performance: "Winning twice in a row is monumental... We were consistent and made few mistakes." Roger Penske echoed these sentiments: "2024 was unmatched; it’s great to repeat that success."
Race Results Overview
{TABLE_1}The results highlight Porsche's strong performance across different classes at Daytona. In GTD-Pro Class, Ford took first place while Corvette secured second. In GTD Class, Corvette also claimed victory with Wright Motorsports' Porsche close behind.
Jonathan Diuguid summarised the team's success: "This triumph is not down to our car being strongest – it was impeccable work by drivers and team." Urs Kuratle added: "An ideal season opener... I could not be prouder!"
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