DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Roger Penske’s organization commenced its 60th anniversary celebration by securing a victory in the season’s inaugural competition — an impressive third consecutive triumph at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
This achievement positioned the Penske collective as merely the third outfit in the 64-year legacy of America’s premier long-distance automotive challenge to achieve three consecutive wins. His Porsche Penske Motorsports group now stands alongside Chip Ganassi Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing as the exclusive teams to have secured three successive sports car victories at the Daytona International Speedway circuit.
For Porsche, this marked their twenty-first success in this particular contest.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect for the 88-year-old Penske is the team’s ability to claim victory for three consecutive years employing three distinct driver compositions; the Brazilian racer Felipe Nasr, acting as Penske’s designated finisher, represents the sole consistent presence across each of these winning efforts.
“His performance behind the wheel for our team, especially during the concluding stages, was arguably among the finest I’ve witnessed,” Penske remarked on Sunday.
This represented Porsche’s fifth overall Rolex championship in the competition and Penske’s forty-sixth triumph in IMSA series history.
Securing the win proved challenging for Nasr, who was navigating the circuit before what Daytona authorities identified as the biggest Rolex audience ever recorded for the race; he had to fend off the Cadillac entry from Action Express Racing throughout the ultimate hour to seize the championship. Action Express belongs to Jim France, the chairman of NASCAR and IMSA, and their vehicle initially secured the top starting position but was subsequently invalidated during the post-qualifying technical checks.
Consequently, the No. 31 Cadillac was compelled to begin from the back of its category, and the roster comprising Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Mercedes Formula 1 reserve driver Fred Vesti, and burgeoning NASCAR talent Connor Zilisch skillfully ascended to a second-place finish over the course of the day-long event.
Nasr and Aitken concluded the competition for their respective squads. Aitken had multiple promising opportunities to overtake Nasr for the lead during the closing twenty-five minutes, yet Nasr consistently blocked his attempts.
Nasr confidently drove to triumph in a significantly modified No. 7 Porsche 963, accompanied by his fellow drivers Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich. The Porsche concluded the race ahead of the Cadillac by a margin of 1 minute and 0.569 seconds.
“This is an experience I’ve always envisioned — the drive to succeed is what propels you to exceed limits and push boundaries,” Nasr stated. “My passion for this sport and this series is immense, and having the outcome of a 24-hour race determined in its ultimate moments is simply extraordinary.”
Nasr’s accomplishment extends a streak to six consecutive years where a Brazilian competitor has been a member of the victorious contingent. Helio Castroneves, a four-time victor of the Indianapolis 500, was included in the winning crews for the years 2021, 2022, and 2023.
The No. 24 BMW M Team WRT secured the third position in the premier GTP category, with its four-person lineup consisting of Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Robin Frijns, and Rene Rast.
A yellow flag was deployed due to obscured visibility just prior to 1 a.m., persisting for an unprecedented 6 hours, 33 minutes, and 25 seconds, during which 120 laps were completed under caution. The duration of this safety period was such that Penske, known for his commitment to remaining vigilant at the pit stand for the entire 24-hour event, even took a respite mid-race.
The Rolex event traditionally signifies the informal commencement of the motorsport calendar, and this year’s iteration showcased 60 vehicles from a dozen different automobile manufacturers, involving 228 drivers representing 32 nations, with no single competitor emerging as a definitive frontrunner.
Within the LMP2 Class, Crowdstrike Racing by APR claimed victory utilizing an Oreca LMP2 07, with its driving crew comprising George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, Toby Sowery, and Malthe Jakobsen. Interpol Europol Competition secured both the second and third positions with two of their Oreca LMP2 07 vehicles.
For the GTD Pro Class, Paul Miller Racing triumphed piloting a BMW M4 GT3 EVO. The entirely Australian 75 Express squad, including IndyCar luminary Will Power making his first appearance at the Rolex, secured the runner-up spot in a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Winward Racing, also driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3, finished in third place.
In the GTD Class competition, Winward Racing emerged victorious with a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Magnus Racing, competing in an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO, achieved second place, succeeded by the Heart of Racing Team driving a different Aston Martin.
