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International Motor Sports Association    Lamborghini Super Trofeo series

International Motor Sports Association 

 

www.imsa.com

 

About the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)

International Motor Sports Association, LLC (IMSA) was originally founded in 1969 and owns a long and rich history in sports car racing. Today, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier sports car racing series in North America. IMSA also sanctions the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, as well as four one-make series: Ferrari Challenge North America, Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Porsche Carrera Cup North America. IMSA – a company within the NASCAR family – is the exclusive strategic partner in North America with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) which operates the 24 Hours of Le Mans as a part of the FIA World Endurance Championship. The partnership enables selected IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors to earn automatic entries into the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans.

 

 

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Post-Race Press Conference Transcript

An Interview with Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor, Jonathan Diuguid


 

THE MODERATOR: We have our winners of the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona overall and in the GTP class in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963. From your left to right, we've got Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor, and also managing director Penske motorsports Jonathan Diuguid.

Third win for the Penske team in the Rolex. This is Felipe's 12th career IMSA victory, third win in the Rolex 24, obviously winning last year, and also in the 2022 GTP pro class.

Nick, this is his 24th IMSA victory, first overall Rolex 24 win, his second class win in the Rolex 24. He won in 2014 in GTLM.

For Laurens, this is his 11th IMSA win, first victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona; 24th overall Rolex 24 victory for Porsche.


 

Q. Laurens, what was the feeling that you've finally won your first Rolex 24? Is it jubilation? Relief? What's the feeling here?


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: It's always very difficult to describe your feelings a couple moments after it happened. But I've been wanting this very badly for a long time and came close a couple times.

But like I just said, if you go back 10 years ago, I would have dreamed to drive in back then it was P1 then hyper cars GTP, whatever you want to call it, to drive in that category.

There's not a better brand to do so than Porsche. When I was in IMSA I always dreamed of being in those chrome trailers with Penske on it, to be part of that team. Now it's all in one, and then three months we became world champion and today win the Rolex 24. I couldn't dream of it. I don't know how to describe it.

It's dreams coming true, and extremely grateful to be sitting here and to be part of this team and these boys. Maybe tomorrow I have some more detailed emotions, but that's it for today.


 

Q. Nick, I believe you're the first driver to have won overall Le Mans, Daytona, Spa, and Nürburgring. What does that feel like?


 

NICK TANDY: I mean, to be the first person to do -- ever to do something is -- I mean, it's quite unbelievable, really. I think first of all, you've got to be proud that you've been put in a position to be able to compete in that sort of -- those sort of races, and then be in a car that can compete for the win.

But yeah, it never really dawned on me about these sort of records and stuff like this until Laurens, when we won at Spa and somebody said, well, you've got class wins in all the four majors now.

And then you kind of look into it and you see -- there's other people, legendary names on these lists who have won various things but never overall in all four. Class winners, yes.

But yeah, it's something that since that day in probably 2020, it's something that I've definitely wanted to check off the list.

Winning Daytona is a massive thing anyway as a standalone event. Don't get me wrong. I'm very proud to be sat here again. Obviously as an overall winner is special.

But yeah, like you say, to get the big four 24-hour wins -- one would be just an incredible career, so to be able to get four and a few Sebrings and a few Petits is dream come true stuff.


 

Q. For JD, was there a shake-up in the driver rotation during the race or was that always the plan?


 

JONATHAN DIUGUID: I think the plan evolves throughout the race, but I think at the end if you look back at the data all three of these guys up here were performing at an extremely high level so there wasn't a wrong choice. Obviously Felipe had a history of success so he probably got the football like they say to carry it across the finish line there and deliver it again for us.

To see that happen two years in a row and see the defense he put on for the last 30 minutes of the race is always really exciting.

It was really an epic (indiscernible) today through all phases in the middle of the night when all of us were freezing until at the end there when some of us were sweating for different reasons.

It's a really amazing race as these guys have said, and to be able to win it back-to-back is something that none of us on the team could never have dreamed of.


 

Q. 48 hours ago we were talking to you about some concerns with the HV system. It seems like you didn't have any issues for any cars in the race. Was there a solution or were there any concerns during the race itself over that?


 

JONATHAN DUGUID: All these races, they're never easy. They may look easy from the outside, but I think it takes a lot of hard work. I think I talked to a couple guys on the timing stand a couple hours into the race when it was looking pretty dire as far as our pace and where we were and how competitive we were and nobody ever really gave up.

I don't think any of our six drivers on either car ran off the asphalt today or hit anything or broke apart. That's basically what put us in a position to win. We were two of four cars on the lead lap when the (indiscernible) down there at the end. When you have a 50 percent chance to win with driver lineups like this and pit crews like we have, you see the result that we had today.


 

Q. JD and Felipe, how nerve-racking was that final hour where you had all sorts of challenges from the No. 6 car, the No. 24 car, the No. 60 car? How do you keep a cool head in those situations?


 

JONATHAN DUGUID: For me after the first pit stop that's the easiest part of the day because I just sit back and watching. Leading up to that making all the right decisions I think today was definitely a team effort.

You saw, I think -- I would love to see the stats of how many laps our cars led today, but we really used our two-car approach to make sure one of the PPM cars controlling the pace of the race and controlling our own destiny, and you even saw that in the last pit stop of different tire strategies and when we stopped and things like that, and I think that put us in a position to win and cover all these bases and attacks from the Acuras and the BMWs and the Cadillacs of the world. Every car had a chance to win today, and we are the ones that came out on top.


 

FELIPE NASR: Yeah, from the driver's seat for sure it's a little different. All I was thinking, I wanted to win this for sure and I wanted to win for the team.

I think I restarted third. It's always hard to know what's going to end up like, but that's what I love about the IMSA racing. It's very unexpected. So any restarts, really any car that is running in the top 5 will have a chance to be fighting for victories.

I knew the car was capable. I knew we had a great team behind us, and I've got to say, working with Laurens for the first time this weekend was very straightforward, trouble free. We all have different personalities as you can see, but very professionals, very -- I feel like JD, like no one did a foot wrong all weekend, and we're all celebrating this victory.

On a personal level, doing it back-to-back, it's incredible. Even if I say anything here, just inside, it's one for the memory for sure.


 

Q. Felipe, during your battle with Matt, before, during and after your battle with Matt there was about 20 minutes to go. I was just wondering was there any team chatter on the radio? Did Roger get involved or was anything said? After the race it seemed like he was a little nervous about it still after already going to Victory Lane.


 

FELIPE NASR: Well, it's always going to be drama, right, when you have one trophy for two cars. But I think we did the best. JD said the two cars had different strategy on tires. I took all new tires going into that final run where I think Matt had a split choice between the tire, whichever he took. I felt like I had the pace to go forward, and that's what I did.


 

Q. I wanted to ask you about BMW's performance in this case. They put up an amazing fight, didn't they?


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Yeah, it's quite special, actually, from a personal point of view. There was always -- see, you can see how many laps a Vanthoor led.

It's special to see my younger brother up there. He's obviously doing a tremendous job. Obviously in the end, I was like, Dries, piss off, but then I obviously feel kind of sad when it doesn't work out for him obviously because I know he dreams of it as much as I do.

But it's quite unique and difficult to put into words, but I don't want to be in the skin of our dad or mom because I think he sweated a little bit watching TV.

I thought they would be honestly -- what JD said at the beginning of the race, they were really quick and I always saw them as the main contender, and also, Dries was doing a very good job. That's for him, but his day will come, that's for sure. It was a good race.


 

Q. Talk about the trust that is shown in this team. This is a big race and a big championship.


 

FELIPE NASR: For sure. I think anyone that gets in the race car for Porsche Penske, we all get the same opportunity. I think the team comes first, and I didn't want to create any trouble or drama, but try to make a clean pass, and that was it.

I saw the Acura was pretty quick behind us, so we had to move forward somehow, otherwise we're going to be attacked from behind and maybe lose a spot or maybe lose the chance to win the race. The clock was running, so I had to go for it.


 

Q. Felipe, at the moment we're going on 15 years now since someone has won the triple crown of endurance races, which is the longest drought of new members since the club was formed. You've won the 12 hours of Sebring, now two times you won the 24 Hours of Daytona. Does winning here today double down your resolve to tick off Le Mans?


 

FELIPE NASR: Absolutely, and that's what Nick just mentioned after we got out of the podium. I asked him, I said you've got to help me win Le Mans now because those big races are extremely difficult just to be there at the end. There's so many things happening during the race. I've never seen Daytona that cold and the transition at night, the cold tires. Just surviving and staying at the track was a challenge, honestly. It was a real challenge for the drivers today.

But for sure, Le Mans is one -- is a dream, dream list of mine for sure. I'm a little jealous of Nick, in a good way, of everything he's accomplished so far. I think for sure Le Mans is the next goal, and why not do it this year.


 

Q. Larry, a couple years ago you were within a corner or two of winning this race and it was your teammate's car that ended up getting that win at a team you used to drive for. Is this kind of redemption for all of that?


 

LAURENS VANTHOOR: Well, it's crazy how things go and how passionate we are about this. I remember sitting in the car and cried the whole in lap, and now -- I didn't cry that bad but I had tears in my eyes, as well, for different reasons.

We all do these things because we absolutely love it, and we'd say besides our family, probably the most important thing in the world, and it shows how much it means to us.

In a way I think Felipe returned me a bit of favor this year for back then. Yeah, it's amazing to see how things evolve. One day I will be again on the bad side as well or the unlucky side, and one day you are the winner. That's how sports go, so I need to appreciate the good moments, as well.


 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

152391-1-1041 2025-01-26 20:12:00 GMT

Interviews with Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist


 

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We are pleased to be joined by our runner-ups in the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GTP class in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX 06.

From your left to right, Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, and Felix Rosenqvist.

For Tom, this is his fourth podium in four Rolex 24 starts. He has two wins and now two second place finishes.

For Scott, this is his seventh Rolex 24 podium from 22 starts in the race.

Colin, this is his 10th podium at the Rolex 24 in 23 starts.

Felix, this is his first Rolex 24 podium; fourth appearance in the Rolex 24. We'll go straight to questions.


 

Q. Tom, can you talk about those closing laps and getting Matt, and did you think you had anything potentially for Felipe?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: I mean, somehow in the race we actually struggled a lot more pace. We came into the race relatively confident, but for whatever reason we just struggled a lot to keep our rear tires under us.

Even from lap 1 you already knew it was going to be a tough stint. We kind of struggled to be honest the whole race. The Porsches were extremely strong. We were good maybe the first few and then they would just pull away especially on the double stints they had a lot more pace than us, and when the traffic came they had such an advantage. We struggled so much for traction that they would just carve through traffic so much better than us.

Yeah, last stint, the car was just better. Not much to say, really. I didn't think I was going to have anything for them, but you never give up, and I think I gave it all I had, and I think to be honest that was the best we probably could have done today.

The guys did a fantastic job to get us in that position strategy-wise. We were always making the right calls generally at the right time, so that was good.

But definitely some work to do. A lot of lessons learnt, let's say, from this race, and I think to be honest, if you asked all of us, we're super happy with second because at one point we thought it was going to be a real long day.


 

Q. Scott, 22 starts here at this race. How does the competition out there compare to the other 21?


 

SCOTT DIXON: Definitely very different over the years. I think from what we've seen from when I first started here in 2004, a lot has changed. A lot has changed. The cars are very different to drive and the racing is sort of different, too.

But the competition level I think is very much the same. It's definitely one of the toughest races you come to just to try to get everything right across the board.

There were a few kind of situations that we probably would have normally tried to get out of, or not have happened, but I think for all of us, honestly, it was a fairly smooth race. It's just what it was today.

I think every year it's a little bit different to who's going to be strong, who's not. Yeah, and you hope for a little bit better. Obviously for a win.


 

Q. Colin, stellar stint from you. At one point you were the dominant car on track. Where was the Acura at that stage in performance?


 

COLIN BRAUN: Yeah, that's a tough question. I think there was definitely stages of the race where people were using tires in different places where it just ebbs and flows. There were times when you were out of sequence, times when you were in sequence.

I feel like our car was strong for sure at certain points in the night. It just seemed like we could get in a good rhythm and hit a good fuel number, and I think given the fact, like Tom talked about, our rear tire deg was kind of the biggest thing we were working around, you almost found performance by just using that fuel number to kind of help slow the whole thing down, help your exits.

Overall, super happy. Great day. On we go.


 

Q. The other Acura, No. 93, had a suspension issue during the night, and I was just wondering did you guys' team -- were you worried that this might be an issue that would recur in the 60, or did you feel like it was more unique to the wear and tear of the 93?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: Yeah, we'd been told -- as you guys probably saw, there was a number of suspension failures from other cars and other manufacturers. But yeah, I'm guessing we assumed that it was from the new Bus Stop.

The curbs can be quite aggressive through there so we were told to take it a little bit easier through there.

But yeah, I didn't really (indiscernible) the last few stints because we weren't going to have much chance. That was probably our strongest corner on the track, so we had to make the most of that.

But yeah, we were told.


 

Q. Tom, it's documented the team is a lot bigger this year. Do you think it functions smoothly as well as could be expected in the first weekend in this version?


 

COLIN BRAUN: Yeah, I think to come away with a second, that close to winning the race and executing well as a whole group, obviously the 93 car had good pace. They had that suspension issue, but they did a super good job, too.

I think considering all the other GTP teams have been together for a few years here and we're kind much reassembled and adding people, I think we have a lot of blue sky, a lot of potential to tidy up a few things here and there and continue to be stronger and stronger. A heck of a first race.

I think when we all went to the first test in November when we got the cars, I think if you would have said we'd come here and finish second, we'd all have been signing up for that. So great job for sure.

TOM BLOMQVIST: To add to Colin's thoughts, and there are new people who are new to IMSA as well. IMSA is very unique. The rules are very different to Europe.

So there's certainly little areas where I think we can improve. There's one extra car but it seems like there's three times more people. I think you can only go up from here.


 

Q. Tom, how close were you to catching Nasr in the final stint?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: That's a difficult question. He had a little gap and he knew there was only a few laps to go once I kind of got into second place. So I don't know how much he was fully pushing. I'm sure he was, to give that gap. It's always nice to have.

Yeah, I think honestly we had really good pace there at the end. I think I had a little bit of extra pace on them. It's difficult to say. Maybe if there was 10 minutes more, we might, might have got to the back of them, but who knows.

I think going into that stint, I didn't actually expect to be able to fight them, but yeah, when I knew I had a chance, I just kind of gave it everything, and thankfully we managed to get one of them. Yeah, very grateful for that.


 

Q. Felix, just wanted to get some insight into the emotion that was going on around the team and the awning on the pit wall as Tom was obviously fighting to the front because it was a gripping finale.


 

FELIX ROSENQVIST: It was cool. As Tom said before, I think at one point in the race, we didn't really think we had it, and you never give up. At that point everything was just turned back on and everything was just starting to stand up in the pit box and the engineers were fired up and they were looking at five different scenarios.

But in the end, it was just a sprint race, which is pretty cool. It was just a good old who gets first to the flag. I thought it was really cool to see from Tom, like he has found speed out of thin air it seemed like, and everyone just got excited.

Yeah, I'm really positively surprised how cool racing in GTP is. I've never done it before, and it's something else for sure.


 

Q. Were you surprised how intense it was throughout? The restarts in particular seemed really aggressive.


 

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Absolutely. It's like a sprint race. It's just like INDYCAR every restart. People are going on the high line and going tight. You leave a little gap and someone is there immediately. I feel like every year it just gets a little bit more towards that direction. It was definitely a shock to the system the first stint, managing that.

But it's really cool. Really good racing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Interviews with Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist


 

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. We are pleased to be joined by our runner-ups in the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona in the GTP class in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX 06.

From your left to right, Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, and Felix Rosenqvist.

For Tom, this is his fourth podium in four Rolex 24 starts. He has two wins and now two second place finishes.

For Scott, this is his seventh Rolex 24 podium from 22 starts in the race.

Colin, this is his 10th podium at the Rolex 24 in 23 starts.

Felix, this is his first Rolex 24 podium; fourth appearance in the Rolex 24. We'll go straight to questions.


 

Q. Tom, can you talk about those closing laps and getting Matt, and did you think you had anything potentially for Felipe?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: I mean, somehow in the race we actually struggled a lot more pace. We came into the race relatively confident, but for whatever reason we just struggled a lot to keep our rear tires under us.

Even from lap 1 you already knew it was going to be a tough stint. We kind of struggled to be honest the whole race. The Porsches were extremely strong. We were good maybe the first few and then they would just pull away especially on the double stints they had a lot more pace than us, and when the traffic came they had such an advantage. We struggled so much for traction that they would just carve through traffic so much better than us.

Yeah, last stint, the car was just better. Not much to say, really. I didn't think I was going to have anything for them, but you never give up, and I think I gave it all I had, and I think to be honest that was the best we probably could have done today.

The guys did a fantastic job to get us in that position strategy-wise. We were always making the right calls generally at the right time, so that was good.

But definitely some work to do. A lot of lessons learnt, let's say, from this race, and I think to be honest, if you asked all of us, we're super happy with second because at one point we thought it was going to be a real long day.


 

Q. Scott, 22 starts here at this race. How does the competition out there compare to the other 21?


 

SCOTT DIXON: Definitely very different over the years. I think from what we've seen from when I first started here in 2004, a lot has changed. A lot has changed. The cars are very different to drive and the racing is sort of different, too.

But the competition level I think is very much the same. It's definitely one of the toughest races you come to just to try to get everything right across the board.

There were a few kind of situations that we probably would have normally tried to get out of, or not have happened, but I think for all of us, honestly, it was a fairly smooth race. It's just what it was today.

I think every year it's a little bit different to who's going to be strong, who's not. Yeah, and you hope for a little bit better. Obviously for a win.


 

Q. Colin, stellar stint from you. At one point you were the dominant car on track. Where was the Acura at that stage in performance?


 

COLIN BRAUN: Yeah, that's a tough question. I think there was definitely stages of the race where people were using tires in different places where it just ebbs and flows. There were times when you were out of sequence, times when you were in sequence.

I feel like our car was strong for sure at certain points in the night. It just seemed like we could get in a good rhythm and hit a good fuel number, and I think given the fact, like Tom talked about, our rear tire deg was kind of the biggest thing we were working around, you almost found performance by just using that fuel number to kind of help slow the whole thing down, help your exits.

Overall, super happy. Great day. On we go.


 

Q. The other Acura, No. 93, had a suspension issue during the night, and I was just wondering did you guys' team -- were you worried that this might be an issue that would recur in the 60, or did you feel like it was more unique to the wear and tear of the 93?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: Yeah, we'd been told -- as you guys probably saw, there was a number of suspension failures from other cars and other manufacturers. But yeah, I'm guessing we assumed that it was from the new Bus Stop.

The curbs can be quite aggressive through there so we were told to take it a little bit easier through there.

But yeah, I didn't really (indiscernible) the last few stints because we weren't going to have much chance. That was probably our strongest corner on the track, so we had to make the most of that.

But yeah, we were told.


 

Q. Tom, it's documented the team is a lot bigger this year. Do you think it functions smoothly as well as could be expected in the first weekend in this version?


 

COLIN BRAUN: Yeah, I think to come away with a second, that close to winning the race and executing well as a whole group, obviously the 93 car had good pace. They had that suspension issue, but they did a super good job, too.

I think considering all the other GTP teams have been together for a few years here and we're kind much reassembled and adding people, I think we have a lot of blue sky, a lot of potential to tidy up a few things here and there and continue to be stronger and stronger. A heck of a first race.

I think when we all went to the first test in November when we got the cars, I think if you would have said we'd come here and finish second, we'd all have been signing up for that. So great job for sure.

TOM BLOMQVIST: To add to Colin's thoughts, and there are new people who are new to IMSA as well. IMSA is very unique. The rules are very different to Europe.

So there's certainly little areas where I think we can improve. There's one extra car but it seems like there's three times more people. I think you can only go up from here.


 

Q. Tom, how close were you to catching Nasr in the final stint?


 

TOM BLOMQVIST: That's a difficult question. He had a little gap and he knew there was only a few laps to go once I kind of got into second place. So I don't know how much he was fully pushing. I'm sure he was, to give that gap. It's always nice to have.

Yeah, I think honestly we had really good pace there at the end. I think I had a little bit of extra pace on them. It's difficult to say. Maybe if there was 10 minutes more, we might, might have got to the back of them, but who knows.

I think going into that stint, I didn't actually expect to be able to fight them, but yeah, when I knew I had a chance, I just kind of gave it everything, and thankfully we managed to get one of them. Yeah, very grateful for that.


 

Q. Felix, just wanted to get some insight into the emotion that was going on around the team and the awning on the pit wall as Tom was obviously fighting to the front because it was a gripping finale.


 

FELIX ROSENQVIST: It was cool. As Tom said before, I think at one point in the race, we didn't really think we had it, and you never give up. At that point everything was just turned back on and everything was just starting to stand up in the pit box and the engineers were fired up and they were looking at five different scenarios.

But in the end, it was just a sprint race, which is pretty cool. It was just a good old who gets first to the flag. I thought it was really cool to see from Tom, like he has found speed out of thin air it seemed like, and everyone just got excited.

Yeah, I'm really positively surprised how cool racing in GTP is. I've never done it before, and it's something else for sure.


 

Q. Were you surprised how intense it was throughout? The restarts in particular seemed really aggressive.


 

FELIX ROSENQVIST: Absolutely. It's like a sprint race. It's just like INDYCAR every restart. People are going on the high line and going tight. You leave a little gap and someone is there immediately. I feel like every year it just gets a little bit more towards that direction. It was definitely a shock to the system the first stint, managing that.

But it's really cool. Really good racing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Interviews with Dennis Olsen, Frederic Vervisch, Christopher Mies


 

THE MODERATOR: We now have our winners in GTD Pro Class Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3. Again, from your left to right, Dennis Olsen, Frederic Vervisch, and Christopher Mies.

20th victory at Daytona for the Mustang; first win globally for the Mustang GT3; Dennis' second career IMSA victory; the first was at Lime Rock Park in, so this is obviously his first Rolex 24 win.

For Frederic, first IMSA victory in his fifth start in the series. Previous best was third in the 2019 Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Christopher, this is his second IMSA victory. His first was at Motul Petit LeMans in 2017. This is also his first Rolex 24 victory.

We'll throw it open to questions.


 

Q. As we've seen, this race may be 24 hours long but it's decided in the very closing minutes. How conscious were you of what was going on directly behind you, and what does this say for this car that you guys were able to return and get this great victory today?


 

DENIS OLSEN: Oh, I have to say I was watching the mirror every single corner about the Chevy coming up the inside, and I just really made sure to cover them up and just played that the car would hold, make sure that -- hope that the diffuser and the bumper doesn't go off and getting a technical flag, but luckily didn't.

Yeah, eventually KO started and I managed to get a gap and from there it was a bit more comfortable luckily. But yeah, I think it was a faultless race by all the team, by all the drivers.

It's incredible having Ford Performance and Multimatic, new structure, new lineups. Incredible.


 

Q. Ford announced this car last year. You've been part of the development of GT cars through the years. I don't remember quite such a remarkable turnaround in one year.


 

CHRISTOPHER MIES: Yeah, it's simply amazing. When I saw the line for line, I immediately got into contact with Ford and with Multimatic. I said, I want to be part of it. Yeah, I wanted the change, let's say, after a long stint with another brand. Yeah, we came here exactly a year ago, leading the race back then, which was fantastic for a new car.

But like everyone we had some pedal issues. We solved them over the year. Coming back one year later together with Ford Performance and Multimatic Motorsports is incredible.

Obviously we know each other from the season in Europe, which is also a cool thing I think. Frederic and I got to do the first time full season of IMSA, which has been personally a dream of mine since I came here the first time in 2017. Everything just comes together right now. It's unbelievable.


 

Q. Dennis, you were sitting on the sidelines for another famously physical end to a GT race where it didn't go your way. How did it feel this time?


 

DENNIS OLSEN: I was very glad that we had a bit more space this time. 2022 it was hard. That was with Porsche. That was Laurens Vanthoor and (indiscernible), so that ended in tears for me.

This year also ended in tears but in a good way. Very, very proud, and yeah, no words.


 

Q. It was so physical and intense in GTD Pro throughout this race and particularly towards the end. Give us a sense of what it was like behind the cockpit in some of these battles and trying to avoid contact because there was so much of it?


 

FREDERIC VERVISCH: Yeah, basically the race starts the last four hours, let's say, and until then you want to have a proper car, car in the best shape possible so you can fight, because like every year it's a sprint race. It's the last 15 minutes, 10 minutes of the race which counts, and yeah, you want to be in the best possible shape.

It's difficult because there's a lot of different categories, different battles in different classes, and then you have the teams where you have to be fast enough but careful and a lot of misunderstandings, as well.

Like Dennis said and Chris, we did an amazing job to just keep the car in one piece and then to give him a strong car for the end, and that's what made us win, I think.


 

Q. Talking about the development of the car, are there any specifics from last year to this year that you've noticed that have really stood out in making that big (indiscernible) in just the year?


 

CHRISTOPHER MIES: I think the most obvious one is that the rear deck lid isn't coming off anymore. We figured out quite quickly where it came from. Obviously from side drafting, but to be honest in development or testing when do you ever side draft, right? It never happens.

We had to learn the hard way in the first race, which is one of the toughest races in the world straightaway. So yeah, we had no preparation really to test that.

But there have been things in the background and also on the team side. I must say this is probably the biggest improvement compared to last year. Yeah, it just feels like we made another good step in terms of preparation and stuff.

This is probably the biggest part, and then obviously little things on the car. There's for sure still things we need to improve for the future and people are working on that, but time will tell.


 

Q. Question for Frederic: I'm sure you guys are aware that Corvette are no easy team to beat. They've got a lot of experience here. Corvette versus Ford has been an interesting rivalry. I wanted to hear, was that something you were aware of in the background, this rivalry, and how does it feel to perhaps win this race?


 

FREDERIC VERVISCH: Yeah, I think it's quite a struggle, the battle between Ford and Chevrolet. Yesterday we met Jim Farley, and he said whatever you do, you have to be in front of Chevrolet, as a joke, of course.

No, of course we were aware of this, and I think they're extremely strong, and I think they hide their A game because suddenly they were going a lot faster than yesterday.

Yeah, super proud that we could stay ahead and maybe out-strategy them. I will not say too much, but we did some very ballsy calls I would say in the team, so big congrats to the team, as well, for that.

It was exciting for me and Chris to be on the sidewall for him, of course, but for us it was even worse I have to say.

CHRISTOPHER MIES: It was not exciting (chuckling).


 

Q. Chris and Fred, obviously this is the start of the championship full season for you guys. Can you talk about what that means and this new adventure for you guys in the WeatherTech Championship and visiting new tracks for the first time and all the success you've had here to jump start your program?

CHRISTOPHER MIES: Well, it's a great start to a new chapter I would say and to full time. I think we know 75, 80 percent of the tracks already so there are just a few we don't know, but in general I don't know any racing driver who isn't a fan of IMSA racing (indiscernible).

You go on the back tracks in the world. Like there's no bullshit about track limits and stuff. It's the track, the grass and the wall. That's how it should be. I've been a fan of IMSA since I came here the first time. I think Fred has been here before me but in different categories.

Anyway, it's a good start, and obviously we know that we still have some weakness and we need to work on that, so it doesn't mean that every race goes like that, but to kick things off and especially for the team, I'm very happy. They have worked very hard and obviously had a hard time last year, and to have success like this now in one of the biggest races in the world is a great reward for them.

FREDERIC VERVISCH: I think he said everything. Yeah, we are leading the championship probably, so good start of the year I would say, but still very long and that's clearly our target and the target of the team so that a Ford can win. I'm happy that we are on target.


 

Q. The top three finishers in the GTD Pro class were all comprised of three-man race teams as well as the winners of the GTP class. Is there anything you think that can be said for that or just a coincidence?


 

CHRISTOPHER MIES: I think it's a coincidence, but in general I think a 24-hour race, especially one like Daytona, it's always better to do with three drivers. Obviously the prep is quite short, and if you have to share the sessions with another driver, it's obviously more difficult and complicated, also in terms of drive time and stuff in the race.

Strategy-wise, I think it's always better the less drivers the better. I think next year we try to go with one or two and see how it goes. (Laughter.)


 

Q. I wanted to get a take on how feisty it got with Corvette and Formula towards the end of this race. It was ready to come to blows. I want to get your thoughts on how close it got.


 

DENNIS OLSEN: I think from my side it was my target to make it difficult for them and that they would fight. That was my only chance. They were quicker. Honestly, I had to defend my position and stay inside. That's the only thing. Once they start to fight, I could try to run away, and that's what we did.

Other than that, I had no idea what happened. I didn't see it. I just saw I had a gap.


 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Interviews with Sebastien Bourdais, John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, Job Van Uitert


 

THE MODERATOR: We have now our LMP2 winners here at the Rolex 24 at Daytona. In the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07. From left to right, Sebastien Bourdais, John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, and Job Van Uitert.

For Seb, 14th victory in IMSA competition; third win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona. He won prototype and overall in 2014, GTLM in 2017.

John, this is his sixth IMSA win; first Rolex 24 win. Previous best was second in 2021. This was his 10th Rolex 24 start.

For Sebastian Alvarez, this is his first IMSA victory; fourth career start in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. This is third Rolex 24 appearance.

For Job, second IMSA win; previously won Petit Le Mans in 2020; first Rolex 24 win, fourth career start for him.


 

Q. Sebastien, you almost got caught up in the big one, how close was it to completely ending right then and there?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I was part of the big one, big time. The car over my left fender, a car over my right fender and I don't think I had trim time to back off because I made contact because I was in the gearbox of the Pratt Miller car and it all came to a stop. It was like Days of Thunder.

Yeah, honestly, when it all cleared in front of me and the car still had four wheels on it and the steering wheel was straight, I was like, man, this is just a miracle. That's about as much as I know because I didn't see anything coming I had no warning, and all of a sudden it came to a stop in front and it was no chance.

For more than one reason we feel very, very fortunate to be sitting here because it could have been over quite a few times actually.


 

Q. This new chapter with Tower Motorsports and IMSA (indiscernible)?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: Yeah, what can we say? The boys did an amazing job. Rick's team of mechanics, which is the best ESM group that Philippe Dumas put together. Bunch of French actually and a few Americans, and a really, really solid group of mechanics.

Ryan did a really, really good strategy for us. We definitely didn't have the fast he's car, but we kept our heads down and mostly stayed out of trouble.

Yeah, there was a lot of carnage around us, just a lot of really, really aggressive driving which ended up in contacts.

I was very surprised, to be honest. I'm not used to that in GTP, and I don't think I have managed to pass someone without someone just hitting me, plain and simple, which I'm not a big fan of that. Really every time I was super happy that the car was still straight and we kept going forward because it was a pretty solid hit.

Yeah, it was very strange, but thanks to John for putting this together and thanks to my teammates who really did a great job. It was a solid effort. We looked really strong at night and then kind of faded a bit when it got hotter, which we were kind of afraid of.

But definitely no better way to start the relationship with Tower Motorsports, and we'll head to Sebring with our heads high and our hopes up.


 

Q. For Sebastien, where would you put this in your list of accomplishments considering moving to this team for this year?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: I don't know, to be honest with you. It's almost like it was awarded to us in some respect because it seemed for a minute that nobody wanted to win it because, like, I've rarely seen someone torpedo another car like Beche did with Palou. It was just one incident like this after another in front of us or behind us or around us.

It was a weird race, but we had hopes at times. Sometimes it felt like it was a bit hopeless, and to come out on top no matter how you got there at some point, it's just one of those races where nobody remembers how you got there, and personally it's my third, but it never gets old winning. I'm really happy that we could bring the result for John who's been running after that Rolex for a little while.

It's a lot of financial commitment to put those LMP2 efforts on the privateer side, and I think people forget that a little too often.

Really, hats off to John for putting that effort together with Rick, and yeah, we had quite a bit of fun doing it. Can't complain.


 

Q. Your name has been mentioned for possible Indy 500 ride. Is that likely, or how would you characterize any likelihood of that happening?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: You've got to ask Chip.


 

Q. Job, you continue the tradition of Dutch class victories in the Rolex 24, which is a great thing of course. A lot of emotions for you here at Daytona. Once you didn't even get to race because your teammate crashed out, then you came really close. It was heartbreak it didn't happen. Take us through the emotions what winning this one means to you.


 

JOB VAN UITERT: Yeah, I think for all of us it's a childhood dream that comes true. We all want to win these big races, if it's Daytona, Le Mans, Spa 24-hour, Nürburgring 24-hour. We all work really hard for it. The amount of hours that go into it, not even on track here but just the preparation over the past months and also the personal involvement that you have with it, the amount of passion that you give towards it, yeah, that makes it even more important.

Yeah, to finally make it happen on a big 24-hour race, for me that was an emotional feeling after the race. Definitely some tears here and there. I hope I can feel that more often in the future.


 

Q. You mentioned your grandfather after the race. Did you have the feeling he was with you in that car?


 

JOB VAN UITERT: Yeah, I never knew my grandfather actually but he has the same name as me, so I always feel as if I'm a bit in this world for him. It makes me proud thinking about him every time I jump in the car, and that's what I...


 

Q. Sebastien, you and I were speaking earlier in the weekend and you said you're still getting up to grips in the P2 car. Still finding feel. Ultimately you weren't quite having yet the best time. Has that changed at all?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: We had quite a few inside jokes for sure with Job and it's an interesting tread sometimes. But the car was really difficult to drive. Daytona is historically a very tough track because it's low grip. It's quite worn out in the infield and it makes tire deg quite high, you're running low downforce.

The P2 has been a little sabotaged to not go too, too fast, as well, so it doesn't make it the easiest handling car to get around, and the smallest difference in mechanical grip makes a big lap time difference. I think we're still kind of trying to find the best setup, but for sure it was the best car we had from the November test, the Roar and the 24 weekend all together.

We're still probably missing about a half a second, but it's the closest we had been, and at night when it got cold, we definitely picked up enough grip that we were in contention. It looked like it was going to be really difficult during the day, and finally it kind of came to us mostly because of indents and unforced errors from others.

But yeah, it's not an easy car to drive. To kind of get 90 percent out of it is easy, but it's not a car that you can hustle around. You really have to be very fine with it, and especially when it's a bit grip limited like it was all weekend.

It's always good because it sharpens you. When the car is really demanding and difficult to put a lap together and you really have to be on your toes and listen to your feelings and measure your movements and your foot and everything, it's a good workout, good practice. I think it will serve me well for places like Bahrain or whatever when we get to them in GTP.


 

Q. Talk us through your last couple hours in the car. Obviously a lot happened up in front of you and you were able to extend that last final stint quite a ways to make it work. What were you going through in the car?


 

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: It's like, maybe we got a shot. Nope, we don't. Look, we have actually got this. Nope, we don't. It was just like a total roller coaster.

Yeah, at the end it turned -- we kind of lost it when dash went by and there was no way of defending, just literally drove around us in the straight, and I was like, well, that's an anti climactic way to lose the race.

Yeah, he torpedoed the competitors so gave us the lead, and then after that it was a pure make it to the end. Everybody was pretty far behind. It was like 45 seconds or something, so the engineer was on the radio going, you cannot go slow enough right now. We need to go behind the GTP so we don't do an extra lap because we don't have the fuel for it, and we were hitting I think it was literally 20 percent of fuel saving, so it was massive numbers.

I was lifting at the stripe a little bit before. I was lifting at the 3 marker or even before going into the Bus Stop, taking everything a gear up and taking the throttle really, really gently.

It was a matter of bringing it home. Racing in IMSA and those races sometimes comes to just very strange circumstances, and this one definitely was not a convention at one.


 

Q. Gentlemen, there's been some bumps in the road on the way here. 2018 you give a young kid a shot and took an LMP championship in Europe. Talk about having gotten here and done this.


 

JOHN FARANO: First of all, I want to take full credit for hand selecting these three, and I mean it. I had no input from anybody else. I think these are the three drivers I want.

This guy is my lucky charm because we won the championship in the LMS, we won 2020 at Petit LeMans. Sebastian and I had a really good feeling about, and of course this guy, what can you say. Yeah, with Job being back and all the successes we've had, it's truly wonderful for sure.

SEBASTIEN BOURDAIS: People don't know that but before John had to do his last stint, his back was totally locked up and he couldn't even sit up. He's a trooper because he got back in the car and did his drive time, and yep --

JOHN FARANO: All for that Rolex.


 

Q. This is your first win here. Tell us what it means to you?


 

SEBASTIAN ALVAREZ: Obviously it's very cool. It's quite close to home. I've been racing mostly in Europe, so this race is very close to México. I had a lot of fans, a lot of family over, so it's really special to be able to celebrate this moment with them.

I think Daytona, like Job said, is one of the most legendary races in motorsports, so as a kid you always want to win this race, so it's been a roller coaster and sometimes it's like we can win it or we can't win it. At the end when we finally crossed the checkered flag it was a very special moment.


 

Q. For John, kind of got quite a list of accomplishments here in IMSA, between championships, the pilot challenge championship as well as the WeatherTech Championship, won Sebring, now you've got this. What does all that mean?


 

JOHN FARANO: Well, I've won Sebring, as you say, three Petits, won the championship here, and this was truly the one that was missing. This is truly special. Worked really hard for it. The whole team really worked hard for it. So in 2020 -- we've come close a couple of times. We've been on the podium twice before this.

Just a lot of effort and a lot of pain to go through to get to this spot, but we truly worked hard, and this is truly a dream come true for sure.


 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

Interviews Matthew Bell, Lars Kern, Marvin Kirchhöfer, Orey Fidani


 

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, we have our GTD winners at the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona in the No. 13 AWA Corvette ZO6 GT3 R. From left to right, Matt Bell, Lars Kern, Marvin Kirchhöfer, and Orey Fidani.

Matt, this is his second IMSA victory, first since a GTD victory at Motul Petit LeMans in 2014.

Lars, this is his second IMSA victory, first since the 12-hours of Sebring in 2021.

This is Marvin's first career IMSA victory. Previous best was second at Watkins Glen International in WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year.

Orey, this is first IMSA victory. Three second place finishes.


 

Q. Matt, can you touch base on that final stint and going up against the Heart of Racing in GTD there in the final stint?


 

MATTHEW BELL: Yeah, the restarts were intense as we always are in IMSA WeatherTech racing. Honestly, my brain is fried. I can't even remember what happened. It was awesome racing, I have to say. All the competitors that we were going toe to toe with today were really hard, really fair. I can't remember where he overtook me. He got us in the pits. I just had to get my head down. If I saw a GTD car ahead of me I just tried to overtake it.

I remember vaguely getting a little bit of a nose up the side coming out of Turn 5. We were good in the infield. We were strong in the infield. Just managed to squeeze on past and get my head down after that and try to build a gap. Yeah, it was fun. It was definitely fun.


 

Q. Question for Matt: You won in a Corvette. There might be someone near you who is probably more familiar with that given you're part of (indiscernible) management. What pre-race advice did he give you? What did he think of you winning?


 

MATTHEW BELL: I haven't got a clue. I haven't seen my phone yet. He said when someone is really close behind, don't lift. That's how he won his.

I just drove around like that basically, and yeah, I'm sure he'll be very happy. We're equal now. I've just got to go win five Le Manses, five Sebrings, five Petit Le Mans.


 

Q. I asked the other GT drivers about it, but there was no letup. All of the victories were so tight today and there was a lot of beating and banging and stuff going on. Could you just talk about the nature of the race? This is kind of how it is now at the Rolex.


 

MARVIN KIRCHHOFER: It's been a while actually being up here, so that's why. It's been very emotional. I think it was quite intense, as you said, in every category, especially the last 30 minutes after the restarts. We know the restarts are crucial in IMSA racing.

Basically what the fans love to see, what is nice for us sometimes in the car but sometimes not too nice when you're outside the car and you see your teammate trying to hang on or going for a win, which once again, Matt has done an outstanding job in that perspective, and I think the emotion running very high -- I've never seen Lars trying, so you can tell how much it meant to the whole team.

Everyone was obviously super, super happy about the result, and I think for the fans, for everyone, I think this was probably the best race finish everyone could have asked for.


 

Q. (Indiscernible).


 

MATTHEW BELL: Yeah, we knew we had a good car from the start of the Roar. AWA put in so much work since before the checkered flag at Petit Le Mans, and when we hit the track on Friday two weeks ago we felt we had something underneath us that we could go and take on the competition with.

So that gives you some confidence. I said this to everybody multiple times, that we were just waiting for the dream to stop, it can't be this good kind of thing.

Yeah, it was a lot of hard work, but super happy with it, and just to your first question, as well, the racing from the GTD side I have to say was super hard but super fair, I have to say.

All the competitors that I went toe to toe with, it was proper IMSA racing, the real spicy stuff that may be a little over the limit. Looked like it was going on ahead on the red panel cars. That looked entertaining.

But yeah, I have to also congratulate all the competitors that we were racing with here. It was proper racing.


 

Q. Orey, the Mustang guys were in here earlier and talking about the turnaround in fortunes for their program. It was a pretty traumatic start with this car, with this team last season. Your emotions from what's been another remarkable turnaround in just 12 months?


 

OREY FIDANI: The Chevy guys are pretty awesome. It's some of the best support I've ever had with customers programs over the years that I've ran. There's hiccups with new cars, so I figured I'm going to stick it out and just work with these guys, and they were awesome and fixed everything, and it turns out we had a pretty awesome car to race at the end of it.


 

Q. Matt, you're from Newcastle in the northeast of England. You've seen your fair share of fights, I'm sure. How does this match up?


 

MATTHEW BELL: Yeah, I think that could hold up with some of the best ones I've seen. The IMSA WeatherTech series, I've loved every race I've ever done over here.

Like I say, from my side of things, I thought all the racing was super hard but super fair against all the guys that I was against. It was a lot like that last year. We had some intense battles at Road America in particular and Petit LeMans, as well.

I love this championship. This is the best championship in the world to me. I love racing over here. I love the circuits. I love the series, and I like winning. Today went all right.


 

Q. Orey, you join a long line of Canadian winners at the Rolex 24. Seems like there's a renewed effort to grow Canadian domestic homologated racing. How important is that to you to keep that conveyor belt of talent going, whether it's young drivers or bronze drivers like yourself?


 

OREY FIDANI: Pretty important. Canada is small, pretty small in terms of racing community, and I'd like to continue to grow it.

Hopefully we'll see in the next couple years possibly might take over ownership of Mosport from the father and keep that going so I can continue to promote some Canadian drivers and keep that track alive.


 

Q. Matt, when with you spoke over the winter, you said to me, in exact quotes, the Corvette is the best GT car out there you can buy and that you were extremely confident that you guys could win this race. How does it feel to back that up and score Chevrolet such an important win for this customer program?


 

MATTHEW BELL: I mean, yeah, as I said, we spoke -- there were trials and tribulations that Graham has already alluded to the first part of last season, but from the very get-go, the silver lining was the thing was awesome to drive. So we knew the fundamental thing that you need in racing is pace.

You need a car that you can go and win with, and if you've got a hardworking group of people around it, if there's anything to fix, it's going to get fixed. Yeah, everybody put their heads together. Orey had a huge amount of faith in everybody as he's already said, and we knew from last year if we stayed on this train, there's going to be success coming.

Yeah, every now and again, I'm right. It's quite rare, but it is right rewarding. That's the one and only time -- well, hopefully not the only time this year, but yeah, very happy to see a huge amount of hard work come to fruition.


 

Q. Lars, tell us a little bit about it from your perspective, just what this means.


 

LARS KERN: Yeah, I mean, in the past years I was always racing with a different brand who I am still related to, and yeah, it feels amazing achieving this result with this group of people. As Orey and Matt already mentioned, the AWA team and Jim, what they built up over the last year is pretty incredible.

We knew right from the beginning that we were going to have a good car, and as Matt mentioned, it was kind of like the feeling, okay, when does this dream stop because we felt pretty confident or we didn't really speak about it, but in our little group, we were like, okay, this feels pretty awesome.

Normally around Daytona, a car never feels really good because you're on low camber, pretty high pressures, so it doesn't feel great. So yeah, going into the race, it was like, okay, we have to pass, let's see how it goes. What Matt and Marvin did in the last couple of stints was absolutely awesome.

I just had to walk away for the last hour. I was just lying down and I got follow. It was absolutely incredible, and I'm proud to be a part of this team.


 

Q. Lars, I know you were kind of telling me before, but talk me through that stint near halfway when you were moving up in the field. Was there a point at which you thought, okay, the win is on here?


 

LARS KERN: Yeah, it's always the same, like if there's no car coming from behind and you keep on overtaking it feels pretty all right.

At that point I was like, okay, I think we're in a good position, so I went up to P2. After that I was like, okay, if I've got to hand the car over to these two guys, I think we should be in a safe spot.

As I, what he did at the end was absolutely incredible. I could not believe and I still cannot believe. It's going to take some days to think in, weeks, months, I don't know. Yeah, absolutely incredible feeling.


 

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

 

Unofficial Results, Points & Post-Race Nuggets | WeatherTech Championship

63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Sunday, January 26, 2025

Unofficial race results available at results.imsa.com.


 

Unofficial points available at pitnotes.org/points.

GTP

No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport

  • Third overall win in Rolex 24 for Roger Penske (1969, 2024, 2025)
  • Fourth Rolex 24 win for Roger Penske (1966, 1969, 2024)
  • 24th overall Rolex 24 win for Porsche

 

Felipe Nasr

  • 12th career win (first since 2024 Watkins Glen, GTP/Overall) 
  • Third Rolex 24 win (2022 GTD PRO, 2024 GTP/Overall)
  • Second overall Rolex 24 win (2024)
  • Sixth straight season with a win (2019-2025)

 

Nick Tandy

  • 23rd career win (first since 2024 Road America, GTP/Overall)
  • Second Rolex 24 win (2014 GT Le Mans)
  • Completes sweep of overall 24-hour race wins at Daytona, Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps and Nürburgring (first driver to do so) 


 

Laurens Vanthoor

  • 11th career win
  • First Rolex 24 win
  • First overall Rolex 24 win

 

LMP2

No. 8 Tower Motorsports

  • 21st career win
  • First Rolex 24 win
  • First win of 2025
  • Finished 8th Overall
  • Last win came at 2023 Sebring (Farano, McLaughlin, Simpson, LMP2)

 

John Farano

  • Sixth career win (first since 2023 Sebring, LMP2)
  • First Rolex 24 win in 10th start (previous best second) 

 

Sebastien Bourdais

  • 14th career win (first since 2024 Petit Le Mans, GTP/Overall)
  • Third Rolex 24 win (2014 P/Overall, 2017 GT Le Mans)

 

Sebastian Alvarez

  • First career win in fourth career IMSA WeatherTech Championship start, third at Rolex 24
  • Previous best finish was fifth at 2024 Petit Le Mans, LMP2
  • First Rolex 24 win

 

Job Van Uitert

  • Second career win in fourth career start (first since 2020 Petit Le Mans, LMP2)
  • First Rolex 24 win


 

GTD PRO

No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports 

  • 20th Rolex 24 win for Ford Mustang
  • First global win for new Ford Mustang GT3
  • First win for new Ford Multimatic Motorsports GTD PRO since 2024 debut 

 

Christopher Mies

  • Second career win (first since 2017 Petit Le Mans, GTD)
  • First Rolex 24 win

 

Frederic Vervisch

  • First career win in fifth start (previous best finish was third at 2019 Rolex 24, GTD)
  • First Rolex 24 win

 

Dennis Olsen

  • Second career win (first since 2019 Lime Rock, GTD)
  • First Rolex 24 win 


 

GTD

No. 13 AWA

  • Third WeatherTech Championship victory, first in GTD (two in LMP3 in 2023)
  • Second Rolex 24 win, previous 2023 (LMP3)

 

Matt Bell (UK)

  • Second career win (first since 2014 Petit Le Mans, GTD)
  • First Rolex 24 win

 

Orey Fidani

  • First career win
  • First Rolex 24 win
  • Previous best finish, second place (three previous races)

 

Lars Kern

  • Second career win (first since 2021 Sebring, GTD)
  • First Rolex 24 win

 

Marvin Kirchhoefer

  • First career win
  • First Rolex 24 win
  • Previous best finish, second (2024 Monterey and Watkins Glen)

 

Porsche Penske Claims Historic, Back-to-Back Rolex 24 Wins

New Mustang GT3 Claims First IMSA GTD PRO Win; AWA Corvette, Tower ORECA Win GTD, LMP2



January 26, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

 

 

 

 

Hour 24 Race Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – History was made on several levels in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona to kick off the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

Porsche Penske Motorsport won its second consecutive Rolex 24, the third overall for team owner Roger Penske and fourth for the team, with the No. 7 Porsche 963 driven by Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy and Laurens Vanthoor claiming the overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class triumph.


 

Nasr is the only member of the trio who was part of last year’s winning entry, with a reshuffled lineup. Tandy moved from the team’s No. 6 car, and with the win is the first driver globally to have won all four major 24-hour endurance sports car races in Daytona, Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps and the Nürburgring overall. Vanthoor was part of last year’s FIA World Endurance Championship-winning lineup with Penske.


 

The win is Nasr’s third (2024 in GTP/overall, 2022 in Grand Touring Daytona Pro), Tandy’s second (2014 GT Le Mans) and Vanthoor’s first at the Rolex 24.


 

The team nearly completed a 1-2 sweep, but a late pass by Tom Blomqvist delivered his second straight runner-up finish. Blomqvist co-drove the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06, and got around Matt Campbell’s No. 6 Porsche 963.


 

“It’s amazing to see the work we’ve done with this Porsche program the last couple years, winning the (IMSA) championship last year, and with the relationship we have with Porsche, our organization, I’m thrilled,” Roger Penske said in victory lane. “It was quite something there at the end!” 


 

History was also made in the two Grand Touring classes, as two iconic brands – Mustang and Corvette – both won.


 

Ford’s newest Mustang scored its first IMSA victory, with Dennis Olsen holding off all comers in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class in his No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 he shared with Christopher Mies and Frederic Vervisch.


 

While Mustang beat Corvette in GTD PRO, Corvette emerged victorious in Grand Touring Daytona courtesy of the customer effort from AWA, which scored its second Rolex 24 win (2023 in Le Mans Prototype 3). Drivers Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern and Marvin Kirchhoefer shared the winning No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R.


 

Tower Motorsports ascended to the top of Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), in the hands of Sebastien Bourdais, John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez and Job Van Uitert sharing the No. 8 ORECA LMP2 07. The Rolex win is Bourdais’ third in as many IMSA class (Prototype/Overall in 2014 and GT Le Mans in 2017).


 

All other winners – the three Ford drivers, all four AWA Corvette drivers and the remaining three Tower LMP2 drivers – secured their first Rolex 24 victories and the custom Rolex Daytona timepieces that come with the wins. 

Pair of Porsche Penske Cars Pace Overnight Run to Hour 18

AO’s “Spike,” “Rexy” in Contention in LMP2, GTD PRO; AWA Tops GTD


 

January 26, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Hour 18 Race Results

Hour 18 IMEC Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A series of overnight cautions broke up the rhythm of the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway. But Porsche Penske Motorsport was unaffected, and the team continued to hold down the top two overall positions as the classic endurance race reached the three-quarter mark.


 

Nick Tandy in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class No. 7 Porsche 963 took the lead from the team’s sister No. 6 driven by Matt Campbell car in the second half of the 18th hour after Mathieu Jaminet paced most of the night in the No. 6. Tandy held a 5.608-second lead over Campbell at the 18-hour mark, with Philipp Eng holding third place in the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8, albeit almost half a lap behind.


 

Seven of the 12 GTP entries were still running after 18 hours, with five on the lead lap. The No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 ran in fourth place, followed by the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R.


 

In Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Dane Cameron in the No. 99 AO Racing “Spike” ORECA LMP2 07 led by 5.243 seconds over fellow ex-GTP driver Sebastien Bourdais, in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA, as Cameron drove into the lead during the night.


 

AO Racing was also in great shape in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class, where its No. 77 “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) ran second to the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, with a deficit of 2.284 seconds.


 

The race in the GTD class was even closer, with Matt Bell (No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R) ahead of Ralf Aron (No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3) by just 1.637 seconds.


 

The yellow flag flew just four minutes past the halfway point of the race when a fire broke out in the rear of the GTD class No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R that was quickly extinguished by a track safety crew. Just four minutes after racing resumed, another caution waved when the No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 competing in the LMP2 class left debris on the circuit.


 

Another stoppage occurred early in the 14th hour when defending LMP2 series class champion Tom Dillmann’s No. 43 ORECA LMP2 07 fielded by Inter Europol Competition stopped on track.


 

One of the major stories of the race is the comeback of the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, the defending WeatherTech Championship GTD champion. The entry fell seven laps behind in the third hour due to a sticking throttle and was three laps in arrears at the halfway point, but drivers Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje, Lucas Auer, and Russell Ward rallied to lead 68 laps. A pit penalty for an unrestrained wheel dropped the car to ninth in class, but still on the lead lap.  


 

“Luckily, it was early in the race, and we have time to make up for it,” said Ellis. “I am super proud of the guys. We earned so many laps back with half the race to go, so I would say we are back in the race, to be honest. It all proves to me we are one of the best in the IMSA paddock. The crew put us back in the game again.”


 

Through the first 18 hours and three Michelin Endurance Cup segments, unofficial leaders with the most points so far are the No. 7 Porsche in GTP, No. 99 AO ORECA in LMP2, No. 1 PMR BMW in GTD PRO and No. 70 Inception Ferrari in GTD.


 

Live coverage of the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 continues on Peacock, with NBC rejoining at Noon ET to broadcast the conclusion of the race. International coverage continues on the Official IMSA YouTube channel. 
 

Competitive, Frantic and Fast Six Hours in the Books at 63rd Rolex 24

No. 60 Acura Out Front; No. 52 ORECA, No. 48 BMW, No. 70 Ferrari Atop Classes


 

January 25, 2025

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Hour 6 Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -

A full, talented and ambitious 61-car field – featuring IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar champions, NASCAR stars, IndyCar winners, Formula 1 veterans and a wide assortment of accomplished drivers from 31 countries – took the green flag Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway for the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona.

 

Blue skies, cool temperatures, a large crowd that even included Miss America - showed up to watch a global A-list of racers competing to earn coveted Rolex Daytona timepieces for their work on the 3.56-mile infield road course that also incorporates portions of the famous speedway’s high banks.

 

A restart five minutes before the six-hour mark – following the race’s third full course caution period – saw a typically frantic move forward among the lead Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars which went three-wide into the first turn. 


 

Ultimately, American Colin Braun prevailed taking the front position in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 ahead of the defending Rolex 24 race-winning No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 at the race’s quarter-mark. 

 

Mathias Beche held the 12-car Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class lead in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 – exchanging the front spot with Felipe Fraga, co-driver of the No. 74 Riley ORECA, in a spirited battle out front of that class.

 

The new two-car Paul Miller Racing team paced the 15-car Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. At the six-hour mark, Jesse Krohn was out front in his No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO with Connor De Phillippi third in the sister No. 1 car. They sandwiched Nico Varrone, in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the race’s first quarter point.

 

The No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette – co-driven by NASCAR stars Shane van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch, along with IndyCar standout Scott McLaughlin and sports car champion Ben Keating was 12th place in GTD at the six-hour mark.

 

The entire GT field had a “moment” on the opening lap when Nick Boulle’s No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 car spun directly in front of them. The evasive action cost the pole-sitting No. 64 Ford Mustang GT3 to relinquish the early lead, but the two Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustangs quickly recovered and ranked among the leaders for much of the following hours.

 

“It was really bad actually, we were really lucky there,” said Mike Rockenfeller, who was driving the pole-sitting No. 64 Mustang and had took early evasion action.

 

“We lost a position, both of us (Mustangs) but it doesn’t matter. It’s a long race and the track will change and hopefully it will be a clean race for us and we’ll see where we are at the end.

 

“I was definitely not ready for that, even though you should be,” Rockenfeller smiled. “Somehow I wasn’t expecting that.’’


 

David Fumanelli led the field’s most populous class, the 22-car Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.

 

For most of the early going, it was the pole-winning GTP BMW M Team RLL team and Porsche Penske pacing the overall field. However, as expected and as usual, the racing was dramatic from the drop of the green flag in all four classes. 

 

The prototype class, in particular, featured numerous lead changes among all the different makes and a wide assortment of drivers.

 

“I’m not surprised, there’s just so much talent on this grid in terms of manufacturers, drivers, teams, everybody is so close and we’ve seen it in the Roar (test sessions), we’ve seen it in qualifying and the practice sessions, everyone is so close together,” said BMW driver Austrian Philipp Eng, whose No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 started on pole position in the hands of co-driver Dries Vanthoor. 

 

“I was just watching 10 minutes ago and there were three former F1 guys driving cars. So I must say it is incredible and I feel very privileged to be racing against them and with them,’’ he added. “So this (competitive field) is not a surprise to me. I just hope at the end of the race there is a BMW leading the race.’’

 

Among those former F1 drivers putting on a show out front was Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing’s Kamui Kobayashi, who spent most of his time in his No. 40 Cadillac V-Series.R at the race’s quarter-mark putting on a passing display.

 

His teammate Jordan Taylor spoke to the media as the Japanese super-talent pulled into the lead earlier in the night, glanced up and could only smile. 

 

“It’s fun to watch him,” said Taylor, who shared that while other drivers spent their off-days travelling or doing something ‘fun,’ his teammate Kobayashi instead spent one night doing laundry at a local 24-hour laundromat, watched a bit of Netflix and even went to a local Dick’s Sporting Goods and bought a portable sauna he’s used ever since.

 

“We knew he was going to be like that (pushing to lead the race),” Taylor continued. “You see it all weekend through practices watching his onboards and as he’s learning the new car, you see him making the adjustments to the steering wheel and just having fun. That’s his style and why people love him. 


 

“That’s exactly what I would expect from him watching a restart where everyone is kind of unsure about the conditions and he just goes forward.”

 

Of note, there were three full-course cautions and the weather dropped from starting temperatures nearing 60 degrees ambient and 90 track to a much cooler mid-50s track and ambient into the night stint. Soft compound tires are now available for GTP teams to run until 10 a.m. 


 

IMSA also hands out the first IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup points of the 2025 season at the sixth hour. The top three teams in each class at designated time periods are awarded five, four and three points, respectively with all others taking home two. At the Rolex 24, Michelin Endurance Cup points are awarded at the sixth, 12th, 18th and 24th hours. Naturally, the cars leading at the six-hour mark take home the five points. 


 

Coverage continues on Peacock until noon ET, with a return to NBC at noon ET Sunday. 


 

Six-Hour Highlights are below.

Porsche Leads After Eventful Run to Halfway Mark of Rolex 24

Additional Leaders Include Inter Europol (LMP2), PMR BMW (GTD PRO), Inception Ferrari (GTD)


 

January 26, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Hour 12 Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Porsche Penske Motorsport paces the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona at the halfway mark of the 24-hour endurance classic that kicks off the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. That said, the seventh to 12th hours reduced the number of contenders after some strong middle third stints.


 

Leading runs from Kamui Kobayashi in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, in Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and Max Hesse, in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), in particular, went up in smoke.


 

The race’s complexion across multiple classes changed significantly with a multi-car accident exiting Turn 2 just after the start of the eighth hour.


 

When Louis Deletraz lost the rear of the No. 40 Cadillac, the resulting spin created an accordion effect that took out more cars. Three Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class entries: the Nos. 2 (United Autosports USA), 8 (Tower Motorsports) and 73 (Pratt Miller) ORECA LMP2 07 cars collected substantial damage. Two other Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) cars collided separately in avoidance, as Jordan Pepper in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 appeared to push Hesse’s No. 48 BMW off the road.


 

All five drivers involved in the incident were evaluated and released. Deletraz took responsibility for the spin that started it all.


 

“On the restart, the yellow car of JDC went inside and just going to power and I think I spun,” he explained. “I don’t think anything happened. I don’t think I was touched and then I got collected. It was my mistake, and I am sorry to the team and sorry to my teammates as well. A sad way to end the 24.”


 

Hesse described his frustration from the BMW side: “I was very aware of what was happening; the people behind me weren’t. So obviously it was crazy chaos going on. I was able to avoid the car ahead but just got hit very hard in the rear.”


 

Another contender fell out in the 11th hour. Frederik Vesti spun the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R in-between NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 with right rear damage from an apparent rear suspension issue.


 

With the 12-car GTP field cut down to the lead lap in half by a mix of incidents and penalties, it’s left the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 of Felipe Nasr out front ahead of the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06 of Scott Dixon. Cadillac has one remaining challenger in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing entry, while the polesitting No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 also remained in the hunt.


 

Paul Miller Racing led its second six-hour stint in as many efforts, with its No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Neil Verhagen pacing Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO). The No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), “Rexy,” worked to come back from being caught up in the multiple car incident from earlier up to second, ahead of the two Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3s.


 

As they were at the six-hour mark, Inception Racing also led Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) at the 12-hour mark. Frederik Schandorff was behind the wheel of that team’s No. 70 Ferrari 296 GT3. Schandorff withstood consistent pressure from Ayhancan Guven in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).


 

Inter Europol Competition, former partners with PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, surpassed its former partner team to pace the LMP2 class at the 12-hour mark. Antonio Felix da Costa was aboard prior to the halfway point in the team’s No. 43 ORECA LMP2 07.


 

Race coverage continues on Peacock through noon ET before going back to NBC at noon, and outside the U.S. on IMSA’s YouTube channel. 
 

Ultimate Performance Achieved by Michelin Pilot Challenge Winners in Daytona

Accelerating Performance Wins First GS Race with McLaren; Herta, Hyundai Finally Capture Daytona TCR Win 


 

January 24, 2025

By John Oreovicz and Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Michael Cooper took charge of the Grand Sport (GS) class in the final stages of the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway to claim overall victory in the four-hour opening round of the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.


 

Cooper guided the No. 44 Accelerating Performance McLaren Artura GT4 from fifth to first in the closing 20 minutes, executing a series of clean passes to seize the lead before maintaining an advantage of 0.327 seconds over Jan Heylen (No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) at the checkered flag.


 

Moisey Uretsky drove a lengthy two-hour, 40-minute opening stint prior to handing the McLaren to Cooper in eighth place. Cooper, who has extensive ties to McLaren, enjoyed coming to grips with the latest evolution of the Artura as he diced with Heylen and Billy Johnson, who eventually finished third in the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 he shared with Robert Michaelian.


 

Leader Heylen allowed the front end of his Porsche to drift slightly wide at the apex of Turn 7, the corner that takes the cars from the infield section of Daytona International Speedway onto the iconic banking between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval with about seven minutes on the clock. The McLaren drew level on the back stretch and eased in front entering the Le Mans chicane.


 

Heylen, who co-drove with Luca Mars, was unable to pressure Cooper into a mistake in the final three laps, allowing Cooper and Uretsky to claim their first race win in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. It was McLaren’s first win at Daytona since 2021. Additionally, the rebranded team (previously Baby Bull Racing) won on debut with the McLaren, after campaigning the Porsche in previous seasons.


 

“That was a lot of fun,” said Cooper, who also has a Rolex 24 At Daytona win on his résumé (2022, Le Mans Prototype 3 class with Riley). “I drove the previous version of the McLaren, so this felt very familiar. It’s an amazing GT4 car and all the guys did an incredible job.


 

“Moisey ran the first couple stints, way longer than we needed him to, and he handed me over a clean car that I was able to fight with Jan and Billy and take it to the front. Right after I passed Jan, we both just sailed it into (Le Mans) and sailed it into Turn 1 a couple times, using everything up and trying to get away.”


 

Uretsky added, “Cooper brought it home. The Porsche is a fast car, but Cooper was smart about it, and he picked the right moment. I knew once he had the lead, he wasn’t going to give it up.”


 

Heylen, a former GS class champion in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, looked to be in solid shape until Cooper made his charge as the race crept into twilight on Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course.


 

“It’s tough to be this close and then lose it in the last two or three laps,” Heylen said. “Maybe I could have been a bit more aggressive early on, but they were the better car today – it’s as simple as that.”


 

Sam Paley and Jenson Altzman (No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4) finished fourth, while Spencer Pumpelly, Andy Lally, and Thomas Collingwood rallied to claim fifth in the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS.


 

DuPont, Brown Deliver Herta Hyundai Win at Daytona’s ‘Cathedral of Speed’

With five straight drivers’ and six straight Touring Car (TCR) manufacturer championships in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian and Hyundai has had little left to achieve in the category.


 

However, one “white whale” that has eluded the erstwhile dominant force of the class was a win at Daytona International Speedway. At long last Friday, a BHA Hyundai drove into victory lane.


 

Team co-owner Bryan Herta, whose team has won two Indianapolis 500s in addition to all his IMSA accolades, reflected on adding this win at one of North America’s most special racing venues.


 

“This place is amazing and has so much history, so to win here is special,” Herta said. “You know, this place and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are ‘cathedrals of speed’ in our sport. This one has eluded us, so I'm very proud to get it.”


 

Denis Dupont and Preston Brown were the lucky pair who achieved the feat for the team, driving the No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR from ninth to the win and played the better pit strategy game to leapfrog the otherwise pace-setting sister car driven by Bryson Morris and Mark Wilkins.


 

Morris qualified on pole in the No. 33 Hyundai and led a race-high 48 of 109 laps in class, but fell behind the No. 76 car as the race progressed past the final pit stop sequence. Wilkins pushed Dupont hard enough in the finish and made one final passing attempt high in the tri-oval on the final lap, only to come up short by just 0.067 of a second.


 

The win is the second for both Dupont and Brown in Michelin Pilot Challenge action and coincidentally, their second straight four-hour race win in the series. The pair won their first race together at last June’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Four Hours of Mid-Ohio, courtesy of an intentional fuel-saving final stint.


 

“It was a fight,” Dupont said. “(Wilkins) was in the draft, he was fast. I had to close the door sometimes and sometimes we had traffic. He was super close on the finish line, but we held him off.” 


 

Brown added, “It’s about as special as you can get.”


 

Behind the pair of Hyundais, Audi completed the podium with Ryan Eversley and IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship recipient Celso Neto sharing the No. 7 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR.


 

Neto’s podium is the first for such a scholarship recipient in Pilot Challenge and adds to the six achieved by 2023 recipient Courtney Crone in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class in that year’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge.


 

The podium capped an emotional couple of weeks for the Los Angeles-based team, which announced a partnership with the Salvation Army Los Angeles Chapter to aid those affected by the recent Eaton Canyon Fire in Altadena, Calif.


 

Each podium finishing-car dialed in brand new chassis this race, and the Hyundai cars were also adapting to a new front end.


 

The 2025 Michelin Pilot Challenge season resumes on Friday, March 14, at Sebring International Raceway with the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at 2:15 p.m. ET. The first two-hour race of the season will stream live on Peacock. 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Friday, January 24, 2025

Practice 3 Results

Practice 2 Results

Qualifying Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

 

63rd Rolex 24 Preparation Wraps Up Friday in Daytona

Kobayashi Leads Final Practice; Women in Motorsports Summit Details Confirmed and More


 

January 24, 2025

By Holly Cain and Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 3 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The final 60-minute practice session for Saturday’s 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona was perhaps more eventful than anticipated for some.


 

Three notable cars briefly stopped on track – the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06, the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 and No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The Acura pulled off course exiting Turn 3, the Porsche had nose damage on the Daytona International Speedway banking and the Corvette stopped on the backstraight, and only the Corvette stoppage caused a red flag.


 

Kamui Kobayashi was the fastest overall and Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class driver in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R at 1 minute, 36.380 seconds (132.973 mph).


 

Other class leaders were Toby Sowery in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Shane van Gisbergen in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Anthony McIntosh in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).


 

Sowery shares the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA LMP2 07, van Gisbergen is part of the combined No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3 and McIntosh is part of the debuting No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.

 

Women in Motorsports North America 2025 Summit Details Confirmed

 

Racing legend Lyn St. James and a founding member of Women in Motorsports North America along with WIMNA Executive Director Cindy Sisson announced the organization will hold its fifth annual Women with Drive - Driven by Mobil 1 Summit on Dec. 9-10 - returning to the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis for the second straight year in conjunction with the annual PRI show.



WIMNA also officially announced that Mobil 1 will again support the summit and Allison Melangton, Senior Vice President of Penske Entertainment will again serve as the Honorary Chair of the summit, which "brings together motorsports professional, offering new pathways for individuals to explore career opportunities, discuss current industry challenges and provide mentorship and resources.''

 

The annual event has grown exponentially with just less than 200 attending the first summit in 2021 in Nashville to drawing more than 600 people from 40 states and eight countries last year in Indianapolis. Women with Drive has consistently featured major motorsports executives and important figures in the sport - both on-track and corporate behind-the-scenes - speaking and leading panel discussions on a broad range of topics. And, Sisson said that at the most recent summit, nearly half the attendees were at their first WIMNA conference.

 

"We're trying to help grow the industry, it's not just about women," St. James said. "We do title it Women in Motorsports North America but I want to make it really clear it's about men and women coming together to help grow the industry.

 

"We do this because we advance opportunities for women in the industry as well as bringing new women in the industry through our educational activities and connect through all forms of motorsports and then we enable all people to realize, this is really a career. If you are studying, engineering, or you're studying business or finance, there are careers in this industry. It's growing and we want to help it grow by bringing people into it that maybe didn't see it as a career opportunity.''

 

For information about WIMNA or the 2025 Summit, visit womenwithdrivesummit.com

 

Coming Attractions

 

Two special events happened on Friday in Daytona, which IMSA will expand in greater detail in the coming days.

 

To start the day, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University hosted the IMSA Technology Symposium. Panelists representing Microsoft, NASA, AMD, Michelin and IMSA spoke during the program.

 

Later in the afternoon, a panel discussion including Iron Dames drivers and NASA astronauts and other key NASA officials was held in the Daytona International Speedway Drivers Meeting Room. The quartet of Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Karen Gaillard share the No. 83 Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class. This is the lone all-female lineup in the 2025 Rolex 24, and this quartet are four of the seven female drivers in this year’s race (Lilou Wadoux, Sheena Monk and Tati Calderon). 

 

Rockenfeller Turns Back Time with Rolex 24 GTD PRO Pole 

German Wins First IMSA Pole in 19 Years; Skeer Captures Maiden GTD Pole


 

January 23, 2025

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Results

Qualifying


 

Videos

GTD PRO

GTD

Press Conference

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Sports car ace Mike Rockenfeller paced a Ford front row shut-out claiming his first pole position in almost two decades, posting the fastest time Thursday in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) qualifying for Saturday’s Rolex 24 At Daytona, which kicks off the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. 

 

Under blustery, cool conditions, temperatures in the low-50s and a slight rain mist at Daytona International Speedway, the German Rockenfeller turned a fast lap of 1 minute, 45.523 seconds (121.452 mph) in the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3.

 

It was Rockenfeller’s second Motul Pole Award of his IMSA career, and first since 2006 in a Daytona Prototype at Homestead-Miami Speedway. His time Thursday around the iconic 3.56-mile Daytona road course was 0.332 of a second faster than his Ford Multimatic teammate Frederic Vervisch giving Ford a front row sweep for the 15-car GTD PRO class.

 

“This is the biggest race of the year and we want to make sure Ford is proud,” said Rockenfeller, who will share the cockpit with British driver Sebastian Priaulx and 2022 Daytona 500 winner, NASCAR’s Austin Cindric. “It’s a super talented field with many, many good drivers in this category so you really need to push hard.”

 

He said the Ford team – in the make’s second year fielding the Mustang GT3 – focused on earning pole position so the front row sweep was very important. He acknowledged, however, winning pole is very different from racing 24 hours in the perpetually super talented GT field. 

 

“It’s crazy competitive and I would say more competitive from last year for sure, so it’s going to be tough and we saw throughout the sessions, we are clearly good for one lap but we struggle a bit more over a stint with our tire (degradation), so that’s something I’m a bit worried about,” Rockenfeller acknowledged.

 

“But keep the wheels turning, that’s the key – at the end to be there,” he added with a smile.


 

Speaking to the high competition in these production-based GT categories, Thursday afternoon’s qualifying session marked the first time this week the Fords had topped the speed charts in the GTD PRO class.

 

Dan Harper in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO and Alexander Sims in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R were third and fourth quickest followed by Andrea Caldarelli in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 – which paced the class in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test last weekend.

 

Connor Zilisch, the 18-year-old NASCAR phenom and defending Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) Rolex 24 winner, was eighth fastest – less than a second off the GTD PRO class polesitter – in the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R featuring an all-star driver lineup of NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane van Gisbergen, IndyCar’s Scott McLaughlin and former Rolex 24 class winner Ben Keating.


 

Skeer Keeps Wright Rolling with GTD Pole

In the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, Elliott Skeer claimed his first career pole position with a lap of 1 minute, 46.634 seconds (120.187 mph) in the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) – just 0.018 of a second faster than the defending GTD class champion Philip Ellis in the 2024 Rolex 24-winning No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.


 

Skeer and full-season co-driver Adam Adelson won their first IMSA WeatherTech Championship race at the 2024 TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks in Indianapolis, and Adelson swept the new Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) pair of IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge races in a similar Wright Porsche this past weekend.  

 

This year the 15-car GTD PRO class and 22-car GTD class will be separated for the race start and all re-starts in the twice-around-the-clock season opener.

 

Behind Skeer and Ellis, Trent Hindman clocked in third in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Last year’s GTD polesitter Parker Thompson will start fourth in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3. And Franck Perera – a past Rolex 24 GTD winner who led several practice sessions in last weekend’s Roar Before the 24 – was fifth fastest in the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.

 

The top 15 GTD qualifiers were within one second of Skeer’s pole-winning Mercedes.

 

“Definitely with the new rules this year on splitting the GTD and GTD PRO will be interesting for us,” Skeer said. “It minimizes clean air, so we’ll be spending a lot more time in dirty air especially come restarts which we know there’s going to be a fair bit of it in this race. 

 

“A clean air, out on your own, qualifying run is one thing but then in the midst of what’s going to be an incredible battle throughout the day, that’s going to be a whole new thing. There’s still going to be so many things to learn, not just on the power side, but battling in aero, with some new drivers. There’s a lot to happen in a day’s worth of racing here.’’


 

The field will take the green flag for the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona on Saturday at 1:40 p.m. The first hour of the race will be broadcast on NBC, shifting to USA Network for four hours, before returning to NBC for the finish. Flag-to-flag coverage is available on Peacock.

BMW Powers to Maiden GTP Pole for 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

Vanthoor Scores First IMSA Pole; Goldburg Ends Keating’s Rolex 24 LMP2 Pole Streak


 

January 23, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Results

Qualifying


 

Videos

GTP

LMP2

Press Conference

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A tough start turned into a strong finish for BMW M Team RLL in qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the opening round of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.


 

The No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 driven by Sheldon van der Linde caused a red flag when it stalled on track less than five minutes into the 15-minute Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class qualifying session. But Dries Vanthoor saved the day as he drove the team’s No. 24 entry to the GTP and overall pole for Saturday’s 24-hour contest.


 

BMW was extremely competitive in the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 test sessions, with Vanthoor setting the fastest overall time. The 26-year-old Belgian, who is embarking on his first full season of IMSA competition, repeated that form when it counted in qualifying.


 

It was Vanthoor’s first IMSA Motul Pole Award and also the first for BMW within GTP, as the manufacturer enters its third year in the new class. With the stoppage for the stalled No. 25 BMW, he and the other GTP contestants had time for only two flying laps. The younger Vanthoor brother (older brother Laurens is the endurance driver in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963) will share the polesitting No. 24 BMW with full-season co-driver Philipp Eng, Formula 1 veteran Kevin Magnussen and Raffaele Marciello.


 

“For sure it wasn’t easy with the red flag,” said Vanthoor, whose Motul Pole Award winning lap was timed at 1 minute, 33.895 seconds (136.493 mph). “It makes tire warming a bit more difficult for everyone. That was a big struggle for us last year, but we have been improving a lot. Then it was just about getting the lap together and trying to do the best that I could. That worked out, luckily, so I am very happy.


 

“We’ve been working hard,” he added. “It’s nice to see that it’s working for everyone here, and also everyone back at the factory. I think everybody can be happy and proud of that, but (the pole) is a little cherry on a big cake and there’s still a big thing still to happen. That’s the race, and that can go any way.”  


 

Nick Yelloly qualified the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 on the outside of the front row in Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian’s return to IMSA competition after a year off at 1:34.186 (136.071 mph). Defending GTP class champion Felipe Nasr was third in the No. 7 Penske Porsche (1:34.280, 135.935 mph).


 

Qualifying was staged in difficult, cold conditions, with wind chills at Daytona in the low 40s ambient, and track temperatures not much warmer. Vanthoor wore a heavy parka and ski cap when he met the media after qualifying.


 

“It’s a bit cold in the car, but when you come out you’re sweating a lot,” he remarked. “You can get sick easily, and that would be the last thing we need going into a 24-hour race.”


 

LMP2: United Autosports Dominates as Goldburg Breaks Through

United Autosports USA dominated Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona, with Daniel Goldburg and Nick Boulle securing first and third on the grid for the team co-owned by McLaren Formula 1 team principal Zak Brown and Richard Dean.


 

It’s Goldburg’s second career Motul Pole Award in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition, and first since Road America in August 2021 in the former Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class.


 

Additionally, Goldburg’s lap ended Ben Keating’s run of five straight pole positions achieved at the Rolex 24 through either traditional qualifying or the Motul Pole Award 100 qualifying race, which ran for two years.


 

Bronze-rated drivers qualify in LMP2 and while Goldburg came close to pole several times in 2024, he came up short with four second-place efforts and seven top-five efforts in as many races.


 

“This is our moment to stack up against each other in the Bronze category,” Goldburg said after a pole-winning lap timed at 1 minute, 38.676 seconds (129.879 mph). “I’m super excited. I’ve been chasing this pole for all of the last year, and been a couple tenths off a bunch of times. That pole was elusive for me. So, this feels really good. I’ve been putting in a ton of work.


 

“It’s a long race ahead, but this is a great first notch,” continued Goldburg, who shares the No. 22 ORECA LMP2 07 this week with Paul di Resta, Rasmus Lindh and 2023 LMP2 Rolex 24 winner James Allen. “I’ve got great teammates and have been able to compare a lot of great data. I’m just inching closer and closer to what they do. After every session, I watch the video and chase the data and just trying to keep inching closer.”


 

Two-time IMSA LMP2 class champion Keating split his former team, United Autosports, in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 and will start on the outside of the front row.


 

Nick Boulle, who co-drove with Tom Dillmann to the IMSA LMP2 championship last year, will make his first start for United Autosports in the No. 2 ORECA from third place as he contests all Michelin Endurance Cup rounds of the WeatherTech Championship.


 

The field will take the green flag for the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona on Saturday at 1:40 p.m. The first hour of the race will be broadcast on NBC, shifting to USA Network for four hours, before returning to NBC for the finish. Flag-to-flag coverage is available on Peacock.

Qualifying Results | WeatherTech Championship

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Thursday, January 23, 2025

Qualifying Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Thursday, January 23, 2025

Practice 2 Results

Qualifying Results

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona

Post-Qualifying Press Conference Transcript

Interviews with Elliott Skeer, Mike Rockenfeller, Daniel Goldburg and Dries Vanthoor

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We are pleased to be joined by our Motul Pole Award winners for three of the four classes here at the 63rd Rolex 24 at Daytona. We will start to your left with the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R, Elliott Skeer.

Elliott's best lap was 1:46.634 seconds. This is his first career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

He and his teammates won their first race, first WeatherTech Championship race last September at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The top 16 qualifiers in GTD qualified within a second of Elliott's time.

Elliott, congratulations on the pole. What made the difference in that session and how important is it for you and the team to be starting up front for this race?


 

ELLIOTT SKEER: Thank you. It's quite a special feeling. Obviously for a 24-hour race it's not the most important pole of the year in terms of position, but for morale, for having new systems in the car, a whole new engineering philosophy needed to get performance out of these cars, the torque sensors.

It just helps us show that the way we're going about it we think is working for us. So ultimately as the driver now, you're not only dealing with the car but with the torque, we're flying back to the engineers, they're making adjustments as well.

There's so much going on, so it really takes a cohesive team not only to get one lap going, but a full stint going. We still don't know how it's going to race, and that's the big question here.

Ultimately for the first goal of the weekend we checked the box and just everything went right with it, got a little draft, and ultimately just had enough to get it at the end.


 

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Elliott. Let's slide over to the center in the GTD Pro pole award winner in the No. 64 Ford Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3, Mike Rockenfeller. Mike's best lap was 1:45.523 seconds. This is his second IMSA championship level pole position; first since the GRAND-AM Rolex Series at Homestead-Miami Speedway on March 25, 2006, when he was on the pole in the Daytona Prototype class and overall.

This is his second pole position for the Mustang GT3 in the WeatherTech Championship. First was Gianmarco Levorato in the GTD class at Virginia International Raceway last August.

This is the first GTD Pro pole for Ford. The team swept the first two positions in GTD pole qualifying. It's been a long time coming since the last pole. Do you remember that pole, and what does it mean for you to get up front here today?


 

MIKE ROCKENFELLER: Yeah, I don't remember that pole, to be fair. But yes, it's obviously a great day. I think you said it right at the end. It's one thing you would like to get, but really the race on Sunday is what we all want to win.

It doesn't mean a whole lot for the race, but for us as a team with Ford in the second year now with the Mustang, I think it's a great achievement.

We really focused on that. It was something we wanted to get, as well, even though we all know it's not that important for the race, but still, it's important for our team, for our program.

We really prepared for it. The car was fantastic to drive, as you can imagine, to do those laps. Yeah, I could really push it.

I think the big difference was I don't know why nobody did it, but I did this kind of heat soak. So I went back in the pits right after my out lap and I was waiting just the brake temps that they get into the tire. And then it's so cold that it gave me a lot more grip.

You could see it to the sister car, as well, and I think that was a good decision and it worked out. That's why we're on pole.

We will enjoy it until we go racing.


 

THE MODERATOR: We'll slide over to your right in the LMP2 class pole award winner, No. 22 United Autosports Oreca LMP2 Daniel Goldburg. His best lap was 1:38.676. This is his second career IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole, first since 2021, August of 2021 at Road America in the LMP3 class. Daniel snapped a run of five consecutive Rolex 24 pole positions by Ben Keating.

Congratulations. Very hard-fought session. A lot of different drivers changing position there at the top. How did you pull it off?


 

DANIEL GOLDBURG: It's been a lot of work with the team. Last year was our first year together and I was close a few times, a couple tenths away. The pole was elusive for me, and this year just worked a lot in the off-season on myself and worked really hard with the team. I got a lot of great co-drivers that I get to chase their data, their video, and try to inch closer and closer.

I will say our engineers were watching the GTD Pro session and took a little cue and we came in and, let the warm brakes heat up my tires a little better, so thanks for that.

It feels really good. I've been chasing this for the whole season, and really excited.


 

Q. If you could size up the field a little bit, there have been different makes up front, even through the Roar, different ones. As you acknowledge it's important to start there, but this is a very competitive field.


 

MIKE ROCKENFELLER: Yeah, I mean, it's crazy competitive, and I would say more competitive than last year for sure. It's going to be tough, and I think we saw throughout the sessions that we are clearly good on one lap. I think we struggle a bit more over a stint with our tire deg.

That's something I'm a bit worried about, and if you see in qually, it's always the tire kind of over -- yeah, it over comes the issues you have a bit, and that's why I said, the way we treated it for qually I think was really good and spot on, and that gave us an advantage, but that is not valid for the race.

Being in the race is a whole different story, and you will see we will have to fight a lot, and that's good. It's 24 hours; everybody should have a good chance here. You don't make mistakes, you stay out of the pits and you keep the wheels turning, I think that's the key at the end to be there, and then we see Sunday, three, four hours to go if we have a shot or not.


 

Q. Question for Elliott. As you probably know, the combined classification is separate for the classes. How's is going to be like, you're not going to be in the midst of GTD Pro cars, you're going to the in the field?


 

ELLIOTT SKEER: Yeah, it's definitely with the new rules this year on the GT to GTD Pro will be interesting for us especially. It minimizes clean air, so we're going to be spending a lot more time in dirty air, especially come restarts, which we know there's going to be obviously a fair bit of in this race.

Yeah, clean air on your own qualifying run is one thing, but then in the midst of what is going to be an incredible battle for an entire day, that's going to be a whole new thing. So there is still so many things to learn, not just power side, but in battling in aero with some new drivers. There's a lot to happen in a day's worth of racing here.

Who knows, right? Some of the guys you might pass a couple laps before on a restart are ahead of you again. They had to deal with it last year; we're dealing with it this year. We'll see where it evolves to. It does make it a little nicer, though, in terms of the guys around you are most likely poor position, so it does clean up a little bit of that, but ultimately we need to go racing and see how it performs.


 

Q. You came close so many times in the last year and now you've finally broken through and done it. What's the dominant emotion? Is it pride, satisfaction, maybe just relief?


 

DANIEL GOLDBURG: I'll say satisfaction. I've been really working for this. The guys have said it; it doesn't mean as much for this race, but especially in our class that stacks up the bronzes against each other, definitely everyone feels good.


 

Q. Daniel, that was a close session for the bronze drivers. How tough is it to be on top of that tree?


 

DANIEL GOLDBURG: Yeah, it's very, very competitive. That's how bronze is. Last year most qualifyings were within a few tenths. It's extremely competitive. We all work really hard on our craft, as well, just like all the other drivers out here. It's gotten quite competitive, in particular last year.


 

THE MODERATOR: We now have our overall and GTP class Motul Pole Award winner in the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V-8, Dries Vanthoor. His best lap was 1:33.895 seconds.

This is his first career WeatherTech Sports Car championship pole position and the first GTP pole for the BMW M Hybrid V-8. Dries, congratulations. Obviously the session came together late as far as the quick times right at the very end. Tell us about what you had to do to bring home a pole.


 

DRIES VANTHOOR: Yeah, for sure it wasn't easy with the red flag. It made tire warming a bit more difficult for everyone, I guess. Yeah, I think we've been improving on that quite a lot, especially over the last year, which has been a big struggle point for us last year.

But it seems it was working out today, and then it was just all about getting the lap together and trying to do the best that I could, and that worked out luckily. Yeah, very happy.


 

Q. You're wearing a winter coat and stocking hat. Is it cold in the car?


 

DRIES VANTHOOR: Yeah, a bit cold. I also get cold -- it's getting a bit on me, so I need to make sure it doesn't go too much. It's a long race to go, so I have to stay fresh, but especially when you come out, when you're sweating, when it's that cold you get sick easily, so I don't want to get sick. That's the last thing that would be nice going into a 24-hour race.


 

Q. Dries, obviously last weekend your cars were quick the entire Roar. Do you feel like this validates that performance from last week, as well?


 

DRIES VANTHOOR: Well, yeah. I guess you could say so. Last week we were also looking strong, and we are again looking strong. We've been working hard, and I think it's nice to see for everyone here and also working back at the factory and everywhere that it's working, and I think everybody can be happy and proud of that.

But again, it's a little cherry on a big cake, so there's still a big thing still to happen, and that's the race, and this can go any way. It's a long ways to go.


 

Q. Have you learned the reason why the other cars stopped, and did that cause you any concern during the red flag?


 

DRIES VANTHOOR: You mean what caused the red flag?


 

Q. Yeah.


 

DRIES VANTHOOR: Yeah, no, I did not know the exact reason what happened to them. Unfortunately they couldn't continue the session. But no, I do not know the exact reason why they stopped.

 

Practice Results | WeatherTech Championship

Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway - Thursday, January 23, 2025

Practice 1 Results


 

Additional results are available at results.imsa.com.

Catalano, Adelson, Porto Sweep VP Racing Challenge Races in Daytona

Wet Sunday Race Provides Plenty of Drama, But Same Trio of Winners


 

January 19, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race 2 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The weather changed for Sunday’s second IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge 45-minute race at Daytona International Speedway. However, the winners in all three categories did not, as each driver showcased their skills in drastically different conditions.


 

After racing under sunny and warm skies on Saturday, dark and wet conditions greeted the field Sunday as teams ran on Michelin wet-weather tires. Each of the winners, Valentino Catalano in Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) and overall, Adam Adelson in Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) and Kiko Porto in Grand Sport X (GSX) met the moment as the race evolved on a drying track. 

 

Catalano Controls P3 Competition


 

Driving the No. 30 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, Catalano led all but one of the 21 laps from pole as the track slowly dried out. The only time he wasn’t out front came after a restart when Brian Thienes, in the No. 77 Forte Racing Ligier JS P320, got the jump on the tri-oval on Lap 8. Catalano quickly repassed him on the outside one lap later and never looked back, leading the team’s second 1-2 finish in as many races to start the year.


 

“I was the first guy who went in these conditions, so it was really tricky,” Catalano said. “I went calmly in the beginning, saw I could off a gap and saw some guys make mistakes. The conditions were difficult, but it worked out for me, so I’m happy. 


 

“It was damp, but not completely wet, so the tires were hot and therefore I got less and less grip. So, it was just driving smoothly and trying out the lines.” 


 

Teammate Markus Pommer, in the No. 31 Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports Duqueine D08, finished second only 2.273 seconds in arrears. Despite going off course a couple of times, he managed to keep going without damage or losing too much time. 


 

Jonathan Woolridge was third in the No. 54 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320 with Thienes fourth among P3 cars and the top Bronze-rated finisher. 


 

Adelson Adds Second Straight GTDX Class Debut

In GTDX, Adelson’s No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) was again the class of the field. After winning by more than 30 seconds in the dry on Saturday, Adelson’s winning margin was a nearly equivalent 26.324 seconds on Sunday. 


 

Like Catalano in GTDX, he only lost the lead on Lap 8 as Kyle Washington powered past in his similar Porsche, before Adelson regained the top spot into the Le Mans Chicane on the inside of Lap 9. 


 

“You're trying to feel the grip on the out laps, trying to learn what it's like out there and what you can or can’t get away with,” Adelson said. “I think I came under threat a bit just because I was struggling a bit with the P3 cars at the start. But they don't have (traction control) or ABS, so they're rightfully more cautious and because we're heavier, we can also get our tires up (to temperature) more quickly. Hoping to be back here a third time to step onto the podium when it matters the most!”


 

Af Corse teammates Matias Perez Companc and AJ Muss in their Nos. 50 and 66 Ferrari 296 GT3 cars completed the GTDX podium, with Muss starting first in class. Washington, in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche, ended fourth among GTDX cars and was the top Bronze-rated driver ahead of Samantha Tan, who was second in Bronze for the second straight day in her No. 38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT3. 


 

Porto Pushes Past Penalty for GSX Encore

Multiple drivers saw their races go awry Saturday when assessed a 10-second time penalty by IMSA officials for a false start, improperly changing lanes and starting from the wrong column. Porto got the same penalty as those drivers on Sunday but avoided the same setback result.


 

Driving the No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, Porto took the lead on Lap 4, briefly lost it on Lap 8 to his Saturday sparring partner Steven Clemons (No. 76 BSI Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2), then regained it on Lap 9 before working to set sail on his rivals. Running laps two to three seconds faster a lap, Porto was able to bank the gap to an eventual 21.283 second margin, which was enough to offset the 10-second penalty applied post-race.


 

“Once I heard what was happening, I knew I needed to go through the field as fast as possible and open a gap, and then another yellow came,” Porto said. 


 

“My restart was not very good. I had some cars to pass, I got it done, and then it was difficult for me to open the gap. There’s GT3 and LMP3 cars around, so I was seeing how to be fast without taking too much risk and not compromise. Thankfully this Toyota Supra was one of the best cars I’ve ever had in my career.” 


 

Jackson Lee drove through the field to second in the No. 2 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS while Porto’s RAFA Racing teammate, Ian Porter in the No. 68 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO1, finished third in GSX and first among Bronze-rated drivers. 


 

The VP Racing SportsCar Challenge resumes with Rounds 3 and 4 of the season as part of the NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, February 28 through March 1, 2025.

 

 

Roar Wrap-Up: Privateer Porsches Lead Final Day 

Proton, JDC-Miller Porsche 963 Cars Make Waves on a Wet Sunday in Daytona


 

January 19, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 5 Results

Practice 6 Results

Practice 7 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Inclement weather failed to put a damper on the final day of IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship testing at the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway.


 

While the factory Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963s remained in the Daytona International Speedway garages during a rainy one-hour concluding session for the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, the two customer 963s fielded by Proton Competition and JDC-Miller MotorSports topped the timing screens.


 

Neel Jani posted the day’s best lap of 1 minute, 45.433 seconds (121.556 miles per hour) in Proton’s No. 5 Porsche, just surpassing Gianmaria Bruni’s 1:45.879 (121.044 mph) in JDC-Miller’s similar No. 85 car.

Jack Aitken filled out the top three in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, while Sheldon van der Linde continued BMW’s impressive form in the lead-up to next weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona by logging the fourth-best time in the wet conditions.


 

Jani’s lap was almost exactly 10 seconds off the fastest lap of the three-day Roar test, a 1:35.424 (134.306 mph) effort turned in on Friday afternoon by Dries Vanthoor in the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8.


 

Forty-one of the 61 cars entered for next weekend’s twice-around-the-clock contest turned laps Sunday in a 60-minute session that was delayed more than two hours when a thunderstorm brought track activity to a halt.


 

“We decided to drive because we have not had any experience yet in Daytona in the wet with that car,” said Jani, a 41-year-old from Switzerland. “We were trying it out and gathering data to see how the tire develops and how tire pressures develop, especially on the banking.


 

“In the beginning it was a bit drier and there were some dry patches in the (Le Mans) chicane, but afterwards the conditions got worse,” he added. “But it was a very interesting session for us, just in terms of learning in the various conditions. Next week, it looks like on qualifying day it could be wet; this way we already have a bit of experience.”


 

The wet track contributed to a handful of spins in Turn 1, but there were no crashes as drivers took care to not damage their cars prior to race weekend.


 

“When there is no standing water, there is actually good grip because there is not a lot of rubber down,” Jani said. “But when it rains a lot, there’s a big danger of aquaplaning. Turn 1 is definitely a tricky one, because if you cross the rubber line, it’s very slippery. And Turn 1 has a lot of rubber everywhere! So you have to find that two-meter gap somewhere in that line that has the grip. As soon as you miss that line, it gets fairly tricky.”


 

Paul Di Resta (No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07) paced the 10 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) entries that elected to practice in the wet. His 1:49.870 lap works out to a 116.647 mph average and was 0.6 second up on Mikkel Jensen in the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA.


 

Ollie Millroy in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 was fastest among all Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class competitors at 1:57.033 (109.507 mph). The fastest GTD PRO entry was the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, with Alexander Sims clocking 1:57.672 (108.913 mph).


 

In continued damp but improving conditions later Saturday afternoon, the seventh and final session of the weekend was reserved for Bronze-rated drivers. That produced a handful of off-course excursions but nothing major.


 

Dan Goldberg led LMP2 in the seventh session in the aforementioned No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA, with a best time of 1 minute, 40.613 seconds (127.379 mph), which was ultimately the fastest lap of the day.


 

Anthony McIntosh (No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo) led GTD at 1:48.459 (118.164 mph) and Kenny Habul (No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3) led GTD PRO at 1:48.756 (117.841 mph).


 

The field for the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona will be set on Thursday, January 23, prior to the race on Saturday, January 25. NBC television coverage starts at 1:30 p.m. ET.

 

 

 

Catalano Kicks Off VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Season on Top in Daytona

Adelson Wins GTDX Class Debut; Porto Snares Last-Lap GSX Win


 

January 18, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Race 1 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Two of the three IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge winners to kick off the 2025 season dominated at Daytona International Speedway. The third, however, captured a surprising victory on the last lap of the 45-minute race.


 

Valentino Catalano won overall with an authoritative drive in the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) class after a race-long battle with teammate Markus Pommer.


 

Adam Adelson, in the first of his three races at Daytona this month – he’ll also compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona with Wright Motorsports – started things off strongly with a flag-to-flag victory in the debut of the new Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) class, GT3-specification cars now entered in VP Racing Challenge.


 

Kiko Porto, meanwhile, dominated the weekend pace-wise in Grand Sport X (GSX) but only captured the race win on the last lap when his closest rival, Steven Clemons, slowed unexpectedly from the lead.

 

Catalano Emerges on Top from Gebhardt Battle


 

Gebhardt Intralogistics Motorsports made its podium debut to cap off the 2024 season at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with drivers Catalano, in the No. 30 Duqueine D08, and Pommer, in the No. 31 Duqueine D08. They backed up that solid debut outing last year in Daytona this weekend.


 

From pole, Catalano led a majority of the race – only briefly losing the lead to his teammate on an exchange for one of the 26 laps – and resumed out front to secure the win by 1.071 seconds over Pommer.


 

Pommer, however, finished second on the road but third in the race results after he was given a 10-second penalty for a false start at the green flag for changing columns.

 

“I thought it was pretty smooth, I would say,” Catalano said. “I knew it was a long race, so I didn't push that much. I created a bit of a gap and could hold it quite good. At some point, I heard that Markus got a penalty and then I was just managing my tires and I didn't take any risks. I was just driving smooth and slow to get it home. and it worked out, so I'm really happy about that.”


 

That promoted Brady Golan to second in his No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier JS P320. Golan, too, had a penalty – but his was pre-race after missing the pre-grid time which forced him to start from the rear of the P3 class field. Undeterred, the teenager gained four positions on the first lap to an eventual third place, which became second, 5.503 seconds in arrears, once Pommer’s penalty was applied.


 

Fourth on the road and the top-rated Bronze driver in class was Mirco Schultis, in the No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier JS P320. IMSA introduced a Bronze Cup podium this race to award trophies to all of the top-three Bronze-rated finishers in each of the three classes.

 

Adelson Leads Flag-to-Flag in GTDX Class Debut

The debut of the GTDX class within VP Racing Challenge was largely uneventful. After starting from pole, Adelson led all 26 laps in the No. 24 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with a 30.236-second margin of victory.


 

“I knew where we were going to get our tire temperature up way more quickly than the LMP3 cars on the start, so for me it was about making sure if I was faster than any of them to get by,” Adelson said. “Thankfully I successfully did so and that really helped me build a gap.


 

“It's absolutely incredible,” he added about winning the GTDX class debut. “Believe it or not, even just the addition of the torque sensors on the WeatherTech car, makes it so you have to drive it quite differently. Regardless, any track time is good track time. It’s the first time GTDX is running with VP Challenge, so it's an honor to be here and win that inaugural race.”


 

While Adelson enjoyed a simple drive, the battle behind him was intense among three Ferrari 296 GT3 cars and a single BMW M4 GT3.


 

Like Golan in P3, AJ Muss in GTDX had a mission to complete from a pre-race penalty. The driver of the No. 66 Af Corse Ferrari qualified fastest but had all his times disallowed for exiting the car during qualifying, which dropped him to the rear of the eight-car GTDX grid.


 

From there, the snowboarder-turned-driver was on a charge and rose to second ahead of teammate Matias Perez Companc in the No. 50 Af Corse Ferrari.


 

Those two ended just ahead of the top-rated Bronze driver in GTDX, Dave Musial (the father of the father-son Musial pairing) in the No. 99 Conquest Racing Ferrari. His margin over fellow series debutante Samantha Tan, in the No. 38 ST Racing BMW, was just 0.241 of a second.

 

Porto Secures Surprise GSX Win on Final Lap

A race-long battle between a pair of Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 cars, Porto in the No. 8 RAFA Racing entry and Steven Clemons in the No. 76 BSI Racing entry, ended when Clemons’ car slowed entering NASCAR Turns 3 and 4 of the Daytona International Speedway oval, and Porto flew past.


 

“We started strong at the beginning but then started losing so much pace,” Porto explained. “The other Toyota was faster; he was going to pass me anyway and I was just trying to survive.


 

“Then when I saw it, they were just slowing down in the last corner and I was like, I don't know what happened. I don't know if they had a mechanical or if they risk too much in the field, I don't know. But I was like, okay, I'm not lifting anymore and things gotta happen.”


 

Gregory Liefooghe was second in the No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4, 11.015 seconds behind Porto but only 0.059 of a second ahead of Patrick Wilmot, in the No. 12 Swish Motorsports BMW M4 GT4. Wilmot concluded a late deal to drive with Swish owner Michael Dayton’s team for Daytona after a small fundraising effort and said he hopes to continue into the second event of the year at Circuit of The Americas.


 

Bronze Cup also had a late change in this class. Ian Porter (No. 68 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO1) was out front for most before stopping off course. Rob Walker (No. 53 Kingpin Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2) emerged as top Bronze in GSX, fifth in class.


 

The second 45-minute race of the weekend is at 1:20 p.m. ET on Sunday, streaming live on Peacock in the U.S. and on YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial outside the U.S. 

 

 

 

BMW, Lamborghini Maintain GTP, GT Pace on Day 2 of Roar Test 

Van der Linde, Perera Fastest Drivers Before Saturday Night Practice in Daytona


 

January 18, 2025

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 3 Results Practice 4 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - So far, the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24 practice sessions have featured BMW dominating the speed charts during the opening two days of action at Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course. 


 

The German brand set fast time in both of Saturday’s early Rolex 24 At Daytona practice sessions with the two BMW M Team RLL sister cars ultimately sweeping the first two positions on the speed charts. 

 

While 25-year-old Sheldon van der Linde – who claimed the day’s overall fast lap of 1:36.196 in the No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 on Saturday afternoon – was clearly pleased with the team’s effort and what that may mean for next weekend’s iconic Rolex 24 race, the South African cautioned that some competitors had been careful not to show their hand yet.

 

He was encouraged, however, by the obvious progress his manufacturer and team have made in the last two years competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

 

“It’s obviously positive to see that all the hard work we’ve done over the winter this year and through the WEC season last year, we’ve learned a lot, and we’re trying to translate that into America obviously,” said van der Linde, an FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) veteran who will drive full-time in IMSA’s Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class for the first time this season.

 

“It’s only the Roar and we know a lot of people are sandbagging quite a lot,” he said. “It’s quite clear in the GTD class as well, but for sure, a good way to start the weekend and the car feels good so that’s positive.

 

“It’s hard to say what we expected because we didn’t really know where we’d be coming into the Roar. Like I said, everyone is doing something different with their program. So, in the end, it’s very hard to know where we are, but we expected to be a lot stronger than last year and I think that alone really, really shows this year.”

 

Overall Saturday, it was smooth running on track– temperatures in the low 70s under mostly cloudy skies – with only a single incident in the two practice sessions – the No. 22 United Autosports USA LMP2 contacted the tire barrier outside the chicane on the backstretch during the afternoon session.

 

Although there were no “instances” for accidents during the morning one hour, 45-minute practice, it was slowed twice – a quick yellow for a debris on track and an 11-minute pause to allow the field to practice the new split category restarts for the upcoming race. This season, before restarts, all four classes will be divided on track by category, including a new-for-2025 class split of the GTD PRO and GTD cars. 

 

The general feeling was that the split went better than expected, happening quickly and without incident – even with a full 37-car count among the GTD entries (15 GTD PRO and 22 GTD).

 

“That worked fine,” said IndyCar’s Scott McLaughlin, who is teaming with NASCAR stars Shane Van Gisbergen and Connor Zilisch and former Rolex winner Ben Keating in the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport GTD PRO class Corvette Z06 GT3.R for the Rolex 24.

 

“It was quick, more just getting the pack up. It was pretty solid. I don’t think there’s much of a difference.’’

 

Franck Perera, who set fast time (1:48.036) in the GTD class Saturday morning driving the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, was among the drivers who cautioned with the changing weather conditions both expected for Sunday (rain) and next week’s race (cooler temperatures). 

 

“For sure it is positive when it is going the way you want,” said Perera, a past Rolex 24 class winner. He noted “each session is a test and there’s still practice, and I think the weather will be tricky the next couple days.’’

 

Felipe Fraga took fast time in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with a lap of 1:40.108 in the No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07. Andrea Caldarelli was quickest in both sessions in the GTD PRO Class with a fast lap of 1:48.049 in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 during the afternoon practice.

 

A two-hour night practice session is scheduled for Saturday followed by two final day sessions for WeatherTech Championship cars on Sunday. Qualifying for the Rolex 24 At Daytona is slated for next Thursday. The historic twice-around-the-clock race gets the green flag Saturday at 1:40 p.m. ET – and will be televised on NBC.

 

 

 

 

 

BMW Tops First Day of Roar Testing 

Pfaff, Lamborghini Relationship Starts with Practice Pace


 

January 17, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 1 Results Practice 2 Results

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –

The 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship got underway Friday on a crisp winter day at Daytona International Speedway. Sixty-one competitors took to the 3.56-mile road course under sunny skies for the first of three days of Roar Before the Rolex 24 testing in the lead-up to the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona next weekend.


 

BMW M Team RLL had plenty to celebrate at the end of the first day of the new campaign. Dries Vanthoor set the day’s benchmark time in the early stages of the two-hour afternoon session, clocking 1 minute, 35.424 seconds (134.306 mph) in the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8, with Sheldon van der Linde running fourth in the identical No. 25 entry at 1:36.093 (132.936 mph).


 

“It’s a shame it’s not Sunday evening in one week’s time,” joked the younger Vanthoor brother (older brother Laurens is in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963), referring to the finish of the upcoming 24-hour race.


 

“This is not the most important session of the weekend or the race, but it’s good to know that it’s looking good and the steps we’ve done since last year and the evolution we have been working on since we started the project is looking better.


 

“The guys back at the factory have been working flat out since the finish of the last season,” he added. “We are still far from being there, but it’s thanks to them that it’s all improving. We’ve been testing a lot a trying to improve our issues, so let’s see next week if they pay off or not. That will show if all the work we did was for nothing, or for victory, maybe.”


 

Tom Blomqvist marked his full-time return to IMSA by setting the fastest time in the 75-minute opening session in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 with a lap of 1:35.827 (133.741 mph). The BMWs were impressive from the jump, with the No. 25 and 24 cars ranking second and fourth respectively in the morning.


 

“I think the first session the track was quite green, quite dirty, so grip was not the highest,” Vanthoor said. “I think we will really feel the grip building up to the race next week. It’s always cool to go back on the banking at the beginning of the year, so it was quite fun.”


 

A pair of GTP teams encountered issues that affected their day. The No. 63 Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse Lamborghini SC63 completed only five laps in the morning session, while the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 stopped on track less than 10 minutes into the afternoon practice with a hybrid system abnormality and was returned to the garage on a flatbed truck.


 

Lamborghini rebounded in the afternoon, with Romain Grosjean setting the third best time at 1:36.041 (133.433 mph).


 

The No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07 competing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class also caused a brief red flag late in the afternoon session when Bijoy Garg stalled on the course. Malthe Jakobsen (No. 04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07) was fastest overall Friday in LMP2, clocking 1:38.673 (129.883 mph) in Session 1.


 

The new relationship between Lamborghini and Pfaff Motorsports got off to a fast start as Andrea Caldarelli topped the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. Caldarelli’s 1:47.626 (119.079 mph) lap early in the morning session in the No. 9 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 was 0.149 second quicker than the best effort in the afternoon, set by defending GTD PRO champion Laurin Heinrich managed in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).


 

Pfaff fielded a Porsche to win the 2022 IMSA GTD PRO championship before campaigning a McLaren in 2024.


 

“This was for sure a late program, to come together, but the guys honestly did a really amazing job,” said Caldarelli, a Lamborghini factory driver. “These are not just words I am saying. I know how hard it is to put together a car, and this is probably not the easiest car to work on at the beginning. We didn’t have any major issues, and I was really positively impressed. This is definitely a good start to the year.”


 

Rahel Frey, in the No. 83 Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), was quickest among the 22 GTD class competitors, circulating Daytona in 1:48.084 in Session 1.


 

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge also staged a pair of test sessions Friday. Ford Mustang GT4s set the Grand Sport (GS) class pace in each, with Marco Signoretti (No. 60 KOHR Motorsports) clocking the best lap of the day in the morning at 1:53.191 (113.224 mph) and Jenson Altzman (No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with AEROSPORT) fastest in the afternoon. The No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR led both sessions in Touring Car (TCR), with Karl Wittmer driving in the morning and LP Montour in the afternoon.


 

The Roar Before the Rolex 24 continues into the night at DIS Saturday and wraps up Sunday, with qualifying for the Rolex 24 set for Thursday, January 23. Television coverage for the Rolex 24 At Daytona starts Saturday, January 25 at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC.


 
 

 

Collaboration Driven by Dreams: Iron Dames, NASA Women Unite in Daytona 

Inspiration, Career Stories Fill the Room between Women Drivers and Directors


 

February 3, 2025

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -

Not only did the large driver meeting room at the Daytona International Speedway fill up quickly on Friday afternoon during the Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend, but also, the good vibes and enthusiastic mood was unmistakable. High schoolers, college students, race team members, media and fans made their way to hear some of NASA’s most talented and accomplished women join some of auto racing’s most talented and accomplished women talk about their lives and their careers.

 

NASA’s three women present were Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, the launch director for NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program, Jennifer Kunz, acting deputy director for NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center (an hour south of the track) and astronaut Susan Kilrain, a two-time space shuttle pilot.


 

They shared the stage with Iron Dames drivers Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Rahel Frey, who would go on to finish eighth with fourth driver Karen Gaillard in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class over the weekend in their No. 83 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).

 

The crowd attending the “The Women Behind Race Cars and Rockets” panel on the afternoon before the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s season-opening green flag – notably a room of both men and women – was rapt with attention listening to the background stories, the successes, the dreams and the lessons these six women shared. It was impossible not to be equal parts awed and inspired.

“Breaking Barriers in Male-Dominated Fields” was the subject matter and the parallels between decorated careers dedicated to space exploration and renowned careers dedicated to motorsports were more common than you may have thought.

 

They shared some interesting stories most in the room could only dream of directly relating to – comparing the G-forces Kilrain experienced on space shuttle launch liftoffs to what the drivers all experience in a race. But more importantly, they shared stories everyone in the room could relate to – of believing in yourself and never letting gender deter your dreams even in the kind of male-dominated fields these women have spent their lives succeeding in.

 

“One of the great things about being at NASA is, they never talked about us being women. Ever,” Kilrain said.

 

“I never felt singled out in any way. Only the media brought up the fact I was a woman. Outside of that, it didn’t matter. The spaceship doesn’t know the gender of the person sitting in the pilot seat. So, it was not even brought up.”

 

Gatting nodded and recalled a conversation with a male journalist only days earlier asking if it was “more difficult” competing in races because she was a woman.

 

“No, it is not,” Gatting assured to the delight of the crowd.

 

“I fully agree (with Kilrain). I always say to the media, that when we put our helmet on, we are not a man or woman. We are race drivers, like any of the others on track. This is very important. I know when I am in the car, I don’t feel any pressure. That’s more coming from outside.”

 

In the case of all these women, it seems their sense of “why-not” was established early on. Blackwell-Thompson recalled a high school science teacher whose greatest contribution to her education may have been his belief in her “can-do” than a specific science lesson she mastered. While contemplating what she would study in college, this teacher had some advice that impacted her long after her schooling was done.

 

“I asked him, ‘What could I do with an engineering degree?’ and he responded, ‘What couldn’t you do?’” she told the crowd with a smile.

 

Kilrain shared a similar story, recalling all the education and training she had been through from her days studying at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University just down the street from the speedway to earning a master’s degree in engineering from Georgia Tech to her time in the Navy and ultimately being accepted in NASA’s astronaut program – which is a whole challenge in and of itself. Of 10,000 applications, she reminded, approximately 10 people are chosen at a time.

 

“I was fortunate, no one told me, I couldn’t do it,” Kilrain said.

As Blackwell-Thompson, Kunz and Kilrain spoke about their experiences overcoming perception with mental strength, hard work and much determination, the Iron Dames drivers were nodding their heads in shared familiarity.

 

Gatting told the audience that when she first began her career in motorsport she had hoped to be the “second Michael Schumacher” – referring to the great seven-time Formula 1 champion.

 

Her teammate Bovy stopped her. 

 

“You wanted to be the second Michael Schumacher, but you became the first Michelle Gatting,” Bovy said, as the room erupted in applause and cheers.

 

And now Gatting, Bovy and Frey are proudly seizing their opportunity not only to compete but to demonstrate their talent is as measurable as the men they compete against. Perhaps 30 or 40 years ago, the Iron Dames team could have been perceived as a publicity-seek for a sponsor, whereas these days they have proven time and again they are as talented as any race team in the field – and many days, more so.

 

At the end of 2023, Gatting, Bovy and Frey became the first all-women team to win a FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) race, claiming the GTE Am class trophy in the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

 

Sitting in the audience were a group of five Embry-Riddle female college students – with majors ranging from aeronautical engineering to astro-chemistry. They were the first to shake hands with the drivers and the NASA representatives at the end of the presentation. And not too surprisingly, the speakers were as encouraged to meet the students as the young women were to meet their heroes.   

 

“I feel like there’s so many women that have paved the way for us and I’m just so grateful they did all that so I can do what I want to do,” said Chicago native Molly Norgle, 20, a junior at Embry-Riddle, studying aeronautical engineering. 

 

“It’s just amazing and there’s just so many women – especially the ones here we look up to. And to be able to connect one-on-one with them is just awesome. They are all just so amazing.”

 

The legacy being created in real-time has that kind of generational effect. During an interactive time with the audience, a woman sitting near the back said she was in her 70s and not even there to ask a question, but rather to tell the six panelists how proud she was to see this change in society’s attitude, opportunity and success in her lifetime.

 

“We had people that didn’t tell us no, who believed in us, who told us we could do the impossible,” Kunz acknowledged. “And when you’re told that you can do that, that’s a role we all play, and young people need to know they can do whatever they want to do.’’

 

Three Takeaways: 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

Strength in Numbers; Strong Post-GTP Starts; Big Day for Detroit


 

January 27, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As seems to be the case every year now, it came down to the final hour of the Rolex 24 At Daytona – or the final 24 minutes of that hour – before the outcome was decided in all four classes of racing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and GTD. And in the end only the LMP2 winner enjoyed anything like a comfortable margin of victory over its closest pursuer.

 

Sure, 14 full course yellows over the course of the race kept things close. But so evenly matched is the competition in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship that at least half a dozen cars (as well as the eventual winners) could have emerged victorious in the waning minutes of the race.

 

What did we learn?

 

Numbers Matter

 

Roger Penske once observed “numbers matter at this place.” While speaking about a different series and a different place, that philosophy held true at the Rolex 24 as the final hour ticked down when Porsche Penske Motorsport (PPM) alone among the GTP teams had two cars left at the front of the field. As a result, they played a canny strategy during a late full course yellow to keep some potential competitors from regaining the lead lap. Specifically, by pitting the Penske Porsche 963 in second at the time and leaving the lead Penske Porsche on track, they prevented competitors from getting a “wave around” the pace car.

 

“We really used our two-car approach to make sure one of the PPM cars was controlling the pace of the race and controlling our own destiny,” said PPM Managing Director Jonathan Diuguid, who also noted the two cars combined to lead 517 of 781 laps. “I think that put us in position to win and cover all the bases and attacks from the Acuras and the BMWs and the Cadillacs of the world.”

 

Fast forward to the closing stages of the race when Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 fought it alone against the two Penske Porsches. Sure, there was a chance Porsche Penske’s Felipe Nasr and Matt Campbell could have tangled while jousting for first place. And their intramural battle did enable Blomqvist to close to within striking distance; indeed, he ultimately demoted Campbell to third place with a few laps remaining. But by that time Nasr had made his escape and came home 1.335 seconds clear of the Acura.

 

Speaking of numbers mattering. The Vanthoor family enjoyed a rare, indeed possibly unprecedented, sweep of Rolex 24 glory with BMW M Team RLL’s Dries Vanthoor capturing the pole while older brother Laurens took home a coveted Rolex Daytona timepiece along with PMM stablemates Nasr and Nick Tandy. 

 

“You can see how many laps a Vanthoor led,” quipped the elder Vanthoor. “It’s special to see my younger brother up there… It’s quite unique and difficult to put into words, but I wouldn’t want to be in the skin of our dad or mom because I think they sweated a bit watching TV.”

 

Meanwhile Tandy became the first driver to win sports car racing’s “Great 96,” aka the Rolex 24, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Spa and the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring.

 

“To get the big four 24-hour wins,” said Tandy, “one would be just an incredible career, so to get four and a few Sebrings and a few Petits (Le Mans) is dream come true stuff.”

 

Life After GTP

No matter how well you understand that the competition in LMP2, GTD PRO and GTD classes is as fierce and professional as in the GTP class, to find yourself “out” of a GTP ride that has been yours for a few seasons can’t be easy. But a bevy of ex-GTP drivers proved there is indeed life after GTP in this year’s Rolex 24.

 

Chief among them would be Sebastien Bourdais who teamed with John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez and Job Van Uitert to take the LMP2 win in the No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA, the first Rolex 24 win for the 2022 WeatherTech Championship LMP2 championship team. That win gives Bourdais, who found himself on the outside looking in for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech Championship GTP season when Cadillac and Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) parted company (but who drives for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota’s Hypercar effort in the World Endurance Championship), the distinction of having won the Rolex 24 Hours in two different prototype classes as well as in the old GT Le Mans class when he drove the CGR Ford GT.

 

Nor was Bourdais alone in showing there’s life after GTP. Dane Cameron, not retained by PPM after teaming with Nasr to win the 2024 Rolex 24 and the 2024 WeatherTech Championship GTP championship, was very much in the mix for the LMP2 win in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA before a mechanical issue sidelined “Spike” in the final hour. Likewise, Connor De Phillippi was shifted to the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO after two seasons racing the BMW M Hybrid V8. Similar to Cameron, De Phillippi battled for a class win – in this case GTD PRO – before eventually coming home third.  

 

Motown Celebration

The 2025 Rolex 24 was a good race for Motown; a very good race for Motown. After all, Chevrolet and Ford aficionados, employees and executives alike came away with much to celebrate given that the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 captured the GTD PRO honors in the hands of Dennis Olsen, Frederic Vervisch and Christopher Mies while Matt Bell, Lars Kern, Marvin Kirchhoefer and Orey Fidani collected the GTD trophy in the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R. 

 

There was plenty to celebrate in the Ford Multimatic camp given that this was the Mustang GT3’s first win in global competition after its troubled debut in last year’s Rolex 24. After a year’s worth of competition and development, not only did the Mustang run the 24 hours with nary a major mechanical issue, it also had the speed to take two of the three spots on the podium with the No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 finishing third.

 

“We had to learn the hard way in the first race, which is one of the toughest races in the world, straightaway,” Mies said. “But there have been things in the background and also on the team side. I must say this is probably the biggest improvement compared to last year. It just feels like we made another good step in terms of preparation.” 

 

While Corvette Racing was denied a chance to vie for the GTD PRO win, AWA took home top honors in GTD. This gave Corvette a Rolex 24 trophy and also underlined the viability of the Corvette GT3 as a legitimate customer race car, not only a high-tech thoroughbred in need of factory support and expertise to function at a winning level. AWA’s best finish in 2024 was fifth place at Road America, so the first podium achieved with the car was a big one.

 

“There were trials and tribulations in the first part of (last) season,” said Bell, “but from the very get-go the silver lining was the thing was awesome to drive. So we knew the fundamental thing that you need in racing is pace. 

 

“You need a car that you can go and win with, and if you’ve got a hardworking group of people around it, if there’s anything to fix, it’s going to get fixed. We knew from last year if we stayed on this train, there’s going to be success coming.” 

Rear View Mirror Check: Who You Do and Don't Want to See Behind You

Clear Picture Emerges of Two IMSA GTP Veterans To Monitor... But Which Two?


 

January 25, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -

Renger van der Zande earned his first top-class IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win in 2017 at the track now known as WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, and people still talk about the move he made to seize the lead from Dane Cameron in the Corkscrew with three minutes remaining in the race.


 

It was a sign of things to come. Van der Zande has added another 11 overall race wins to bring his IMSA total to 21 since that Laguna Seca breakthrough, the most recent coming in the 2024 WeatherTech Championship season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. True to form, that win in the Motul Petit Le Mans was achieved with a daring pass as the minutes ticked down.


 

So as the 2025 season is set to begin with the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway, it should come as no surprise that in an informal poll of drivers who compete in IMSA’s Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, van der Zande’s name was mentioned most often when they were asked which competitor they don’t want to see in their mirrors with 10 minutes to go.

The 38-year-old Dutchman – who this year is sharing the No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 with Nick Yelloly, joined by IndyCar champion Alex Palou and Honda development driver Kaku Ohta at Daytona – has continually shown that he is willing and able to get his elbows out to get past the car in front as the laps wind down. 


 

“Renger is always really strong at the end of races and he doesn’t seem to make a lot of mistakes,” said Ricky Taylor, co-driver of the No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R along with Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens and Brendon Hartley. 


 

“There are other drivers who are strong, but Renger is known for late race moves that are successful.”


 

“I think everybody is going to give you the same answer, that they’re not worried about anyone,” added Colin Braun, who co-drive’s MSR’s No. 60 Acura with Tom Blomqvist, supported by IndyCar stars Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist for the Rolex 24. “He’s on our team now, but I’ve raced Renger for a long time and I feel like his racecraft is really strong. He’s definitely smart in traffic. And I feel the same with Nick Tandy – I think those two guys have a bulldog, get-it-done-in-the-end sort of style. 


 

“So those two pop into mind, but there are no weak links across this whole GTP field. It’s the best of the best.”


 

Talking to van der Zande and Tandy about the climactic pass for the win last October at Road Atlanta, it’s clear that there is a high level of respect between the pair. The drama was highlighted by an electrical glitch in van der Zande’s Cadillac that caused its headlights to flicker in the pitch-black Georgia night.

Van der Zande said the key to setting up the winning pass was patience and managing his tire wear in the laps leading up to the crucial moment when Tandy got slightly balked in traffic with 15 minutes remaining in the 10-hour endurance race.


 

“The move was fun, and dealing with the lights was fun, and I got a lot of credit for it,” said van der Zande, who is entering his first season with the Meyer Shank team. “Even my spotter didn’t see it coming. But I think the biggest credit is that I could do it on Tandy, because he’s one of the best drivers in the world. And he’s also the guy that if you see him in your mirrors, you know you had better watch out for your gaps.”

Tandy explained his perspective. 


 

“The mirrors in our cars, they’re okay in the daytime, but at nighttime, they’re not great,” he said. “We tend to rely on the camera, which are still not great and in the night, depth perception is incredibly difficult. So, I knew he was close behind me, but I didn’t know how close he was. It was a good move and he drove a great stint. It was a great race to be part of.”


 

Despite being van der Zande’s most recent late-lap victim, Tandy refused to name him – or anyone else – specifically as the guy he doesn’t want to see in the mirror with 10 to go.


 

“Everybody that drives in the GTP class is there for a reason,” Tandy reasoned. “They’re competitive, great drivers. With 10 minutes to go, if it’s your teammate back there, you know their car strengths and weaknesses. What’s difficult is when you’ve got a different car, no matter who the driver is. Different cars make up their speed in different areas, so it’s always more comfortable with a teammate. 


 

“But if I’m in the car with 10 minutes go, it doesn’t matter who is in the car behind me because the philosophy will never change. And that’s to do everything possible to bring the car home.”


 

Mathieu Jaminet was Tandy’s co-driver in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 the last two years. This year, Tandy has been shifted to share the No. 7 Porsche with Felipe Nasr, while Matt Campbell joins Jaminet in the No. 6. 


 

Jaminet said his ideal scenario for the last 10 minutes of an IMSA race is to have the second Porsche team car in his rear-view mirror. But when pressed, he singled out his former Porsche teammate Earl Bamber, who this year has taken over from Pipo Derani in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. 


 

“Seeing your sister car is not a bad thing because that means we’re doing a pretty good job to be running 1-2,” Jaminet noted. “There might be some things happening in the background on the pit stand, but in the car that’s the best situation. I know American racing can be really tense and a lot of things can happen at the end of the race. This is why I love it. I’m actually happy if there is a fight with 10 minutes to go. It will be entertaining for the fans and also for the drivers, whoever is up for the fight.


 

“Earl is a good mate; we drove a lot together when he was at Porsche in GT racing (in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races in 2018 and ’19),” added Jaminet. “It would be fun to have a fight with Earl and be there at the end because we really never had this opportunity before at Porsche. I’d be looking forward to this one.”


 

Derani, who has stepped away from GTP this year to focus on developing Genesis’s future entry into the hybrid prototype class, was cited by his new co-driver Jack Aitken as a tough nemesis to face late in a race. Derani is part of the driver lineup in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R in this year’s Rolex 24.    


 

“There’s a lot of hard racers in the paddock, and Pipo was one of them,” Aitken said. “I think people didn’t like to see him in their rear-view mirrors, so it’s a good thing he was on my side. Renger has always been a strong racer, really strong and not afraid to make a move. Nick Tandy is another guy who is experienced but really aggressive. It’s a lot of fun to race those guys, but it’s a challenge as well.”


 

Van der Zande was happy to accept the accolade of being the driver most feared in the last 10 minutes by his rivals. But he was also glad to answer the question.


 

“That’s a compliment, it really is,” said van der Zande. “Honestly, the guy I don’t want to see in the mirror is the guy I overtook – Nick Tandy. I think he’s one of those guys who is going to make a move, for sure.”


 

History has shown that there’s a high likelihood that the Rolex 24 could be settled by a pass in the final 10 minutes. Who will be looming in the leader’s mirror this year?

Acura Integra Type S Set to Pace Field for 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

Honda Racing Corporation Global President Koji Watanabe to Serve as Race's Honorary Starter

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 23, 2025) –

The Acura Integra Type S will serve as the Official Safety Car throughout the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

Additionally, Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) Global President Koji Watanabe will wave the green flag as the race’s Honorary Starter. 


 

Acura has paced the field before, as its NSX Type S split Official Safety Car duties with fellow Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class participating manufacturers BMW, Cadillac and Porsche during the first race of the new GTP era at the 2023 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Integra Type S will pace the field on its own in 2025.

Watanabe (pictured right with David Salters, President, Honda Racing Corporation USA, courtesy Honda Racing Corporation) has had an extensive, successful career with Honda since joining Honda Motor Company in 1987. Throughout his more than 35 years with the company, he has served in a variety of executive leadership roles. He has headed up Honda’s Chinese and European regional operations and helped to lead and elevate the global Honda Racing Corporation brand and corporate communications. He was named President of Honda Racing Corporation globally in 2022. 


 

The high-performance Acura Integra Type S is an award-winner built exclusively at the Marysville Auto Plant in Marysville, Ohio. It won the 2023 North American Car of the Year™, 2024 Car and Driver 10 Best Cars award and 2024 Road & Track Performance Car of the Year after launch. 



Standard high-performance hardware includes a turbocharged 2.0-liter VTEC® engine producing 320 horsepower (SAE net @ 6,500 rpm) and 310 lb.-ft. of torque.


 

As the ultimate Integra, the model’s road holding is improved with an innovative dual-axis front suspension design and performance-tuned Adaptive Damper System that provides precise control of ride and handling with optimized damping curves to suit driving conditions. Powerful Brembo® front brakes and lightweight 19-inch wheels wrapped in sticky 265/30ZR19 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S high-performance summer tires complete the dynamic package.


 

Two Acura ARX-06 prototypes will compete in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener, fielded by Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian, in GTP. One of them includes the No. 93, a number bearing a nod to Honda Performance Development’s founding year of 1993. In January 2024, Honda renamed HPD to HRC US, combining with HRC Japan to strengthen its overall motorsports programs and capabilities under the Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) global umbrella. 


 

“We are excited to have Acura and HRC represented for this year's prestigious Rolex 24 in such a significant way,” said David Salters, President, Honda Racing Corporation USA. "Acura electrified ARX-06 race cars on track, our sleek Acura Integra Type S cars pacing the race, and our Global President of Honda Racing Corporation, Koji Watanabe, all being involved in this legendary race just shows our commitment to this sport. We truly value IMSA and the Rolex 24 and especially the partnership we have with them."


 

Live coverage of the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona begins on Saturday, January 25, at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Flag-to-flag coverage streams on Peacock (U.S.) and on YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial (outside the U.S.).

 

 

What to Watch For: 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

The Stars Come Out, Timepieces Can Lead to Titles, and GTP Deck Gets Reshuffled


 

January 23, 2025

By David Phillips

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – “Excitement?” “Intrigue?” The 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona figures to feature a full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season’s worth of excitement and intrigue in one race. 


 

With 61 cars in four classes at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway, it launches what promises to be an exciting, not to mention intriguing, season of sports car racing featuring the world’s leading marques, many of the sport’s top drivers and teams, and 11 of North America’s most iconic motorsports venues.  


 

The Stars Come Out


 

The stars will come out at Daytona, and not just because the sun sets at 5:56 p.m. Saturday evening and reappears at 7:15 a.m. Sunday morning. Rather, as usual, a veritable motorsport “Who’s Who” from Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar and others will join a lineup of international sports car luminaries contesting the full WeatherTech Championship for the Rolex 24. 


 

A partial list of top-flight drivers making cameo appearances includes:


 

  • Multiple IndyCar champions Scott Dixon and Alex Palou, and race winners Colton Herta and Felix Rosenqvist
  • 2008 World Championship runner-up Felipe Massa and fellow Formula 1 veterans Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen
  • World Endurance Champions Kamui Kobayashi, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor and Brendon Hartley
  • Double duty drivers and NBC Sports broadcasters James Hinchcliffe, Townsend Bell and Parker Kligerman 
  • V8 Supercar champions Scott McLaughlin and Shane van Gisbergen who now ply their trades in IndyCars and NASCAR, respectively
  • Daytona 500 champion Austin Cindric and rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch 
  • FIA Formula E champions Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa


 

These stars aren’t just coming out to “play.” A full-time IndyCar Series driver has been part of the winning team in the past five Rolex 24s and also, F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso and NASCAR Cup champions Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson all have won overall in the last decade. 


 

It’s entirely possible – if not downright likely – that one or more drivers whose day jobs do not include the WeatherTech Championship for the balance of 2025 will be sporting a brand-new Rolex Daytona from Rolex, now the Official Timepiece of IMSA.


 

From Timepieces to Titles

Speaking of Rolex Daytonas, although it’s just one event in a 11-race season that stretches over 10 months, the Rolex 24 At Daytona can – and often does – play a major role in determining the WeatherTech Championship’s overall winners. 


 

Recently, Porsche Penske Motorsport and Winward Racing (2024, Grand Touring Prototype and Grand Touring Daytona) and Acura Meyer Shank Racing and Pfaff Motorsports (2022, Daytona Prototype international and GTD PRO) have won both the Rolex 24 and their respective class titles in the same year. 


 

As Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian team co-owner Mike Shank explained, preparation is everything. 


 

“A strong finish gives the team momentum that carries through the heart of the season,” Shank said. “We’re bringing four transporters worth of equipment to Daytona to make sure we have everything we need to fix or repair our cars. 


 

“We’re also bringing our full IndyCar team, so we’ll essentially have two full shifts of (fresh) people on hand throughout the 24 hours. We want to do everything we can to get a podium finish or, better yet, a win in the Rolex 24 to start the season.”      


 

Conversely, a poor showing in the Rolex 24 can put a team in such a deep hole that they spend the remainder of the season playing catch-up. 


 

Vasser Sullivan won the 2023 GTD PRO title but began 2024 with a self-described “dumpster fire” per team co-owner Jimmy Vasser, when one car crashed and the other caught fire after a pit stop, resulting in two DNFs. The team’s No. 14 GTD PRO class Lexus RC F GT3 won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, but didn’t recapture the title-winning magic. 


 

“We’ve won Sebring, we’ve won Petit Le Mans, we’ve won Watkins Glen but we haven’t won the 24,” said Vasser. “So, it’s number one on our list of things to achieve. We’ve gotta win the 24!”


 

No wonder. Although earning a Rolex Daytona is not a prerequisite for a WeatherTech Championship title, a team’s performance in the Rolex 24 Hours can certainly set the stage for the coming season.


 

Reshuffled GTP Deck

So shuffled is the 2025 GTP class, it’s all but unrecognizable when compared to last year’s lineup. Sure, there’s a dozen ultra sophisticated Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche hybrids are back for another season of ultra-fast sports prototype competition, with Lamborghini set for its Daytona GTP debut. And they’ll all be using VP R80 fuel to put their Michelin rubber to the tarmac. 


 

But apart from those constants, every marque and/or team is different in some way from their 2024 version be it with a new driver lineup or new - or at least different - alliances between manufacturers and teams. 


 

Shank explained the team’s changes since it made its last IMSA start in 2023. 


 

“The (Acura GTP) program has certainly progressed since 2023, but we kept our GTP team intact last season and added to our capabilities as well,” he said. “We were back on track with the Acura ARX-06 two and a half weeks after Petit Le Mans last fall, and we picked up right where we left off. Our expectation is that we’ll be competing for podium finishes at the Rolex 24 Hours.”


 

A similar reunion comes with Cadillac and Wayne Taylor Racing, having won Rolex 24s and titles together in their past collaboration. 


 

“It’s really like the family has come back together,” Taylor said. “Of all the programs I’ve done this program, I am more passionate about this than any other one.”


 

Additionally, the Cadillac V-Series.R uses the Dallara-built chassis. WTR’s Filipe Albuquerque had been in the ORECA-based Acura ARX-06 the past two seasons but feels at home in the Dallara. 


 

“When I went back to the Dallara simulator in Indianapolis, I could see the box with my name and some (driving) gloves that I left there from the past,” Albuquerque said. 


 

“We just picked up where we left off and the good people are still around. Obviously, there are more people around because there is now the electric part of the car, which in the past there was not. But it’s not totally new.”


 

The Plaid Shall Rise Again

Speaking of reunions, some of the best news in the offseason came in the form of the decision by Pfaff Motorsports to “go plaid” again. Fans will doubtless recall the plaid Pfaff Porsche 911 GT3 R that cruised to the 2021 GTD and 2022 GTD Pro championships. 


 

After a season campaigning a papaya-dominated McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, the Canadian team’s plaid livery pops on its new No.9 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.


 

See these and all the other competitors set to compete in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, with the race on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET live on NBC and streaming for its entirety on Peacock (U.S.) and YouTube.com/@IMSAOfficial (International).

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Sets Off On 2025 Campaign in Daytona

Four-Hour BMW M Endurance Challenge Race Set to Pack Action, Drama


 

January 21, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Over the past 24 years, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series has regularly provided some of the best racing of an entire IMSA weekend and season. The mix of wide-open competition and the camaraderie among many of its drivers often delivers a wild race affair, usually in the closing minutes of the standard two-hour race or endurance-type four-hour race.


 

As the BMW M Endurance Challenge is a latter race type, the four-hour race on the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway often comes down to the final four minutes as teams try to stretch fuel mileage and/or engage in hard-fought battles for the lead.


 

Those entered include 26 Grand Sport (GS) class competitors from seven auto manufacturers (Aston Martin, BMW, Ford, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Toyota) and 16 Touring Car (TCR) class competitors from four (Audi, Cupra, Honda, Hyundai). 


 

Neither will have a repeat Daytona winner in the same class in 2025. The Kellymoss with Riley team, whose young trio of Riley Dickinson, Michael McCarthy and Brady Golan eked out just enough fuel in their No. 91 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS to win overall, eschews an entry this year.


 

Meanwhile, TCR winners UniTronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports’ Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor had a heroic effort to even make the start in their No 17 Audi RS3 LMS TCR entry with a last-second replacement part installed within an hour of the green flag.


 

Grand Sport: 26 Contenders from 7 Brands

Instead of adding just a new part, TCR season champions Miller and Taylor are adding both a new car and a new class to their season: a Porsche they’ll race in GS. They’re one of five entered. 


 

Porsche has two returning 2024 race-winning teams in RS1 and BGB Motorsports, plus CSM and CDR Valkyrie. RS1’s new lineup of Jan Heylen and Luca Mars (No. 28 Porsche) and BGB’s regular pair of Spencer Pumpelly and Thomas Collingwood (No. 38 Porsche) should contend for wins, especially as Heylen, Pumpelly and Mars have won either Michelin Pilot Challenge or VP Racing SportsCar Challenge titles.


 

Aston Martin enters 2025 as the defending GS manufacturer champion, thanks in large part to Team TGM’s efforts with its two AMR Vantage GT4 EVOs. Defending driver champion Matt Plumb is back with Paul Holton in their quest to repeat, although this time Holton will have the advantage of sharing the No. 46 car for the full year after coming on board at Sebring in 2025. 


 

There’s another goal for Plumb in 2025: re-establish himself as the series’ all-time wins leader. He and Billy Johnson are tied on 24, with his most recent win coming at Watkins Glen International last June. Beyond Team TGM, Rebel Rock Racing and van der Steur Racing field the other three Aston Martins.


 

Johnson’s full-time series return is one of Ford’s key story lines for the season among its five cars. He’s with past GS and last year’s VP Challenge GSX title-winning team KOHR Motorsports, in one of the team’s two cars. He’ll share the No. 59 Ford Mustang GT4 with Bob Michaelian and should figure at the front often during the year. 


 

Keep an eye as well on the young pairing of Jenson Altzman and Sam Paley in the No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with AEROSPORT entry. Both have shown promise in their IMSA development series careers and may break through for their first GS wins in 2025. Single Stephen Cameron Racing and LAP Motorsports Fords complete the quintet. 


 

Although the five Aston Martins, Fords and Porsches apiece comprise 15 of the 26 GS entries at Daytona, it’s race sponsor BMW that is the most popular model in action to kick off the year. 


 

Six M4 GT4s – split three apiece between the initial M4 and new-for-2025 EVO version – will vie to bring BMW back to GS victory lane at Daytona for the first time since 2014 (Shelby Blackstock and Ashley Freiberg shared the winning BMW M3). Turner Motorsport’s pair of BMW M4 GT4 EVOs have revised lineups while CarBahn with Peregrine Racing’s pair of past GS champion Jeff Westphal and Sean McAlister are back in their No. 39 BMW M4 GT4; they won most recently at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September. 


 

Stevan McAleer switches to Auto Technic’s No 27 BMW M4 GT4 EVO for 2025 from RS1 as he searches for an elusive GS title to add to his 2015 Street Tuner (ST) crown. Team ACP-Tangerine has two Bronze Cup-entered BMW M4 GT4s. 


 

The five remaining entries are three Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 cars, with past Michelin Pilot Challenge winners Hattori Motorsports and newcomers RAFA Racing and Kingpin Racing present, and a single entry apiece from McLaren (Accelerating Performance) and Mercedes-AMG (Winward Racing). 


 

Touring Car: Hyundai Heavy with Audi, Honda, Cupra Challengers

Hyundai’s five-year run atop the TCR driver’s championship (2019 through 2023) ended in 2024, although the brand’s strength in numbers ensured it completed a six-pack of TCR manufacturer titles. As it prepares to regain the driver’s crown in 2025 with Miller and Taylor moving into GS, there are seven Hyundai Veloster N TCR cars, most in with a title shout.


 

Perennial championship contenders Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb-Agajanian won all those five and has two past champions back this year. Mark Wilkins (2019, with Michael Lewis) and Harry Gottsacker (2023, with Robert Wickens) will fly the flag in BHA’s now-traditional Nos. 33 and 98 Hyundais, respectively. 


 

Wilkins will race alongside rising star Bryson Morris while Gottsacker sees Wickens head to the WeatherTech Championship with DXDT Racing, and will race alongside fellow Hyundai veteran Mason Filippi instead. Denis Dupont and Preston Brown (No. 76) and team newcomers Maddie Aust and Suellio Almeida (No. 9) complete the BHA quartet. Two Victor Gonzalez Racing and one Pegram Racing Hyundai finish the set. 


 

Audi is next up in volume with five cars. Two Precision Racing LA entries will be worth watching, with IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship recipient Celso Neto and past TCR race winner Ryan Eversley spearheading the team’s No. 7 car. Single entries from Baker Racing, Rockwell Autosport Development and Rumcastle Racing by Speed Syndicate round out the class.


 

Honda has three intriguing entries. MMG (Montreal Motorsports Group) returns after a 2024 VIR win with the pair of Dai Yoshihara and Karl Wittmer in its No. 93 Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Longtime Honda of America associates are back in the No. 89 HART entry, which runs sporadic IMSA events. New to the fold this year is KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering, leaving its plucky Alfa Romeo for a Honda for the pair of Tim Lewis Jr. and William Tally. 


 

A single Cupra completes the field, as Gou Racing shifts from Audi to IMSA’s newest automotive brand. 

Family Ties: Eight Families to Watch This Season


 

This year’s Michelin Pilot Challenge field begins with seven different sets of families competing in the same car, and an eighth in separate cars:


 

  • Brothers Matt (No. 46) and Hugh (No. 64) Plumb split in the two No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin AMR GT4 Evo cars in GS; Hugh Plumb and Ted Giovanis were the 2024 GS Bronze Cup champions.
  • Husband-and-wife Ben and Christine Sloss in the No. 15 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 Evo, a Bronze Cup entry in GS.
  • Father-and-son Roland and Austin Krainz share the No. 27 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO, sharing with Stevan McAleer. McAleer and Austin Krainz will race the full calendar with Roland third driver in four-hour races.
  • Father-and-son Eddie and Eduardo Gou share the No. 55 Gou Racing CUPRA Leon VZ, as they move over from Audi.
  • Father-and-son Alex and Eric Rockwell share the No. 10 Rockwell Autosport Development Audi RS3 LMS TCR with Christina Lam; the Rockwells have run occasional races for several years. 
  • Father-and-son Dean and Sam Baker share the No. 52 Baker Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR with James Vance at Daytona; the Bakers ran occasional 2024 races. 
  • Father-and-daughter Larry and Riley Pegram share the No. 72 Pegram Racing Hyundai Veloster N TCR; ran occasional 2024 races.
  • Father-and-daughter Ron and Megan Tomlinson share the No. 37 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR; new to the championship in 2025.


 

The Michelin Pilot Challenge has two one-hour practice sessions, Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET and Thursday at 8:45 a.m. ET. Qualifying takes place Thursday 1:15 p.m. ET. A final 30-minute practice session takes place Friday morning at 9:25 a.m. ET before the green flag of the four-hour race at 1:45 p.m. ET. Live coverage streams on Peacock (U.S.) and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial (outside the U.S.).


 

Fast Facts

BMW M Endurance Challenge

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.  

Jan. 22-24, 2025

  • Race Day/Time: Friday, Jan. 24, 1:45 p.m. ET
  • Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:40 p.m. (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and youtube.com/IMSAOfficial)
  • Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Grand Sport (GS), Touring Car (TCR)
  • Race Length: Four hours

 

Michelin Pilot Challenge Track Records

  • GS: Paul Holton, McLaren GT4, 1:52.143 / 114.227 mph, January 2019 (Qualifying)
  • TCR: Harry Gottsacker, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, 1:56.757 / 109.766 mph, January 2024 (Qualifying)


 

2024 BMW M Endurance Challenge Winners

  • GS: Riley Dickinson/Michael McCarthy/Brady Golan, No. 91 Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS
  • TCR: Chris Miller/Mikey Taylor, No. 17 Unitronic/JDC-Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS TCR

Charting the 2025 IMSA GTP Changes

Significantly Different Landscape Beckons for 2025 GTP Season


 

January 21, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s often said the more things change, the more they stay the same. That adage could be used to describe the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class heading into the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

Twelve GTP entries will line up on the grid January 25 for the 63rd running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway, and every one of them is incorporating some element of change in terms of driver lineup and/or team/manufacturer partnership compared to 2024. 


 

The quest for progress and perfection is relentless, as evidenced by the shuffled driver lineups at Porsche Penske Motorsport, the defending GTP class champion team.


 

“There are a lot of things happening in the background for us at Porsche Penske Motorsport, and I guess for every team on this grid there have been a lot of changes,” said Mathieu Jaminet, winner of two races in 2024 paired with Nick Tandy in PPM’s No. 6 Porsche 963. 


 

A key moment in March 2024 triggered a domino effect of significant changes for 2025. Cadillac announced it was ending its collaboration with Chip Ganassi Racing after four seasons. 


 

In June, Acura confirmed it would turn back to Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian to lead its 2025 attack, leaving the door open for its 2021-24 partner team Wayne Taylor Racing to re-establish its longtime links to General Motors and Cadillac. BMW M Motorsport underwent a through revamp of its worldwide sports car driver program. And on the driver front, Pipo Derani sent a stir through the paddock by departing Cadillac Whelen Racing.


 

It all adds up to a 2025 GTP lineup that features a surprising amount of change. Here's a look at what’s new for 2025, while also noting what has stayed the same:


 

Porsche Penske Motorsport

Porsche 963


 

No. 6

2024 Drivers: Mathieu Jaminet, Nick Tandy, Kevin Estre, Laurens Vanthoor, Fred Makowiecki

2025 Drivers: Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, Kevin Estre


 

No. 7 

2024 Drivers: Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell, Josef Newgarden

2025 Drivers: Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, Laurens Vanthoor

A streamlined Porsche Penske Motorsport lineup has the same three drivers set for 2025 after intermittent 2024 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup changes. Jaminet continues in the No. 6 car and is reunited with Matt Campbell, as they hope to match their 2022 IMSA GTD PRO title achieved with Pfaff Motorsports. Tandy shifts into the No. 7 car to pair with defending GTP co-champion Felipe Nasr.


 

“It’s a change without a change, to be honest,” Jaminet said. “Nick and I worked well and had a lot of success. We couldn’t put a championship together but had a lot of wins and podiums. It was good to learn from him the last couple years, especially technically. It was really a surprise that we didn’t continue, but now the opportunity came up to be together with Matt again. It just feels natural, not like a change.”


 

Campbell drove the No. 7 IMSA Porsche in 2023 and spent the 2024 season in one of Porsche Penske Motorsport FIA World Endurance Championship entries. Tandy, now in the No. 7 car, noted a different factor to monitor.


 

“We’ve been mixed around, but it’s the same core four drivers,” Tandy added. “Probably the most difficult thing will be in the pits and not stopping at the No. 6 sign board.” 


 

The notable departure is Dane Cameron, the 2024 GTP co-champion with Nasr who joins Tom Sneva as a driver who lost his ride shortly after winning a championship with Team Penske. But the four-time IMSA champion has a new ride set in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07, “Spike,” in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class. 


 

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing

2024: Acura ARX-06

2025: Cadillac V-Series.R

 

No. 10

2024 Drivers: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Marcus Ericsson

2025 Drivers: Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Brendon Hartley, Will Stevens


 

No. 40

2024 Drivers: Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, Jenson Button, Colton Herta

2025 Drivers: Jordan Taylor, Louis Deletraz, Alex Lynn, Kamui Kobayashi

Wayne Taylor’s association with General Motors spans more than 30 years, so it was no surprise to see him rekindle a relationship with Cadillac that produced the 2017 IMSA Daytona Prototype (DPi) championship and multiple Rolex 24 At Daytona victories. Wayne Taylor Racing served as a factory Acura team from 2021-24 and in that time, expanded to a full-time, two-car program. 


 

WTR embarks on its new Cadillac era with the least altered driver lineup of any team on the GTP grid. Both teams keep their same full-time core lineups and make minor adjustments among their Michelin Endurance Cup extras, and Ricky Taylor noted his excitement more for a second year with two cars. 


 

“It seems like every year we’ve had something new going on, so I think we’re used to change,” he explained. “But in a lot of ways, it’s nice to keep things consistent.”


 

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

 

No. 24

2024 Drivers: Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn, Dries Vanthoor, Philipp Eng

2025 Drivers: Dries Vanthoor, Philipp Eng, Kevin Magnussen, Raffaelle Marciello 


 

No. 25

2024 Drivers: Nick Yelloly, Connor De Phillippi, Maxime Martin, Rene Rast

2025 Drivers: Marco Wittmann, Sheldon van der Linde, Robin Frijns, Rene Rast

Wholesale changes come to BMW M Team RLL, with an almost completely new full-season IMSA driver lineup and three of four new endurance drivers. Phillipp Eng is the lone full-time driver to return in 2025 in the No. 24 car and will be joined for the full season by Dries Vanthoor, whose only ride with the team last year was in the Rolex 24. Marco Wittmann and Sheldon van der Linde share the No. 25 car. While van der Linde and Vanthoor will race both WEC and IMSA races, they’ll race the IMSA event in Monterey in May on a conflict weekend. BMW’s WEC drivers fill out the IMSA lineup for Michelin Endurance Cup races, including new recruit Kevin Magnussen. 


 

Nick Yelloly heads to Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian, and Augusto Farfus, Jesse Krohn and Connor De Phillippi found seats in the two Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO entries in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO).


 

Cadillac Whelen (Action Express Racing)

Cadillac V-Series.R


 

No. 31

2024 Drivers: Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Tom Blomqvist

2025 Drivers: Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti, Felipe Drugovich

Cadillac Whelen adjusted its GTP program in the wake of Pipo Derani’s departure to become part of the new Genesis Magma Racing program coming online in the future. Cadillac veteran and versatile sports car ace Earl Bamber fills his role, while young drivers Frederik Vesti and Felipe Drugovich have a great opportunity as endurance extras. Jack Aitken, meanwhile, looks forward to racing alongside Bamber. 


 

“I think there’s a lot to be said for a fresh pair of eyes,” Aitken said. “Pipo has been a great teammate since I joined Action Express and Cadillac, but Earl also brings a ton of experience and has won at the top level. We’re already getting on very well on testing and it’s been smooth sailing.”


 

Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian

Acura ARX-06


 

No. 60

2024: Did not compete

2025 Drivers: Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon, Felix Rosenqvist


 

No. 93

2024: Did not compete

2025 Drivers: Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, Alex Palou, Kakunoshin “Kaku” Ohta

The strengthened overall Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian organization returns to IMSA as the flagship team for Honda Racing Corporation USA (HRC US) and the Acura brand. Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun are back in the No. 60 car after nearly winning the 2023 GTP class championship. 


 

The bigger news, perhaps, is MSR’s expansion to two GTP entries. HRC staff will engineer the No. 93 car, and it will features the strong driver lineup of Renger van der Zande and Nick Yelloly, formerly of Cadillac and BMW, respectively. Shank’s endurance drivers include IndyCar champions Alex Palou and Scott Dixon (part of a new technical alliance between the Shank and Ganassi IndyCar teams), MSR IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist, and Honda-affiliated Kaku Ohta.

 

“At the end of the day, every car has four wheels and a steering wheel, and that makes things easy,” van der Zande said. “Just keep the basics in place and bring that thing around as fast as you can. The Acura is a completely different car than the Cadillac and the hardest thing is learning all the new systems.” 

Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse

Lamborghini SC63


 

No. 63

2024 Drivers: Andrea Caldarelli, Matteo Cairoli, Romain Grosjean

2025 Drivers: Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kyvat, Romain Grosjean, Edoardo Mortara


 

Driver Romain Grosjean is about the only common denominator in Lamborghini’s 2024 and 2025 programs. Lamborghini will again contest the IMSA Michelin Endurance Championship, but this is the SC63’s first appearance in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Proton Competition 

Porsche 963

 

No. 5

2024 Drivers: Gianmaria Bruni, Bent Viscaal, Alessio Picariello, Neel Jani, Romain Dumas, Julien Andlauer, Mike Rockenfeller

2025 Drivers: Neel Jani, Tristan Vautier, Nico Pino, Julien Andlauer


 

A rotating lineup cycled through Proton Competition’s No. 5 Porsche 963 in 2024. Neel Jani and Julien Andlauer made selected starts in the car last year while Tristan Vautier and Nico Pino are team newcomers.

JDC-Miller MotorSports

Porsche 963

 

No. 85

2024 Drivers: Tijmen van der Helm, Richard Westbrook, Phil Hanson, Ben Keating

2025 Drivers: Tijmen van der Helm, Gianmaria Bruni, Pascal Wehrlein, Bryce Aron


 

Another customer Porsche, the distinctive yellow JDC-Miller MotorSports entry returns with young Dutchman Tijmen van der Helm but swaps in former Porsche factory driver Gianmaria Bruni for the retiring Richard Westbrook. Bryce Aron and Porsche factory driver, Formula E champion Pascal Wehrlein, complete the Rolex 24 lineup.

 

Meet the Full Field for the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona

Sixty-One Cars Are on the Grid for the 63rd Running of the Endurance Classic

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2025) – The complete field of cars for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered on the Daytona International Speedway circuit for the annual full-field photo today. Sixty-one cars across four classes (Grand Touring Prototype, Le Mans Prototype 2, Grand Touring Daytona Pro and Grand Touring Daytona) are set to compete in the iconic race that opens the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season starting Saturday afternoon.


 

NBC Sports offers complete coverage of the 24-hour race across its platforms. Catch the race start live on NBC network starting at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. USA Network picks up coverage from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday. The broadcast returns to NBC for the conclusion of the race from noon-2 p.m. Sunday. The entire race also streams live, flag-to-flag, on Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA's Official YouTube channel and IMSA.TV outside the U.S.


 

Additionally, please find today's video asset from the full field shoot at this link.


 

(Mandatory Credit: Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA/LAT Photo USA; Video: IMSA/Beverly Hills Aerials)

63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona – GTP and LMP2 Team-by-Team

Field of 12 GTP and 12 LMP2 Cars Apiece Set to Vie for Rolex 24 Victories



January 22, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Rolex 24 At Daytona Entry List

Spotters Guide


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A run through the prototype entries competing in the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona reveals 24 contenders for the 24-hour endurance classic to kick off the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

There are 12 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) cars split among five auto manufacturers: Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche. And all 12 have some degree of change, year-to-year. 


 

Meanwhile all 12 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) entries are the popular ORECA LMP2 07 cars, and that equality in car type means it’s down to the drivers and teams that best execute the race that win a Rolex watch.


 

The team-by-team preview is below:


 

Grand Touring Prototype (GTP)


 

No. 5 Proton Competition Porsche 963

Neel Jani/Tristan Vautier/Nico Pino/Julien Andlauer


 

Proton Competition returns with three total Porsche cars, split one apiece among Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) – the latter of which is entered as Iron Dames with Proton’s team running it. Its GTP car has, for another season, seen a change on the driving front.


 

Jani is a past 24 Hours of Le Mans polesitter and overall winner, and together with sports car veteran Vautier form a solid pair of experienced hands at the wheel. Pino won a pair of Motul Pole Awards in the former Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class – including at the 2023 Rolex 24 with Sean Creech Motorsport – and has plied his trade in both IMSA and FIA WEC competition. Andlauer is a past Le Mans class winner to complete the lineup.  


 

No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

Matt Campbell/Mathieu Jaminet/Kevin Estre


 

The “Cam/Jam” duo is back. Linked throughout most of their careers as Porsche factory drivers, Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet have established themselves as pre-eminent winners and champions of the late 2010s and early 2020s, and their IMSA records back that up. A dominant season together with Pfaff Motorsports, starting with a 2022 win at the Rolex 24 to kick off the GTD PRO class era, propelled them to the class championship. Campbell’s 2024 started with his second Rolex 24 win and first overall – this time in the sister No. 7 car as an endurance driver – and he’s back for a full IMSA campaign in 2025 after a single season abroad in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Jaminet has 11 IMSA wins and that 2022 GTD PRO title, but fell short against the sister car for last year’s GTP crown. 


 

Estre’s global record is similarly defined, with a WEC Hypercar World Championship achieved in 2024 with Porsche Penske Motorsport to add to his 24 Hours of Le Mans class win (2018 in GTE PRO). Estre holds one of IMSA’s more curious stats, as he’s yet to win a WeatherTech Championship race in over 20 starts, mostly as a third driver in Michelin Endurance Cup events. It’s a role he’ll reprise in 2025. 


 

No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

Felipe Nasr/Nick Tandy/Laurens Vanthoor


 

A winning start at the 2024 Rolex 24 set the No. 7 Porsche 963 on its way for its GTP class title-achieving campaign. Nasr, then paired with Dane Cameron, won twice and added five further podium finishes to capture his third WeatherTech Championship title, all in the top prototype class at the time albeit under different category names (2018 P, 2021 DPi, 2024 GTP). He has 11 career IMSA wins. A lineup change for 2025 sees Tandy shift from the No. 6 car to the No. 7 car, now paired with Nasr after two years co-driving with Jaminet. The fast Englishman is one of IMSA’s most prolific race winners; he has 22 in more than 100 starts including the 2014 Rolex 24 in GT Le Mans. However, he has yet to win an IMSA championship, and he’ll seek to rectify that in 2025. 


 

Vanthoor shared the championship-winning Porsche with Estre in FIA WEC and will serve as this car’s third driver in 2025. He has a pair of IMSA titles (2019 GTLM, 2021 GTD) and 10 IMSA wins, but remains in search of his first Rolex 24 triumph to complete a set that also includes others at Le Mans, Sebring, the Nurburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. 


 

No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R 

Filipe Albuquerque/Ricky Taylor/Will Stevens/Brendon Hartley


 

The long-anticipated reunion between Wayne Taylor Racing and General Motors is set to be one of the year’s overarching narratives, to see whether this iteration of WTR and Cadillac can achieve similar heights as the DPi period from 2017 to 2020. Of WTR’s four Rolex 24 wins in five years from 2017 to 2021, the first three were achieved with Cadillac and a series of all-star lineups. Its most recent IMSA championship was too, in 2017.


 

The team has the same intent for 2025, with only one change from its 2024 Rolex roster. Albuquerque (2018, 2021) and Ricky Taylor (2017, 2021) have four Rolex 24 overall wins between them and are set for their fifth straight year as full-season teammates, but first with Cadillac after four years with Acura. Their battles as rivals within the Cadillac brand in the late 2010s shift to a unified approach in 2025. Stevens and Hartley both have Le Mans class wins; Stevens has six IMSA starts, including a pair with WTR in 2022, while Hartley bolsters the lineup ahead of his eighth Rolex 24 start. 


 

No. 24 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8

Philipp Eng/Dries Vanthoor/Raffaele Marciello/Kevin Magnussen


 

Eng has, almost by default, ascended to the senior member of the BMW M Team RLL lineup by virtue of his full-season experience. The Austrian is the only one of the team’s four full-season drivers who’s competed in a full WeatherTech Championship season. He captured an elusive first prototype win at last year’s TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks in Indianapolis, his second IMSA win of his career after sharing in the team’s 2019 GT Le Mans class win at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

BMW has opted to deploy its FIA WEC lineup across into IMSA this season. Laurens’ younger brother Dries Vanthoor is set for his first full IMSA season; he has three career starts and only one in a prototype in this series (2024 Rolex 24, BMW M Hybrid V8). Third driver Marciello has multiple GT championships globally and only four career IMSA starts, also only one in prototype (2023 Rolex 24, High Class LMP2). Magnussen, ironically, has this car’s most additional IMSA full-season experience after Eng but is a BMW newcomer. An overall winner at Belle Isle Park in Detroit in 2021 with Chip Ganassi Racing in a Cadillac, Magnussen has 10 career IMSA starts – all in DPi machinery – and completes this quartet after moving on from a decade-plus in Formula 1. 


 

No. 25 BMW M Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8

Sheldon van der Linde/Marco Wittmann/Robin Frijns/Rene Rast


 

It’s all change at BMW M Team RLL’s No. 25 car for 2025, with a quartet high on global experience but limited in IMSA. None of its four drivers has raced an IMSA full season and Rast, a two-time Rolex 24 winner with Magnus Racing in GTD (2012, 2016), is its most experienced WeatherTech Championship driver with 11 starts since 2014.  


 

Wittmann and van der Linde raced the BMW M Hybrid V8 in FIA WEC competition last year, split between the team’s two cars with Wittmann recording the car’s best finish of second in Fuji. The younger van der Linde brother has 10 IMSA starts over five seasons, with a GTD class win on debut at the 2017 Petit Le Mans with Connor De Phillippi – who he’ll replace in this car in 2025 – and Christopher Mies. Frijns has only a single IMSA start to his name, the 2018 Rolex 24 in an ORECA LMP2 car as part of an eclectic lineup (Felix Rosenqvist, Lance Stroll, Daniel Juncadella). 


 

No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

Jack Aitken/Earl Bamber/Frederik Vesti/Felipe Drugovich


 

It seems hard to believe, but the oft-contending Action Express Racing-prepared No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R has gone winless in two of the last three seasons, sandwiching its 2023 GTP championship. As such, there are big changes for 2025 on the driving front as Pipo Derani departed the team.


 

After his first full year, Aitken ascends to the role of the team’s longest-tenured driver. He won his first Motul Pole Award at Motul Petit Le Mans to cap off the campaign and impressed the team with his combination of speed, persistence and affability. New alongside him for the full season is Bamber, one of IMSA’s most successful drivers with seven wins and a 2019 GT Le Mans title to his name. Bamber has extensive Cadillac experience the last three years across both IMSA and the FIA WEC and will run a dual campaign in 2025. Endurance extras Vesti (Michelin Endurance Cup) and Drugovich (Rolex 24) boast similar backgrounds. Both drivers gained LMP2 experience globally in 2024 after successful junior open-wheel careers. Drugovich won the 2022 F2 title, Vesti was second in 2023, while both have been part of Formula 1 junior programs with Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG, respectively.


 

No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R 

Louis Deletraz/Jordan Taylor/Kamui Kobayashi 


 

The Deletraz and Jordan Taylor pair shifts ahead to its second year together, with Jordan now back in the GM family fold once more after a year with Acura in 2024. Jordan has one of IMSA’s strongest résumés with four IMSA full-season championships (2013, 2017, 2020, 2021) – all in either Corvette or Cadillac machinery – and three Rolex 24 wins (2017 and 2019 overall, 2021 GTLM). Deletraz added a fourth straight global LMP2 title to his résumé in another series, while starring in his first full-time IMSA campaign here with his late move for the win at Sebring a standout moment of the season.


 

Kobayashi is widely regarded as one of the Rolex 24’s “must-see” drivers. He’s won it twice with WTR, back-to-back in 2019 and 2020. Alex Lynn was due to complete the lineup but was ruled out due to illness. 


 

No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06

Tom Blomqvist/Colin Braun/Scott Dixon/Felix Rosenqvist


 

The band is back together. Blomqvist and Braun stormed to three wins, bookending their 2023 campaign with wins at the Rolex 24 and Motul Petit Le Mans, en route to third place in their last full-time IMSA season together. Both raced part-time in 2024, Blomqvist as third driver with the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen GTP entry and Braun alongside longtime co-driver George Kurtz in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR LMP2 car. Circumstances arose to reunite the pair back with the expanded MSR Acura program in 2025, and with their Rolex 24 win record (Braun has three, 2014 LMPC, 2020 LMP2, 2023 GTP/overall and Blomqvist has 2022 DPi/overall and 2023/GTP overall) and season-long championship pedigree (Braun has three IMSA titles, 2014 and 2015 PC, 2022 LMP3), expect this duo to contend for both the race win and title. 


 

Their endurance extras? They’re also strong to quite strong. Michelin Endurance Cup third driver Dixon has six IMSA wins from 50 career starts – including four Rolex 24 victories (2006 DP/overall, 2015 P/overall, 2018 GTLM, 2020 DPi/overall) – to go with his six IndyCar Series championships. Rosenqvist has had fewer IMSA starts, but is a race winner across IndyCar, Formula E, and multiple junior open-wheel series. 


 

No. 63 Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse Lamborghini SC63

Mirko Bortolotti/Romain Grosjean/Daniil Kvyat/Edoardo Mortara


 

Lamborghini is set for a unique Rolex 24 with its SC63, the first for this car since its introduction. The entry is now flagged as “Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse” in a nod to its factory affiliation.


 

The driving strength is still impressive. In Bortolotti and Mortara they have two past Rolex 24 class-winning GT drivers, and in Grosjean and Kvyat they have two aggressive, entertaining, fast ex-Formula 1 veterans who stood on Grand Prix podiums over the course of their careers.  


 

No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963

Gianmaria Bruni/Tijmen van der Helm/Bryce Aron/Pascal Wehrlein


 

The JDC-Miller program continues with its striking yellow Porsche 963 and like fellow customer team Proton Competition, changes its driver lineup. Spearheading the full-season lineup is Bruni, who joins the team after racing with Proton the last two years. The Italian has both Rolex 24 (LMP2, 2023) and 24 Hours of Le Mans (four class wins) on his résumé. He’ll share the car with Dutchman van der Helm, who continues to improve as he heads into his third season in this car.


 

Aron is set for his Rolex 24 debut, as another potential under-the-radar person to note as an Indy NXT driver who is set to add sports cars to his résumé. Wehrlein is the reigning FIA Formula E champion and will add speed and poise as the team’s fourth driver. 


 

No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06

Renger van der Zande/Nick Yelloly/Alex Palou/Kaku Ohta


 

There is a lot of new to dissect about MSR’s second Acura for 2025. The car bolsters a more significant Honda Racing Corporation U.S. (HRC) presence, from engineering talent to its iconic No. 93, a number that hails the company’s U.S. founding year of 1993 as Honda Performance Development (HPD) before a global rebrand. That extends further to its extra drivers, in the form of three-time IndyCar Series champion Palou, who’s raced his entire IndyCar career with the manufacturer and Ohta, a Super GT and Super Formula race winner who races with the brand in his native Japan and is set for his IMSA debut. 


 

The two full-season drivers? There’s a lot to like about team and manufacturer newcomers van der Zande and Yelloly. The Dutchman has over 100 IMSA starts and secured his 21st win to cap off 2024 at Motul Petit Le Mans. Twice a Rolex 24 winner (2019, 2020 with Cadillac and WTR), van der Zande seeks his first Rolex with Acura and MSR this go-around. Yelloly joins from BMW M Team RLL, where he only won once (2023 Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen) but delivered notable pace and performances throughout his tenure.  

 

Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2)


 

No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

Nick Boulle/Ben Hanley/Garnet Patterson/Oliver Jarvis


 

United’s No. 2 ORECA won the 2024 Rolex 24 Motul Pole Award but features a nearly reshuffled lineup compared to last year. It’s still strong as three of the four drivers – Jarvis, Hanley and Boulle – already have a Rolex 24 win and the only reason Patterson doesn’t is because he hasn’t raced it yet. Jarvis (2022 DPi/overall) is the most recent Rolex 24 winner while Boulle enters this race after winning last year’s LMP2 championship and the Jim Trueman Award, securing an automatic invite to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 


 

No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07

George Kurtz/Toby Sowery/Malthe Jakobsen/Colton Herta 


 

CrowdStrike by APR returns to full-time competition in 2025 in pursuit of its second Jim Trueman Award for Bronze-rated drivers, as achieved in 2023. Kurtz doesn’t have usual co-driver Colin Braun on board but youngsters Sowery and Jakobsen will play a significant role. Sowery made three IndyCar starts in 2024 and has impressed with his speed in his sports car starts, while Jakobsen has ascended to a factory role with Peugeot’s FIA WEC Hypercar effort. Kurtz (Watkins Glen, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) and Jakobsen (Sebring) both have won Michelin Endurance Cup races. Fourth driver Herta, last year’s IndyCar Series runner-up, has two Rolex 24 wins (LMP2 in 2022, GT Le Mans in 2019). 


 

No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07

John Farano/Sebastien Bourdais/Sebastian Alvarez/Job van Uitert


 

One of LMP2’s perennial contenders, Tower Motorsports reloads in 2025 after a podium-less 2024 season that saw eight drivers aboard the team’s No. 8 ORECA LMP2 07. Farano has five career wins and is joined by Bourdais, a 13-time IMSA winner and one of the most decorated sports car and open-wheel drivers of the 2000s. Third driver Alvarez has made a handful of IMSA starts in both LMP2 and LMP3. Van Uitert, a past Motul Petit Le Mans winner with Tower, is back for the Rolex 24. 


 

No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 07

Steven Thomas/Mikkel Jensen/Hunter McElrea/Charles Milesi


 

No changes lie ahead for TDS Racing in 2025, after a Michelin Endurance Cup-winning 2024 campaign built in part by the strong finish delivered by Thomas, Jensen and McElrea to win the final two rounds in Indianapolis and Atlanta. Jensen has 10, Thomas five and McElrea two IMSA wins in their careers. Fourth driver Milesi has had LMP2 success outside of IMSA, with an FIA WEC title and 24 Hours of Le Mans class win both in 2021. 


 

No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07

Tobias Lutke/Ryan Dalziel/David Heinemeier Hansson/Paul-Loup Chatin


 

Era Motorsport, twice a winner in the last four Rolex 24 races (2021 and 2024 LMP2), has some old and some new for 2025. Dalziel has been part of both of those, along with his 2010 overall win for Action Express Racing, and has entrenched himself as Era’s team stalwart. Chatin reprises his role as Rolex 24 extra driver as he did in 2021. Rounding out the lineup are a pair of programmers – Lutke has gathered Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) experience while “DHH” is a sportscar veteran and a past 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner (2014 in GTE Am) set to make his IMSA return for the first time since 2020. 


 

No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

Daniel Goldburg/Paul di Resta/Rasmus Lindh/James Allen


 

The other United car retains Goldburg and di Resta, with Lindh on as third driver for the Rolex 24. Allen has the lone Rolex 24 victory of this group, having been at the wheel of the Proton Competition ORECA for the photo finish margin of victory in LMP2 in 2023.


 

No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA LMP2 07

Tom Dillmann/Jon Field/Bijoy Garg/Antonio Felix da Costa


 

Inter Europol has enjoyed an excellent two-year run. The Polish-flagged team won the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP2, then returned to IMSA for the first time in four years in tandem with the oft-successful PR1 Mathiasen team, and promptly won the 2024 championship with Bronze-rated Nick Boulle also securing the Jim Trueman Award. Boulle, like PR1 Mathiasen, are no longer part of this lineup in 2025. Dillmann remains, joined by Field who’s back for the first time in more than a decade. Garg moves from United Autosports where he was part of that team’s 24 Hours of Le Mans LMP2-winning lineup, while da Costa adds pace and recent championship-winning pedigree (2022 FIA WEC LMP2, 2019-20 Formula E) as fourth driver. 


 

No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07

Rodrigo Sales/Mathias Beche/Benjamin Pedersen/Ben Keating


 

It doesn’t seem to matter who’s aboard the Bobby Oergel-led PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports entry, which has won five of the last six class championships in IMSA’s LMP2. Some of that goes to the team’s staying power over time, but its continued up-front presence in deeper fields indicates a program that has both the class and the car sorted to compete. Its latest new lineup of Sales and Beche for the full season, Pedersen for the Michelin Endurance Cup rounds and Keating for the Rolex 24, will seek to continue that trend. 


 

No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07

Chris Cumming/Pietro Fittipaldi/James Roe Jr./Callum Ilott


 

Pratt Miller Motorsports’ entry into LMP2 for 2025 is one of the most intriguing propositions in the class, given its prototype roots but longtime GT presence working in tandem with Corvette Racing. Its lineup includes open-wheel veterans Fittipaldi (full season), Roe (Michelin Endurance Cup) and Ilott (Rolex 24). Cumming has extensive sports car experience, predominately in the former Prototype Challenge class with limited global LMP2 running and will make his IMSA return for the first time since 2017.  


 

No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07

Gar Robinson/Felipe Fraga/Josh Burdon/Felipe Massa


 

A year without a Riley team winning a race is a rarity in modern sports car racing, yet that’s what occurred in its maiden LMP2 voyage in 2024. It was still a steady season, as the team scored four podium finishes and six top-five finishes in seven races to finish runner-up in points. The dedication to consistency continues, and the same quartet of Robinson, Fraga, Burdon and Massa are back for the Rolex 24. All except Massa have won either and/or both of a full-season IMSA title or Michelin Endurance Cup. The team won two titles and two Rolex 24s from 2021 to 2023 in the former Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) class.


 

No. 88 Af Corse ORECA LMP2 07

Luis Perez Companc/Nicklas Nielsen/Matthieu Vaxiviere/Dylan Murry


 

Af Corse has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans overall the last two years as the service provider for the Ferrari 499P and seeks to add a Rolex 24 to its victory list with entries in both LMP2 and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD). Nielsen was part of last year’s overall Le Mans win and also part of a Watkins Glen win last year with Perez Companc and Lilou Wadoux. Vaxiviere and Murry add experience from sporadic IMSA starts.


 

No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07

PJ Hyett/Dane Cameron/Jonny Edgar/Christian Rasmussen


 

AO Racing’s model of expand and advance for its sophomore season paid dividends greatly in GT racing in 2024, and will seek to do likewise in 2025 for its second LMP2 effort. Wholesale changes come on the driving front, with Hyett now paired with four-time IMSA champion Dane Cameron for the full-season. He became available after winning last year’s GTP title with Porsche Penske Motorsport. Cameron’s four titles have come in four different categories (2014 GTD, 2016 P, 2019 DPi, 2024 GTP), so an LMP2 crown would make it five-for-five. Edgar was part of AO by TF’s ELMS-title winning effort in 2024 – along with Louis Deletraz and Robert Kubica – and IndyCar driver Rasmussen was a key cog in Era’s 2024 Rolex 24 LMP2 win. AO’s “Rexy” Porsche stole the headlines in 2024 with its GTD PRO title, and the volley of attention may shift to “Spike,” the LMP2 dragon for 2025 if the lineup changes work as advertised. 

 

 

Meet the Full Field for the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona

Sixty-One Cars Are on the Grid for the 63rd Running of the Endurance Classic

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2025) – The complete field of cars for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona gathered on the Daytona International Speedway circuit for the annual full-field photo today. Sixty-one cars across four classes (Grand Touring Prototype, Le Mans Prototype 2, Grand Touring Daytona Pro and Grand Touring Daytona) are set to compete in the iconic race that opens the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season starting Saturday afternoon.


 

NBC Sports offers complete coverage of the 24-hour race across its platforms. Catch the race start live on NBC network starting at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday. USA Network picks up coverage from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday. The broadcast returns to NBC for the conclusion of the race from noon-2 p.m. Sunday. The entire race also streams live, flag-to-flag, on Peacock in the U.S. and on IMSA's Official YouTube channel and IMSA.TV outside the U.S.


 

Additionally, please find today's video asset from the full field shoot at this link.


 

(Mandatory Credit: Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA/LAT Photo USA; Video: IMSA/Beverly Hills Aerials)

Be on the Lookout: These Rolex 24 Drivers Bear Watching

Keep an Eye on These Guys: NASCAR Stars, Ex-F1 Drivers and Young Phenoms


 

January 20, 2025

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Now that the field of drivers for the Rolex 24 At Daytona later this month is complete, it’s a good time to sift through the more than 230 names to look at a baker’s dozen who may have an impact on the 63rd twice-around-the-clock marathon at Daytona International Speedway, largely beyond those that immediately come to mind competing in the leading Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class.


 

Some of the drivers boast lengthy racing resumes; some you may not have heard of before. All, though, bear watching when they’re in their respective machines during the Jan. 25-26 opener to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.


 

Austin Cindric (No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3, Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class: The NASCAR star and 2022 Daytona 500 winner was a late addition to the lineup as a substitute for the injured Ben Barker. Cindric has competed in eight WeatherTech Championship races since 2017, most recently in the 2023 Rolex 24 for Rick Ware Racing in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class. His last effort in a GT3 car came in the 2022 Rolex 24 with Proton Competition, and he’ll add the Ford to previous runs in a Lexus RC F GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3.


 

Pipo Derani (No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class): The two-time season champion in the top class of the WeatherTech Championship will make his GTD class debut in a one-off with DXDT as he focuses on development of the new Genesis Magma Racing LMDh car set to begin competition next year. Derani already has an overall Rolex 24 win (2016); can he add a class victory to go with it?


 

Malthe Jakobsen (No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2): The dynamic Dane’s star is shining brighter in 2025, as he’s been named a Peugeot factory driver for its Hypercar lineup in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). He returns to the No. 04 CrowdStrike LMP2 entry for Daytona, where he’s paired with nearly the identical lineup that finished second in class in 2024 for a second straight year. George Kurtz and Toby Sowery are back with Jakobsen, with two-time Rolex 24 class winner Colton Herta replacing Colin Braun this time around. 


 

Parker Kligerman (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, GTD): The NASCAR driver/broadcaster is making his series and Rolex 24 debut. He tested with the team at Daytona in November and will be surrounded by winning talent. Co-drivers Franck Perera (2018 GTD) and Misha Goikhberg (2016 Prototype Challenge) each have a Rolex 24 win, and third co-driver Mario Farnbacher is a two-time WeatherTech Championship GTD season champion with 10 career race wins.

Kamui Kobayashi (No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class): The mega-fast and popular Japanese driver is back with the team he helped to consecutive Rolex 24 overall victories in 2019 and ’20. Of course, he still has that full-time job as team principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing in WEC, where he was the season champion in 2019-20 and 2021, as well as capturing victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in ‘21.


 

Andy Lally (No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, GTD): The active driver with the most Rolex 24 wins (five) is becoming inactive after this year’s race, as he’s announced his retirement from full-time driving. The 2025 race will mark Lally’s 23rd consecutive start, and he’ll do it alongside longtime friend and co-driver John Potter – they won at Daytona together in 2012 (GT) and 2016 (GTD) – as well as two-time Rolex 24 winner Spencer Pumpelly and Aston Martin works driver Nicki Thiim.


 

Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch (No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, GTD PRO): We label this as a co-entry because this talented trio is together in the No. 91 Corvette along with one of the best Bronze-rated drivers in the world, Ben Keating. McLaughlin was a three-time Supercars champion in Australia before joining the IndyCar Series, where he’s won seven races over the past three seasons and finished third in the championship the last two years. Fellow New Zealander van Gisbergen was also a three-time Supercars champ before taking the NASCAR world by storm, winning the Chicago street race in his 2023 Cup Series debut. Zilisch is well-known in IMSA circles for his Mazda MX-5 Cup prowess and winning his first two races in the WeatherTech Championship last season in LMP2 (Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring). The 18-year-old is already a NASCAR shooting star with one Xfinity Series and five ARCA Menards Series wins last year.


 

Felipe Massa (No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2): The former Formula 1 driver (11 wins in 15 seasons) returns for a second crack at the Rolex 24 and is back with the same team and lineup. He and co-drivers Gar Robinson, Felipe Fraga and Josh Burdon reached the podium in 2024 with a third-place showing and look to bump up to the top step this time around.


 

Kakunoshin “Kaku” Ohta (No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06, GTP, pictured at top): The 25-year-old is a rising star in the Honda development program, with manufacturer backing since 2019. He’s raced almost exclusively in Japan to date, in the F4, Super GT, Super Formula and Super Taikyu (endurance) series, but will make his WeatherTech Championship debut in the Meyer Shank Acura GTP. He tested with the team at Daytona in November.


 

Lorenzo Patrese (No. 47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, GTD PRO): The 19-year-old son of retired Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese isn’t even the youngest driver in the No. 47 Ferrari quartet. That honor goes to 17-year-old Nicola Lacorte, with Nicola’s dad Roberto Lacorte also in the lineup. The team has a pretty solid anchor driver in Antonio Fuoco, who was victorious in the Ferrari Hypercar at last June’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.


 

Nico Varrone (No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, GTD PRO): The Argentinian joins full-season No. 4 drivers Tommy Milner and Nicky Catsburg for the Rolex 24, in a reunion with Catsburg. The duo, along with Ben Keating, earned the 2023 WEC LMGTE Am season championship as well as seizing the class win at Le Mans. Varrone made it back-to-back Le Mans victories last year when he teamed with Ben Barnicoat – yes, he of the Vasser Sullivan Lexus in GTD PRO – and Francois Perrodo to take LMP2 Pro-Am honors.

Michelin Pilot Challenge Roar Notebook: Fast Fords; Neto's Quick Learning

Fords, Hondas, Audis Make Waves in Daytona Test while Several Veterans Return


 

January 19, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 3 Results

Practice 4 Results

Practice 5 Results


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series completed a three-day Roar Before the Rolex 24 test on Sunday. The test is not mandatory for competitors, although most made the trip to Daytona International Speedway in advance of Friday’s season-opening BMW M Endurance Challenge four-hour race.


 

McCumbee McAleer Pair Fast and Climbing Team’s Internal Ladder


 

If you don’t know the names of Jenson Altzman and Sam Paley now, you might as the 2025 Michelin Pilot Challenge season progresses. Especially as each of them led a session during the weekend, as Altzman was fastest in Friday’s second practice at 1 minute, 53.839 seconds (112.580 mph) and Paley led Saturday’s third practice at 1 minute, 54.208 seconds (112.216 mph). 


 

Altzman, an Arizona native who now lives in Charlotte, and his longtime friend and fellow McCumbee McAleer Racing with AEROSPORT driver Paley are paired up in the team’s No. 13 Ford Mustang GT4 in Grand Sport (GS) for 2025. 


 

It marks the culmination of a journey for both. Altzman is set for his third Michelin Pilot Challenge season – he has three podiums and a best finish of seventh in points – while Paley, who previously drove with MMR in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin, makes the leap from Mustang Challenge.


 

Changes for Altzman this year include adjusting to a new size Michelin front tire on the team’s Mustang GT4 that is more aligned with other Mustang models within the IMSA paddock and having a more consistent co-driver. He’s driven with Paley, team co-owner Chad McCumbee, Ford factory ace Joey Hand and young drivers Gavin Sanders and Nate Cicero in his first two years in the series. 


 

“Last year was a fun and rewarding experience getting to develop the new Mustang GT4 Gen 7 with Chad and the whole team,” Altzman explained. “I’m also looking forward to sharing a car with Sam—this has been a dream since our early MX-5 Cup days, and it’s incredible to see it come to life.”


 

Paley added, “Jenson is one of my closest friends, and we push each other to be the best versions of ourselves on and off the track. I’ve been working with the MMR crew since 2019, and the progress we’ve made is undeniable. With the team’s hard work, Ford’s support, and Jenson as my teammate, I have high expectations for this season.”


 

Eversley, Neto Audi and Honda Top TCR Times

Honda was the dominant brand atop the Touring Car (TCR) class times during the weekend, while one of its former drivers showed pace in his new environment at Audi.


 

Honda entries from MMG (Montreal Motorsports Group) and manufacturer newcomers KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering led three of the four dry sessions from Friday to Saturday, with Tim Lewis’ lap of 1 minute, 57.449 seconds (109.119 mph) best overall in the No. 5 Honda Civic FL5 TCR.


 

The outlier was Ryan Eversley, now aboard Precision Racing LA’s No. 7 Audi RS3 LMS TCR, the race-winning veteran now back in the IMSA paddock full-time. He shares his car with 2025 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship recipient Celso Neto, who also got the hang of all aspects of the IMSA environment during the weekend. Eversley led the Saturday morning practice session. 


 

The weekend for Eversley and Neto got off to a classic “first weekend, new car” start with such a fresh Audi chassis the car still had its initial stickers on board and the team needed to sort its seat for both drivers. Once on board, the pace was there as both drivers came to grips with their new beast. 


 

“The weekend has been going great,” Neto said (pictured above). “A lot of learning by everybody, especially myself being a new track and new car for myself. Happy with the progress we have made in race pace and looking to keep improving that over the official practice sessions coming up. It’s been great to have Ryan with us during this new step in my career into endurance racing!”


 

Veterans Making a Comeback
  • After impressing in his first outing with Hattori Motorsports to cap off the 2024 GS season, Zach Veach (pictured right) was named to start 2025 in the team’s renumbered No. 16 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 (had been No. 50). He tested this weekend with JP Southern and Harrison Goodman.
  • Andy Lally will race alongside longtime friend and co-driver Spencer Pumpelly twice next weekend. Lally joins Pumpelly and Thomas Collingwood as third driver of the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS in Grand Sport. The only catch is that Friday’s BMW M Endurance Challenge overlaps with the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship autograph session, and Lally appears set to miss the reveal of Magnus Racing’s latest creative hero card design. “The reveal is it's always like five minutes before the drivers autograph session, and Spence found me a seat in the GS race, so I'm actually gonna do that and I'm gonna miss it unless I can sneak a look when the package comes in,” Lally said.
  • Fellow sports car veteran Guy Cosmo is back driving, albeit for this weekend only during the Roar test. Cosmo shared the No. 43 MDK Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with Tom Tait this weekend. Tait and Slade Stewart will run as a Bronze Cup-entered GS car in the BMW M Endurance Challenge, with Cosmo likely on-site to coach.
  • Robert Megennis will be driving a different car in Daytona than he will the rest of the 2025 GS season. Megennis, who raced with Turner Motorsport in GS the last two years, shares the No. 67 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS with young drivers Gordon Scully and Morgan Burkhard. Starting at Sebring, he’ll be in the team’s second car, the No. 2 CSM entry with Nikita Lastochkin.

 

 

Roar Before the Rolex 24 Saturday Notebook: New Stars, New Wheel, New Physical Test

Trackhouse’s Unique Car, Fresh Systems for WTR, and Jordan Taylor’s Florida Endurance Run


 

January 18, 2025

By John Oreovicz and Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

Trackhouse is This Year's All-Star Team


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Rolex 24 At Daytona annually attracts a diverse group of drivers from around the world, occasionally creating unique “superteam” lineups. 


 

This year, the best example of that phenomenon can be seen in the cockpit of the No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class which features IndyCar Series frontrunner Scott McLaughlin, fellow New Zealander (and recent NASCAR transplant) Shane van Gisbergen, rising stock car star Connor Zilisch, and versatile sports car pilot Ben Keating.


 

The common denominator between the four is General Motors.


 

“Chevy and Eric Warren came to me with the opportunity to do this,” related McLaughlin, referencing the Executive Director of GM Racing. “I was like, ‘For sure I’d love to team up with Shane!’ That’s something I’ve dreamed of for a long time, whether here in IMSA or in Australia in a Supercar.”


 

Trackhouse Racing boss Justin Marks was keen to get on board with the collaboration, paving the way for van Gisbergen’s participation. And Zilisch, despite focusing full-time on the NASCAR Xfinity Series, brings an impressive skill set to the effort, including Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class wins in both the 2024 Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring with Era Motorsport. 


 

“Connor is another star coming up through the ranks,” observed McLaughlin. “He’s a great kid, just got his head screwed on straight. In some ways, he’s like an 18-year-old kid the way he gets excited and says some things out of the blue that make you wonder what the hell that was all about. But he’s quick in everything he’s gotten into, and he has a super-great feel for the car. I haven’t seen his data, but I’m looking forward to analyzing him and how he goes about his work.


 

“Having Ben as our Bronze is awesome,” McLaughlin added about Keating, one of America’s top Chevrolet dealers and also a former Rolex 24 class winner (2015, GTD). “I’ve always wanted to drive with Ben, to be honest. He’s a really stout Bronze.”


 

New Knobs and Buttons

Wayne Taylor Racing’s No. 10 features a nearly identical driver lineup as it did for the 2024 Rolex 24. The quartet of Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Will Stevens, and Brendan Hartley are familiar with each other, but they’re all getting to grips with the Cadillac V-Series.R for the first time after driving either Acura ARX-06 or ARX-05 cars in recent years. 


 

“Amongst us as drivers, we’ve driven quite a few of the prototypes during this new era,” said Stevens, who last raced with WTR at the 2022 Rolex 24. His full-time ride the last two years was in a Porsche 963 for Hertz Team Jota in the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he earned a win at Spa-Francorchamps. 


 

“The first few laps when you get in a car are when you feel the biggest difference,” Stevens continued. “Your body is used to certain feelings and certain sounds, and those initial 5-10 laps in the car are where everything is kind of a shock to the system because it’s all different. You have to kind of try to erase what your previous assumptions were and learn new ones. But I think once you’re in the car and stop looking off a piece of paper to try and explain everything, it comes a lot quicker than just studying a driver manual.


 

“A lot of our task is to settle down and understand how the systems of the Cadillac work and how to use them to our best advantage. Because at the end of the day, they are a driver tool. Each driver wants has certain things they want to have from a balance point of view, so it’s trying to fine-tune and understand what each driver wants. Simulators are very good these days, but nothing beats on-track driving.”


 

Jordan's Month of Endurance

Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing driver Jordan Taylor is preparing not just for the longest race of the season in the Rolex 24 At Daytona, but also for an extraordinary physical test only three weeks later.

 

The Ultraman Florida race is three full, grueling days from February 14 to 16 and includes a 6.2-mile swim and 90 miles on a bike on the first day, followed by a 171-mile bike race the next day and concluding with a double marathon – 52.4 miles – on the third day.

 

It’s certainly not the first time Taylor – a four-time IMSA champion - has pushed himself physically away from the track. He’s competed in a pair of the prestigious Ironman events. In 2023, he finished 19th out of 173 competitors in his age group in the Ironman Florida with an impressive time of nine hours, 59 minutes and 45 seconds in the 6.2-mile swim, 90-mile bike and double marathon.

 

Doing the “ultra” event is something Taylor says has long drawn his interest but requires a competitor to have completed an Ironman race within a year to be eligible. So, the time was now.

 

“I figured this may be my only opportunity to actually do it, so I just signed up that day,” said Taylor, co-driver of the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series R in the GTP class. “I enjoy the challenge and journey of it all. It takes months of preparation and training to get there. I enjoy learning about the science of why you do certain training protocols to get your body prepared for something like that, working with my coach.

 

“So far, it’s all complimented my racing, so I feel great about it. It’s definitely going to be a crazy weekend of testing myself mentally and physically, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

 

 

Roar Before the Rolex 24 Friday Notebook

Bell’s Surreal Start to 2025, Magnussen’s Return, and Gatting and Gounon’s Relationship


 

January 17, 2025

By Holly Cain

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It couldn’t be more of an understatement to say the last three weeks of Townsend Bell’s life have been unexpected and life-changing – a surprise ask by his friend, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship team co-owner Jimmy Vasser (along with team co-owner James "Sulli" Sullivan) to compete in the Rolex 24 At Daytona – and then much more radically, weeks later, having to evacuate his home in California as the wildfires approached.

 

It is Bell’s first driving role in three years, and he will be doing double duty on track as a driver in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class and in the booth as a broadcaster during the NBC telecast of the famed race. 


 

He arrived in Daytona Beach with a suitcase – one of the few belongings he quickly grabbed from his home in Pacific Palisades as he and his wife evacuated with the fires quickly moving toward his neighborhood.

 

“It’s certainly the most devastating scene I’ve ever witnessed in person and in an eerie way it kind of reminds me of the 60 seconds after the [fatal] Dan Wheldon crash in Vegas,” Bell said. “It’s funny how it triggers that memory. Totally different situation, but utter disbelief.

 

“Just like I climbed out of the car after the [fatal Wheldon] crash versus when I went back to my neighborhood after the fire, you’re like, ‘No way this has just happened.’”

 

Bell said he was ironically on the phone discussing his new job in the broadcast booth for the 2025 IndyCar season when his wife came into the room and told him the fires had reached their neighborhood and they needed to leave. Now.

 

They evacuated to his wife’s parents’ home, but days later, Bell went back to his house and got his racing helmet, ear plugs and racing shoes – renting a scooter to reach the house with the roads closed because of the emergency situation. He remembers that experience well.

 

“I lived in neighborhood that burned down except when I turned the corner, the house that I live in was still standing and the fireball was at the top of the hill kind of coming down the canyon,” said Bell, a 2014 Rolex 24 class winner in GTD. “So, I went inside and called my wife and said, ‘I need to know the three things you need the most right now.’”

 

In 11 minutes, Bell said he packed for his three jobs – racing and commentating – coming up in the next three weeks. His house in Pacific Palisades was among only a couple dozen still standing in the entire neighborhood - two homes he owns in Malibu, however, burned to the ground. 

 

“Just a surreal experience,” said Bell, who estimates it may be six to 12 months before he and his wife can go back to their home to live, but notes sadly, some of his close friends have lost everything.

 

“Having said that, what an incredible effort from all the first responders that didn’t sleep for days and did everything they could to defend a 70-mph blowtorch.’’

 

Of being in Daytona Beach this week, Bell concedes, “to have a little escape right now, is actually welcome.’’


 

Magnussen Eager for Sports Car Return

Only a year ago at this time, Kevin Magnussen was preparing to compete in the 2024 Formula One season. This month, the son of sports car legend Jan Magnussen begins a season in sports cars – something he says he so genuinely looks forward to.

 

Magnussen will co-drive the No. 24 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8 competing in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class in next week’s Rolex 24 – his third start in the historic twice-around-the-clock race and first since 2022. He will compete fulltime in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) as well - and racing stateside in three IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events at Daytona, Sebring and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

 

He fondly remembers coming to the IMSA races as a kid with his father, a four-time sports car champion who won nearly 50 races – the experiences stocking a lifelong love of the sports car kind.

 

Magnussen, who spent a decade competing in F1, said he is looking forward to the career transition and eager to improve on a pair of fifth-place finishes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener at Daytona – and his car was fastest in Friday’s two-hour afternoon practice.

 

In 10 previous career IMSA starts, he has a victory – from pole position – at Detroit’s Belle Isle course in 2021.

 

“I came here so much as a kid and grew up at these races in a way and always knew I wanted to be a part of that,” said Magnussen, 32, who said this opportunity was “absolutely” where he wanted to transition. “As a young boy you look up to your dad and want to do what he is doing. I guess for many drivers, Formula One is like the pinnacle which it is for me as well, but I certainly have an extra passion for sports car racing because I grew up with it.’’

 

“It’s more pure. … sports car racing in general, I think people love what they do more than they do in Formula One because it’s so competitive [in F1] it can be kind of cold in a way. I arrived here and see everyone smiling and looking forward to the race and everything. It’s a different vibe, different environment.’’ 


 

High Speed Romance

Racing has provided not only a brilliant career for French-born driver Jules Gounon, 30 and Danish driver Michelle Gatting, 31, but the sport has also given the talented pair of racers an opportunity to fall in love.

 

Racing circuits feel right at home for the couple, who will compete in different classes in the weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona. They met at a track three years ago and have been happily together at full speed ever since.

 

Gounon, who now calls the small European municipality Andorra home, won the GTD PRO class in the 2023 Rolex 24. He’ll be driving the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 in that class this weekend. Gatting is competing with the accomplished Iron Dames, co-driving the No. 83 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) in the GTD class – her car pacing the morning session.


 

“Of course, we met a race track,” Gatting said with a smile. “That was not the intention at all, but he used his French charm and made sure I knew who he was. It was very romantic and something, hopefully, we can look back at in many years and smile about it. It was very old-school and romantic and at a racetrack where we basically spend all our time.”

 

The romance has certainly never proven to be distracting. In fact, the first weekend they were “officially” a couple they found big success.

“The first weekend we really were both together, we both won – I won the 24 hours of Spa and he won in Gold Cup for the first time for a woman,” Gounon recounted with a smile.

 

The couple – both, coincidentally, born on December 31 – say they are well aware of one another on track even though they race in different classes. Away from the track, there is direct competition.

 

“It’s quite competitive, probably more so from my side,” a smiling Gatting shared. “I really want to try and beat him way more than him. With everything in our life, we are very competitive. If we play UNO or tennis, it’s extremely competitive.’’

 

Adds Gounon with a grin, “She hates to lose and a few times at home we don’t speak for a few hours [if that happens]. But I don’t let her win.

 

“I think it’s good we are not in the same category [on track] and have to fight against each other.’’

 

They have certainly found a way to make both their relationship and careers thrive.

 

“Once the race starts, we are so focused on our own race,” Gounon said. “In the end, we are race car drivers. We love each other. We focus on our jobs and in the end we can debrief.

 

“It is unique thing to go out to dinner with your girlfriend or boyfriend and speak about technique about the car. It’s certainly not your everyday conversation after work.”


 

 

 

 

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NBC Sports To Present 160+ Hours of 2025 IMSA Coverage Across NBC, Peacock and USA Network

Five NBC Network Windows; Peacock To Stream All WeatherTech, and Live Coverage of Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge And More

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 16, 2025) –

NBC Sports will present more than 160 hours of IMSA coverage in 2025, headlined by the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, across NBC, Peacock, and USA Network, including live comprehensive coverage of the historic 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race at Daytona International Speedway on January 25-26.


 

NBC Sports’ 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule includes 17 hours on NBC broadcast network and 12 hours on USA Network, including network coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship of Monterey race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on May 11, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen on June 22, the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 21, and the season finale Motul Petit Le Mans from Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Oct. 11.


 

Peacock will serve as the streaming home of the WeatherTech Championship with flag-to-flag live coverage of all races as well as exclusive coverage for portions of select endurance races, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, with all 12 hours exclusively on Peacock for the first time.


 

Peacock will again present live coverage of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America, Ford Mustang Challenge and Porsche Carrera Cup races in 2025.


 

Below is NBC Sports’ 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule:
 

BMW's Evo-lution, a Fresh Supra and a New CUPRA

CUPRA, Supra and A Pair of BMW M4 EVOs Make Up IMSA’s New Model Year


 

January 14, 2025

By John Oreovicz

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Every new racing season brings a few new racing cars, and 2025 is no exception for IMSA-sanctioned sports car racing. There’s a quartet of new or updated ‘Evolution’ machines to look forward to seeing in competition for the first time, including two versions of an established fan favorite and an IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge contender than has not yet been seen in America on the street or the racetrack. 


 

Invigorated Champion: BMW M4


 

Back in 1986, BMW had no idea it would make such a significant impact on the automotive world when it commissioned its ‘M’ Motorsport division to concurrently develop a Touring Car class racing car and a limited-production street version to go along with it. 


 

The resultant M3 (renamed M4 in 2014 when BMW modified its nomenclature system) has had a wildly successful competition career through six design generations. Additionally, its roadgoing model has consistently blurred the boundaries between practical sedan and outright sports car, combining the best of both worlds.


 

BMW M now produces FIA GT3- and GT4-homologated versions of the G82 generation of the M4 that debuted for the 2022 racing season. In 2025, the German marque is introducing an ‘EVO’ package of updates.

For the M4 GT3 EVO that competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, visual changes include revised front fender vents, smaller rear-view mirrors, and greater adjustability for the rear wing.


 

Headlights and taillights have been upgraded to BMW’s latest ‘Life Cycle Impulse’ design language. To save weight, some parts of the body are left in bare carbon fiber, while others are treated with a cathodic dip coating instead of traditional paint. Under the bodywork, you’ll find new suspension components, larger rear brakes, and fine-tuning of the differential. The upgrades are available as a package, or new cars can be obtained for €578,000 (just under $600,000). 


 

The M4 GT3 EVO premiered in May 2024 at the Nürburgring and will make its worldwide competition debut in the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona International Speedway, with a pair of entries in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class fielded by Paul Miller Racing and a third in GTD, run by stalwart BMW team Turner Motorsport. Before stepping up to IMSA’s GTD PRO last year, PMR’s No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 claimed the 2023 GTD class championship and the 2022 GTD WeatherTech Sprint Cup.


 

“The BMW M4 GT3 has achieved more than 70 victories and countless major successes since its introduction,” stated Andreas Roos, Head of BMW M Motorsport. “I am convinced that the EVO model of the BMW M4 GT3, as well as that of the BMW M4 GT4, will contribute to playing in the first league of GT racing in the coming years and celebrating many more great victories.”

Four weeks after BMW unveiled the M4 GT3 EVO, it rolled out an EVO version of the M4 GT4 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps – another legendary European venue. As with the GT3, BMW targeted increased efficiency and reliability with the EVO upgrades, which include a new splitter and the same LCI-inspired lighting as the M4 GT3. But for GT4, ease of drivability was an even more important factor for Bronze-rated drivers like many who compete in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The ability to deactivate traction control is a key change. The update kit can be acquired for €16,000 (just over $16,000), with new cars priced at €219,000 (just over $225,000). 


 

“In developing the BMW M4 GT4 EVO, we focused on what makes BMW M Motorsport stand out,” said Bjorn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport. “We took the feedback from the field seriously and focused on the issues that were important to our customers – to make the ‘perfect’ customer racing car even better.”


 

Turner Motorsport leads the BMW attack in the Michelin Pilot Challenge.

CUPRA: Spanish Flair


 

Most Americans aren’t aware of CUPRA, or for that matter of SEAT, the Spanish auto brand that spawned it. SEAT was created in 1950 and acquired in 1986 by the Volkswagen Group, currently the world’s second largest auto manufacturer.  

CUPRA Racing was created as SEAT’s motorsport division, ultimately resulting in a line of high-performance ‘CUPRA’ versions of several SEAT models that is now a full-fledged marque. 


 

Think of CUPRA to SEAT like you would AMG to Mercedes, M to BMW, or N to Hyundai; it was spun-off as a standalone brand in 2018 on the basis of SEAT’s successful racing exploits, which include World Touring Car Championship titles in 2008 and ’09 with drivers Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini.


 

The SEAT Leon is a compact hatchback that shares the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform with the VW Golf/GTI and the Audi A3. In GT4 specification, the A3 is a successful racing car. Chris Miller and Mikey Taylor drove the Touring Car (TCR) specification Audi RS3 LMS TCR to the 2024 TCR class championship in Michelin Pilot Challenge. So, it’s not too difficult to follow the stock SEAT Leon’s transformation into the CUPRA Leon VZ TCR that will join the TCR class of the IMPC field in 2025. CUPRA was announced at Motul Petit Le Mans weekend to become the latest auto manufacturer to participate in IMSA competition.


 

CUPRA has announced plans to enter the U.S. market by 2030, and the brand is using its IMSA program with Gou Racing to preview its arrival. The father-son duo of Eduardo and Eddie Gou made their Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR debut in late 2023 and fielded the distinctive orange No. 55 Audi in 2024. 


 

“The CUPRA Leon VZ is a fantastic machine, and we are confident in our ability to push it to its limits in the 2025 Michelin Pilot Challenge,” said team principal Eduardo Gou. “We look forward to the fierce competition, new challenges, and, most importantly, making our mark in one of the most exciting touring car classes out there. This represents an exciting new era for our team.”

Supra EVO2: Twice as Nice


 

The Toyota Supra has evolved since the 1970s from a sporty and luxurious version of the Celica to a larger more capable grand tourer that became iconic in its racing version through the ‘Gran Turismo’ gaming platform. These days, the Supra is a small, two-seat sports car that shares a platform and engine with the BMW Z4 convertible.  


 

Toyota Gazoo Racing brought out an FIA-homologated GR Supra GT4 in 2020, followed by an EVO version in 2023. Now just two years later comes the GR Supra GT4 EVO2, with a recalibrated gearbox for faster downshifts and more effective rev-matching to benefit braking stability. Considerable effort has also gone into cooling the car’s major mechanical components, as well as the confined cockpit area.


 

More than 120 Supra GT4s have been raced around the world since 2020, including in the Grand Sport (GS) class of the Michelin Pilot Challenge and the GSX class in the VP Racing SportsCar Challenge. The 2025 GR Supra GT4 EVO2 carries a price tag of €202,000 (just under $208,000).


 

(Photos courtesy BMW M Motorsport, CUPRA and Toyota GR Racing)

 

Third Season Potentially a Charm for IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

A Field of 33 Cars in Three Classes Set to Race at Daytona International Speedway


 

January 14, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –

On the eve of its third season, the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge has three classes and 33 cars set to compete in the 2025 season-opening weekend at Daytona International Speedway. This is a potential series record number provided all 33 start the pair of 45-minute races at the 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course. 


 

The additional numbers are primarily thanks to two things: the introduction of the new Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) class featuring GT3-specification cars, and a doubling of Grand Sport X (GSX) entries since the 2024 season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. 


 

Six of IMSA’s auto manufacturers have entered VP Racing Challenge: BMW and Porsche in both GTDX and GSX, Ferrari in GTDX and Aston Martin, Ford and Toyota in GSX.


 

In total, eight Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), nine GTDX and 16 GSX cars will comprise this field of 33.


 

What is also apparent is the increase in teams in other IMSA-sanctioned championships joining the VP Racing Challenge, creating either extra track time and/or an internal ladder system for customers as part of their programs.


 

There are five IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams fielding VP Racing Challenge entries and Rolex 24 At Daytona entries. Those include Forte Racing (two P3 Ligier JS P320 cars), Turner Motorsport (two BMW M4 GT3 cars in GTDX, one BMW M4 GT4 in GSX), Wright Motorsports (one Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 in GTDX), Conquest Racing and AF Corse (two Ferrari 296 GT3s apiece in GTDX).


 

The pace-setting P3 cars have a mostly new grid. Brian Thienes (No. 77 Forte Ligier), the top Bronze-rated driver last season, finished third overall in last year’s championship. Teammate Jon Hirshberg (No. 86 Forte Ligier) and Mirco Schultis (No. 70 Mishumotors Ligier) are the two other confirmed returning drivers from 2024. Matthew Dicken (No. 36 RAFA Racing Ligier) also has past IMSA experience in Michelin Pilot Challenge. GEBHARDT Intralogistics Motorsports fields two German, Silver-rated drivers in its two Duqueine D08 cars, Valentino Catalano (No. 30) and Markus Pommer (No. 31). 


 

MLT Motorsports, last year’s P3 driver champions with Steven Aghakhani, today named Canadian driver Jonathan Woolridge to drive the team’s No. 54 Ligier. Woolridge already has a VP Racing SportsCar Challenge race victory on his résumé, scoring the LMP3 win at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in 2023. Brady Golan completes the class entry in his No. 80 Toney Driver Development Ligier. He was part of the Michelin Pilot Challenge-winning Grand Sport (GS) class entry at Daytona in 2024.

Turner, Wright, Conquest and AF Corse field seven of the nine GTDX cars and they feature some familiar names. 


 

Turner’s Michelin Endurance Cup WeatherTech driver Jake Walker will drive the No. 6 BMW while longtime Michelin Pilot Challenge driver Vin Barletta steps up from GT4 machinery into GT3 in the team’s No. 95 BMW. Wright has a Rolex 24 double-duty driver as well in the form of Adam Adelson in its No. 24 Porsche. Conquest features the father-son duo of Dave Musial (No. 99) and Dave Musial Jr. (No. 20) in its two Ferraris. Matias Perez Companc (No. 50) and AJ Muss, an Olympic snowboarder-turned race driver, (No. 66) are aboard AF Corse’s two Ferraris. 



ST Racing will undoubtedly be a team to watch as it dives into the IMSA waters. Samantha Tan (No. 28 BMW M4 GT3) has accumulated a wealth of global GT3 and GT4 experience and wins and has amassed an excellent following beyond the racing community. GMG Racing completes the nine-car class with longtime team driver Kyle Washington (No. 32 Porsche 911 GT3 R 992) adding to his experience level.

The 16 GSX entries feature several up-and-coming Silver-rated drivers and a healthy volume of Bronze-rated drivers. Two Silver-rated ones to watch include Jackson Lee (No. 2 CSM Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport) and Kiko Porto (No. 8 RAFA Racing Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO1), a pair of open-wheel ladder veterans carving out a place for sports car racing in their career path. Gregory Liefooghe (No. 43 Stephen Cameron Racing Ford Mustang GT4) frequently contends for wins. 


 

Angus Rogers (No. 5 KMW Motorsports with TMR Engineering Porsche 718 GT4 RS Clubsport) is the top returning GSX driver, having finished seventh last year and fifth in 2023. Among other Bronze-rated drivers, keep an eye on RAFA Racing’s Ian Porter (No. 68 Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2), a gaming champion (better known as Crimsix)-turned-driver. 


 

The VP Racing schedule calls for a pair of 40-minute practices on Friday, with qualifying at 8:40 a.m. ET Saturday. The first 45-minute race starts at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, with the second at 1:20 p.m. Sunday. Both races stream live on Peacock.


 

Fast Facts

IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Fla.

January 17-19, 2025

  • Race Days/Times: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2:00 p.m. ET; Sunday, Jan. 19, 1:20 p.m.
  • Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 2:00 p.m. Saturday and 1:20 p.m. Sunday (available outside the U.S. on IMSA.tv and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial)
  • Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course
  • Classes Competing: Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3), Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX), Grand Sport X (GSX)
  • Race Lengths: 45 minutes

 

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Track Records

  • P3: Bijoy Garg, Ligier JS P320, 1:43.091 / 124.317 mph, January 2023 (Qualifying)
  • GSX: Luca Mars, Ford Mustang GT4, 1:53.740 / 112.678 mph, January 2024 (Race 1)


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 1 Winners:

  • P3: Steven Aghakhani, No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320
  • GSX: Luca Mars, No. 59 KOHR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4


 

2024 VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Race 2 Winners:

  • P3: Steven Aghakhani, No. 6 MLT Motorsports Ligier JS P320
  • GSX: Luca Mars, No. 59 KOHR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4

 

 

Applications Being Accepted for 2026-27 IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship

Winner Will Receive Up to $300,000 in Benefits and Chance to Race in One of Four IMSA-Sanctioned Series

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 9, 2024) – Opportunities and benefits continue to grow for the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship, which is now accepting applications for the award covering the 2026-27 seasons.


 

Up to $300,000 in benefits is available to the scholarship recipient, thanks to IMSA and a host of corporate partners. The recipient will also be able to select from four IMSA-sanctioned series in which to compete, with the addition of the Mustang Challenge as an option beginning in 2026.


 

To learn more about the IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship and apply, click here.


 

The IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship promotes and empowers drivers from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to participate in an IMSA series. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and/or describe how they have overcome obstacles to reach goals. They must possess a strong desire to compete in IMSA, have outstanding previous race results and/or proven on-track potential in junior racing categories, plus the ability to create a compelling strategy to compete in a full season in one of four IMSA-sanctioned series: the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge or Mustang Challenge. 


 

“The IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship has already left an imprint on the driver landscape going into its fourth year of existence, and the additional perks and benefits now available for future recipients make it more valuable than ever,” said Brandon Huddleston, vice president, IMSA Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “We couldn’t have this scholarship without the commitment of so many forward-thinking IMSA partners, and are proud to see it continue to grow, thrive and offer this important opportunity for up-and-coming drivers.”


 

The scholarship provides a full-season premium prepaid entry fee for the first year to drive in one of the four series and 50 percent of the prepaid entry fee for the second season. It also includes tools to bring deserving drivers into IMSA and position them for holistic success both on and off the racetrack.


 

The application window for the 2026-27 scholarship is open now through February 4. The application process includes a summary of the driver’s on-track history and accomplishments, their marketing abilities through social media and existing partners/sponsors, and a video that provides insight into their interviewing skills. 


 

After a thorough review of all applications, finalists will be notified later that month and will then begin IMSA-developed modules. Previous topics included marketing, business development, personal branding, media training, nutrition and how to approach teams and represent an automotive manufacturer. The final step for finalists is submission by August 8 of a business plan and securing a full-season ride with a team in one of the four participating IMSA-sanctioned series for the following season. 


 

The 2026-27 recipient will be announced in the fall.


 

The scholarship includes financial assistance from IMSA and is supported by a growing number of corporate partners: Michelin, VP Racing Fuels, OMP, Bell, Recaro, Skip Barber Racing School, RAFA Racing Club and LAT Images. RAFA Racing Club joined in 2024, earmarking $25,000 for the recipient, as well as leading an e-learning module for all scholarship finalists and offering the opportunity for the recipient to train at the club’s Human Performance Center in Houston.

 

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Entry List Notebook – Roar Before the Rolex 24 and 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

On-Track Action over Three-Day Test Builds Anticipation for Rolex 24


 

January 8, 2025

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Roar Entry List (Click Here)

Rolex Entry List (Click Here)

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship has solidified and updated the entry list for the 2025 Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona International Speedway, building on what was revealed in mid-December 2024.


 

The same 61 cars announced are confirmed for the mandatory three-day test, where all four WeatherTech Championship classes gain key track time and learning to prepare for the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 23-26. While most lineups are confirmed, a handful of teams are yet to reveal their finalized lineups.


 

In a change from recent years, the Roar test features just practice sessions for WeatherTech Championship competitors as qualifying for the Rolex 24 shifts to Thursday of race weekend, January 23. As the Roar is a test only, times are unofficial and do not count towards track records if they were to go quicker than existing records. 


 

All four classes are active over two sessions Friday, January 17, three sessions Saturday, January 18 and a morning session Sunday, January 19. The seventh and final session of the weekend on Sunday afternoon is reserved for Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) and Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) Bronze-rated drivers only. 


 

Quick fast facts for the Rolex 24 At Daytona are below.


 

Fast Facts

63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona

Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, Florida

January 23-26, 2025

Race Day/Time: Saturday, January 25 – 1:40 p.m. ET

NBC Network Coverage: LIVE, Saturday, January 25 – 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET; Sunday, January 26, 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET with remainder on USA and Peacock

Peacock Streaming Coverage: LIVE – Flag-to-flag beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET in the U.S.; International feed coverage available on IMSA.tv and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial (outside the U.S.)

Live Qualifying Stream: Thursday, January 23 – 2:05 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA.tv (in the U.S.) and YouTube.com/IMSAOfficial (outside the U.S.)

Circuit Type: 3.56-mile, 12-turn road course

Classes Competing: Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), Grand Touring Daytona (GTD)

Race Length: 24 hours

Track Social Media: 

Event Hashtags: #IMSA, #Rolex24 


 

WeatherTech Championship Track Records - Daytona International Speedway

GTP: Pipo Derani, Cadillac V-Series.R, 1:32.656 / 138.318 mph, January 2024

LMP2: Paul-Loup Chatin, ORECA LMP2, 1:35.532 / 134.154 mph, January 2022

GTD PRO: Seb Priaulx, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), 1:44.382 / 122.780 mph, January 2024

GTD: Parker Thompson, Lexus RC F GT3, 1:44.494 / 122.648 mph, January 2024


 

2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona Motul Pole Award Winners:

GTP: Pipo Derani, No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R

LMP2: Ben Keating, No. 2 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07

GTD PRO: Seb Priaulx, No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

GTD: Parker Thompson, No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3


 

2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners:

GTP: Felipe Nasr/Dane Cameron/Matt Campbell/Josef Newgarden, No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963

LMP2: Ryan Dalziel/Dwight Merriman/Connor Zilisch/Christian Rasmussen, No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07

GTD PRO: Alessandro Pier Guidi/James Calado/Davide Rigon/Daniel Serra, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3

GTD: Russell Ward/Philip Ellis/Indy Dontje/Daniel Morad, No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3


 

Storylines

  • Star Alignment: The usual bevy of extra Rolex 24 drivers boasting experience from Formula 1, NASCAR and IndyCar join the wealth of international sports car stars the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fields on a full season basis. Some of the extras this year include Scott Dixon, Alex Palou, Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen, Colton Herta, Felipe Massa, Scott McLaughlin, Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch, Austin Cindric, James Hinchcliffe and Parker Kligerman.
  • From Timepieces to Titles: Porsche Penske Motorsport (Grand Touring Prototype, GTP) and Winward Racing (Grand Touring Daytona, GTD) kicked off 2024 with Rolex 24 victories and the Rolex custom timepiece that went with it. Nine months later, their opening round success propelled them to season-long WeatherTech Championship titles.
  • Reshuffled GTP Grid: All 12 GTP cars spread among Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche have some degree of difference to kick off the 2025 season after ending 2024, whether in drivers, team names or manufacturers or in some cases, all of the above.
  • Deep GTD PRO/GTD Fields: A 15-car Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class field sets the record for the greatest number of cars in the category, ahead of its fourth season. Additionally, 22 cars in GTD bring the combined number of GT cars up to 37. Entries come from Aston Martin, BMW, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini, Lexus, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche.
  • Fresh Blend in LMP2: In two cases, GTP’s loss is a gain for Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) with Dane Cameron (No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07) and Sebastien Bourdais (No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07) joining an already stacked 12-car class.
  • Lally’s Last (Full-Time) Laps: The most successful active Rolex 24 race winner anticipated to race this year, Andy Lally, is set for his last race before retiring from full-time driving. Sharing the No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO in GTD, Lally has won five Rolex 24 races and is set for his 23rd consecutive start in the race this year.


 

With most of the field confirmed, there will be more than 50 Rolex 24 winners, more than 50 IMSA champions and more than 40 24 Hours of Le Mans winners in this year's field, with potentially more in each category to come.


 

Rolex 24 At Daytona Winners in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (59)

  • Andy Lally (5): SRPII – 2001; GT – 2009, 2011, 2012; GTD – 2016
  • Scott Dixon (4): DP/Overall – 2006; P/Overall – 2015; GTLM – 2018; DPi/Overall – 2020 
  • Filipe Albuquerque (3): GT – 2013; P/Overall – 2018; DPi/Overall – 2021 
  • Colin Braun (3): PC – 2014; LMP2 – 2020; GTP/Overall – 2023 
  • Ryan Dalziel (3): DP/Overall – 2010; LMP2 – 2021, 2024
  • Antonio Garcia (3): DP/Overall – 2009; GTLM – 2015, 2021 
  • Richard Lietz (3): GT – 2012; GTLM – 2014; GTD – 2022 
  • Jordan Taylor (3): P/Overall – 2017; DPi/Overall – 2019; GTLM – 2021 
  • Tom Blomqvist (2): DPi/Overall – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2023 
  • Mirko Bortolotti (2): GTD – 2018, 2019
  • Sebastien Bourdais (2): P/Overall – 2014; GTLM – 2017
  • Matt Campbell (2): GTD PRO – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2024 
  • Indy Dontje (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • Philip Ellis (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • Maro Engel (2): GTD – 2021; GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Colton Herta (2): GTLM – 2019; LMP2 – 2022
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): GT – 2013; DPi/Overall – 2022
  • Kamui Kobayashi (2): DPi/Overall – 2019, 2020
  • Daniel Morad (2): GTD – 2017, 2024
  • Felipe Nasr (2): GTD PRO – 2022; GTP/Overall – 2024 
  • Alessandro Pier Guidi (2): GTD – 2014; GTD PRO – 2024
  • John Potter (2): GT – 2012; GTD – 2016
  • Spencer Pumpelly (2): GT – 2006, 2011
  • Rene Rast (2): GT – 2012; GTD – 2016
  • Gar Robinson (2): LMP3 – 2021, 2022
  • Ricky Taylor (2): P/Overall – 2017; DPi/Overall – 2021 
  • Renger van der Zande (2): DPi/Overall – 2019, 2020
  • Russell Ward (2): GTD – 2021, 2024 
  • James Allen (1): LMP2 – 2023
  • Townsend Bell (1): GTD – 2014
  • Gianmaria Bruni (1): LMP2 – 2023 
  • Nick Boulle (1): PC – 2017 
  • James Calado (1): GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Andrea Caldarelli (1): GTD – 2020 
  • Dane Cameron (1): GTP/Overall – 2024 
  • Paul-Loup Chatin (1): LMP2 – 2021 
  • Roman De Angelis (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Pipo Derani (1): P/Overall – 2016
  • Philipp Eng (1): GTLM – 2019 
  • Felipe Fraga (1): LMP3 – 2022 
  • Misha Goikhberg (1): PC – 2016 
  • Jules Gounon (1): GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Joey Hand (1): GTLM – 2017 
  • Ben Hanley (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • Mathieu Jaminet (1): GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Daniel Juncadella (1): GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Ben Keating (1): GTD – 2015
  • Kenton Koch (1): PC – 2016 
  • Edoardo Mortara (1): GT – 2013 
  • Tommy Milner (1): GTLM – 2016
  • Franck Perera (1): GTD – 2018
  • Christian Rasmussen (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Zacharie Robichon (1): GTD – 2022 
  • Mike Rockenfeller (1): DP/Overall – 2010
  • Daniel Serra (1): GTD PRO – 2024 
  • Marco Sorenson (1): GTD – 2023 
  • Nick Tandy (1): GTLM – 2014
  • Nico Varrone (1): LMP3 – 2023 
  • Connor Zilisch (1): LMP2 – 2024 


 

IMSA Champions in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (55)

  • Ben Keating (7): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2021, 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017, 2018, 2019; LMP2 – 2021, 2022
  • Antonio Garcia (6): American Le Mans Series GT – 2013; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2015
  • Felipe Nasr (6): WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2018; DPi 2021; GTP – 2024; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2018; DPi – 2019; GTP – 2024 
  • Dane Cameron (5): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2014; Prototype – 2016; DPi – 2019; GTP – 2024; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP – 2024 
  • Colin Braun (4): WeatherTech Championship PC – 2014, 2015; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup PC – 2014; WeatherTech Championship LMP3 – 2022
  • Pipo Derani (4): WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2021; GTP – 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2019, GTP - 2023
  • Mikkel Jensen (4): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2021; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2021, 2022, 2024
  • Andy Lally (4): GRAND-AM SRPII – 2001; GRAND-AM SGS – 2004; GRAND-AM GT – 2006; GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012 
  • Tommy Milner (4): American Le Mans Series GT – 2012; WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2016, 2021
  • Jordan Taylor (4): GRAND-AM DP – 2013; WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; GTLM – 2020, 2021 
  • Mario Farnbacher (3): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2019, 2020; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2017
  • Felipe Fraga (3): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2019; LMP3 – 2022, 2023
  • Gar Robinson (3): WeatherTech Championship LMP3 – 2021, 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP3 – 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Ricky Taylor (3): WeatherTech Championship Prototype – 2017; DPi – 2020; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2021 
  • Filipe Albuquerque (2): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup Prototype – 2017; DPi – 2021 
  • Tom Blomqvist (2): WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2022; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2022 
  • Philip Ellis (2): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2024; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024 
  • Joey Hand (2): American Le Mans Series GT – 2011; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2018
  • Trent Hindman (2): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2019; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2021 
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): WeatherTech Championship DPi – 2022; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2022 
  • Alexander Sims (2): WeatherTech Championship GTP – 2023; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTP – 2023 
  • Renger van der Zande (2): WeatherTech Championship PC – 2016; IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup DPi – 2020 
  • Laurens Vanthoor (2): WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019; GTD – 2021 
  • Russell Ward (2): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024; WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2024 
  • Earl Bamber (1): WeatherTech Championship GTLM – 2019 
  • Ben Barnicoat (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Townsend Bell (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2015
  • Nick Boulle (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2024 
  • Josh Burdon (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP3 – 2023
  • Matt Campbell (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Paul-Loup Chatin (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2023 
  • Roman De Angelis (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2022
  • Tom Dillmann (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2024 
  • Indy Dontje (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2024
  • John Farano (1): WeatherTech Championship LMP2 – 2022 
  • Jules Gounon (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Mikael Grenier (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2023
  • Jack Hawksworth (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Ben Hanley (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2023 
  • Laurin Heinrich (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2024
  • Brendan Iribe (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2022 
  • Mathieu Jaminet (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Daniel Juncadella (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2023 
  • Kenton Koch (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD 2023
  • George Kurtz (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2023 
  • Hunter McElrea (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2024 
  • Jordan Pepper (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2022 
  • John Potter (1): GRAND-AM North American Endurance Cup GT – 2012 
  • Davide Rigon (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Zacharie Robichon (1): WeatherTech Championship GTD – 2021 
  • Daniel Serra (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD PRO – 2022 
  • Mike Skeen (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2023
  • Luca Stolz (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTD – 2018 
  • Nick Tandy (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup GTLM – 2021 
  • Steven Thomas (1): IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup LMP2 – 2024 


 

24 Hours of Le Mans Winners in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (45)

  • Gianmaria Bruni (4): GT2 – 2008; GTE Pro – 2012, 2014, 2022
  • James Calado (3): GTE Pro – 2019, 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2023 
  • Antonio Garcia (3): GT1 – 2008, 2009; GTE Pro – 2011 
  • Brendon Hartley (3): LMP1/Overall – 2017, 2020; Hypercar/Overall – 2022 
  • Richard Lietz (3): GT2 – 2007, 2010; LMGT3 – 2024
  • Alessandro Pier Guidi (3): GTE Pro – 2019, 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2023
  • Earl Bamber (2): LMP1/Overall – 2015, 2017
  • Oliver Jarvis (2): LMP2 – 2017, 2024
  • Ben Keating (2): GTE Am – 2022, 2023
  • Tommy Milner (2): GTE Pro – 2011, 2015
  • Nicklas Nielsen (2): GTE Am – 2021; Hypercar/Overall – 2024 
  • Daniel Serra (2): GTE Pro – 2017, 2019 
  • Will Stevens (2): GTE Am – 2017; LMP2 – 2022
  • Nico Varrone (2): GTE Am – 2023; LMP2 Pro-Am – 2024 
  • Filipe Albuquerque (1): LMP2 – 2020 
  • James Allen (1): LMP2 Pro-Am: 2022
  • Ben Barnicoat (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2024
  • Mathias Beche (1): LMP1-L – 2014 
  • Townsend Bell (1): GTE Am – 2016
  • Sebastien Bourdais (1): GTE Pro – 2016
  • Colin Braun (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2023
  • Matt Campbell (1): GTE Am – 2018
  • Nicky Catsburg (1): GTE Am – 2023
  • Albert Costa (1): LMP2 – 2023 
  • Antonio Felix da Costa (1): LMP2 – 2022
  • Ryan Dalziel (1): LMP2 – 2012
  • Kevin Estre (1): GTE Pro – 2018 
  • Antonio Fuoco (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2024
  • Bijoy Garg (1): LMP2 – 2024 
  • Ben Hanley (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2021
  • David Heinemeier Hansson (1): GTE Am – 2014 
  • Neel Jani (1): LMP1/Overall – 2016
  • Kamui Kobayashi (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2021
  • George Kurtz (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2023
  • Alex Lynn (1): GTE Pro – 2020 
  • Maxime Martin (1): GTE Pro – 2020 
  • Miguel Molina (1): Hypercar/Overall – 2024 
  • Alessio Rovera (1): GTE Am – 2021 
  • Marco Sorensen (1): GTE Am – 2022 
  • Nick Tandy (1): LMP1/Overall – 2015 
  • Jordan Taylor (1): GTE Pro – 2015
  • Nicki Thiim (1): GTE Am – 2014 
  • Steven Thomas (1): LMP2 Pro-Am – 2022
  • Dries Vanthoor (1): GTE Am – 2017
  • Laurens Vanthoor (1): GTE Pro – 2018


 

IndyCar Champions in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (2)

  • Scott Dixon (6): 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2020
  • Alex Palou (3): 2021, 2023, 2024


 

Indianapolis 500 Winners in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (1)

  • Scott Dixon (1): 2008 


 

NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 Winners in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (1)

  • Austin Cindric (1): 2022


 

Supercars Champions in 2025 Rolex 24 Field (2)

  • Scott McLaughlin (3): 2018, 2019, 2020
  • Shane van Gisbergen (3): 2016, 2021, 2022


 

 

 

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Tune-In Saturday, January 4, For Special 2025 IMSA Season Preview

Full Hour of Content Dedicated to WeatherTech Championship Airs at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock


 

January 2, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. –NBC Sports is set to preview the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a special one-hour show, set for Saturday, January 4 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.


 

The extra network show will serve as a primer to outline the contenders, manufacturers and key story lines set to comprise the 2025 season, starting with the Rolex 24 At Daytona race and the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test session that precedes it. It will be the first of two, hour-long IMSA specials to air on NBC and Peacock in 2025, with a second, championship-focused special airing ahead of the 10-hour Motul Petit Le Mans season finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in October.


 

The network show airs three weeks to the day before NBC kicks off live coverage for the 63rd running of the January endurance classic, to start its seventh season of IMSA coverage. Further TV details and air times for the rest of the season will be revealed later this month.


 

Coverage of the Rolex 24 starts on Saturday, January 25, at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, with continuing coverage on USA Network and Peacock for the duration before resuming back on NBC and Peacock Sunday, January 26 for the finish. Tickets for the Roar and the Rolex 24 are available at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.

The Perfect Matt-ch? Porsche Penske’s Campbell, Jaminet Just May Be

2022 GTD PRO Champs Reunited to Share No. 6 Porsche 963 GTP in 2025


 

December 19, 2024

By Jeff Olson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – They first met in 2016 at Porsche Night of Champions, the annual Stuttgart gala celebrating the company’s success in motorsports.


 

Matt Campbell had just been hired to join Porsche Motorsport’s junior program, while Mathieu Jaminet was entering his second season.


 

“It turned out to be a bit of a party,” Campbell recalled. “Obviously, we had a good time, but we didn’t have a working relationship until a couple of years after that. We didn’t really know each other well or do much together in the beginning, but later we were able to hang out together and got along extremely well.”


 

Nine years after that initial encounter, an unlikely pair – a 29-year-old Australian and a 30-year-old Frenchman – have become fast friends. They’re weeks away from teaming up in Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 Porsche 963 for the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. 


 

While they didn’t necessarily connect at the party, they did a few weeks later at Porsche’s training camp. They shared similar status in the gathering of talented and experienced drivers at camp: They were newbies. 


 

“This is where we really started to get to know each other and spend some time among other drivers,” Jaminet said. “We were both the young guys. We meshed pretty early and pretty well.”

Five years after that training camp, Campbell and Jaminet teamed together as full-season co-drivers for Pfaff Motorsports, helping the team win the 2022 driver, team and manufacturer championships in the WeatherTech Championship Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class.


 

They credit compatibility – the ease and comfort with which they work together – as a primary reason for their success.


 

“It’s extremely important to be compatible with your teammate, definitely in more ways than one,” Campbell said. “Mathieu and I have proven this in the past, having driven together for a number of years.”


 

It’s not just that they're on the same page. They’re on the same sentence on that page.


 

“We definitely share the same vision about racing,” Jaminet said. “We like the same aspects around the car, and we like to work the same way with the people around us. Between us, there is a good friendship on and off the track. We also spend quite some time together outside racing, which is not very common with teammates. There’s no ego. We just try to help and support each other for the best.”


 

In 2023, they were teammates again – but not sharing a car. In the inaugural season for the reborn Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, Jaminet shared the No. 6 Porsche with Nick Tandy while Campbell was in the No. 7 alongside Felipe Nasr. This past season, Jaminet and Tandy guided the No. 6 Porsche to second in the final standings. Campbell spent most of the year in Porsche Penske’s FIA World Endurance Championship program but was part of the No. 7 Porsche’s title-winning WeatherTech Championship effort, joining the No. 7 lineup for three endurance races including a victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona.


 

When the 2025 season kicks off Jan. 17 with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, Campbell and Jaminet will be in the No. 6 Porsche for the full season.

“We’ve had some strong results in the prototype so far, and I think we’ve been a good addition to the Porsche Penske Motorsport program,” Campbell said. “We’ve always had very good success and results together as teammates. No matter what championship we were in, we were always at the front, fighting for the championship and also victories. Hopefully, we can do something similar next year.”


 

They’ve proven they’re good. They’ve also proven that they’re good together.


 

“I think we’ve proven to the brand and to the team that we were both competitive and working at a very high level,” Jaminet said. “I think they realized that they should give a shot to these two guys. The last time they raced together, they won a championship. So maybe let’s put them together again and maybe try to win another one.”

 

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GTD Champion Ward Honored at Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship

 Winward Racing Driver Named Manufacturer’s Top Overall Pro Driver and Pro Driver GT3


 

December 19, 2024

By Mark Robinson

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The magical season for Russell Ward continues.


 

The driver and co-owner of the Winward Racing team that swept every possible 2024 championship in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class was honored last weekend by his manufacturer, when he was named the Overall Pro Driver and Pro Driver GT3 awards winner at the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Championship ceremony in Stuttgart, Germany.


 

Ward topped Mercedes-AMG customer drivers from around the world to earn the honors. Drivers earn points competing in their respective races, but the amount of points earned is based on the finishing position in each race as well as the type and distance of the race.


 

That in mind, it wasn’t difficult to see why Ward came away with the Overall Pro Driver and Pro Driver GT3 hardware. He and co-driver Philip Ellis won four GTD races this year in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to easily capture the driver and team championships, and spearhead Mercedes-AMG to the season manufacturer championship.

Three of those victories came in IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup events: the Rolex 24 At Daytona, Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Presented by Cadillac and Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen. That was enough for Ward, Ellis and endurance driver Indy Dontje to top the Michelin Endurance Cup driver standings and for the No. 57 and Mercedes-AMG to collect Michelin Endurance Cup team and manufacturer crowns as well.


 

Ward was quick to credit the dedicated work of the Winward crew for the slew of championships they achieved this year.


 

“It is really a testament to the hard work of the crew,” Ward said at the season-ending Motul Petit Le Mans in October. “Lots of long nights, hard nights, and they deserve this after all of the nonstop work. Nobody sees that. We arrive at races and the car is well prepared, the trailer is organized and ready, and everything looks good. They are constantly working 12 hours a day to keep everything perfect.


 

“We have one of the easier jobs on the team as drivers,” he added. “The team really made it easy this year. They did such a perfect job. They always had a great car, great strategy in the pit box. We were always one step ahead of the competition. As drivers, we just had to bring it home.”


 

Ward also pointed to the drivability of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for making it easier to succeed, the words any customer racing manufacturer yearns to hear.


 

“The Mercedes has a couple of strengths,” Ward said. “I think one of them is drivability; it has a pretty large setup window that allows kind of anyone to get in there and be pretty close to the ultimate lap time of the car.


 

“We’re also really good on the tire wear. I think that’s been one of the really strong points of the car we’ve had throughout the year. … The initial testing with the tire and how that’s developed over the year (was) one of our strong suits. We put a lot of time into it.”

 

 

Van der Steur Racing Ascends to WeatherTech Championship for 2025

After Years Honing Craft in Michelin Pilot Challenge, Team Set to Expand Effort


 

December 18, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Longtime sports car aficionados may note the name “van der Steur Racing” as a deep cut from a prior era.


 

The Maryland-based team has its roots in the American Le Mans Series, running first a Lola B2K/40 and then Radical SR9 prototype chassis in the mid-2000s, with Dutch-born, South African-raised Gunnar van der Steur at the wheel.


 

Flash forward nearly two decades and the team is back again and will soon ascend to the top-level IMSA-sanctioned championship of this era, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.


 

Van der Steur Racing was confirmed in mid-September to run an IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup effort in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class in 2025, and the team may add select sprint races. It also will continue its full-time presence in the Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class.


 

Rory van der Steur, Gunnar’s son, has become part of the fabric in the Michelin Pilot Challenge over the last five years. Together with a consortium of co-drivers, most notably friend and Aston Martin ace Valentin Hasse-Clot, he enjoyed his best season in 2024, finishing fourth in GS driver points while the team finished third in the standings.


 

“My dad did those one-off races in LMP2 in the early 2000s, or LM675 with the Lola B2K/40. Then in 2005 we purchased one of six Radical SR9s,” the younger van der Steur said. “We have one of the only SR9s left in the world with everything original and the spares.


 

“After we rejoined IMSA after all my karting years, we always had an eye on (competing in the WeatherTech Championship) and said we’d be there one day. But we needed to build our resume up.”

The team has acquired two ex-Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo chassis. Van der Steur said the team’s current GS crew, led by team manager Christopher Deely, will continue to oversee the GS program and “shadow” the Prodrive and Aston Martin crew supporting and running the GTD car. The team unveiled its new GTD cars at the IMSA-sanctioned test held at Daytona International Speedway in November. 


 

The relationship with Aston Martin has grown over a two-year run in GS, with the idea of advancing into the WeatherTech Championship formulated in January.


 

“It’s a big project we’ve been working on for a while,” van der Steur said. “We had the idea at Daytona and then thought, ‘Can we do this?’ We saw it was possible, and our cars are back at the shop already.” 


 

The steps in Michelin Pilot Challenge have been character-building. Two years in the Touring Car (TCR) class with Hyundai’s Veloster N TCR featured flashes of potential but were punctuated by a malady of mechanical mishaps. 


 

After debuting at the 2020 Sebring finale, van der Steur and Denis Dupont had their first podium visit with second place at Road America in 2021 and finished 13th in the points. Van der Steur and co-driver Tyler Gonzalez added a third place at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2022, improving to ninth in points. 


 

However, it was a race van der Steur failed to finish that inarguably provided the most visible and pivotal moment in the team’s return to IMSA. 


 

Just four races into its step up to GS, van der Steur’s car was inadvertently used as a launching pad when Robert Megennis overshot his braking point and catapulted his No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 on top of van der Steur’s Aston Martin at the Turn 3 hairpin on the new Detroit downtown street course. 


 

With just three weeks to rebuild until the next race at Watkins Glen, the small team performed a herculean effort to get the car ready. The Frankenstein-looking car finished fifth.


 

“It was crazy. I have flashbacks, but now I laugh on it because it went viral,” van der Steur said of the Detroit mishap. 

“I don’t know how we made Watkins Glen. We didn’t have time to wrap it! We finished fifth that race and third the next one (with Austin McCusker at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park). The momentum grew. It pushed everyone for this year.”


 

This is the second significant step in the team’s program, but a much bigger one than moving from TCR to GS. Yet the confidence forged from that incident in Detroit has pushed the team higher, one where its 2024 season featured three podiums. 


 

“We had always a fast car in TCR, but we battled adversity when it came to reliability,” van der Steur said. “In GS, we wanted to learn a rear-wheel drive platform before stepping up to GT3. 


 

“We continued to grow. This year we grew exponentially with the help of Aston Martin. Having (co-drivers) Valentin, Scott (Andrews), Alex (Premat), Danny (Formal), they all have their own ways of driving so I try to put that into one.


 

“It’s a big step. It’s not like going from TCR to GS. It’s way more intense. I’m very excited, as is the crew. I think it all stems from results. Once you have results, the crew wants to do better and go to the next level.”


 

The 2025 WeatherTech Championship season opens with three days of testing at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 from January 17-19. The Rolex 24 At Daytona follows from January 23-26. Race coverage begins at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday, January 25 on NBC, with continuing coverage of the 24-hour race on USA Network and Peacock before returning to NBC for the January 26 conclusion. Tickets for the Roar and the Rolex 24 are available at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.

 

Holmatro Continuing as IMSA Proud Supplier of Safety Equipment

Worldwide Leader in Rescue Tools Will Continue Supplying IMSA’s AMR Safety Team

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 18, 2024) – Building on a half-century’s history of developing the world’s most innovative and powerful hydraulic rescue tool equipment, Holmatro USA will continue as an IMSA Proud Supplier in a multiyear extension announced today.


 

Under the extension, Holmatro continues as the exclusive extrication equipment supplier to the IMSA AMR Safety Team that’s on site at every IMSA event, attending to drivers in the case of an on-track incident. Holmatro has been a Proud Supplier for IMSA since 2020.


 

“Safety has always been a top priority at IMSA, and Holmatro has been a vital part of that effort in recent years,” said Brandon Huddleston, Vice President, Partnership Marketing and Business Development. “Extending this Proud Supplier relationship was important as it continues providing our IMSA AMR Safety Team with Holmatro’s advanced equipment and services to respond to incidents in the fastest and most efficient ways possible.”


 

Founded in the Netherlands in 1967, Holmatro manufactures hydraulic rescue, industrial, and special tactics equipment used worldwide. At its ISO-9001 certified U.S. headquarters in Glen Burnie, Maryland, Holmatro manufactures and supports a full suite of rescue equipment. Holmatro’s Experience Center also enables partners like IMSA to rigorously test rescue tools on the toughest materials, ensuring they’re ready for first responders.


 

“Holmatro has a long history in motorsports safety. We recognize the challenging situations these teams can face on the track. Combining Holmatro’s hydraulic expertise with the motorsports perspective is a recipe for innovative solutions,” said Shelly Elliott, President of Holmatro North America. “This extension of our partnership with IMSA allows us to continue working with the IMSA AMR Safety Team to develop and test products used on race tracks around the world, as well as by first-responders serving the public. We are proud to provide them with the most up-to-date equipment, so that they may perform their critical jobs as efficiently as possible when every moment counts. We’re pleased to continue in this role as an IMSA Proud Supplier.”

 

Kligerman, Big Machine Join Forte for ‘Ginormous Party’ at Rolex 24

Veteran NASCAR Star Set for Rolex 24 Driving Debut after Years Covering Race for NBC Sports


 

December 17, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – It’s the middle of the night. The sun is still several hours away from rising. It’s freezing. Bonfires burn in the infield as fans soak up a symphony of different sounds cascading against the 30-plus-degree banking at Daytona International Speedway.


 

And for each of the last six years as part of NBC Sports’ broadcast team, Parker Kligerman has been somewhere on pit lane, patrolling the field with a microphone and a firesuit.


 

“It’s my favorite time of the race,” he said.


 

“It’s so ridiculous because race cars are running around near 200 mph, it’s 3-4 a.m. and it doesn’t stop. There are people sleeping in pit lane as cars are pounding around. 


 

“It’s such a surreal experience to be on pit lane and I definitely want to be a part of that time.”


 

He’ll have a chance to do so in 2025 because Kligerman will wear a firesuit of a different kind: a driving one.


 

On Tuesday, Big Machine Racing announced a partnership with Forte Racing to field the No. 78 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 for Kligerman, past Rolex 24 class winner Misha Goikhberg (2016, Prototype Challenge) and two drivers to be named later for the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona. 


 

Forte ended the 2024 season with two runner-up finishes in the final three races, and scored its maiden IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship win at the 2023 Motul Petit Le Mans. 


 

Kligerman is testing with the Shane Senaviratne-led team this week at Daytona in preparation. Thanks to Big Machine’s Scott Borchetta and a pair of longtime friends within the Forte Racing organization, the opportunity for Kligerman to drive in a bucket list-type event arose.

“It’s obviously been a case of talking since I made the decision about stopping Xfinity full-time and asked, ‘What is some cool stuff we can do?’” Kligerman explained. “(Scott) loves this race. I love this race. We’ll be friends forever. 


 

“With his help and Big Machine Spiked Coolers, we were able to put the deal together with some friends at Forte Racing, with Misha and Bob Perona, my longtime driver coach. It all came together. Scott was gracious enough to want to help me. We put something cool together to get a Rolex.


 

“Most years I tried, I’d always be too busy, or had a full-time season ahead. I’d be working a deal for NASCAR and couldn’t really take focus off to put a deal together for this. Everything aligned, and here we are. I could not be more excited. I feel like I’m 9 years old again.”


 

Kligerman hailed Perona, who spots for Forte Racing and has driven as well as coached throughout his career.


 

“We’re best of friends. Bob has helped me immeasurably in my career; he was very helpful in putting this all together,” he said. “It’s our first day going over video and it’s like we’re back in the day again.” 


 

Though Kligerman has had some marathon-type broadcast experiences – the three-day delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas in 2020 comes to mind – he hasn’t driven a race of this length in the real world. 


 

He has, however, been a regular 24-hour race participant on iRacing, and along with his podcast co-host Landon Cassill of “The Money Lap” noted the sheer joy that comes with finishing a 24-hour race.


 

“We did the endurance sim races, Landon Cassill and I did the Nürburgring 24 and we finished fifth. We all cried,” he said. “Why was this such an accomplishment? Just finishing is. It takes physical and mental abilities to grind this out over 24 hours.”


 

That’ll be Kligerman’s goal here, once he gets through the inevitable learning curve of a new race car after 15 years of running primarily in NASCAR.


 

“Yeah, for sure I’m just trying to learn,” he said. “These first two days (are) not about lap time. It’s braking, ABS and the systems within the car. There’s a 19-page manual to memorize. It’s the proverbial drinking from the firehose. 


 

“The nice part is, we have these two days, then the Roar (Before the Rolex 24 test). By the time we get to race weekend, I expect I’ll feel comfortable. I want to be a valuable part of the team, and make an impact on runs and stints. I’ll have to change my terminology!”


 

The driver in him is delighted to have this opportunity to race in IMSA for the first time. Kligerman learned a lot from his introduction to the sports car world and quickly embraced the variety that makes it popular. 


 

“The Rolex, I feel like is one of the coolest events in all of motorsports,” he said. 


 

“It feels like a ginormous party. … It feels like everyone came together down here and said, ‘We should have a race.’ That’s the atmosphere of this race. 


 

“Sports car racing is so awesome. You have the cars, the manufacturers, the sounds, the vibes. It’s so dynamic. You have world-class drivers throughout the field from all over the world. 


 

“It’s so different than what I’ve been in for 15 years. It’s different. It’s cool because that’s motorsports. All different shapes, smells, sounds … you get that here in IMSA.


 

“It’s so good to be able to have cars people can relate to, especially in the GT class. My time spent here in this paddock was really cool. I came in a little bit fresh and was not sure what to expect. But hey, I like it here.”


 

Kligerman has a time he really wants to be in the car, too. 


 

“My dream is to be in at sunrise,” he said “I’ve always wanted to be in a race car then. It has to be the coolest feeling in the world. 


 

“We’ll see if that happens. If it does, that would be surreal.” 


 

(Photo of Kligerman courtesy of NASCAR)

 

VP Racing SportsCar Challenge Poised for Expansion in 2025

Addition of GTDX Cars Set to Amplify Multi-Class Prototype/GT Grids for Series


 

December 17, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Three might be a magic number for IMSA’s VP Racing SportsCar Challenge heading into 2025.


 

On the eve of its third season, the VP Racing Challenge welcomes a third racing class with Grand Touring Daytona X (GTDX) entering alongside the Le Mans Prototype 3 (P3) and Grand Sport X (GSX) classes. 


 

The move to include GT3-specification cars provides another entry point into IMSA for teams and drivers who like the type of car but may prefer the format and/or cost-effectiveness of two 45-minute sprint races on a given weekend.


 

IMSA has trialed the LMP3/GT3/GT4 grouping of racing before, with non-points Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore races at Sebring International Raceway in late 2018 and 2019. 


 

An additional series enhancement in 2025 will be the introduction of a Bronze podium for each class to go along with the already competitive Bronze Cup Championship. 


 

Teams are still officially declaring their intentions, but the GTDX field should near double digits for its class debut at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend, January 17-19. Both P3 and GSX appear close to that number as well, with an overall grid projected near 30 total cars at Daytona International Speedway.


 

Several race-winning IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) teams are exploring or are planning to enter GTDX. Other noteworthy teams that have made waves in other sports car championships are poised to announce their programs shortly.


 

MLT Motorsports (P3) and KohR Motorsports (GSX) fielded the championship-winning drivers in 2024, while FastMD Racing with Remstar took home the P3 team title. 


 

Turner Motorsport Expanding Series Presence

Turner Motorsport, BMW’s longest serving privateer team which nears 600 starts with the brand heading into 2025, has been an active part of the VP Racing Challenge since the series’ inception. It’s already built an in-house series ladder, as 2023 GSX champion Francis Selldorff advanced from one Turner BMW M4 GT4 into the team’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport (GS) class entry in 2024. Turner intends to add a GTDX entry to its GSX entry in 2025. 


 

“(Michelin Pilot Challenge) isn’t the entry-level (series) anymore,” team owner Will Turner said. “There’s such talent in Pilot that VP was perfect timing. If you don’t have the experience to do Pilot, VP is great as where you can get it to move up. 


 

“Now with GTDX, that’s the same thing. To throw someone in a GT3 car with only limited experience, it’s too much to go into GTD. So GTDX could be a great place to get the experience for the move up to GTD. It just makes sense. The more GT3 cars, the better in that class.” 


 

The formerly named US RaceTronics team, now operating as Forte Racing, has also built a presence within the VP Racing Challenge. Shane Senaviratne’s program will start the season with Bronze-rated drivers Brian Thienes and Jon Hirshberg, who seek to build on their 2024 P3 outings with the team and continue their progression toward the podium.


 

“The series helps provide a strong single-driver, sprint-race platform for gentlemen drivers,” Senaviratne said. “As VPRC, it’s got away from the IPC (IMSA Prototype Challenge) format which was more expensive with pit stops. This is more refined as a sprint-race championship that’s affordable. You can do it as a hobby or career advancement opportunity, and that’s a big positive.

“I would say doing a VPRC season, you get more TV coverage in my opinion than had you done LMP3 in WeatherTech. If television is important, that’s a highlight to run a car for a lot less and get more TV time.” 


 

Fellow P3 entrants Ave Motorsports, with longtime sports car driver and team owner Tony Ave, note the importance of learning the IMSA framework within the VP Racing Challenge.


 

“To me, the VP Challenge series is a perfect place for drivers and teams to learn the ropes of competing on the big IMSA stage,” Ave said. “They can become acquainted with the level of professionalism expected both on the racetrack and in the garage area, from team appearance to dealing with a pro level technical inspection as well as vehicle preparation to be a part of the ‘big show’ that IMSA has become.”


 

Samantha Tan Bringing Team to VP Racing Challenge 

One new team entering IMSA for 2025 is Samantha Tan Racing. The team has made waves in other sports car series running first GT4, then GT3-specification machinery, with Tan winning races herself and determined to add IMSA success to her resume. 


 

“I’m thrilled to announce my step into IMSA for 2025, one of the most competitive and prestigious racing series in North America,” Tan said. “My first full GT3 season this year was incredibly rewarding, pushing me to maximize every moment on and off the track. 


 

“I’m eager to take on the challenge of a new multi-class format with LMP3, GT3, and GT4 cars, continuing to sharpen my skills against some of the best in the sport. Losing the 2024 (GT World Challenge America) championship by a single point has only fueled my determination, and I’m entering this season with a fire in my heart and my sights set firmly on the VP Challenge championship title.”


 

RAFA Racing, which is also making a splash in the sports car racing world, will field both P3 and GSX entries following its recent merge with Smooge Racing, in addition to a Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America program. The VP Racing Challenge team will run a Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2, a car Smooge Racing has worked with over the last couple years. 


 

“We’ve worked with some fantastic teams over the past couple of years, but this relationship and the existing partnerships with Toyota Gazoo Racing North America and Lamborghini Squadra Corsa are something special,” said Rafael Martinez, RAFA Racing founder. “It’s a logical step in our mission, and a great way to make our debut at this level here in the States.”

GMG Racing, an off-and-on IMSA participant over the years, appears set to start the VP Challenge season with a GTDX-specification Porsche 911 GT3 R for longtime team driver Kyle Washington. GMG team principal and founder James Sofronas has been busy not only getting this program together, but also moving his program’s shop from Santa Ana, California, to a new, 28,000-square-foot facility at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs.


 

“Kyle really enjoys the sprint race format,” Sofronas explained. “He wants to maximize track time when he travels, and so having two races in one weekend at iconic tracks like Daytona, COTA and Road Atlanta is really appealing.


 

“It’s great to run Daytona, for instance, without the huge commitment of running the Rolex 24. To do so in a GT3-spec car holds great appeal. In a way, you can gauge yourself against the GTD class but not have to commit the large personnel it takes to run a massive endurance event.


 

“It makes sense to add this class to want to train potential drivers, gauge their interest, get on the same (Michelin) tire and run the same tracks. It’s a logical step for IMSA and we look forward to being a part of it.” 


 

(Samantha Tan photo courtesy Samantha Tan Racing; GMG photo courtesy GMG Racing)

 

 

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Rolex 24 Beckons with Massive Grid

61-Car Field Set to Compete in January Test Leading into 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona


 

December 12, 2024

By Tony DiZinno

IMSA Wire Service

Rolex 24 Entry List


 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With just over a month until the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship commences, another spectacular grid is set to partake in the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test on January 17-19, leading into the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona race weekend, January 23-26. 


 

Most of the 61 entered cars have their lineups set, while a handful are yet to be announced in the coming weeks prior to on-track activity. Per usual, the high volume of full-season IMSA stars and a bevy of Rolex 24 additions from other championships provide an excellent caliber of competition.


 

Here are some initial storylines to follow based on what we know from the entry list thus far, subject to changes. 


 

The 61 cars are split among 12 Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), 12 Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), 15 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) and 22 Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) entries.


 

Host of Changes Highlights GTP: Most of the announced lineups in GTP have some degree of change, whether it’s in the driver pairings, manufacturer or team name. 


 

Defending race and series champions Porsche Penske Motorsport have swapped the pairings in its Nos. 6 and 7 Porsche 963s, as Nick Tandy moves to the No. 7 car alongside Felipe Nasr while Matt Campbell reunites with longtime teammate Mathieu Jaminet in the No. 6 car. 


 

Cadillac welcomes Wayne Taylor Racing back to the fold with its two Cadillac V-Series.R cars and a powerful driver lineup for both cars that includes previous Rolex 24 winners Ricky and Jordan Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque and Kamui Kobayashi. 


 

Similarly, Acura and Meyer Shank Racing reunite after a year apart with two Acura ARX-06s, and both team and manufacturer welcome previous Rolex 24 winner Renger van der Zande (formerly of Cadillac) and Nick Yelloly (formerly of BMW) to the fold. The MSR team has won the Rolex 24 in each of its past two appearances in the twice-around-the clock classic with the returning Colin Braun and Tom Blomqvist both part of the winning lineup in 2023.


 

Scott Dixon, the six-time IndyCar champion and a four-time Rolex 24 winner, three-time IndyCar champion Alex Palou, rising IndyCar star Felix Rosenqvist and Honda factory driver Kakunoshin Ohta complete a fearsome lineup for the two-car program.


 

Cadillac Whelen has significant changes with Jack Aitken and Earl Bamber now spearheading its flagship No. 31 car alongside emerging talents Frederik Vesti and Felipe Drugovich.


 

BMW M Team RLL has an adjusted, mostly new lineup that includes ex-Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen, two-time Rolex 24 winner Rene Rast and six other sports car veterans – including past Rolex 24 class winner Philipp Eng – in their pair of BMW M V8 Hybrids. 


 

Lamborghini is due to debut its SC63 prototype at Daytona after skipping this race last year, with Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat and past Rolex 24 winners Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara on board.


 

Customer Porsche 963 entries from JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition are yet to finalize their lineups.


 

Stacked LMP2 Grid: The dozen LMP2 class entries – all ORECA 07 cars – feature no shortage of talent, either. 


 

Four-time IMSA champion Dane Cameron (AO Racing) and four-time IndyCar champion Sebastien Bourdais (Tower Motorsports) are listed to enter the category after previous stints in GTP. AO’s lineup also includes another young IndyCar driver in Christian Rasmussen, part of Era’s winning lineup last year. Felipe Massa, the former Formula 1 driver, is back with Riley. 


 

Pratt Miller, long regarded for its GT program with Corvette Racing, adds an LMP2 entry that includes IndyCar drivers Callum Ilott and Pietro Fittipaldi. PR1 Mathiasen and Inter Europol are set for separate programs after uniting to win the 2024 title, while TDS Racing seeks to add a full-season crown to its Michelin Endurance Cup honors won last year. 


 

Era Motorsport seeks to defend its Rolex 24 win with three new drivers alongside three-time Rolex 24 winner Ryan Dalziel. CrowdStrike Racing by APR returns as well with two-time Rolex 24 winner Colton Herta among its lineup, and the balance of the class – United Autosports USA and PECOM Racing – all could have winning potential at hand.


 

GTD PRO Features Record Grid: Ahead of its fourth season, GTD PRO will field its largest car count of 15 cars, surpassing the previous mark of 13 set on multiple occasions. 


 

Defending class champions AO Racing are back, Laurin Heinrich now sharing the No. 77 “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R with new full-season co-driver Klaus Bachler, while title rivals Heart of Racing Team are back with its No. 007 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo as the team waits to debut its Valkyrie GTP car until the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. 


 

The pairs of entries from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports and Ford Multimatic Motorsports are back, and ahead of their second year with their new cars, they may be able to renew battles up front in class. Paul Miller Racing expands to two BMW M4 GT3 Evos, but PMR is yet to announce who’s driving them. 


 

Pfaff Motorsports switches from McLaren to Lamborghini, and its Daytona lineup includes veteran driver and commentator James Hinchcliffe and past Rolex 24 winner Andrea Caldarelli.


 

Trackhouse by TF Sport enters an all-star Corvette Z06 GT3.R that includes Shane van Gisbergen and Scott McLaughlin with past Rolex 24 winners Connor Zilisch and Ben Keating. The entry unites past Rolex 24 class winner Justin Marks and his Trackhouse Racing team with sports car specialists TF Sport, a Corvette Racing team in the FIA World Endurance Championship.


 

The remaining cars are a single Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, single DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3, single Porsche 911 GT3 R from Proton Competition and two Mercedes-AMG GT3s from Bartone Bros. by GetSpeed and 75 Express. A number of past Rolex 24 winners are expected among those entries. 


 

GTD Reveals 22 Cars: GTD boasts both the biggest car count at the 2025 Rolex 24 with 22 cars from nine manufacturers, and also the greatest number of TBDs among any class. 


 

Defending race and season champions Winward Racing spearhead the list as one of three Mercedes-AMG GT3s, along with Korthoff Competition Motors and Lone Star Racing. 


 

Ferrari is the most populous car in the category – no less than seven 296 GT3s are entered. Triarsi Competizione and AF Corse have two apiece, with one each from Conquest Racing, Cetilar Racing and Inception Racing. 


 

Longtime entries from Heart of Racing Team and Magnus Racing join newcomers van der Steur Racing running Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evos. 


 

There are a pair of Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVOs (Wayne Taylor Racing, Forte Racing), a pair of Porsche 911 GT3 R cars (Iron Dames’ all-female lineup included and one car from Wright Motorsports) and a pair of Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs (AWA, DXDT Racing). 


 

Lastly, there is a single Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo and Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3, the latter team having switched from the Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 over the winter. Gradient’s Ford includes Joey Hand as its first named driver. 


 

IMSA Stars Are Out: A run through the Rolex 24 entry list reveals more than 20 IMSA full-season champions, at least, on the grid. That number grows substantially with those who have won an IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and/or past Sprint Cup title. 


 

Six of the seven 2024 full-season champions – Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, Tom Dillmann, Laurin Heinrich, Russell Ward and Philip Ellis – appear set to defend their respective titles with all but Cameron doing so in the same car, class or program. 


 

Among GTP entered drivers, Nasr, Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, Jordan Taylor, Kamui Kobayashi, Tom Blomqvist, Colin Braun, Scott Dixon and Renger van der Zande have overall Rolex 24 victories on their resumes. Several others entered have class victories but not overall triumphs, or vice versa where they’ve won overall but are now entered in different classes. 


 

Qualifying Returns to Rolex 24 Race Weekend: After the last four years have featured Rolex 24 qualifying as part of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 weekend, the qualifying returns to Rolex 24 race week in 2025. That reverts IMSA’s traditional preseason test to entirely that, with seven total sessions covering three days. The last of those seven on Sunday, January 19, is a Bronze-only session for LMP2 and GTD entrants. Track activity for the Roar begins on Friday, January 17, with the first session at 11 a.m. ET. 

Konica Minolta Renews IMSA Partnership

Relationship Expanded to Support New STEM Program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 5, 2024) – Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) today announced the renewal of its Official Partnership with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). This year, the relationship will expand its impact through the company’s support of IMSA’s new STEM - Science, Engineering, Technology and Math - education program for high school students in select race markets.

 

Konica Minolta’s business hub of the paddock will remain known as the Konica Minolta Business Center, which has become a highly recognizable element at IMSA events, providing corporate partners, automobile partners, teams, drivers and other stakeholders a place to conduct business at the track. The hub will now also facilitate at-track STEM initiatives, where students will hear from team engineers, drivers, corporate and OEM partners and IMSA Officials. They will also have opportunities to visit the IMSA Technology Center, Race Control and more. Additionally, as the sponsor of the in-school curriculum, Konica Minolta will directly support teachers, administrators and students in high schools with a comprehensive and turn-key STEM module.

 

“What makes our partnership with IMSA so unique and exciting is how we are able to expand the scope each year. Since 2015, we have started each new agreement with an innovative initiative that fulfills a greater purpose,” said Michael Mathé, Chief Operating Officer, Konica Minolta. “The IMSA racing circuit provides students with real-world, high-intensity examples of STEM. Konica Minolta already provides complete business solutions to schools, from back-end work flow and information management solutions to digital classroom tools, innovative and cost-effective collaboration tools, making this new touchpoint a great and natural fit for us.”

 

The bespoke IMSA STEM curriculum has been developed in conjunction with EVERFI, which works with more than 60,000 teachers and their schools throughout the country – providing interactive, game-based lessons and helping students thrive in an ever-changing world – all at no cost to the schools, teachers or students. Curriculum will be based on the unique STEM elements that drive IMSA, bringing concepts to life for students in school and at the racetrack. The program will be scenario-based and rooted in careers in motorsports and technology.

 

“STEM education and the opportunity to introduce IMSA to the next generation of engineers, mechanics, business leaders, and others who will play a fundamental role in the future of our sport has long been a passion of mine, and as a valued partner, we are thrilled that Konica Minolta shares in that vision.” said John Doonan, President, IMSA. “The ability to leverage Konica Minolta’s expertise in the education industry is such an amazing complement to this initiative. We look forward to many more years together and the future of this endeavor to educate and inspire young minds.”

 

The first IMSA STEM experience will take place in January 2025 in conjunction with the Rolex 24 At Daytona, the first race of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Additional details and race markets will be revealed at a later date.

 

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