It was twice across the clock once more in Daytona, Florida, because the 2025 version of the Rolex 24 at Daytona kicked into excessive gear this previous Saturday at 01:40 pm native time. The stage for the 63rd operating of the legendary endurance race is after all the Daytona Worldwide Speedway. The world’s prime drivers lined up for the rolling begin in an try and etch their names in racing historical past. Surviving racing round a circuit for twenty-four steady hours is not any imply feat and one which entails exact preparations, a dependable automotive, strong driving and naturally a superb dose of luck. For this yr’s race, the celebs had been aligned for Porsche’s twentieth victory at Daytona. However don’t be mistaken it was a stroll within the park for the profitable Penske group, as after 24 hours of racing it got here all the way down to mere seconds between first and third. Right here’s the rundown of this yr’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
As is custom in endurance racing, the IMSA-sanctioned Rolex 24 at Daytona fields the perfect of one of the best on the planet of racing throughout a number of lessons. The highest-tier class is the GTP class, with big-budget manufacturing unit groups reminiscent of Porsche, Cadillac and BMW battling it out for the general win. A step beneath however no much less intense is the LMP2 class, the place each group runs a hard and fast chassis-drivetrain mixture (on this case, an Oreca 07-Gibson). Then come the production-based GTD Professional and GTD lessons, that are distinguishable by the driving force combos. The GTD Professional groups run a full skilled racing driver line-up, whereas the GTD class is remitted to run a mixture of professionals and (typically extremely succesful) novice drivers. In essence, it’s nearly an identical to the ACO-run Le Mans 24 Hours.
General Winners of the 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona, L-R: Laurens Vanthoor (BEL), Felipe Nasr (BRA) and Nick Tandy (GBR) for #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP; Felipe Nasr (BRA), Nick Tandy (GBR), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)
The #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports group celebrates after profitable the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona. L to R: Nick Tandy (GBR), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL), Felipe Nasr (BRA) #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP; Felipe Nasr (BRA), Nick Tandy (GBR), Laurens Vanthoor (BEL)
Racing is finished on the Sports activities Vehicles Course, which mixes giant sections of the well-known banked oval with twistier bits in its infield, leading to a somewhat difficult observe altogether. Virtually instantly after the beginning line, the automobiles enter a pointy left-handed flip to enter the infield, earlier than heading out on the banking once more. The Backstretch leads into the aptly-names Le Mans Chicane, after which the drivers climb the banking as soon as to finish a lap of the three.56 mile-long (5.73 kilometres) Sports activities Automobile Course. The primary operating of the Daytona 24 Hours was again in 1962, and as lots of you clearly know lends its identify to Rolex’s well-known Cosmograph Daytona (though the identify didn’t seem till 1964. Enjoyable truth; the earliest fashions of the enduring chronograph had been truly known as Le Mans, however that’s a narrative for a special time.
GTP Class
The highest-tier class is the playground of worldwide producers, searching for to reap the potential advantages of “win on Sunday, promote on Monday!”. Whereas that’s now not precisely how issues go, particularly for these superior hypercar-class racers, it’s nonetheless very a lot a recreation of bragging rights. Racing is finished beneath the LMDh laws, which IMSA labels the GTP class. The GTP entry listing counted 12 automobiles this yr, two extra over the 2024 version. Porsche was most current with 4 groups operating the 963, adopted by Cadillac and three of their V-Sequence R automobiles. BWM, Acura and Lamborghini shared the remaining spots.
Lamborghini made its debut within the Rolex 24 at Daytona this yr, after coming into its SC63 hypercar into the endurance combine at Le Mans final yr. They enlisted the talents of former F1 driver Romain Grosjean and Daniil Kvyat, in addition to Mirko Bortolotti and Edoardo Mortara for the occasion. Regardless of exhibiting promising pace, points with an overheating V8 within the again triggered the group to retire the automotive. Painfully, they had been the primary to withdraw from the race. Cadillac however is understood for the reliability of the V-Sequence R, however was outclassed by Porsche, Acura and BMW. The group of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing noticed the No. 24 automotive cross the end line in fifth total, a lap down from the highest three, and behind the BMW of M Group RLL. Out of the 12 entries, three automobiles didn’t make it the total 24 hours.
It got here all the way down to the ultimate half hour or so of the race to find out the eventual winner, with the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 pushed by Matt Campbel within the lead, forward of the No. 7 Porsche 963 within the palms of Felipe Nasr. The No.60 Acura’s Tom Blomqvist was in third place at the moment. The lead swapped between Campbell and Nasr with simply 20 minutes to spare and lap after lap the 2 Porsche drivers battled it out for the highest spot. However Blomqvist, who was simply seconds behind in his Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-6 wasn’t about to let up, and ultimately wrestled his well beyond the No. 6 Porsche and claimed the runner’s spot behind Felipe Nars, who piloted the No.7 Porsche 963 to victory alongside Nick Tandy and Lars Vanthoor. This carefully fought end meant there have been simply 4.4 seconds between first and third! It additionally gave Porsche its twentieth total victory as a producer, and a staggering twenty fourth when you embrace wins as engine suppliers as nicely!
LMP2 Class
The LMP2 class is at all times a tightly contested class, as all groups use the identical chassis and engine mixture. There’s after all a little bit of wiggle room by way of aero setup and such, however the automobiles are nearly an identical for probably the most half. With an analogous variety of entries because the GTP class, and really acquainted names lining up on the grid (United Autosports, AF Corse, and so on) and top-level four-driver crews throughout the sphere, this version formed as much as be one other thrilling version!
From very early on within the race, drama ensued as on the opening lap, coming into the primary nook, an LMP2 automotive spun, forcing the remainder of the sphere behind it to seek out their approach across the stricken automotive. After about two hours of racing, one other LMP2 automotive triggered the race’s first neutralisation because it embedded itself into the tyre wall. Heading into the night time and Sunday’s early morning, it was unimaginable to inform who would come out victorious, as we noticed a number of adjustments for the lead throughout these hours. Instantly after a restart, the No.40 Cadillac within the GTP class operating on contemporary however chilly tyres triggered drama because it took out not solely itself, however three others, in addition to inflicting two extra opponents to collide, prompting one more yellow flag state of affairs. This included the eventual race winner, the No. 8 Tower Motorsports LMP automotive.
Regardless of the tendency for shut finishes within the LMP2 class, it was the No. 8 Tower Motorsports automotive, pushed throughout the road by Sébastien Bourdais (with teammates Sebastián Álvarez, John Farano and Dutchman Job van Uitert) that secured the largest profitable margin. Whereas the GTP, GTD Professional and GTD lessons all noticed first and second break up by lower than two seconds, Bourdais inked out a lead of 44 seconds when he noticed the chequered flag first! This was as a consequence of a superb little bit of luck although, because it gained the lead following points for the No. 18 automotive and a penalty for the #52 automotive, each forward of Bourdais within the closing levels of the race. The group of United Autosports USA completed in second place, with Riley’s Oreca Gibson-07 coming throughout the road in third. Remarkably, solely two automobiles automotive of the whole LMP2 discipline failed to finish the race, with United Autosport USA’s No.2 struggling irreparable injury following a crash and Interpol Europol Competitors’s No.43 automotive being confronted with gearbox points.
GTD Professional class
The GTD class is break up between an all-professional lineup of drivers within the GTD Professional class and a mixture of professional and novice drivers within the GTD class. With 37 entries between the 2, it’s the largest discipline of the occasion, like yearly principally. A GTD automotive will be any GT3 regulation-compliant race automotive primarily, which is at all times primarily based on a manufacturing automobile. This implies you get numerous race-prepped Porsche 911s, but in addition Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Mercedes’, Ford Mustangs and so forth. Regardless of the actual fact these automobiles are the slowest within the race, or somewhat least quick, the competitors is fierce!
The GTD Professional class fielded 15 automobiles this yr and was tense from the second the inexperienced flag was waved. Earlier than the primary refuelling and tyre stops, the front-runners had been just about bumper to bumper the entire approach across the observe, swapping locations and paint within the course of. For almost all of the race, it was a battle between the #48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo and the 2 Ford Mustangs of the Ford Multimatic Motorsports group. After a tangle with a Lamborghini, the #48 BMW misplaced appreciable floor and by no means managed to recuperate. Early morning on Sunday noticed the Ford Mustang GT3s locked in battle with the #1 BMW M4 GT3 Evo, which ultimately had to surrender towards the may of the Mustangs and dropped to fourth in school. The #65 Ford Mustang of Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch took residence the win, carefully adopted by the #3 Corvette and the #64 Mustang. Astonishingly, 9 GTD Professional automobiles made it throughout the road on the identical lap!
However the actual spotlight was the incident attributable to Augusto Farfus within the #48 BMW. With about 4 hours remaining, Farfus blocked the class-leading Corvette whereas being a lap down on the automotive in an effort to assist the sister BMW to catch up and probably take excessive spot. Whereas they’re under no circumstances pressured to make approach for main automobiles, lapped automobiles do have the instruction to maintain out of tight battles if it’s not for their very own place. Nevertheless, Farfus deliberately blended with the opposite two, not directly inflicting injury to the Corvette’s rear bumper and costing the group worthwhile time. What ensued was a penalty from the stewards of the race and a really high-speed ‘flipping of the chook’ by Corvette driver and sufferer Tommy Milner! A very epic racing second, however for all of the mistaken causes…
GTD Class
The professional/am GTD class was the largest discipline of the race, with 22 entries. The very fact professionals share the driving seat with amateurs doesn’t imply this class is sluggish. Quite the opposite, even, they typically battle it out with the GTD Professional groups for prolonged intervals within the race. However, the first-in-class finisher got here in twenty fifth total however solely 4 laps off the winners within the GTD Professional class. Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern and Marvin Kirchhöfer piloted the profitable #13 (what’s in a quantity!) Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, forward of the #120 Porsche 911 GT3 R of Adam Adelson, Ayhancan Güven, Tom Sargent and Elliott Skeer, and the #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo of Mattia Drudi, Tom Gamble, Zacharie Robichon and Casper Stevenson.
But it surely wasn’t plain crusing for any of the groups. From the phrase ‘Go!’ the lead swapped many instances, with one of many greatest gaps within the early levels being the 7-second lead of the #78 Lamborghini Huracan Evo over the #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo. Because the race progressed into the night, points with a caught throttle pedal for the main GTD #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-Benz AMG GT triggered them to park the automotive within the pits however they’d ultimately repair it and get again out. Because the group soldiered on regardless of shedding 7 laps due to it, they managed to regain the lead of the race on early Sunday morning! Ultimately, although, they dropped all the way down to twenty ninth total and 4th in school! Nonetheless, it was a commendable effort, to say the least!
Because the race entered its closing hours, the GTD class win was nonetheless up for grabs for a number of groups. With skilled drivers within the automobiles throughout the GTD discipline, it got here all the way down to mere seconds ultimately. Much like different lessons, the break up between first and second was simply 1.45 seconds and a complete of 9 automobiles completed on the identical lap altogether, precisely as within the GTD Professional class. In actual fact, the similarities don’t finish there as third place was beneath 5 seconds again from the winners, much like the rostrum unfold within the GTP class!
So all in all, one more thrilling finish to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, with sensational driving throughout the board! After which there are individuals who say endurance racing is boring…
For extra info, please go to Rolex.com or Imsa.com.
Editorial Notice: The photographs used on this article are offered by and used with permission of Rolex, title sponsor of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.
