Porsche Penske Claims Back-to-Back Rolex 24 Victories as New Mustang GT3 and AWA Corvette Shine
The 63rd edition of the Rolex 24 At Daytona delivered historic moments to kick off the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. From Porsche Penske Motorsport’s back-to-back triumphs to milestone wins for the new Mustang GT3 and AWA’s Corvette Z06, the endurance classic was one for the record books.
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Porsche Penske Makes History
Porsche Penske Motorsport clinched its second consecutive Rolex 24 victory and the fourth overall for the team. The No. 7 Porsche 963, piloted by Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, and Laurens Vanthoor, took the top spot in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class and overall standings. This marks Roger Penske’s third Rolex 24 win as a team owner, further cementing his legacy in endurance racing.
For Nasr, this was his third Rolex 24 victory (2024 in GTP and 2022 in GTD PRO), while Tandy’s second win (his first was in 2014 GT Le Mans) etched his name into motorsport history. Tandy became the first driver to secure victories in all four major 24-hour endurance races: Daytona, Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Nürburgring. Vanthoor, part of Penske’s FIA World Endurance Championship-winning lineup last year, celebrated his first Rolex 24 win.
“It’s amazing to see the work we’ve done with this Porsche program over the past couple of years,” Roger Penske said in victory lane. “Winning the IMSA championship last year and now this – I’m thrilled. It was quite something there at the end!”
A 1-2 finish for Porsche Penske was narrowly denied when Tom Blomqvist made a late pass in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, securing second place over Matt Campbell’s No. 6 Porsche 963.
Mustang GT3 and AWA Corvette Steal the Spotlight
Ford’s new Mustang GT3 made an impressive debut, claiming its first IMSA victory in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class. Dennis Olsen, Christopher Mies, and Frederic Vervisch piloted the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang to a hard-fought win, with Olsen holding off fierce competition to secure the milestone achievement.
Meanwhile, Corvette Racing emerged victorious in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class. AWA’s No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, driven by Matt Bell, Orey Fidani, Lars Kern, and Marvin Kirchhoefer, claimed the team’s second Rolex 24 win, following their 2023 success in the Le Mans Prototype 3 class.
Tower Motorsports Conquers LMP2
In the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) category, Tower Motorsports delivered a stellar performance with the No. 8 ORECA LMP2 07. Drivers Sebastien Bourdais, John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, and Job Van Uitert secured the victory, earning custom Rolex Daytona timepieces to commemorate their triumph. For Bourdais, this was his third win across three IMSA classes (Prototype/Overall in 2014 and GT Le Mans in 2017).
A Race to Remember
The 2025 Rolex 24 At Daytona underscored the drama and unpredictability of endurance racing, from Porsche’s dominance in GTP to the emergence of new contenders in GTD PRO and GTD. As the IMSA season continues, these stories will undoubtedly set the tone for another thrilling year in North American sportscar racing.
IMAGES: IMSA
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