MOTORSPORT

Porsche secures 20th Daytona win

At the helm of the iconic number 7 Porsche 963 was last year’s winner, Felipe Nasr.

Ntsako Mthethwa
January 27, 2025
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Porsche secures 20th Daytona win

In motorsport, Porsche has always been ahead of many other vehicle manufacturers. For example, it has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans 19 times, more than any other manufacturer.  

Not that alone, the German marque has recently claimed its second consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 at Daytona, this past weekend. This marks Porsche’s 20th overall win at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Opener. 

Nick Tandy (UK) and Laurent Vanthoor (Belgium) joined Felipe Nasr, the winner from the previous year, at the wheel of the iconic number 7 Porsche 963. As for the number 6 Porsche 963, it rounded out the team’s success with a third-place finish, thus demonstrating its dominance as the most successful LMDh prototype since its racing debut. 

"This victory feels even better than 2024—winning here twice in a row is a very special point in my career. Thanks to everyone in the team. The work they did was simply fantastic. I don't know how to put my emotions into words,” says Felipe Nasr. 

At 1:40 PM on the day of the race, 61 cars began the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at Daytona International Speedway. The GTP class saw intense competition, with the Porsche 963 leading the pack.

Porsche Penske Motorsport car number 7 drivers delivered a flawless performance. As evening approached, the Porsche 963s dominated the field, with Nasr's car clinching victory after a thrilling final sprint in the last 40 minutes of the race. He clinched his second consecutive Daytona victory, while Vanthoor and Tandy celebrated their first wins. 

Tandy also became the first driver to win all four major 24-hour endurance races, namely, Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, and Daytona.

‟What an incredible day for the entire Porsche Penske Motorsport organisation. Both of our Porsche 963s and the drivers showed great speed and reliability. The crews performed flawlessly, which is a result of meticulous preparation by everyone on the team,” Roger Penske, founder and CEO of Penske Corporation.

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