Porsche breaks Penske's 55-year Rolex 24 drought

24hscore news

Felipe Nasr secured the victory at the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona, marking a significant achievement for team owner Roger Penske. This win represents Penske’s first overall victory in the endurance race classic in 55 years.

Nasr took the lead from Tom Blomqvist during a pit stop under yellow on Lap 768 with just over 45 minutes remaining. Following a restart with 31 minutes left, Nasr successfully defended against numerous challenges from the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac V-Series.R, which had started in the pole position.

This triumph is only the second overall victory for Penske in the history of the Rolex 24. His first win occurred on the Daytona International Speedway road course in 1969 with a Lola T-70/Chevrolet, featuring the late Mark Donohue in the lineup.

Reflecting on the victory at the 62nd Rolex 24 at Daytona, Roger Penske expressed his thoughts to NBC Sports’ Kevin Lee in the victory lane. He mentioned the contrast with 1969 when they won with a Lola, emphasizing the significant changes over the years. Penske commended IMSA for the event’s success, acknowledged Porsche for their support, and praised the drivers, particularly Felipe, for their competitiveness, highlighting the narrow six or seventh-tenths of a second difference after 24 hours.

The legendary team owner has experienced a whirlwind eight months, starting with Team Penske’s record-extending 19th win in the Indy 500. In November, Ryan Blaney secured the second consecutive NASCAR Cup Series championship for Penske.

Looking ahead, the 86-year-old motorsports icon’s next major objective is the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June, one of the few major motorsports events yet to be conquered by Penske.

Reflecting on the victory at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Roger Penske expressed disbelief at the team’s accomplishment after facing challenges at Le Mans the previous year. Despite stumbling in the previous Le Mans event, Penske considers this win, with both cars running for the full 24 hours, as one of their most significant achievements. Looking ahead, he emphasizes the goal of winning the prestigious Le Mans race.

Felipe Nasr, who joined Porsche Penske Motorsport last year, secured his first overall Rolex 24 victory, having previously won in GTD Pro two years ago. Nasr credited the victory to strategic fuel management.

Teammates on the No. 7, including Matt Campbell, Dane Cameron, and Josef Newgarden, contributed to the success. Newgarden, the reigning Indy 500 winner, became the second consecutive winner of the Indy 500 to triumph in the Rolex 24 in the past three years. Helio Castroneves achieved this feat in the 2022 Rolex 24 at Daytona, following his fourth Indy 500 victory eight months earlier.

“I just joined in,” remarked Newgarden, participating in his second Rolex 24 but his first in the premier prototype category. He credited the immense success to Porsche and Team Penske, highlighting the significant contributions of Felipe and Matt Campbell in securing the victory. Expressing gratitude for being part of an incredible group, Newgarden acknowledged that the team would cherish this achievement for a long time.

The No. 7 Porsche had dominated for over five hours, with Campbell taking the lead on Lap 594. However, Blomqvist seized the lead on Lap 749, showcasing the race’s unpredictable nature. Campbell acknowledged the tough competition from the Cadillacs and expressed joy in achieving their first significant victory on the global stage, emphasizing the phenomenal teamwork that made it possible.

The triumph marked Porsche’s first overall victory at Daytona in 14 years and represented the initial endurance win for Porsche Penske Motorsport since joining the rebranded GTP category last year. Despite facing challenges, including mechanical failures and crashes in the previous Rolex 24, the team successfully tuned up the new hybrid prototype for the top class.

Expressing pride in the team’s efforts, Cameron, who secured his first Rolex 24 victory after 15 years of attempts, commended Nasr and Campbell for their remarkable performances. Blomqvist, aiming for a third consecutive Rolex 24 victory, fell short by 2.112 seconds, coming close to repeating last year’s win with Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06. Blomqvist drove for nearly the final three hours after taking over from Jack Aitken.

Blomqvist acknowledged the competitive dynamics with the Porsches, noting both teams’ strengths at different points in the race. He mentioned their advantage in tire management and double-stinting, while recognizing the Porsches’ strength on restarts, especially in cooler conditions and at night. In the final stints, Blomqvist gradually closed the gap and attempted an early pit stop strategy to undercut the Porsches. However, the last yellow flag, combined with short pitting, proved disadvantageous for the No. 31 due to its position on pit lane and Porsche’s superior fuel efficiency.

Blomqvist revealed the team’s initial goal was to create a gap before a longer stoppage time at the next pit stop. Unfortunately, the late yellow flag disrupted their plans, especially considering their pit lane position and inability to respond to the car behind. Despite feeling they had a pace advantage towards the end of the race, passing was challenging, with the Porsche excelling on straights and their team performing well in the infield. Blomqvist acknowledged a small mistake by Felipe but praised the overall performance of the Porsche team.

Pipo Derani completed the runner-up lineup for the No. 31, which was the sole car among the 10 Grand Touring Prototype entries to feature three drivers instead of four. The No. 31 aimed to start the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season on a high note after securing the inaugural GTP championship the previous year.

Derani expressed his satisfaction with engaging in intense wheel-to-wheel battles against formidable competitors, leading to an exhilarating finish in a race that maintained its intensity throughout. Although they fell just short of victory, Derani praised Tom’s exceptional performance in executing an undercut to pass Felipe. He commended the team for an error-free week, arriving with a competitive car and maintaining a prominent position throughout the race. Derani expressed pride in their efforts, emphasizing the joy and celebration that comes with motorsport, and he hopes for a smoother experience on the heart rate in the next race if he’s not finishing it himself.

Completing the overall podium, Wayne Taylor Racing, led by Andretti’s Louis Deletraz in the No. 40 ARX-06, secured the third position, marking Acura’s miss in their attempt for a fourth consecutive Rolex 24 victory.

Here are the winners in other categories:

LMP2: The No. 18 Era Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 driven by Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel, Connor Zilisch, and Christian Rasmussen emerged victorious.
GTD Pro: The No. 62 Risi Competizione 296 GT3, piloted by Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Daniel Serra, and Davide Rigon, claimed the top spot.
GTD: The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, driven by Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje, and Daniel Morad, secured victory in their category.