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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Add one more historic victory to Roger Penske’s iconic profession of excessive achievement. Workforce Penske kicked off its sixtieth anniversary season Sunday with the general victory within the sixty fourth Rolex 24 At Daytona – Penske’s third straight win within the world-renowned sports activities automotive race.
It featured an all-time Rolex 24 file attendance on the Daytona Worldwide Speedway highway course to kick off the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Brazilian Felipe Nasr drove the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 throughout the end line 1.569 seconds forward of Brit Jack Aitken within the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Collection.R after a very spirited battle by way of the ultimate hour between the 2.
The No. 24 BMW M Workforce WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 was third, 21 seconds behind the winner, within the group’s first race operating the IMSA BMW GTP program.
“The driving that he’s performed for us and on the finish there, in all probability probably the greatest drives I’ve seen,” Penske stated of Nasr. “You understand for our sixtieth it’s an enormous deal, and right here at Daytona, to have three wins right here is actually particular. Begins out the 12 months the correct manner.”
The veteran Nasr’s work now equals and follows on the heels of fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves’s three consecutive general wins (2021-23) at Daytona’s well-known 3.56-mile highway course. Peter Gregg additionally achieved the feat when he gained three straight in 1973, ’75 and ’76 (there was no race in ’74).
Each Nasr’s co-drivers, German Laurin Heinrich and Frenchman Julien Andlauer, gained their first Rolex 24s and Andlauer achieved his first WeatherTech Championship win of any variety.
Plaudits had been earned for group and producer as properly. Workforce Penske tied Chip Ganassi Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing with its third consecutive win and forty sixth in any IMSA class. Porsche introduced house its twenty first general Rolex 24 triumph, essentially the most of any producer.
“Three in a row, it’s only a very special occasion – I dreamed of that,’’ stated Nasr. “We had a battle all the way in which to the top with the (No.) 31. … I used to be simply making an attempt all I might as a result of I do know in these ultimate hours everyone seems to be utilizing every thing they’ve contained in the automotive, and the Cadillac was a powerful automotive.
“The sphere has such good drivers,’’ Nasr stated. “I’ve to acknowledge that the extent of this race is getting larger and better on this GTP (Grand Touring Prototype) class. It was pure racing. I used every thing I had.”
Sunny skies and 70-degree temperatures – warmer-than-usual Rolex 24 climate – straddled a heavy in a single day fog on the observe that introduced out a full-course warning flag for six hours, 33 minutes – the longest in Rolex 24 historical past.
When racing resumed after the fog simply after 7 a.m. ET, the motion picked up accordingly. The Penske Porsches battled intently with the BMWs and Cadillacs for the general lead and, as is so typical of this legendary race, the ultimate hours fed excessive drama.
Though the Nos. 7 and 6 Penske Porsches really dominated the occasion statistically, combining to guide 521 of the 705 laps (74 p.c of the race), they needed to fend off a powerful two-car BMW effort and a strong Cadillac displaying that additionally included a pair of Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing automobiles along with the runner-up No. 31 Cadillac Whelen entry – in addition to a persistent push from the two-car Acura Michael Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 effort that claimed pole place. 9 of the 11 GTP automobiles led laps.
Twice within the ultimate hour, Aitken was capable of pull inside lower than a half-second of Nasr, pulling alongside in a single specific try to go heading into Flip 1. However Nasr was on his sport, negotiating the 60-car discipline all through the race and repelling Aitken’s makes an attempt to overhaul within the ultimate 60 minutes.
“The blokes throughout from the group within the pit field to my teammates did a unbelievable job to get us again right into a place on the finish of the race,’’ stated Aitken, who was vying to place the No. 31 Cadillac in victory lane for a 3rd straight WeatherTech Championship race relationship to the ultimate two of 2025. “The Porsches had been very robust all race, very spectacular. We tried to problem them greatest we might and I bought near them a number of occasions.
“Simply actually, actually heartbreaking however we had nice runs and I’m happy with that,” Aitken added.
“I had a pair moments the place I caught my nostril in there, nevertheless it was at all times from only a bit additional again simply making an attempt to make one thing occur. I by no means bought a brilliant nice run on them. I used to be looking for a gap right here and there, and (there was) a superb line between making a spot open up and inflicting a little bit of an accident.”
The Rolex 24 is the primary of 5 IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup races on the 2026 calendar. By main in any respect 4 junctures when endurance factors had been awarded, the No. 7 Porsche has opened a major lead over the competitors.
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