DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Roger Penske commenced the 60th anniversary of his team with a victory in the opening race of the year — a remarkable third consecutive win in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The Penske team became the third organization in the 64-year history of the premier endurance race in the United States to achieve three consecutive victories. His Porsche Penske Motorsports team joined Chip Ganassi Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing as the only teams to secure three straight sports car wins at Daytona International Speedway.
This marked the 21st triumph in the event for Porsche.
What stands out for Penske is that the team has claimed victory three years in a row with three distinct lineups; Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr, the Penske closer, is the sole constant across all three entries.
Nasr’s achievement extends the streak to six consecutive years in which a Brazilian driver has been part of the winning team. Four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Helio Castroneves was a member of the victorious team in 2021, ’22, and ’23.
Nasr faced a challenging task, racing in front of what Daytona officials described as the largest Rolex crowd in race history, as he fended off the Cadillac from Action Express Racing during the final hour to secure the overall title. Action Express is owned by NASCAR and IMSA chairman Jim France, and the car initially secured the pole position but was disqualified during post-qualifying inspection.
This disqualification compelled the No. 31 Cadillac to start at the back of the class, and the team of Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, Mercedes Formula 1 driver Fred Vesti, and NASCAR rising star Connor Zilisch navigated their way to second place over the 24-hour duration.
Nasr and Aitken closed out the races for their respective teams, with Aitken having several opportunities to overtake Nasr for the win in the final 25 minutes, but Nasr successfully defended his position each time.
Nasr triumphed in an updated No. 7 Porsche 963 alongside teammates Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich. The Porsche finished ahead of the Cadillac by 1 minute, .569 seconds.
The No. 24 BMW M Team WRT secured third place in the top GTP class with the team of Sheldon van der Linde, Dries Vanthoor, Robin Frijns, and Rene Rast.
A caution was issued due to foggy conditions shortly before 1 a.m. and lasted for a race-record 6 hours, 33 minutes, 25 seconds, covering 120 laps. The duration of the caution was so extensive that Penske, who prides himself on remaining alert and on the pit stand throughout the entire 24 hours, actually took a midrace break.
The Rolex signifies the unofficial commencement of the motorsports season, and this year’s race featured 60 cars from 12 different manufacturers, 228 drivers from 32 nations, and no definitive favorite.
Source: espn.com
