2024 winners aiming for another overall victory

IMSA

Jan 21

Porsche Penske Motorsport and its customer teams took advantage of the “Roar Before the 24” test session last weekend for intense race preparations. Across three days of official testing, the four Porsche 963s in the GTP class completed 636 laps (3,644 kilometers). The results of these final tests have left Porsche Motorsport and its partners optimistic for the race weekend. “Daytona was the springboard for many successes last year. The competition will be even tougher in 2025, but our ambitions remain undiminished,” said Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. In 2024, the Porsche 963 from Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #7 car triumphed at the iconic Florida race. “We’re aiming for another overall victory and are well-prepared for the fierce competition in the GTP top class and both GTD categories. Our race cars represent the Porsche brand on tracks worldwide as ambassadors, and we want to see the Porsche 963 and 911 GT3 R leading the pack!”

GTP class

The GTP class will feature four Porsche 963s: two from Porsche Penske Motorsport, one from Proton Competition, and another from JDC-Miller MotorSports.

Porsche Penske Motorsport

Porsche Penske Motorsport has refined numerous details after securing the 2024 championship. One significant update for the new season is the revised driver lineup. The #6 car will feature the regular duo of Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet and Australia’s Matt Campbell, with additional support from Frenchman Kévin Estre at Daytona. The #7 sister car, driven full-time by reigning driver champion and 2024 Daytona winner Felipe Nasr from Brazil and Nick Tandy from the UK, will have Belgian Laurens Vanthoor join for the 24-hour race.

Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): “After our success in 2024, we enter the new season with great confidence and high ambitions. Last year, our sister car won Daytona, and now we aim to lead the No. 6 car to the top. Matt and I are back as a duo this season, and Kévin will support us for the opener. We’re set to be strong! Staying out of trouble early on and attacking at the end is always key at Daytona.”

#7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 — 📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963.

Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #7): “This is one of my favorite races. I love the USA and always enjoy being in Florida. I’ve come close to success in Daytona multiple times, but something always got in the way. It’s time to change that. The 24 Hours of Daytona is, along with Le Mans, a race I’m determined to win. This year, I’m in the defending champion car, the No. 7. It doesn’t get better than that.”

Porsche 963 customers

Alongside the factory entries, the two customer Porsche 963 from JDC-Miller MotorSports and Proton Competition will also draw attention. The German-run Proton team’s #5 car will include factory driver Julien Andlauer from France and Swiss driver Neel Jani, a Le Mans overall winner in 2016 with the Porsche 919 Hybrid. In the #85 JDC-Miller MotorSports car, Porsche factory driver and Formula E World Champion Pascal Wehrlein from Germany will make his Daytona debut. He will share the cockpit with seasoned Italian driver Gianmaria Bruni and others, making his Daytona debut.

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #5 Proton Competition Porsche 963.

Julien Andlauer (Porsche 963 #5): “I’m delighted to be driving for Proton Competition again. This opportunity came together very quickly, with the call arriving just days before the Roar. We have a great foundation with our Porsche 963, and we’ll focus on further optimization during practice sessions. The forecast suggests variable conditions for race weekend, which might add even more excitement. I hope we can keep it clean and end up with one of the fastest cars on track for maximum success.”

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963.

Gianmaria Bruni (Porsche 963 #85): “I’m thrilled about the 24 Hours of Daytona. This year, I’ll compete in the Porsche 963 with JDC-Miller MotorSports. Sharing the car with my talented teammates Pascal, Tijmen, and Bryce is a great feeling. We have plenty of work ahead, and we’re tackling preparations for the first race and the entire season with full focus.”

GTD classes

The four Porsche 911 GT3 R cars in the GT categories logged a combined mileage of more than 4,000 kilometers.

GTD PRO

In the GTD Pro category, AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R aims to defend its IMSA title. The “Rexy” car, wrapped in its signature green dinosaur livery, will be driven by former Porsche Juniors Laurin Heinrich (Germany) and Klaus Bachler (Austria), along with Belgian driver Alessio Picariello. Proton Competition’s identical 416 kW (565 PS) race car will feature Austrian factory drivers Thomas Preining and Richard Lietz.

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #20 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Matteo Cressoni (Porsche 911 GT3 R #20): “Our driver lineup is newly assembled, but we all bring extensive experience with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team is working incredibly well together – they’re simply fantastic! Things are shaping up even better than expected. We’re preparing meticulously and staying fully focused for this big race.”

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R

Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “Porsche hasn’t won a GT class in Daytona for the past two years. Now, at the start of the new IMSA season, we’re aiming to change that. I’m confident that our AO Racing team is perfectly prepared. The squad is incredibly strong, and ‘Rexy’ is hungry for success after the winter break. My teammates Laurin and Alessio, along with myself, form a solid unit. I’m really looking forward to it because the 24 Hours of Daytona is always an absolute highlight to kick off the racing year.”

GTD class

In the GTD class, the Iron Dames will debut their Porsche 911 GT3 R in the IMSA series. This new partnership between Porsche and the initiative supporting women in motorsport was launched late last year. In the #83 car, Michelle Gatting (Denmark), Sarah Bovy (Belgium), former DTM driver Rahel Frey and fellow Swiss Karen Gaillard will share driving duties. Wright Motorsports’ 911 GT3 R will feature former Porsche junior Ayhancan Güven from Turkey among its lineup.

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #83 Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Michelle Gatting (Porsche 911 GT3 R #83): “I’m very excited about my third start at the 24 Hours of Daytona. This time, we’re competing in a Porsche – and for the first time, I’m part of the official Porsche driver roster. I’m extremely proud of this, as well as of the entire Iron Dames team. We’re giving everything for a top result and aiming to make an early mark in our new partnership with Porsche.”

📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Elliott Skeer (Porsche 911 GT3 R #120): “It feels like returning after summer vacation – back in the paddock and thrilled to see everyone again. However, some things have changed during the break. Our driver lineup is different, and there are slight adjustments to the car due to new torque sensors. This leaves a few open questions before the race, which actually reduces the pressure a bit since expectations aren’t firmly set. Let’s see where this journey takes us. We’ll take it as it comes.”

24 Hours of Daytona WeatherTech schedule

Thursday, January 23, 2025 WeatherTech Championship’s sessions are programmed as follow:

Practice 1 from 10:05 AM to 11:35 AM ET
Qualifying from 2:10 PM to 3:40 PM ET
Practice 2 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM ET

Friday, January 24, 2025 WeatherTech Championship’s sessions are programmed as follow:

Practice 3 from 11:20 AM to 12:20 AM ET

The Rolex 24 goes green at 1:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25 with qualifying on Thursday, January 23. The race will feature live television segments on NBC and USA and flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock in the U.S., and IMSA.com for international viewers.