Felipe Nasr brought home his third-straight Rolex 24 victory for Porsche and Roger Penske on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The win marked the team's 60th year in racing and came after a strong performance from the No. 6 Porsche 963, which was led by drivers Laurens Vanthoor, Kevin Estre, and Matt Campbell.
569 seconds. The Penske Porsche 963s had the legs on the field when it came to launching off the corners, critical to the hybrid cars' ability to use their 200-mph speed at the top end on Daytona's banking. Despite pushing the pace and leading nearly 80% of the laps, the two factory Porsches were able to get the necessary fuel and hybrid energy mileage to close off any fuel strategies by the opposition.
In contrast, the BMW M Hybrid V8s of WRT struggled with pit stops, but came alive in the coolness of the morning after the fog cleared, occasionally taking the lead due to pit stops. The No. 3 seconds behind in third.
Nasr's co-driver Julien Andlauer competed for the first time in the GTP class at the Rolex, while his teammate Laurin Heinrich also had a strong weekend. The win marked the first victory for Team Penske since 2022, and it comes after a series of setbacks for the team, including a broken rear suspension that took out the No. 3 Corvette with five hours to go.
Despite this, Nasr and his teammates were able to overcome their challenges and secure the win. The victory is also notable for being Team Penske's 60th year in racing, which began with a Corvette Sting Ray and a class victory at the 24-hour in 1966. The win marks a significant milestone for the team and its drivers, who have worked tirelessly to overcome their challenges and secure the top spot on the podium.
This win is a testament to the strength of the Porsche 963 and the skill of Felipe Nasr and his co-drivers. The fact that they were able to maintain their pace despite the challenging conditions and the opposition's best efforts, is a credit to the team's strategy and execution. It will be interesting to see how the team builds on this momentum in the coming races.
