IMSA News: No. 31 Action Express Cadillac Wins Motul Petit Le Mans
Cadillac capped off the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with a commanding repeat victory at the Motul Petit Le Mans, sealing the season in style at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti delivered a masterclass in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, claiming their second consecutive Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and overall win. The trio had already triumphed earlier in the season at the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, showcasing Cadillac’s relentless form.
This marks the manufacturer’s second straight Petit Le Mans conquest, following last year’s success in the Chip Ganassi Racing-prepared No. 01 Cadillac Racing entry.
The decisive moment unfolded in the race’s frantic final half-hour, as teams scrambled through a wave of pit stops to top off energy tanks for the checkered flag. The No. 31 Cadillac, which had dictated proceedings for much of the 10-hour endurance test, pitted strategically and surged back onto the track ahead of the chasing pack to claim the spoils.
Chasing them home in second was the No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie, earning its best global result to date for THOR Team with Roman De Angelis, Ross Gunn, and Alex Riberas at the wheel.
GTP champions Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet rounded out the podium in third aboard the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, shared with Laurens Vanthoor. The finish not only crowned Porsche as GTP manufacturers’ champions but also delivered a second straight title for the Penske squad—and a second IMSA crown overall for Campbell and Jaminet, who first tasted Pro-series glory in the 2022 Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) with Pfaff Motorsports.
“This championship is a testament to the entire Porsche Penske Motorsport team and the hard work and dedication they invest into this program every day,” said Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman of Penske Corporation.
“The season started with four consecutive victories, including back-to-back Rolex 24 At Daytona wins, and has continued into 10 total podiums. That type of success isn’t accomplished without great drivers, leaders, and a resilient crew. The commitment to winning together has been unwavering, and defending the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title is a reflection of those efforts from all the men and women across both Mooresville and Germany.”
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In GTP’s sister class, Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), the No. 63 Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse SC63 came agonizingly close to the podium, settling for fourth with Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat, and Edoardo Mortara.
LMP2 delivered its own Cinderella story, as TDS Racing’s No. 11 ORECA 07—driven by Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen, and Hunter McElrea—turned a heartbreaking grid penalty into a triumphant finale. Penalized to the rear after exceeding homologated bodywork mass limits, the car rocketed to the front in Thomas’s opening stint, with McElrea and Jensen holding the lead for most of the race. It was a poetic send-off for Thomas in his final scheduled WeatherTech outing.
AO Racing locked in the LMP2 drivers’ championship with a gritty performance from P.J. Hyett and Dane Cameron in their “spooky” liveried No. 99 ORECA 07, battling through a challenging Saturday to secure the crown.
The GT battles were equally electric. In GTD PRO, Paul Miller Racing’s No. 48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO converted pole position into victory—its third of the season—with Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Connor De Phillippi leading the charge.
Over in GTD, AF Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari 296 GT3 prevailed with Alessandro Pier Guidi, Lilou Wadoux, and Simon Mann, holding firm after an opening-lap skirmish sidelined several rivals.
Amid the GTD PRO title tussle, Antonio Garcia and Alexander Sims clung on to win the championship in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R. In GTD, Russell Ward and Philip Ellis notched a second consecutive crown in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, their path cleared by that early chaos.
Unofficially, the manufacturers’ honors go to Porsche in GTP, Chevrolet in GTD PRO, and Mercedes-AMG in GTD.
The IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup also found its heroes: the No. 7 Porsche 963 of Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr (GTP), TDS’s No. 11 ORECA (LMP2), PMR’s No. 48 BMW (GTD PRO), and AF Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari (GTD). On the manufacturers’ side, Porsche (GTP), BMW (GTD PRO), and Ferrari (GTD) take the Endurance Cup laurels.
IMSA’s 2026 campaign revs up with the Roar Before the Rolex 24 test, followed by the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona on January 24-25.
Winner Quotes
Jack Aitken: “The way Earl finished, the way Fred came in and held the lead, it shows the depth that we have in the team that we’re really confident, and we all put in great stints today. All did a huge job to hold off the competition and manage the strategy, manage the fuel and the Whelen Cadillac was on fire today. We were able to lead and that was the game plan coming into today — to do it just like at Indy. So, I’m really pleased that we finish the year in such an awesome way and roll into 2026.”
Earl Bamber: “Any one of us could have done it, any stint of the day. It shows the strength of the team. It shows what we set out to do at the beginning of the year with Whelen Cadillac — to build something really special. And I think what we’ve done this season — we could have won a couple more races, came close, were in position — but we’ll definitely take two of the biggest of the season. The guys are fantastic in the pit lane, the cars are amazingly quick at Cadillac, so it makes our job easy on track. I think we’re building up something special here, and now we’re just looking forward to what comes next.”
Frederik Vesti: “Just extremely proud of this team. We joined forces at the beginning of this year, and we didn’t have the easiest start to the championship. But the way we’ve grown together, the way we’ve been working together really shows and we deserve it so much. Winning Indy was big, but now winning Petit — one of the most historical races in the endurance world — that’s incredible. Very proud of everyone.”