IMSA Rolex 24 Hour 2: Penske Porsches dominating
The Porsche Penske Motorsport duo continued their strong start in the GTP class during the second hour of the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona, with the No. 6 and No. 7 Porsche 963s establishing a clear advantage over the rest of the field.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Kévin Estre, who started the hour in fifth, quickly climbed to second and set the fastest lap while pursuing Felipe Nasr in the No. 7. Estre made an easy pass on Nasr, which appeared to be a planned team strategy. After a round of pit stops for energy top-ups across most of the GTP contenders, Estre took command in the No. 6, opening a three-second lead over Nasr.
As the stints wound down, Nasr closed up and executed a clean overtake on Estre through Turn 1 and the Esses. Both cars pitted at the hour mark for driver changes: Laurens Vanthoor now pilots the leading No. 6, with Julien Andlauer in the No. 7 holding second. The No. 93 Acura ARX-06 from Meyer Shank Racing runs third, with Álex Palou taking over from Renger van der Zande.
LMP2
In LMP2, PJ Hyett has built a commanding lead in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA 07-Gibson, stretching out to around 40 seconds ahead of the pack. This margin could shrink as teams cycle in their Silver-rated drivers. Jakub Śmiechowski holds second in the No. 343 Inter Europol Competition entry, while Grégoire Saucy sits third in the No. 22 United Autosports USA machine, both also Silver-rated.
GTD Pro
The GTD Pro battle saw position swaps among the Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.Rs thanks to differing pit strategies. Nicky Catsburg in the No. 4 stayed out longer than Alexander Sims in the No. 3, leapfrogging to the class lead after pits, with Sims now second. Frédéric Vervisch runs third in the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3.
Dean MacDonald, who dropped from second on the grid after contact, holds fourth in the No. 59 RLL Team McLaren 720S GT3 EVO. Max Hesse in the Paul Miller Racing BMW and Daniel Serra in the Risi Competizione Ferrari are dueling for fifth. Meanwhile, Kenny Habul relieved in the No. 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO to meet drive-time rules and spun at Turn 1 but continued without issue.
GTD
In the GTD class, Russell Ward has extended a solid gap in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, at one point leading by nearly ten seconds over Patrick Gallagher in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, though Gallagher has clawed back to within two seconds. Ward’s teammate Philip Ellis, who handed over after the start, credited their edge to better adaptation to the new Michelin Pilot Sport GT tire compound, noting rivals were more cautious on fresh rubber.
Polesitter Zacharie Robichon has recovered to third in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Antonio Fuoco dropped out of the top three in the Inception Racing McLaren after a drive-through penalty for improper pit entry. Other early penalties included drive-throughs for the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini (pit speeding) and No. 69 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG (mechanics over the wall).
Overall, the race has settled into a rhythm with the Porsches dictating the pace in GTP through smart strategy and overtakes, while class leads in the other categories reflect a mix of on-track battles, pit tactics, and minor incidents. No full-course cautions disrupted the hour, allowing for steady progress through initial driver stints.