IMSA Rolex 24 Hour 21: Penske Porsches run 1-2 with 3 hours to go
As the Rolex 24 at Daytona crossed the 21-hour threshold on Sunday morning, the narrative of Porsche Penske Motorsport’s commanding performance in the GTP class continued to unfold, underscoring their grip on what has been a grueling endurance classic.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
While the No. 25 BMW M Hybrid V8 briefly held the overall lead at the 20-hour mark—thanks to a strategic pit stop timing that caught the leading Porsches just before the hour—the two Penske Porsche 963s have been the true pacesetters throughout the race. Now, with just three hours remaining until the checkered flag, Kevin Estre in the No. 6 Porsche has reclaimed the top spot, leading a Penske 1-2 that highlights the team’s flawless execution and reliability amid a field riddled with penalties, mechanical woes, and on-track drama.
The No. 6 Porsche, shared by Estre, Matt Campbell, Laurens Vanthoor, and Andre Lotterer, has completed 604 laps, holding a slender 1.059-second advantage over its sister car, the No. 7 driven by Julien Andlauer alongside Felipe Nasr, Josef Newgarden, and Dane Cameron. This razor-thin margin belies the dominance: the Penske duo has led the majority of the race, navigating through eight full-course cautions, including a lengthy six-plus-hour yellow triggered by heavy rain earlier in the event. Estre’s best lap of 1:35.826 on lap 491 remains a benchmark, though Campbell has been the fastest driver in the car overall. The team’s pit strategy has been impeccable, with only five stops for the No. 6 compared to four for the No. 7, allowing them to cycle back to the front after the BMW’s brief interlude.
Challenging the Porsches are the BMW M Team RLL entries, which have shown impressive speed but struggled to convert it into sustained leads. Marco Wittmann in the No. 25 BMW sits third, 11.196 seconds adrift, with a best lap of 1:36.664. Teammate Sheldon van der Linde in the No. 24 is fourth, just 3.386 seconds behind, bolstered by Robin Frijns’ stint. The BMWs capitalized on the Porsches’ pits around the 20-hour mark, but as Nasr cycled through in the No. 7 and Estre maintained pressure in the No. 6, the order restored itself. Kevin Magnussen has been a standout for the No. 25, but the team has made three pit stops, slightly more than their rivals.
Further back in GTP, Earl Bamber in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R from Action Express Racing runs fifth, 17.625 seconds off the lead, having clawed back from a costly stop-and-hold plus 60-second penalty for co-driver Connor Zilisch’s red light violation during the marathon caution period.
The No. 93 Acura ARX-06 of Renger van der Zande is sixth, followed by the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche of Kaylen Frederick in seventh. Colton Herta’s No. 40 Cadillac is eighth, Scott Dixon’s No. 60 Acura ninth, and Will Stevens in the No. 10 Cadillac tenth, one lap down. The No. 23 Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH of Ross Gunn lags further back in 11th overall, 16 laps behind after early struggles.
LMP2 Class
In LMP2, the battle has been equally intense, with penalties and mechanical gremlins shaking up the order. Malthe Jakobsen in the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA LMP2 07 leads the class (12th overall), 17 laps down from GTP, having recovered from a drive-through for blocking under previous driver Alex Quinn. Harry Tincknell’s No. 52 Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports entry is second in class, 45.348 seconds back, with Christian Rasmussen in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA third. Recent cautions, including one sparked by Logan Sargeant’s spin in the No. 2 United Autosports car due to a broken starter motor, have allowed recoveries but also sidelined contenders like the No. 8 Tower Motorsport ORECA (gearbox issues) and the No. 73 Pratt Miller entry (garaged).
GTD Pro Class
The GT categories have delivered some of the race’s most thrilling moments, with overtakes and penalties reshaping the leaderboard. In GTD Pro, Nico Varrone in the No. 4 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R leads (22nd overall), 36 laps down, ahead of Ayhancan Guven in the No. 911 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R and Max Hesse in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3.
A highlight was Tommy Milner’s three-wide pass in the 20th hour to take the lead, but the class was hit hard by Antonio Garcia’s right-rear suspension failure in the No. 3 Corvette, dropping it 24 laps back. Harry King’s No. 77 AO Racing Porsche suffered a stop-and-hold plus 60-second penalty for a jumped start, plummeting down the order.
GTD Class
GTD sees Robby Foley in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 at the front (30th overall), 37 laps behind the leaders, followed by Tom Gamble’s No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo and Riccardo Pera in the No. 912 Herberth Motorsport Porsche. Mechanical attrition has been high: the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette battled gearbox trouble, the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang retired with radiator issues, and the No. 69 GetSpeed Mercedes lost time after hitting the wall.
3 Hours to Go!
With three hours left, the focus shifts to endurance and error-free running. The Penske Porsches appear poised for victory in GTP, but fuel strategy, tire wear, and potential late cautions could invite challengers. In the lower classes, recoveries like Jakobsen’s in LMP2 show anything is possible, while GT battles promise more fireworks. As daylight fades over Daytona International Speedway, the 62nd Rolex 24 is building toward a classic finish.