It was all about the numbers this weekend at Daytona International Speedway when the IMSA WeatherTech Championship Series kicked off their season with the Rolex 24 Hours endurance race.
There were 59 teams with a total of 228 drivers from 32 countries on every continent except Antarctica. Eliminating the LMP3 class this year, the drivers competed in four classes – GTP (Prototype), LMP2, GTD Pro, and GTD. A pro-am class, the GTD had a record 23 cars this season.
Among those 228 drivers were nine women including an all female team.
This year’s Rolex 24 was a car enthusiasts dream with 17 car manufacturers models in the race weekend – Acura, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ferrari, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mazda, Mercedes-AMG, and Porsche.
With some of the biggest drivers in the world, there were seven IndyCar championships in the race – six of them on one team!
The racing teams weren’t the only ones setting records at this year’s race; on a very warm January day – in the 70’s – the fans also did their part with the biggest crowd ever to attend a 24 hour race at Daytona.
And while the racers were working their way around the track with practice sessions and qualifying, Hollywood was at the track working on a new film. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Brad Pitt will star as an aging race car driver. While the film has yet to get a name, filming has begun and did so on the racing surface over night; disturbing the sleep of those at the track and causing numerous logistical issues for the teams.
The green flag dropped at 1:42pm on Saturday afternoon and it didn’t take long before the first of many caution flags flew.
But after 24 hours of racing, the number seven Porsche Penske Motorsport car crossed the finish line to give Roger Penske his 98th sportscar win. With Felipe Nasr at the wheel the Porsche 963 also gave the team its first Rolex 24 win, and Penske’s first in 55 years. Joining Nasr as drivers for the car are Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell, and the reigning Indy 500 champion Josef Newgarden.
It has been a very good year for the 86 year old Penske who was the winning owner of the Indy 500 race, the owner of NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney’s car, and is the 2024 winner of the Rolex 24.
Driving the GTP class Porsche, Nasr crossed the finish line over two seconds ahead of the number 31 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R with Tom Blomqvist at the wheel to claim the overall and GTP class wins.
The Era Motorsport number 18 won the LMP2 class with drivers Dwight Merriman, Christian Rasmussen, and 17 year old Connor Zilisch.
The number 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 won the GTD Pro class with Daniel Serra, Davide Rigon, Alessandro Pier Guidi and James Calado sharing the driving duties.
And in the GTD class the number 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 won the class with Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje and Daniel Morad doing the driving.
The 2024 Rolex 24 Hours race results:
Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron, Matt Campbell, and Josef Newgarden
Whelen Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-LMDh with Tom Blomqvist, Pipo Derani, and Jack Aitken
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06 with Louis Deletraz, Colton Herta, Jenson Button, and Jordan Taylor
Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with Nick Tandy, Mathieu Jaminet, Estrel, and Laurens Vanthoor
Proton Competition Porsche 963 with Neel Jani, Allesio Picariello, Romain Dumas, and Gianmaria Bruni
JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 with Tijmenvander Helm, Richard Westbrook, Phil Hanson, and Ben Keating
BMW M Team RLLBMW M Hybrid V8 with Rene Rast, Connor De Phillipi, Nick Yelloly, and Maxime Martin
BMW M Team RLLBMW M Hybrid V8 with Jesse Krohn, Philipp Eng, Augusto Farfus, and Dries Vanthoor
Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 wit Christian Rasmussen, Dwight Merriman, Ryan Dalziel, and Connor Zillisch
Crowdstrike Racing by APRORECA LMP2 07 with Colin Braun, Toby Sowery, Malthe Jakobsen, and George Kurtz
Riley Motorsports – WeatherTech Racing ORECA LMP2 07 with Felipe Fraga, Josh Burdon, Felipe Massa, and Gar Robinson
Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with Tom Dillmann, Pietro Fittipaldi (last minute entry due to injury), Jakub Smiechowski, and Nick Boulle
Tower Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with Scott McLaughlin, John Farano, Michael Dinan, and Ferdinand Lothringen
United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 with Ben Hanley, Patricio O’Ward, Ben Keating, and Nico Pino
ORECA LMP2 07 with James Allen, Sebastian Alvarez, Eric Lux, and Kyffin Simpson
AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07 with Paul-Loup Chatin, Matt Brabham, Alex Quinn, and PJ Hyett
Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 with Alessandro Pier Guidi, James Calado, Daniel Serra, and Davide Rigon
AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with Laurin Heinrich, Seb Priaulx, and Michael Christensen
WINWARD RACING Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Daniel Morad, Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, and Indy Dortje
Af Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 with Miguel Milina, Kei Cozzolino, Simon Mann, and Francois Heriau
Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 with Sheldonvander Linde, Bryan Sellers, Madison Snow, and Neil Verhagen
Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 with Albert Costa Balboa, Alessandro Balzan, Cedric Sbirrazzuo, and Manny Franco
Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 with Alessio Rovera, Onofrio Triars, Charles Scardina, and Riccardo Agostini
Korthoff/Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mike Skeen, Mikael Grenier, Kenton Koch, and Maximilion Goetz
Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy, Doriane Pin, and Rahel Frey
Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with Elliott Skeer, Jan Heylen, Fred Makowiecki, and Adam Adelson
Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Scott Andrews, Adam Christodoulou, Salih Yoluc, and RuiPintode Andrade
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with Scott Hargrove, Thomas Preining, Jarett Andretti, and Gabby Chaves
Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Ross Gunn, Alex Ribera, and Mario Farnbacher
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Alexander Sims, Daniel Juncadella, and Antonio Garcia
Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 with Christopher Meis, Harry Tincknell, and Mike Rockenfeller
Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 with Antonio Fuoco, Eddie Cheever, Roberto Lacorte, and Giorgio Sernagiotto
Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with Mirko Bortolotti, Franck Perera, Jordan Pepper, and Andrea Caldarelli
Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with Trent Hindman, Julien Andlauer, David Brule, and Alec Udell
MDK Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) with Larry Voorde, Klaus Bachler, Kerong Li, and Anders Fjordbach
Inception Racing McLaren 720S GT3 EVO with Frederik Schandorff, Ollie Millroy, Tom Gamble, and Brendan Iribe
Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Nicky Catsburg, Earl Bamber, and Tommy Milner
Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 with Robby Foley, Patrick Gallagher, Jake Walker, and Jens Klingmann
Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with Aaron Telitz, Ritomo Miyatar, Frankie Montecalvor, and Parker Thompson
Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with Sandy Mitchell, Misha Goikhberg, Loris Spinelli, and Devlin Defrancesco
Ford Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 with Dirk Mueller, Frederic Vervisch, and Joey Hand
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with Kyle Marcelli, Danny Formal, Graham Doyle, and Ashton Harrison
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06 with Marcus Ericsson, Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, and Brendon Hartley
Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO with James Hinchcliffe, Alexander Rossi, Marvin Kirchhofer, and Oliver Jarvis
Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier LMP2 with Nolan Siegel, Jonny Edgar, Lance Willsey, and Joao Barbosa
AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Nico Varrone, Thomas Merrill, Charlie Eastwood, and Anthony Mantella
Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-LMDh with Alex Palou, Rengervander Zande, Sebastien Bourdais, and Scott Dixon
Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 with Ben Barnicoat, Kyle Kirkwood, Mike Conway, and Jack Hawkesworth
Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 with Katherine Legge, Tati Calderon, Stevan McAleer, and Sheena Monk
Proton Competition Ford Mustang GT3 with Dennis Olsen, Giammarco Levorato, Corey Lewis, and Ryan Hardwick
AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R with Alex Lynn, Orey Fidani, Matthew Bell, and Lars Kern
Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Roman De Angelis, Zacharie Robich, Ian James, and Marco Sorensen
GRT Magnus Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with Andy Lally, Spencer Pumpelly, Nicki Thiim, and John Potter
Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with Matteo Cairoli, Claudio Schiavoni, Matteo Cressoni, and Romain Grosjean
SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Maro Engel, Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon, and Luca Stolz
MDK by High Class Racing ORECA LMP2 07 with Laurents Hoerr, Scott Huffaker, Dennis Andersen, and Seth Lucas
United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07 with Bijoy Garg, Felix Rosenqvist, Daniel Goldburg, and Paul Di Resta
ORECA LMP2 07 with Lilou Wadoux Ducellier, Matthieu Vaxiviere, Luis Perez Companc, and Nicklas Nielsen
TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 07 with Steven Thomas, Mikkel Jensen, Hunter McElrea, and Charles Milesi