Rolex 24, Hour 20: Porsche-vs-BMW GTP fight heating up
Porsche Penske Motorsport's Laurens Vanthoor is leading the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona with four hours to go, but BMW M Team RLL is interjecting itself between the two factory Porsches.
That's because Kevin Magnussen has driven the No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8 past the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963 of Matt Campbell shortly after the most recent green flag restart. Magnussen is still aboard the No. 24 BMW, while Mathieu Jaminet is back in the No. 6 Porsche.
Vanthoor leads by about eight seconds in GTP while, about a minute behind him, the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 of Colin Braun runs fourth as the last car on the lead lap.
Porsche Penske has also staggered its pit strategies since the last couple of full course yellows — the No. 7 is a few laps further into its energy tank than the No. 6, but these strategies should converge towards the end of the race, and definitely will if another FCY is deployed.
Dane Cameron is stretching his advantage out in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2. The reigning IMSA champion leading the class from reigning Le Mans 24 Hours winner Nicklas Nielsen in the No. 88 AF Corse ORECA.
Nielsen overtook Tower Motorsports' Sebastian Alvarez for second place; Alvarez is now third with Ryan Dalziel in fourth for ERA Motorsport.
LMP2 battle for second! A little over 4 hours to go, things are picking up.
📺: LIVE NOW ON Peacock 🌎: IMSA TV | IMSA YouTube LIVE! 📻: IMSA Radio@Rolex24Hours | @NBCSports | @MichelinRaceUSA pic.twitter.com/yelOdlHjgb
— IMSA (@IMSA) January 26, 2025
The No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 is the latest retirement from the field in GTD as a result of damage sustained in an incident that also involved the No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini and the No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The No. 78 is still in the garage undergoing repairs, as is the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari which went behind the wall after a severe vibration led to further work under the front end. The No. 80 Mercedes has returned though it is now 30 laps down in GTD.
We do have five makes in the top five in GTD PRO, separated by relatively slim margins. Connor De Phillippi has taken over the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO and the American leads the No. 4 Corvette Racing Z06 GT3.R of Tommy Milner by 1.5s.
Milner had a close call with the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus that ended up giving the Lexus a left-front puncture, but the No. 4 Pratt Miller Corvette avoided a penalty. Antonio Garcia's contact with his countryman Miguel Molina was not given the same grace — Garcia and the No. 3 Corvette got a drive-through for avoidable contact with the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari.
GetSpeed's first Rolex 24 is going well — Luca Stolz is running third in the No. 69 Mercedes-AMG GT3, followed closely by the No. 65 Ford Multimatic Mustang GT3 of Chris Mies.
In GTD it's still the No. 13 AWA Corvette in front driven by Marvin Kirchhöfer, by five seconds over the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche of Tom Sargent.
But the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG is back in the fight after its earlier drive-through penalty that took the reigning GTD champions out of the lead. Philip Ellis is third, ahead of Heart of Racing's Tom Gamble.
HOUR 20 STANDINGS
Story originally appeared on Racer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Ferrari and Toyota are Le Mans favorites – but what about Porsche?
Last year, Porsche arrived at Le Mans as one of the favourites, riding the momentum of a strong start to its WEC campaign. But when it came down to it, the real fight was between Ferrari and Toyota. In 2025, the German manufacturer comes to La Sarthe in a very different situation, after a quiet opening trio of races. What Porsche needs to lean on, if it's to chase what would be a record-extending 20th Le Mans win, is exactly what made it strong in last year's championship run. Advertisement 'Our strengths are consistency and reliability. We didn't have any reliability issues last year during the whole season, and not at Le Mans either, so I think that's a big asset,' explains Kevin Estre. 'We had a lot of problems in year one, but last season was great in terms of reliability. We didn't have any trouble, and the team almost won every race in IMSA, in the U.S.' 'We've shown we have the ability, the talent to win big races, to win championships. I think we ran a great race last year at Le Mans - we were just missing a bit of outright performance.' 'There's strong competition, like we've seen over the last three years, but I feel like this year it's even tighter. 'The newcomers from last year are still learning and improving. You look at the start of the season for BMW, Alpine, and even Peugeot showing up here and there, plus Cadillac arriving with four cars. I think it's going to be a real battle on track.' Porsche remains Porsche #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963, #5 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 Rainier Ehrhardt Rainier Ehrhardt Advertisement With its know-how, experience, and an LMDh prototype that delivered a drivers' title last year, would you count Porsche out? The former winners remain a solid bet for victory, especially when you factor in a Balance of Performance (BoP) unique to the Le Mans circuit, which could very well shake things up. That's what Kevin Estre, who shares the No. 6 car with Laurens Vanthoor and Matt Campbell, is banking on. 'You always have to count on Ferrari and Toyota, that's a given,' the French driver admits. 'Cadillac always has great top speed, they've never quite put it all together, but they're strong. Jota's a great team at Le Mans, we know that. Alpine has had a really solid start to the year, and Peugeot could be in the mix…' 'It's hard to rank the pecking order. I think Ferrari and Toyota are probably still the favourites, and maybe us. They're proven contenders at Le Mans, they've shown it time and again. It's tough to say, but I hope we've improved our package a bit and that we've got the performance needed to fight for the win.' Kevin Estre, Porsche Motorsport Kevin Estre, Porsche Motorsport Rainier Ehrhardt Rainier Ehrhardt Advertisement As Estre rightly points out, the start of the championship almost becomes irrelevant when it comes to Le Mans: 'It's a completely different track compared to the rest: we reach top speeds that are 30 to 40 km/h higher than on other circuits in the championship.' 'There's a new BoP, the track characteristics are different, so it reshuffles the deck. We'll see if we can be as strong as last year over a single lap, and a bit better in the long stints during the race.' 'We've got a new driver with Matt replacing Andre [Lotterer], but the same engineers, the same mechanics — there's no reason why it shouldn't work. We know how to win races, we know how to win championships — we just need to find the performance.' To read more articles visit our website.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Drag racer survives frightening airborne crash at World Wide Technology Raceway
MADISON, Ill. – A Corvette goes airborne. Nearly flips mid-air. Slams down and tumbles over a guardrail. And somehow, the driver walks away unscathed. It all happened at World Wide Technology Raceway last weekend – all captured in a shocking video that's quickly gone viral. Advertisement According to a WWT Raceway spokesperson, drag racer Jason Hoard survived the frightening crash during a high-speed test run on May 31 in preparation for the VP Racing Fuels Heads-Up Shootout Series. Extreme 660 Drag Racing, a media outlet that specializes in US drag racing coverage, captured the video and described it simply as 'the worst wreck we've ever filmed.' In the video, as Hoard's white Corvette near tops speed alongside another driver, it suddenly launches off the ground, takes flight and nearly flips mid-air before slamming down hard on its rear end. The impact sent the Corvette tumbling over a guardrail into a grassy area with smoke billowing from the car and debris flying across the racetrack. 'Everything was fine absolutely until the second that it wasn't,' recalled Hoard in a YouTube interview on The Wes Buck Show via Drag Illustrated on June 4. 'I was fine, then it literally felt like the car was going backwards.' Advertisement Hoard narrowly missed crashing on top of another drag-racing test-run vehicle to his left. 'I very could have easily landed on his car,' he added. Fortunately, Hoard said he only ended up with some bruising and minor symptoms of post-concussive syndrome, ultimately avoiding life-threatening injuries. Since the crash, WWT Raceway staff and the the National Hot Rod Association have launched a thorough investigation of the car and safety equipment before what remains of the car is returned to Hoard. The investigation aims to provide the NHRA with additional information for the continued development of racecar safety. A WWT Raceway spokesperson tells FOX 2 that temperature and air conditions were optimal for racing and that, based on initial findings, no other environmental circumstances or raceway conditions played a factor. Advertisement As for protocols when responding to such crashes, WWT Raceway released this statement: 'As an NHRA sanctioned racetrack, WWT Raceway and our participants follow the guidelines established by the NHRA rulebook and Operational Guidelines. Each WWT Raceway event features fully equipped safety response trucks operated by Emergency Staff who have been trained by NHRA, NASCAR, INDYCAR and SCCA and the trucks feature the latest in life saving emergency response equipment. 'In addition, each WWT Raceway drag racing event features an ALS (Advance Life Support) Ambulance Unit staffed by paramedics specially trained in responding to racing crashes. The WWT Raceway Safety teams were rolling to the crash site while Jason was still rolling and were at the scene of the crash less than 30 seconds after it occurred.' The spokesperson added that Hoard's car was 'extremely well-built' and all of its safety functions performed properly during the crash. Advertisement As the car went airborne, Hoard said he tucked into his seat. He remembered the impact of the left rear hitting the ground, but not much else from the collision. Crews estimated he was unconscious for about five minutes after the car rolled over. Hoard credits his team for their fast response to the crash and prior evaluations of the car. Hoard added om the experience, 'I have had the front-end come up before on other cars. I pride myself on my reaction times and ability to get out of things if they feel like they are getting too far. This one didn't show any signs of that.' 'I don't think there's anything I would have done differently, unfortunately.' Hoard's expected return date to drag racing remains to be determined. He is from St. Charles, Missouri and has been involved in auto racing for at least 10 years, according to professional profile pages. Advertisement Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Porsche Just Unveiled a New One-of-a-Kind Hypercar for the Road
Porsche won Le Mans in 1970 with its now-legendary 917, and a road-going version of which later emerged in 1975 known as the Count Rossi 917. On Friday, the marque unveiled a road-going version of the 963 Hypercar that will race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next week, inspired by the Count Rossi 917 from decades ago. The 963 RSP, as it is called, was made in partnership with racing legend Roger Penske and Porsche Penske Motorsport, the team running at Le Mans next week. Roger Penske's initials, in fact, complete the name of the 963 RSP, which comes with a coat of exterior paint, unlike the competition 963s. Porsche said the act of painting the car itself was a bit of an ask, because of all the carbon fiber and Kevlar components. The color is called Martini Silver, like the Count Rossi 917; inside, there is tan leather and Alcantara, which is similar to the Count Rossi 917. More from Robb Report Knickers, Amish Vests, and Rare Buttons: Painter Jamie Wyeth on How His Art Influences His Personal Style These Personal Subs Can Now Be Rented by the Week Anyone? Anyone? Ferris Bueller's Famous Sweater Vest Is Up for Grabs This Summer Porsche took the 963 RSP out for a spin on roads outside of Le Mans, and that involved changing the specs from the competition cars as well, including lifting the car a little bit and changing the electronics that control the headlights and taillights. Porsche had to fully cover the wheels and install a horn as well. Even after that, Porsche still needed to get 'special permission' from the French to drive the car on French roads and get a license plate. Timo Bernhard, a former 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, drove the 963 RSP for its first miles. He said it was more comfortable to drive without having to wear layers of racing gear. 'Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me—it felt unreal,' Bernhard said in a statement. 'The car behaved perfectly—it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963—and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.' The 963 RSP is powered by a hybrid V-8 setup, which Porsche says is the same as the race car powertrain but has been modified to accept fuel from standard gas pumps. The 4.6-liter engine makes 680 horsepower. As a one-off commissioned and created for Penske, Porsche did not reveal a price, though it's safe to say it cost more than a of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
