Nasr, Porsche Penske Motorsport Clinch Rolex 24 Three-Peat

Felipe Nasr capped a record-setting day at Daytona International Speedway by driving to a record-tying third consecutive Rolex 24 At Daytona overall win, leading Porsche Penske Motorsport to its third straight victory in the internationally renowned endurance sports car race.

Piloting the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 he shared with co-drivers Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class, Nasr crossed the finish line 1.569 seconds ahead of Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R. Nasr held off multiple charges from Aitken over a breathtaking final 20 minutes of the twice-around-the-clock classic that serves as the opener for the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.

Porsche won on a banner day for Daytona International Speedway, which announced and confirmed an all-time record attendance for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona event. Both Daytona and IMSA anticipated a strong crowd presence going into the weekend and advised fans to get to the facility early. The fans delivered in throngs on Saturday once the race started and again on Sunday when the race finished. 

“This year’s 64th running of the Rolex 24 is indeed the highest attended Rolex 24 in the history of the event,” said Frank Kelleher, Daytona International Speedway President. “And all of you play a big part in that, telling the story and celebrating it. So our heartfelt thank you. Thank you everyone.” 

With the win, Nasr joined Helio Castroneves (2021-23) and Peter Gregg (1973, 1975-76) as the only drivers to collect three Rolex 24 overall triumphs in a row. Porsche Penske Motorsport also tied for the most consecutive team victories, joining Chip Ganassi Racing (2006-08) and Wayne Taylor Racing (2019-21).

“Winning the 24 Hours of Daytona three consecutive times with this Porsche Penske Motorsport team is an incredible accomplishment," said Roger Penske. "That sustained success is only achieved with great team work, focused and determined drivers, a resilient crew and a commitment to winning. Our success at this event helped put our team on the map over six decades ago and winning here in Daytona is a perfect way to celebrate the start of Team Penske’s 60th anniversary season. I also want to congratulate Porsche Motorsport on a great beginning to their 75th anniversary in 2026, as we continue to build on our winning legacy together. Today’s victory reflects the efforts and dedication of all those committed men and women working on the Porsche Penske Motorsport program, from Mooresville to Germany.”

Porsche's No. 7 didn't only win the race; it also won two races inside the race itself. The No. 7 car won the inaugural running of the IMSA Michelin Sustainability in Racing Award, which measures tire use, energy use and finish position to gauge the highest sustainability score in the GTP class. It was also the top scoring GTP finisher in the Michelin Endurance Cup, which awards points at the six-, 12-, 18- and 24-hour marks. The No. 7 car finished first at all four points-scoring moments.

The Nasr-Aitken battle wasn’t the only nail-biter as the clock wound down. In the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class, Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Nicki Thiim in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo pounded on each other throughout the closing laps – including a heart-stopping side-by-side contact as they raced past the start-finish line on the Daytona oval with 10 minutes to go – before Ellis emerged victorious by just 1.367 seconds. Winward earned its third Rolex 24 GTD win since 2021. Ellis and co-drivers Russell Ward and Indy Dontje have been part of each of those wins, with fourth driver Lucas Auer getting his first Rolex 24 victory.

Other class winners in the 64th running of the Rolex 24 were the No. 04 CrowdStrike Racing by APR ORECA LMP2 07 in Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2), with co-drivers George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, Toby Sowery and Malthe Jakobsen; and the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO), driven by Neil Verhagen, Connor De Phillippi, Max Hesse and Dan Harper.

The No. 1 Paul Miller BMW and No. 57 Winward Mercedes-AMG also won the GTD PRO and GTD classes of the Michelin Endurance Cup. AO Racing's No. 99 "Spike," the LMP2 Dragon now adorned in a gold livery for the Rolex 24, was the top-scoring LMP2 entry for the Michelin Endurance Cup.

The winning No. 7 Porsche led 375 of the 705 laps completed on the 3.56-mile road course that includes most of the 2.5 oval track. There were nine full-course cautions, including one for a race-record six hours, 33 minutes overnight due to dense fog that severely limited visibility for drivers, spotters and race officials.

 The WeatherTech Championship returns to action March 18-21 with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the second round of both the full season and the Michelin Endurance Cup.

Results are HERE