Felipe Nasr clinched a landmark victory at the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona, guiding Porsche Penske Motorsport to its third consecutive triumph in the iconic endurance race. The event took place at Daytona International Speedway, where Nasr held off a strong challenge from his former Whelen Action Express Cadillac team to win by just 1.569 seconds over Jack Aitken in the No. 31 car.
This achievement placed Porsche Penske Motorsport alongside Chip Ganassi Racing (2006-08) and Wayne Taylor Racing (2019-21) as only the third team in history to claim three straight wins at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener.
Nasr Joins Elite Group of Drivers with Three Consecutive Rolex 24 Titles
In addition to the team feat, Nasr became one of a select group of drivers to win the overall Rolex 24 at Daytona three years running. He joined fellow Brazilian Helio Castroneves, a four-time Indy 500 winner who triumphed from 2021 to 2023, and Peter Gregg, who won consecutively in 1973 and 1975-76 (with no 1974 race held).
Emotional after the victory, Nasr spoke to NBC Sports’ Matt Yocum in victory lane:
“It’s just a very special day,”
“I dream of that. I knew we had a great car, a great team. I’m still trying to catch my breath. We had the energy to do it. I’m very proud of the whole team. I think now we can be smiling now for a couple of days. … It’ll be a day that I won’t ever forget.”
The Team Behind the Win: Collaboration and Strategy
Nasr shared driving duties with Julien Andlauer and Laurin Heinrich, both contributing to the success. Porsche Penske Motorsport hired Nasr three years ago after a confidential meeting with team owner Roger Penske in a parking garage.
Penske praised Nasr’s performance, telling Yocum:
“He showed up in a blue suit, and I said he’s my kind of guy,”
“The driving he’s done for us, and at the end there was probably one of the best drives I’ve seen.”
Andlauer achieved his first IMSA class win in his 14th start, improving on his best Rolex 24 finish of eighth in 2022. Heinrich earned his first overall Rolex 24 and GTP victory, building on six previous IMSA class wins in 21 starts. Porsche set a new manufacturer record with 21 overall Rolex 24 wins.
Race Dynamics and Final Standings
The No. 7 Porsche 963 led for 375 of the 705 laps on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course, navigating a race slowed by nine caution periods, including an unprecedented yellow flag lasting six hours and 33 minutes due to thick fog.
The BMW M Team WRT’s No. 24 hybrid V8 claimed third place on the podium, while Porsche Penske’s No. 6 963 finished fourth. The No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, despite securing pole position, settled for fifth place.
IMSA shared the official results with fans:
“Time’s up! ⌚️🏆Here are your Unofficial Results for the 2026 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA! We’ll see you in March at @sebringraceway!”
Victories in Other Prominent Classes
In the LMP2 category, the No. 04 ORECA of Crowdstrike Racing by APR, driven by George Kurtz, Alex Quinn, Toby Sowery, and Malthe Jakobsen, earned their first Rolex 24 win and the team’s third in this class. Crowdstrike Racing had finished runner-up twice before, including a close photo finish last year.
The GTD Pro class went to the No. 1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO from Paul Miller Racing, with drivers Neil Verhagen, Connor De Phillippi, Max Hesse, and Dan Harper securing the team’s second Rolex 24 class victory and their first GTD Pro class win since 2020.
In GTD, Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3, piloted by Russell Ward, Philip Ellis, Indy Dontje, and Lucas Auer, triumphed after a fierce final 30-minute battle. Ellis edged out Nicki Thiim in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo by 1.367 seconds.
Ellis reflected on the win:
“I started sobbing like a little child on the in lap,”
“I’m still at a loss for words. I’m so grateful for the team. That was quite something.”
Team Penske’s Historic Milestone and Future Prospects
This third consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona victory also marks the beginning of Team Penske’s 60th year in racing. With an illustrious history including multiple championships across IndyCar, NASCAR, and IMSA, plus a record 20 Indianapolis 500 wins, Penske’s legacy is firmly rooted in motorsports excellence. Their first ever race win was a GT class victory in 1966.
Looking ahead, Penske expressed the importance of this win for the anniversary year:
“For our 60th, this is a big deal for us at Daytona,”
“To have three wins here is certainly special. It starts out the year the right way.”
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship will resume on March 21 at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring held at Sebring International Raceway, with live coverage set to be broadcast on Peacock.
The three-peat is real. pic.twitter.com/3qTzFCgXYH
— Team Penske (@Team_Penske) January 25, 2026
Three-time winner at @DAYTONA. 🏁#Rolex24 pic.twitter.com/N349zkrQAg
— Rolex 24 Hours (@Rolex24Hours) January 25, 2026
Time’s up! ⌚️🏆
Here are your Unofficial Results for the 2026 Rolex 24 At DAYTONA!We'll see you in March at @sebringraceway! pic.twitter.com/mkVniBrWgT
— IMSA (@IMSA) January 25, 2026
