Owing to Porsche’s remarkable pedigree and an extensive testing program, the 963 GTP debuted to great expectations at Daytona in 2023. No brand has more success at the legendary North American enduro so it seemed like a foregone conclusion that Porsche would be in the mix right from the start.
But the premiere race for IMSA’s GTP class went the way of Acura—and of course now we know why—but competition from Cadillac appeared strong too, leaving Porsche as the underdog with a lot of ground to make up moving forward. This was a rather unfamiliar position for the motorsports giant.
The 2023 season played out with Porsche making significant strides and showing promise at just about every circuit they visited thereafter. A major endurance win was just out of reach due to controversy at both Sebring and Watkins Glen, but the Porsche Penske team was as serious as it was billed to be. Entering 2024 with a wealth of racing experience to draw on from both the IMSA and WEC programs gave Porsche the confidence it had earned over decades, and once official sessions began at Daytona it was clear they were in the fight—but so was Cadillac.
The factory Porsche 963s kept the pace with Cadillac even as the #6 encountered issues and unforced errors. The #7 car managed its way through to the front and came alive during the nighttime stints, but a flurry of yellow-flag periods regularly compacted the field. Late-race strategy execution vaulted the #7 ahead of the contending #31 Cadillac for a final sprint to the finish against reigning Rolex-winner Tom Blomqvist. Porsche’s Felipe Nasr kept the newfound IndyCar hotshoe at bay for the duration of the stint, taking the checkered flag after almost 24 hours.
“The race really came down to the wire at the very final stop,” Nasr said. “I just have to say that was a great call from the team, from Porsche Penske Motorsport, just to give me the opportunity to be in the lead again in that final part of the race, and then it was down to me to hit the numbers and keep the 31 behind.”
This secured Porsche’s 19th overall victory in the race, extending an already-comfortable lead in that category.
“I’m glad it came our way. After all the hard work, the difficult year we had in 2023, especially here, I feel this is the best gift we could give ourselves,” Nasr concluded.
Moving forward, Porsche and the IMSA paddock moves down the road to Sebring for another brutal battle, yet one that Porsche is fully prepared for. Like at Daytona and so many other historic facilities, Porsche owns a great deal of the record book there, and the 2023 edition saw both factory cars in contention for the win until a multi-car incident suffocated the opportunity for both cars.
But now, Porsche knows how to finish the job with the 963.
