SEBRING, Fla., Mar. 13-15 — The first thing you notice is the sound. Even before you see what’s coming, you hear that distinctive 12-cylinder, normally-aspirated, musical sound.

It’s the Aston Martin V12 that powers the all-new Aston Martin Valkyrie in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). The car made its U.S. competition debut at this year’s Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring, in the IWSC’s GT Prototype (GTP) class.

Considering how difficult, demanding and bumpy the Sebring airport circuit is, the Heart of Racing (THOR) team did an outstanding job, with drivers Ross Gunn, Roman De Angelis and Alex Riberas bringing the car home in a very respectable 9th place overall, only two laps in arrears of the winning Porsche 963 of Penske Racing.

And what was it like to be behind the wheel? De Angelis said he experienced “a roller coaster of emotions, to say the least,” and added the 12 Hours “was one of the hardest races I’ve had personally.

“It was super physical out there. I’m super proud of the Heart of Racing and Aston Martin for getting the Valkyrie across the line.”

Ross Gunn also praised the support crew. “It was an absolutely awesome job by everybody on the team to get to the end of what was a good race and was probably the toughest race in the world,” he said.

“We overcame a few obstacles during the race and dealt with those really well. Alex and Roman drove solid stints and it was just a case of keeping a clean nose, which we did. No contact. No issues. And the Valkyrie performed really well throughout the entire race.”

The debut of the car was highly anticipated by everyone at Sebring, and there was even a large crowd on hand in the paddock when the car was unloaded for the first time on the Wednesday before the race.

Making your debut with any car at Sebring is a risk, for the track is known worldwide as literally the toughest test for man and machine. It is said that running 12 hours at Sebring is like running 24 hours anywhere else, and Sebring once again lived up to its reputation. Of the 56 cars in total that took the green flag at the start of the race, only 45 finished.

The Valkyrie, however, was one of those finishers — and THOR and Aston Martin Racing gathered valuable information about their new car that will be used to step up speed and make other improvements. The team intends to race the Valkyrie in all of the remaining IWSC races this season — sprint races included, not just the endurance rounds as many originally speculated. Although Aston Martin’s exploits are well known in the IWSC’s GTD and GTD Pro classes, the marque has not been represented in GTP until now.

A fan favorite from the first practice session onward, the Valkyrie entertained the large crowd at Sebring with its outstanding sound and sleek appearance. Easily it was the belle of the ball and most attractive car in the GTP field.

Said third driver Alex Riberas, “The Valkyrie exceeded all of our expectations. To be able to finish this race and to finish in the top ten is the best way we could start the season and this new adventure in the GTP category. I’m so very proud of everybody and already looking forward to the next one.”

The “next one” was the IWSC sprint race in Long Beach, Calif., on April 12th — where, following on the result at Sebring, the Valkyrie finished 8th overall in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, with season-long THOR drivers Gunn and De Angelis sharing driving duties.

From one of the longest races of the season to the shortest, the Valkyrie once again proved its potential. See the Aston Martin Racing press release on page 4 for more details about Long Beach, and look for THOR to move up the grid as the season progresses.

We hasten to add that the Heart of Racing still has a presence in IWSC’s GTD.

The #27 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo scored its second podium in a row at Sebring. It looked like drivers Casper Stevenson and Tom Gamble would make it three for three at Long Beach, with Gamble qualifying 3rd and moving up to 2nd before handing over to Stevenson.

Unfortunately, contact with a passing GTP car 15 minutes later saw the Vantage lose several positions. Stevenson brought the car home 9th in class, but still able to gather championship points for finishing in the top ten.

Next up, the Monterey Sportscar Championship at Laguna Seca May 9-12.

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — British cars did well — in fact, very well — at The Amelia this year, at a multitude of events that extended well beyond the scope of the original Concours d’Elegance Bill Warner started 30 years ago.

Since 2021 The Amelia has been run by Hagerty, the classic car insurance company, and this year its auctions, shows and drives reflected the changing face of the extended weekend.

Take the auctions. Traditionally the weekend kicked off with the “big three” auction houses — Bonhams, Gooding and RM Sotheby’s — each offering a different slice of automobile, with some motorcycles and automobilia thrown in.

But RM Sotheby’s left to establish and make a splash at ModaMiami last year, and Bonhams dropped out this year, leaving Gooding & Company (at the Omni) and Hagerty affiliate Broad Arrow (at the prime spot, the Ritz-Carlton, where RM Sotheby’s used to be).

There were interesting British offerings at both venues, with people shuttling between the two hotels to view and bid.

At Gooding, a 1953 Bentley R-type Continental Fastback set the record for British cars at $1,215,000. Far behind it were a 1959 Aston Martin DB MkIII Saloon sold for $229,600, and a 1950 Jaguar XK120 Alloy Roadster for $224,000.

Gooding sold a total of six Jaguars and there were Rolls-Royces in the mix, too, but the German and Italian manufacturers tended to steal the show.

Broad Arrow had the full spectrum of British marques, including Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls, Aston, AC, MG, and even Austin (a Mini Moke).

Chandelier lights reflected off a 1954 BRG Jaguar D-type that was placed enticingly by the main doors. It was a long way from its race days with Stirling Moss at the wheel, and the final price for this piece of history was the highest for any British auto at The Amelia — $4,295,000.

At the opposite end was a 1960 MGA Twin Cam Roadster “Special” with performance upgrades and custom bodywork that sold for $56,000. The 1966 Mini Moke made $39,200.

The auctions overlapped with other events as the weekend progressed.

Keep calm and carry on

Early Friday morning it was time for The Amelia’s “Eight Flags” road tour, presented by Reliable Carriers. Entrants lined Main Street in downtown Fernandina Beach — people who were willing to test the mettle of their Concours cars mechanically, running for some 50 miles and physically accumulating dust and grime in the salt air, and then having to labor to remove all traces of it before they were shown.

That didn’t seem like a lot of work, though, for the chance to see and be seen on the open road, earn a green ribbon proclaiming that you and your car had driven the tour, and maybe even get awarded extra points in the case of a tie at the Concours.

One of the drivers was Casey Duncan, from the Denver, Colo., area. He told me both he and his Lotus XI were “eager to drive.”

Said Duncan, “Either people don’t know what it is at all, because it doesn’t look like any other car, or they know exactly what it is. Either way I get thumbs up and big smiles.” Although he didn’t go on to win a class award at the Concours, true to form he impressed many spectators.

Attending The Amelia and getting ready for a Mille Miglia-type run in California in just six weeks were Cecilia Loftus and Pascal Maeter in a black 1957 AC Ace. As Maester shared, “This car had been put in storage over 40 years ago after some parts had been replaced. Fortunately many of the original parts were in the car. It is as original as it can be.” With a meticulous book to document the process, he adds, “Preservation Class all the way!”

The Loftus/Maeter AC won the Hagerty Drivers Foundation/FIVA Presentation Award at the Concours.

Another tour entrant, with more British cars at home in his garage, was Stephen Samuels. I asked him about the mascot on his car, a 1925 Alvis 12/50. “The car was light and agile for the time, just like a hare,” he said.

Wearing an MG shirt while driving the Alvis on Friday, he and his wife changed into period dress for the Concours. First-timers at The Amelia, Samuels confessed, “I’m super pumped to be here.” They were proud to win Best in Class in “European Classics Open, 1915-1948” the following day.

Green flag for Classic Motorsports’ “Kickoff”

Held Friday afternoon, the Amelia Island Kickoff hosted by Classic Motorsports magazine was sold out. In its second year at The Amelia, this no-pressure, fun event was held in view of the ocean and in walking distance to a playground for the kids and to restaurants. Amelia founder Bill Warner was there, along with Wayne Carini and Bobby Rahal, to help judge cars from all parts of the world.

Tim Suddard, founder and publisher emeritus of Classic Motorsports, could be found wearing a straw hat with a stringy brim, and hanging out with friends Hope and Chad Rogers over by their Moke.

Waving his hand toward the significant gathering, Suddard attributed the popularity of the Kickoff to the fact that “It’s not about rich cars or poor cars, American cars or imported cars. We love them all — from Mokes [with a glance at his friends] to Morgans.” He also stressed the family aspect of the show and the importance of attracting locals (yes, attending is free for adults and kids) by simply getting along with city officials and residents.

Suddard’s son Tom handled the logistics of the event with other family members and staff. While adjusting a banner he commented, “The [Kickoff] show is gaining a lot of momentum. Initially the show was capped at 150 cars, but we went back to the drawing board to get some more spots — closer to 180 or 190 right now.” He acknowledged the role of the City of Fernandina Beach and four local car clubs participating this year.

“If a car club says they want to come, we let them come as a group and all together — it’s part of the community. We want people to come out and enjoy their cars.”

There were the typically eye-catching and award-winning marques present at the Kickoff, such as Bentley, Rolls, Jaguar, Morgan, Austin-Healey and Triumph. On the lighter side there was the “Concours d’LeMons,” with but one British car entered, a lone MGB driven by Leandra Lyniuk, and it came with a great story.

The car belonged to Lyniuk’s father, and when she turned 18 he asked her what she wanted for her birthday. “To rebuild the MG!” was her short answer, even when tempted by the offer of a new Mazda Miata. Many years later (and no lemon), Lyniuk claims that it is still the most reliable car in her garage.

A change in the weather

With memories of rain hampering some of the Concours activities in the past, Hagerty made the difficult choice this year to move the Concours from Sunday, when foul weather was forecasted, to Saturday. This meant combining Radwood, an ’80s-themed show, with the Concours, and cancelling Hagerty’s “Cars & Community” event altogether.

British cars competed in almost every class in the Concours (except, of course, those that were marque-specific such as Ferrari, Porsche or IROC Racers). At the end of the day the Best of Show “Concours d’Elegance” trophy went to a 1938 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B, and Best of Show “Concours d’Sport” to a 1947 Lotus 49 with a Cosworth DFV engine.

The big picture

Looking for patterns to emerge from the weekend, I found strong family connections and the influence of a community of restorers who, through years of work, had become part of a tightly-knit group. People I talked to had recollections of cars, magazines, moments and individuals long gone but not forgotten. “Youngtimers” were making their own impressions, some using the past as a springboard to new careers.

Peggy Preiser and her daughter Christi Raye brought “Pearl,” her 1960 Aston DB4 Series 1, to The Amelia. The car had a bittersweet history in which Jason Wenig’s restoration shop, The Creative Workshop, played a very important role.

“She had been in our neighborhood for about 50 years,” Preiser told me, “and when the opportunity to buy her came up, my husband said ‘Yes!’ immediately… and home she came.

“Then, only months after the purchase, I lost my husband. Jason’s company took over the restoration, which was completed in July. We headed right out to Pebble Beach — and she was a winner!”

Preiser added, “My husband started us out on this journey and my daughter and I are going to continue it.”

Wenig had his own fond memories. “Watching the group of about 20 family and friends with her at Pebble was an incredibly emotional moment — the car on the field and everyone coming together to support Peggy, remember Rich, and honor the car.”

He also spoke about the history of the car. “It belonged to William DuPont,” he said, “and was ultimately found in a barn, about 30-plus years ago, in completely dilapidated condition. The car was brought to us in boxes.”

Bringing home the class award in “European Postwar Touring” made it time for Pearl and her family to celebrate again.

A Best in Class award in “Sports & GT Cars Pre-1955” went to Ben Gilbert, Jr., for a 1949 MG TC EXU his father rescued from a dumpster 55 years ago.

Upon winning the award, Gilbert told me, “I felt a great sense of pride for our work being recognized by such a prestigious organization. It was like I was watching it on TV, as I had seen for concours so many times. I couldn’t believe we were actually driving up to receive our award… sitting there in a group of the most beautiful, unique, and rare cars ever made!”

Unfortunately, Gilbert’s father could not attend The Amelia, but, Gilbert said, “After I sent him the pictures, he was overjoyed. He finally acknowledged that the time, effort, and level of detail we poured into the restoration had paid off beyond his wildest dreams.”

There are dreams still in the making.

At 23 years of age, Christopher Rodrigues seemed a bit young to be immersed in cars from the 1920s and ’30s, but as he explained, “The history and technology [of the time] really pushed the envelope. The streamline shapes, the Art Deco looks and the ‘speed’ form have made a deep impression on me.” He cited Corsica, an English coachbuilder from that time, as a big influence.

This is not merely an infatuation, because Rodrigues and his family are in the business. “My father and I are coachbuilding in Italy with some of the last artisans with this kind of skill in metalwork,” he said.

Rodrigues takes inspiration from the prewar Rolls-Royces, showing me two of his drawings — the first “an original Phantom II with a Rolls-Royce 27-litre Merlin aero engine, the same used in Supermarine Spitfire fighter planes from World War II,” and the second “an original Phantom III chassis, unmodified, with my newly-designed coachwork.”

Appropriately, Rodrigues called his work “Art Retro” in honor of the family concern, Retro Coachbuilders.

As The Amelia wrapped up under clear skies late Saturday (and it did pour on Sunday), there was an exhausted hush that filled the moments between the cars leaving the field. It was an experience that truly was 30 years in the making, leading quite a few people to call the many events of the weekend parallel to Monterey Car Week.

See you there next year?

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 25-26 — The British Empire was well represented at the 62nd running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, the first race of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC).

A total of 23 drivers from the U.K. (which included a couple of Scots) took part in the race, with driver Nick Tandy from Bedford, U.K., taking the overall win for Team Penske in the #7 Porsche 963 GT Prototype (GTP).

Not only did Tandy win overall, in doing so he became the first driver in motorsports history to win all four of the major 24-hour races in the world: Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Le Mans, and now Daytona. An amazing achievement for the popular Brit!

A British team in the other Prototype class, LMP2, came away with their own victory after the apparent winners, Tower Motorsports, were disqualified after a post-race tech inspection. Elevated to the win were Scotsman Paul Di Resta and teammates Daniel Goldburg, James Allen and Rasmus Lindh in their #22 United Autosports ORECA.

And, in the GT Daytona (GTD) class, the Heart of Racing Team took their #27 Aston Martin Vantage to the podium with a 3rd-place finish after leading a total of 118 laps under different stints by drivers Casper Stevenson, Mattia Drudi, Zacharie Robichon and Tom Gamble.

A great setting for the race

The week started cloudy and cold in Daytona, and even northern Florida saw a snowstorm prior to the race. Each day of race week, the weather improved — from the aforementioned cloudy and cold, finally to clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures (yet not warm enough for our tastes).

We have been going to Daytona for more years than we care to remember, but we have never seen a crowd as large as what was on hand for this year’s Rolex 24. There were so many people on the grid walk that you could hardly move. Every camp spot on the infield was taken, every parking spot was filled, and even the massive Daytona grandstands were full by the start/finish line.

It is a testament to what IMSA has become — host to the best and most competitive sports car series on the planet.

Perhaps one of the reasons for the outstanding success and growth of IMSA is the “fan friendly” attitude at the races. Think about it: access at IMSA races is unprecedented in all of sport. The access the fans get at an IMSA race would be like FIFA letting its fans not only onto the field for the World Cup, but into the locker rooms too!

Rolex announced at Daytona that they will have expanded involvement in IMSA racing in 2025 and beyond, as they are now the official timepiece of IMSA. Word has it that they are going to be more heavily involved with the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring as well.

More details will be revealed as they become available. Sebring is the next IWSC race on the IMSA schedule, taking place in mid-March.

Thrilling, right to the end

As mentioned, at the end of twice-around-the-clock intense racing, it was Porsche Penske Motorsports at the top of the standings, with the #7 Porsche 963 of Nick Tandy, Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor taking the victory — just as the team did last year.

As has become the norm in IWSC racing, the margin of victory was small — only 1.335 seconds separated the winning Porsche from the 2nd-place #60 Acura ARX-06 from MSR, piloted by Brit Tom Blomqvist along with co-drivers Colin Braun, Scott Dixon and Felix Rosenqvist. The second Porsche Penske 963, #6 driven by Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell and Kevin Estre, completed the overall and GTP class podium, finishing just 4.43 seconds behind the winning car.

Nick Tandy had a few thoughts about the special record he set. “At some point years ago,” he said, “someone told me that nobody had ever managed to achieve overall victory in the four biggest 24-hour races. Since that day, this goal has been in the back of my mind. Now it has been realized. It feels great to be the first person to achieve something like this.” Hats off to him.

The LMP2 class held a surprise. At the finish we all thought that the #8 Tower Motorsports ORECA had won the class with drivers John Farano, Sebastián Alvarez, Sébastien Bourdais and Job Van Uiltert. Bourdais had built up a sizable lead over United Autosports’ Paul Di Resta and crossed the line in front by nearly 39 seconds.

But on January 29th IMSA announced that the Tower Motorsports entry had been disqualified due to excessive wear on the skid block. The team appealed the decision, claiming the wear was caused by a shock failure during the race, but to no avail. It must have been gutting to have to return the trophies and the Rolex watches.

The LMP2 victory then went to United Autosports. Di Resta commented later, “It’s never nice getting handed the win a couple of days after, but that’s part of it, you’ve got to pass all the necessary tests.”

Readers will remember that all LMP2 cars run British-built Gibson engines.

In GTD Pro, Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ #65 Mustang won the class, but without British connections. In GTD, however, the winning #13 Corvette Z06 by AWA was piloted by Brit Matthew Bell, along with co-drivers Orey Fidani, Lars Kern and Marvin Kirchhofer.

In the final half-hour of the race, Bell traded the lead a couple of times with Drudi in the #27 Heart of Racing Aston. Drudi eventually lost ground to Bell and then to the #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911, but still managed a GTD podium finish.

There were a total of four Aston Martins in the race (two finished) and, unlike last year, there were no McLarens on hand in GTD or GTD Pro. Pfaff Motorsports switched to Lamborghini, while Inception Racing went with Ferrari. Neither entry finished.

Heart of Racing’s GTD Pro entry, the #007 Aston, retired after 217 laps when a mechanical failure led to the loss of its left rear wheel. The car had been running as high as the top five, and driver Roman De Angelis had just gotten into his stint when the incident occurred.

Team Principal Ian James later commented, “To get on the podium [with car #27] is an amazing achievement. It’s unfortunate what happened to the #007 car — they were in a really good position to have a good result as well.”

Looking ahead

Big things are coming soon for British fans however, as at the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, the highly anticipated Aston Martin Valkyrie GTP will make its debut with Heart of Racing. GTD Pro drivers Ross Gunn and Roman De Angelis will migrate to the new platform.

With the addition of Aston Martin at Sebring, the GTP ranks will keep getting stronger. Twelve cars (four Porsches, three Cadillacs, two Acuras, two BMWs and a Lamborghini) took the green flag at the 2025 Rolex 24. There continues to be talk of other manufacturers waiting in the wings, so look for more announcements in the coming days, weeks or months — from Ford, McLaren, Hyundai, perhaps others?

The 2025 race will be remembered as an outstanding and historic Rolex 24. It featured close racing, lots of action, and even some controversy after the checkered flag. Sixty-one cars started and 40 cars finished — a testament to how tough the race was. The best teams, drivers and cars in the world took part and put on a fantastic show for the fans, the ones there in person and the millions who watched on TV or the Internet.

It is now on to Sebring for round two of the new golden era of sports car racing — the IWSC.

See you at the races.

[With thanks to IMSA Radio, the Heart of Racing Team, and Lee Driggers’ Pit Notes.]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 24 — Drama? There was plenty of it in the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona, the first event this year in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge (IMPC).

Last year’s champions, Team TGM, came to the race with high hopes of an excellent result, only to suffer abysmal luck and penalty after penalty that dropped them almost to the bottom of the pack with no chance of recovery.

And a team that surprised everyone with their skill — and a very fast car — clinched the win in the last three minutes despite being shuffled several positions down after a restart following the race’s final yellow flag.

The latter team was Accelerating Performance. That very fast car was their #44 McLaren Artura GT4, and the drivers sharing the victory were Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper, after facing some very heavy hitters in Porsches, Ford Mustangs, and a Mercedes.

While McLaren fans can take pride in the outcome, the picture wasn’t so good for the race’s five Aston Martins. The top-finishing Aston, van der Steur Racing’s #82 Vantage GT4, only managed 17th place while its newer sister car, the #15 Vantage GT4 Evo, came 18th. Both were off the lead lap. Other teams’ Astons finished as far back as six laps.

The details

The BMW M Endurance Challenge followed the usual IMPC formula: two classes, Grand Sport (GS) and Touring Car (TCR), and a staggered start so all the GS cars began the race in front of the slower TCRs. Over the course of the race the two classes would naturally mix in traffic, but under cautions they would regroup so the GS cars would be in front at the restart. This happened five times during the race as there were five yellow flags.

Team TGM, fielding two Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evos in GS — #64 and #46 — had an absolutely miserable day. It began barely nine minutes into the race with TGM’s Ted Giovanis in the #64 Evo running into William Tally’s #5 Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Tally spun and stopped against a wall with damage, severe enough that the Honda later retired after completing only four laps.

While race officials recommended no action against Giovanis, his teammate Paul Holton was not so lucky. After his #46 Evo nudged a BMW that also spun, but recovered, Holton wound up with a drive-through penalty.

Unfortunately for Holton, it didn’t stop there. He went back to a closed pit for a quick repair to his right front quarter involving a lot of racer tape — and a quick splash of fuel. While the repair might have been a necessary, emergency stop, officials did not look kindly on the crew’s five seconds of refueling and hit Holton with another penalty, this time a stop plus 60.

Holton returned to the race more than ten positions down from where he started. Later he was hit with another penalty following a restart, this time for an “improper pass around,” which carried with it a stop plus three minutes and 48 seconds.

Matt Plumb, his co-driver, finished the race six laps down and 32nd overall. Giovanis and his co-drivers in #64, Kris Wilson and Hugh Plumb, finished three laps down and 24th overall. Wilson, adding to Team TGM’s travails, also had to serve an “improper pass around” penalty.

Another Aston team suffered a broken car.

If you have already read the Webster-LePine report on the Rolex 24, you’ll know about the Heart of Racing Team’s #007 Aston Evo losing its left rear wheel on the track. The day before — in this IMPC race — the identical thing happened to Rebel Rock Racing’s #71 Evo, a mechanical failure causing the wheel to separate from the car and requiring a flatbed tow back to the pits.

Fortunately for Rebel Rock a repair could be made and, although the stop was lengthy, driver Andrew Davis was able to drive out of the pits and return to the race. About an hour later he gave the car over to partner Robin Liddell, who finished 31st overall.

By way of contrast, for just about all of the four-hour race, the Accelerating Performance team ran their McLaren smoothly and consistently, with the exception of a drive-through penalty Uretsky had to serve an hour and 20 minutes into the race (for leaving the pit area with equipment attached). After a somewhat lengthy stint Uretsky handed off to Cooper, who soon started his advance from 8th position to 5th.

The performance from both car and driver seemed to startle IMSA’s commentators. “That car never really threatened in the top five in any of the sessions leading up to this race,” one of them said, joking that the team was like a “snake in the grass... lying in wait, not letting anyone know their full potential”!

But Cooper is an ex-McLaren factory racer, having campaigned GT4 cars in the USA and Europe. He also competed in the Rolex 24 years ago in the former LMP3 class, which he won. Perhaps what was happening should not have been such a surprise.

On two separate sweeps of Daytona’s famous bank Cooper passed a Mustang and a Mercedes and was soon in position to charge for the win. But some traffic from lapped cars had him slip back to 5th before having to make a hard charge again.

In the final few minutes that featured remarkable driving from the top three cars, Cooper made his way around Billy Johnson’s #59 Mustang — a car virtually unpassable on Daytona’s straights, but not on the curves — and set his sights on the race leader, Jan Heylen in the #28 Porsche 718.

Heylen to that point had held Johnson’s Mustang at bay with some brilliant defensive moves. But this time he went slightly wide on his approach to the bank, allowing Cooper to draw level on the back stretch and overtake him with a pass on the inside with less than three minutes left to the race.

Heylen, a seasoned contender, was naturally ready to retake the lead if Cooper faltered, but he didn’t. Not only did Cooper bring home the first IMPC win for himself and Uretsky, it was McLaren’s first win at Daytona since 2021.

After the race Heylen was heard to comment, “It’s tough to be this close and then lose it in the last two or three laps. But they were the better car today — it’s as simple as that.”

[With thanks to IMSA Radio, commentators John Oreovicz and Tony DiZinno, and Lee Driggers’ Pit Notes.]