Former Porsche Juniors Matt Campbell from Australia and Mathieu Jaminet clinched drivers’ honours, whereas Porsche Penske Motorsport claimed the staff championship for the second yr operating. Porsche additionally retained the producers’ title within the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup, which incorporates the 5 main endurance races. On this particular classification, Brazil’s Felipe Nasr and Britain’s Nick Tandy took house the drivers’ crown, with Porsche Penske Motorsport once more topping the staff rankings.
Race day on the picturesque Highway Atlanta started on a difficult word for Porsche, when manufacturing facility driver Julien Andlauer was compelled to withdraw from the Petit Le Mans for medical causes. The Frenchman had been scheduled to affix Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet within the No. 6 automobile. Laurens Vanthoor stepped in to tackle a double function, driving stints in each of the manufacturing facility staff’s Porsche 963 automobiles because the third driver.
Below partly cloudy skies and temperatures of 25 levels Celsius, the Porsche Penske Motorsport groups and the manufacturing facility drivers within the two Weissach-built hybrid prototypes had been unfazed by the last-minute change to the driving force line-up. Shortly after the beginning, Felipe Nasr within the No. 7 automobile superior into the main three, whereas the No. 6 sister automobile later spent a protracted stint on the entrance. After ten hours of racing at Petit Le Mans on Highway Atlanta, victory eluded them: the 2 ca. 500 kW (680 PS) Porsche 963 took the flag in third and tenth place – nonetheless sufficient to safe all championship crowns.
‟I battle to seek out the phrases – sweeping the title pool two years operating is solely unbelievable,” states Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President Porsche Motorsport. ‟I need to pay an enormous praise to everybody concerned. I’m immensely proud. Achievements like this don’t come round usually, and I’ll want a while to totally admire the dimensions of those successes.”
‟This championship is a testomony to your complete Porsche Penske Motorsport staff and the laborious work and dedication they make investments into this program on daily basis,” says Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman of the Penske Company. ‟The season began with 4 consecutive victories, together with back-to-back 24 Hours of Daytona wins, and has continued into 10 whole podiums. That kind of success isn’t completed with out nice drivers, leaders and a resilient crew. The dedication to profitable collectively has been unwavering and defending the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship title is reflection of these efforts from all of the women and men throughout each Mooresville and Germany.”
‟Our automobile continues to be probably the most profitable LMDh car for the reason that rules had been launched,” explains Urs Kuratle, Director Manufacturing unit Motorsport LMDh. ‟In the present day’s race was extraordinarily difficult, however as soon as once more we made probably the most of it.”
The JDC-Miller MotorSports buyer outfit set a powerful tempo within the first half of the race, with the No. 85 Porsche 963 operating as excessive as fourth at occasions, earlier than a sequence of setbacks dropped them down the order. In the long run, the staff crossed the end line in twelfth place.
GT Courses: ‟Skeleton Rexy” experiences Halloween horror at Highway Atlanta
AO Racing fought laborious however finally got here up brief with their Porsche 911 GT3 R. Decked out in a Halloween-themed livery at Highway Atlanta, the client staff’s fan-favourite ‟Rexy” at occasions led the GTD Professional class. Nevertheless, a collision with an LMP2 prototype seven hours into the race dashed all hopes of victory. Repairs to the rear of the automobile relegated Klaus Bachler from Austria, Laurin Heinrich from Germany, and Danish driver Michael Christensen to eighth place. Within the GTD class, the Porsche 911 campaigned by Wright Motorsports completed the season finale in sixth place.
Driver feedback after the race
Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #6): ‟What a aid! We will now name ourselves champions of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – merely wonderful! We’ve had a incredible yr. Many due to the staff, to my pal and teammate Mathieu Jaminet, and to everybody working behind the scenes. It’s an ideal day for our whole crew.”
Mathieu Jaminet (Porsche 963 #6): ‟I’ve been chasing a hit like this for over two years. In 2023 and 2024, I gave every thing I had, but it surely simply wasn’t sufficient for a championship title, which was irritating. That makes profitable it now really feel much more particular. Doing it alongside my mate Matt Campbell makes it much more memorable. Enormous due to everybody who performed an element on this achievement.”
Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche 963 #7): ‟It was thrilling and irritating having to drive each automobiles within the race. I’d by no means pushed the No. 6 earlier than – after which I needed to take over the Porsche whereas it was main. My two teammates within the automobile had been combating for the crown, so I couldn’t afford to make any errors. All the pieces labored out completely: we secured all of the titles, so it doesn’t get any higher than this.”
Klaus Bachler (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): ‟That was brutal for us. Simply as we had been coming into the ultimate third, an LMP2 automobile hit the facet of our Porsche 911 GT3 R. Operating throughout the grass brought about vital injury to the rear of our automobile. The staff managed to restore it, however our struggle for the category win was over. We may have claimed a podium at the least. We needed to defend the title, however sadly it wasn’t attainable, although we gave it every thing.”
Race outcomes
GTP class:
1. Aitken/Bamber/Vesti (GBR/NZL/DNK), Cadillac #31, 436 laps
2. Gunn/de Angelis/Riberas (GBR/CDN/ESP), Aston Martin #23, + 5.182 seconds
3. Campbell/Jaminet/L. Vanthoor (AUS/FRA/BEL), Porsche 963 #6, + 12.745 seconds
10. Nasr/Tandy/L. Vanthoor (BRA/GBR/BEL), Porsche 963 #7, – 1 lap
12. Van der Helm/Jani/Esterson (NLD/CHE/USA), Porsche 963 #85, – 3 laps
GTD-Professional class:
1. Hesse/Harper/de Phillippi (DEU/GBR/USA), BMW #48, 406 laps
2. Milner/Catsburg/Varrone (USA/NLD/ARG), Corvette #4, – 1 lap
3. Garcia/Sims/Juncadella (ESP/GBR/ESP), Corvette #3, – 1 lap
8. Bachler/Heinrich/Christensen (AUT/DEU/DNK), Porsche 911 GT3 R #77, – 2 laps
GTD class:
1. Mann/Wadoux/Pier Guidi (USA/FRA/ITA), Ferrari #21, 405 laps
2. Triarsi/Koch/Calado (USA/USA/GBR), Ferrari #021, + 4.158 seconds
3. Hawksworth/Thompson/Montecalvo (GBR/CDN/USA), Lexus #12, + 31.682 seconds
6. Adelson/Skeer/Sargent (USA/USA/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R #120, – 1 lap
Full outcomes and championship standings https://results.imsa.com.
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