Porsche Penske Motorsport 2024 IMSA Season ReviewDecember 16, 2024Team Penske is looking back at the exciting 2024 season with an overview of each team's performance and highlights. In this week's spotlight, the focus is on the Porsche Penske Motorsport IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship program that claimed the GTP class title this season. In addition, Cameron and Nasr also won the Michelin Endurance Cup, which is awarded by IMSA to the top-performing drivers in the five-race competition encompassing the marquee endurance races on the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule. It was truly a magical season for the second-year Porsche Penske Motorsport program in 2024, from beginning to end. The No. 7 Porsche 963 team opened the year by claiming victory in the coveted 24 Hours of Daytona, Team Penske’s first win in the iconic event since 1969. Both Porsche Penske Motorsport teams showed speed over the course of both weeks leading up to the historic endurance race. Both Porsche Penske Motorsport entries completed the full 24-hour race on the lead lap, but it was ultimately the No. 7 that captured the checkered flag to claim the title of “24 Hours of Daytona Champions.” Full-season drivers Cameron and Nasr teamed up with Australian Matt Campbell and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden for the memorable victory. The first win of the season for the No. 6 Porsche 963 team came in Round 4 of the championship when, for the second time in 2024, both Porsche Penske Motorsport programs competed in a double-duty race weekend across the globe with both the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams in action. At WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, IMSA regular Nick Tandy executed a daring pass with just 12 minutes remaining to secure the race lead. Tandy and his teammate, Frenchman Mathieu Jaminet, clinched a momentous win that not only celebrated Team Penske’s 100th sports car victory, but also marked Porsche’s 600th IMSA triumph. In June, following a gripping and rain soaked six-hour race, Porsche Penske Motorsport captured another impressive victory in the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen as Cameron and Nasr sealed the deal with a late-race pass that put the No. 7 car in Victory Lane. The No. 6 963 added to the successful day with a third-place finish that put both teams on the podium. The victory at Watkins Glen was Porsche Penske Motorsport’s third win of the 2024 season and the second for the No. 7 team, extending the lead in overall GTP championship standings for Cameron and Nasr. It didn’t take long for Porsche Penske Motorsport to secure its fourth win of the season as the No. 6 963 returned to Victory Lane just a few weeks later at the historic Road America road course. Jaminet and Tandy opened up a small lead in the closing laps and won by 0.390 seconds in a thrilling finish. The No. 7 963 fought for the win down to the checkered flag and finished close behind in second place, marking the team's first 1-2 finish of the season. During an exciting and equally dramatic race at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September, the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport team initially secured a third-place finish. Meanwhile, the No. 7 Porsche suffered a power steering issue late in the race, finishing ninth in class. The drama intensified when a post-race, in-depth technical inspection resulted in a penalty for the No. 6 car, due to modifications to its wiring loom that were outside of homologation guidelines. The team was subsequently relegated to 10th place finish in the final race results—a major setback for the No. 6 entry. With wins already in the books at the Daytona 24 and Watkins Glen, the duo fought hard during a thrilling race on the high-speed Road Atlanta circuit. Cameron and Nasr guided the No. 7 963 to a third-place finish to secure the 2024 IMSA GTP Championship. In addition to the wins and championships earned in 2024, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s IMSA program produced at least one podium finish in eight of the nine rounds of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The 2024 championship effort by Porsche Penske Motorsport is an incredible reflection of the success the two brands have had together since the original partnership, which began nearly six decades ago. Famously built cars, including the Porsche 917/10 and 917/30, paved the way for the Porsche RS Spyder of the mid-2000s and the now state-of-the-art Porsche 963 that has made its mark in American endurance racing in just its second year on track. “The 2024 season was very special for me in many ways. Starting with a victory at the 24 Hours of Daytona – that race was a thriller,” said Nasr. “I knew how high the expectations were to see the improvements as a team that we made over the winter and then winning the race was the highlight of the season. We dominated the championship right from the beginning and led the standings after every race, which took a lot of consistency. The level of confidence was unprecedented to deliver impressive results every weekend that led to winning the overall championship. It shows how much we evolved as a team. But it’s more than the victory itself. It was the collective hard work of everyone at Porsche Penske Motorsport—the dedication of every team member to prepare the car and execute flawlessly when it mattered most. The human element was evident, with the entire team united and working together to achieve this victory. On a personal level, there is immense value and deep satisfaction knowing that I poured all my experience, dedication, and passion into this program to bring this car and team to victory. Having been part of this program from day one - following the design process of the Porsche 963 to its very first track test – I've witnessed both the good days and challenges along the way. Looking forward, I’m excited to go back to Daytona in January – the goal is to go even bigger in 2025.” Back to previous page.Copyright ©2008-2016 Penske Racing. All rights reserved |