MSR Acura Wins Rolex 24 Again as Proton Grabs LMP2, AWA Takes LMP3
Historically, the endurance racing season kicks off with the most legendary race in history, the Rolex 24 at Daytona. This year’s event marked the triumphant racing debut for the electrified Acura ARX-06 prototype sports motorcar, the second monumental win at Daytona for the Meyer Shank Racing team, and the third straight Rolex 24 victory for Acura.
GTP Class
Previously, the top-tier class in the IMSA SportsCar Championship was known as the DPI class. However, with the latest fastest cars, it’s now called the Grand Touring Prototype. The nine new entries include automobiles like Porsche, Cadillac, Acura, and BMW. And it also commemorated the return of Porsche to the most elevated level of endurance racing, which turned out to be a pretty sweet deal for the brand. Acura was on a mission to claim the Rolex 24 title, the third time in a row with its new ARX-06. They were marginally ahead of the all-new 963, Porsche, followed by Wayne Taylor Racing in another Acura ARX-06, leaving the Cadillac at 4th and 5th position.
LMP2 Class
This category is related to a Formula class, with all the cars having similar chassis and engines. The battle in the LMP2 class was even closer, with only 10 cars on the field. Ben Keating in the PR1/Mathiasen Motorsport won the race, with two TDS Racing cars behind and AF Corse coming in 4th position.
LMP3 Class
LMP3 class is a scaled-down version of the LMP2 class with lesser speed and performance. Sean Creech Motorsports team scored the fastest lap time in Rolex 24 endurance racing, with Andretti Autosport and Performance Tech Motorsports cutting in behind the 2nd and 3rd posts.
GTD Class
The GTD class is split into a GTD Pro and GTD subcategory, in which GTD Pro is reserved for factory-backed racing teams, whereas new drivers can participate in the GTD subcategory. With only four seconds difference, the Mercedes AMG GT3 by WeatherTech Racing beats Corvette Racing in the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD in the GTD Pro class.