Porsche is set to begin the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season at the 24 Hours of Daytona. After a strong overall victory at last year’s event, the manufacturer is aiming to continue its success at one of the most demanding endurance races in the world.
The 24-hour race at Daytona International Speedway in Florida will take place on January 24 and 25. It marks the opening round of both the IMSA championship and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup. Porsche will be represented by factory and customer teams across several classes.
In the top-level GTP category, Porsche Penske Motorsport will once again run two Porsche 963 hybrid prototype cars. A third Porsche 963 will be entered by customer team JDC-Miller MotorSports, bringing the total number of Porsche prototypes in the top class to three
For the full IMSA season, the number 6 Porsche 963 will be driven by Kévin Estre from France and Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium. At Daytona, they will be joined by Matt Campbell from Australia. The sister number 7 car will feature Julien Andlauer from France and Felipe Nasr from Brazil as the main drivers, with Laurin Heinrich from Germany completing the lineup for the endurance classic.
The Porsche 963 has received further aerodynamic refinements ahead of the new season. These updates are intended to improve consistency and performance across a wide range of tracks and conditions. During pre-season testing, the cars showed strong pace and reliability.
Customer teams also play an important role in Porsche’s Daytona effort. In the GTD-Pro class, Manthey will make its IMSA debut with the Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team’s car will feature a well-known bright green and yellow color scheme and will be driven by Klaus Bachler, Riccardo Feller, Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven.
Porsche will also be well represented in the GTD category with several customer entries. Teams such as AO Racing, RS1, Wright Motorsports, Muehlner Motorsports and Manthey 1st Phorm will all field Porsche 911 GT3 R cars with international driver lineups.
The 24 Hours of Daytona is one of the toughest endurance races on the calendar. Teams must manage traffic, changing weather conditions and mechanical stress over a full day and night of racing. Points are awarded not only at the finish but also at several intermediate stages, making strategy and reliability just as important as outright speed.
With a strong mix of factory support, experienced drivers, and competitive customer teams, Porsche enters the 2026 Daytona event with high expectations and the goal of fighting for overall victory and class wins once again. Fingers crossed and thumbs up for Porsche so they continue their successful history at Daytona.
Overview of all Porsche cars and drivers
GTP class (Porsche 963):
Porsche Penske Motorsport #6: Kévin Estre (FRA) / Laurens Vanthoor (BEL) / Matt Campbell (AUS)
Porsche Penske Motorsport #7: Julien Andlauer (FRA) / Felipe Nasr (BRA) / Laurin Heinrich (DEU)
JDC-Miller MotorSports #85: Nico Pino (CHL) / Tijmen van der Helm (NLD) / Kaylen Frederick (USA)
GTD-Pro class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
AO Racing #77: Harry King (GBR) / Nick Tandy (GBR) / Alessio Picariello (BEL)
Manthey #911: Klaus Bachler (AUT) / Ricardo Feller (CHE) / Thomas Preining (AUT) / Ayhancan Güven (TUR)
GTD class (Porsche 911 GT3 R):
RS1 #28: Jan Heylen (BEL) / Eric Zitza (USA) / Dillon Machavern (USA) / Sven Müller (DEU)
Wright Motorsports #120: Adam Adelson (USA) / Elliott Skeer (USA) / Tom Sargent (AUS) / Callum Ilott (GBR)
Muehlner Motorsports #123: Dave Musial Sr. (USA) / Dave Musial Jr. (USA) / Peter Ludwig (USA) / Ryan Yardley (NZL)
Manthey 1st Phorm #912: Ryan Hardwick (USA) / Richard Lietz (AUT) / Morris Schuring (NLD) / Riccardo Pera (ITA)
Edited Porsche Factory Press Release
Pictures & Video courtesy Porsche AG
