Diuguid: Porsche Penske’s ‘Execution’ Key to Victory

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Porsche Penske Motorsport’s race-long execution proved to be key to victory in the Rolex 24 at Daytona according to managing director Jonathan Diuguid, who praised the work by the team and drivers on the No. 7 Porsche 963.

Felipe Nasr, Matt Campbell, Dane Cameron and Josef Newgarden gave the German manufacturer its record-extending 19th overall win in the Florida endurance classic, and Team Penske’s first Daytona 24 hours victory since 1969, following a down-to-the-wire battle with the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R of Tom Blomqvist.

After a back-and-forth fight on track, Nasr got ahead of Blomqvist in the final round of pit stops, thanks in part to taking on less energy than the Cadillac that put Nasr in prime position for victory.

“The whole day was basically geared and organized to the result in an end goal,” Diuguid said.

“There were multiple opportunities at the end and luckily the yellow came out and gave us the final one, which the whole team executed.

“Felipe mentioned fuel calls, pit work. [The] pit crew was extremely smooth all day. Any time we had any damage it was repaired quickly. It was all about creating opportunity, and in the end we executed.”

According to Porsche LMDh factory director Urs Kuratle, the Porsche 963s excelled in the cooler, early morning hours, which put the team on the edge in the closing stages of the twice-around-the-clock enduro when the lone-remaining Cadillac proved to be stronger in single-lap pace.

“It easily could have gone the other way,” Kuratle admitted. “That was really, really tight. I’ve been asked a couple of times how much was still in the pocket.

“There was nothing left in the pocket.

“In the early morning when it was cold in the dark, that was the strength of the car. We already saw that last year in Sebring, for example.

“It paid off here as well. When it comes day-time, it was tight.”

Nasr, who extended his lead through traffic in the final laps, said the last stop was the crucial factor to the race.

“The race really came down to the wire at the very final stop,” he said. “It was pretty much all about the fuel numbers, each one was the energy numbers we were reaching.

“I just have to say that was a great call from the team, from Porsche Penske Motorsport, just to give me the opportunity to be in the lead again in that final part of the race, and then it was down to me to hit the numbers and keep the 31 [car] behind.”

Nasr added: “Twenty-four hours of racing, to be going that way, it does give you a lot of emotions in the end.

“I just knew it was not over yet. I just kept the focus until the finish line. There was a lot of traffic going through, as well, when the 31 was keeping up the pressure.

“I’m glad it came our way. After all the hard work, the difficult year we had in 2023, especially here, I feel this is the best gift we could give ourselves. [I’m] very pleased for the team, for the whole work they’ve done all week.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John