Tandy Reflects on ‘Triple Crown’, ‘Big Six’ Feats With Sebring Win

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Nick Tandy said it’s an “incredible” feeling to have re-written the history books yet again with two more crowning achievements following victory in Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.

The Porsche Penske Motorsport driver and co-pilots Felipe Nasr and Laurens Vanthoor went back-to-back in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competition following their triumph in January’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.

The Englishman becomes only the tenth driver to have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring overall, a feat known as the ‘Triple Crown.’

Additionally, with the Sebring win, Tandy is the first driver to have won the so-called ‘Big Six’ endurance races that adds the 24-hour marathons at Spa and Nürburgring plus the Motul Petit Le Mans.

It comes less than eight weeks after the Porsche factory driver completed the set of overall 24-hour race wins at Daytona, Le Mans, Nürburgring and Spa.

“It’s incredible because I never realized how big a thing it would be winning all the four 24-hour [races],” he said. “It went global. People [were] talking about it globally.

“The ‘Triple Crown’ is probably one of the more historic kind of accolades. It’s one of the most historic.

“You look at the names of the people that are on that list… that you’re linked with. That is just an unbelievable thing.

“Again, on top of the unbelievable stuff that happens when you win a single race like Daytona, let alone the other bits and pieces.

“I remember when I won Sebring [in class] in 2018 the first time, I said, ‘This completed my set.’ I was racing Le Mans-spec cars. There were four major races, the IMSA enduros and Le Mans.

“I think somebody said it’s the ‘sixth tuplet’ which is again something that nobody’s ever done.

“Hopefully it’s even harder for somebody to match that rather than just the four 24 hours.

“I’m glad I’ve got some good people to help me along the way to do it. It’s just great.”

Tandy added that he was most impressed with the Roger Penske-led operation, which becomes the first team since Wayne Taylor Racing in 2017 to have won both the Rolex 24 and Twelve Hours of Sebring in the same year, a feat known as the ‘Florida 36 Hours.’

“You rarely see a sports team or an operation or something that does a single event without any faults or mistakes or anything like this,” he said.

“We’ve just been celebrating with probably 40 people that have just flawlessly run a car for 36 hours. Obviously Daytona and Sebring combined.

“It’s just a testament to what Porsche and Porsche Penske has put together as a group of people that allow us to go racing and have this success without mistake.

“The easiest thing to do in the world of racing is make a mistake, whether in driving or strategy call, in the pits, anything. It’s just incredible that we’ve had this run the last two events.

“It’s just awesome to come here and carry that on.

“The car has been on the lead lap every lap of the year this year so far I think. We’ve probably led, I don’t know, more than 25 percent of the laps of the races.

“The two-car operation has had four podiums out of four. Just unbelievable. Unbelievable achievement for everyone involved.”

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