Porsche Penske Motorsport’s reign over the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship continued with another statement win—this time, at the historic Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. The No. 7 Porsche 963, driven by Felipe Nasr, Laurens Vanthoor, and Nick Tandy, outlasted a fierce battle with the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R to claim victory, marking their second straight endurance triumph after winning the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

A Tight Battle from Start to Finish

The early laps of the race set the tone for an intense battle between the Porsche and Cadillac teams. Nasr wasted no time making moves, jumping from third to second off the grid after a penalty derailed the pole-winning No. 24 BMW M Hybrid V8. The Penske squad faced its only major hiccup when an early full-course yellow caught them off guard, briefly putting them out of position during pit stops.

Despite this setback, the No. 7 Porsche clawed back into contention. Nasr seized the lead before the halfway mark, only for the No. 31 Cadillac to regain the top spot during a long green flag stint. But with two hours and six minutes remaining, Tandy executed a decisive move on Cadillac’s Frederik Vesti at Sunset Bend, reclaiming the lead for good.

With the checkered flag waving, Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends, becoming just the 10th driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 at Daytona, and 12 Hours of Sebring overall.

Porsche 1-2 Finishes the Job

While the No. 7 Porsche took the glory, its sister car—the No. 6 Porsche Penske 963 of Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, and Kevin Estre—completed a 1-2 finish for the team, crossing the line just 2.2 seconds behind. After a tough outing in the WEC opener in Qatar, this result was a powerful response, solidifying Porsche’s command over the IMSA championship standings.

The No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, driven by Renger van der Zande, Nick Yelloly, and Alex Palou, rounded out the podium, overcoming a penalty to secure third place. Meanwhile, the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac dropped to fourth, losing its early race pace as nighttime conditions cooled the track.

Tough Luck for BMW, Acura, and Wayne Taylor Racing

It was a bittersweet 50th anniversary race for BMW, as the No. 25 BMW of Marco Wittmann, Sheldon van der Linde, and Robin Frijns managed a fifth-place finish, while the pole-winning No. 24 BMW suffered an early penalty and never fully recovered.

Wayne Taylor Racing endured another frustrating weekend. Ricky Taylor’s collision with a GTD Ferrari resulted in a lengthy penalty, ultimately relegating the No. 10 Acura to seventh place. The No. 40 Acura fared no better, retiring late in the race.

LMP2: A Surprise Victory for Inter Europol

The LMP2 battle was filled with chaos and late-race drama, culminating in a come-from-behind win for Inter Europol Competition. Substitute driver Jeremy Clarke played his role to perfection, allowing teammates Bijoy Garg and Tom Dillmann to capitalize when Malthe Jakobsen made a critical mistake, opening the door for Dillmann to snatch victory.

It was a tough pill to swallow for CrowdStrike Racing by APR, who dominated large portions of the race but fell to sixth place after Jakobsen’s late-race miscue. Meanwhile, Tower Motorsports salvaged a runner-up finish, looking to rebound from their post-race disqualification at Daytona.

GTD PRO: AO Racing’s “Rexy” Roars to Victory

In GTD PRO, AO Racing celebrated its second-ever Sebring win with its iconic “Rexy the GT3 Rawr” Porsche 911 GT3 R. Laurin Heinrich, Alessio Picariello, and Klaus Bachler delivered a stunning victory, overtaking Paul Miller Racing’s No. 48 BMW in the final hour.

BMW finished second and third, while Corvette Racing’s Z06 GT3.Rs showed promise but suffered mechanical woes, keeping them out of podium contention.

GTD: Winward Racing Goes Back-to-Back at Sebring

In GTD, Winward Racing’s No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 claimed its second consecutive Sebring win, with Philip Ellis, Russell Ward, and Indy Dontje taking the top spot. Ellis executed a perfectly timed bump-and-run on Jack Hawksworth’s No. 12 Lexus RC F GT3 in the final hour to seal the deal.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus finished second, while Heart of Racing’s Aston Martin Vantage GT3 inherited third after the No. 34 Ferrari was forced to pit on the final lap.

Looking Ahead

With the grueling 12-hour battle at Sebring now in the books, IMSA turns its focus to sprint races. The next stop? The Grand Prix of Long Beach in April, where teams will face a high-stakes, 100-minute street fight on the West Coast.

For Porsche Penske Motorsport, the goal is clear: keep the winning streak alive. But with Acura, Cadillac, and BMW all showing flashes of brilliance, the battle for IMSA supremacy is far from over.

Photo from IMSA.com