Ford Mustang GT3 Claims Historic First Win at Daytona 24, AWA Corvette Dominates GTD Class

Ford Mustang GT3 Claims Historic First Win at Daytona 24, AWA Corvette Dominates GTD Class

By Michael Anderson

January 30, 2025 at 09:15 AM

Ford clinched a historic first victory in GTD PRO while AWA Corvette secured GTD class honors at the 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona, marking a significant turnaround for both manufacturers' customer racing programs.

Blue race car on track

Blue race car on track

The Ford Mustang GT3, piloted by Christopher Mies, Frederic Vervisch, and Dennis Olsen, captured its first-ever win after a challenging debut season. Olsen's crucial overtake of Nico Varrone's Corvette on the final restart secured the victory, with the team maintaining composure under pressure from competitors.

The No. 64 Ford and No. 3 Corvette completed the GTD PRO podium, showcasing Ford's dramatic improvement from their previous year's performance. The race featured intense battles and notable incidents, including a controversial exchange between Paul Miller's cars and the No. 4 Corvette.

In the GTD class, AWA's No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, driven by Matt Bell, Marvin Kirchhofer, Orey Fidani, and Lars Kern, claimed victory. Bell's impressive performance in the final stint, including a crucial pass on Heart of Racing's Mattia Drudi, secured the team's second Daytona class win in three years.

The Wright Motorsports Porsche finished second in GTD, with Heart of Racing's Aston Martin Vantage GT3 completing the podium. Winward Racing's Mercedes-AMG GT3 showed remarkable resilience, recovering from early setbacks to finish fourth.

This double victory for Ford and Corvette's customer racing programs effectively silenced doubts about their competitiveness, demonstrating significant progress from their challenging debut seasons.

Notable retirements included Wayne Taylor Racing and Forte Racing's Lamborghinis due to damage, while only one Ferrari 296 GT3 completed the race without major issues. The race also marked Andy Lally's unfortunate exit from professional sports car racing due to engine failure.

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