McLaren and Hyundai delivered strong performances at the season-opening BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona International Speedway, securing victories in their respective classes.

In the Grand Sport (GS) class, Michael Cooper piloted the No. 44 Accelerating Performance McLaren Artura GT4 to victory, making a series of decisive passes in the final 20 minutes. Cooper maintained a 0.327-second lead over Jan Heylen's No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, while Billy Johnson finished third in the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4.

The winning strategy began with Moisey Uretsky's impressive 2-hour, 40-minute opening stint, handing the McLaren to Cooper in eighth position. Cooper's extensive McLaren experience proved valuable as he masterfully navigated the latest Artura evolution to secure McLaren's first Daytona win since 2021.

In the Touring Car (TCR) class, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian finally captured their elusive first Daytona victory. Denis Dupont and Preston Brown drove the No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR to victory, executing superior pit strategy to edge out teammates Bryson Morris and Mark Wilkins by just 0.067 seconds. Ryan Eversley and Celso Neto completed the podium in the No. 7 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR.

Notably, Neto's podium finish marks the first for an IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship recipient in Pilot Challenge competition.

The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge continues with the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 at Sebring International Raceway on March 14, 2025, at 2:15 p.m. ET.

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