The 2025 VSCA SportsCar Championship roared into action with the 24 Hours of Daytona, with the series’ ultimate test of endurance at the famed Daytona International Speedway. The race, marking the season's opening round and the first event of the Endurance Cup, unfolded on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn track.
Amid an highly competitive GT AM class grid, Off in the Esses Racing etched their name into history, clinching their maiden victory in the series with their #83 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO.
The win was a long time coming for the team, which had participated in all 31 VSCA races since its inception. The triumph served as a sweet redemption for their near-miss at Virginia International Raceway last season, where a late-race incident robbed them of victory. This time, the Toronto-based outfit capitalized on their strategy and consistency, finishing one lap ahead of the competition.
The event saw eight full-course yellows, testing drivers' patience and teams' adaptability. The first caution came just 55 minutes into the race, with others punctuating the marathon contest, including one at the 18-hour mark. These stoppages reshuffled the field repeatedly, requiring teams to stay sharp and strategize carefully.
Through winning the previous weekend’s The Roar Before The 24 qualifying race, pole-sitter Daniel Graulty of SRN Motorsports was the first GT AM car to roll off the grid and set the pace early with the #74 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. But ultimately, it was the #83 McLaren of Off in the Esses Racing that proved unstoppable.
Led by drivers Joseph Okopien, Stuart Leslie, Jonathan Duncan, Michael Garrone, and Patrick Boilard, the team executed a race that saw the team climb all the way to the top step on the podium, proving that the team’s switch from Ferrari to McLaren over the winter paid immediate dividends.
Key Performances and Records
While Off in the Esses Racing took the spotlight, other teams delivered notable performances. The #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), with drivers including Jason Brothers and Jaden Lander, finished a commendable second in their series debut. Vulture Motorsports' #64 Ford Mustang GT3, driven by John T Jones and teammates, claimed the final podium spot, marking Ford's third consecutive GT AM podium dating back to last year’s Petit Le Mans when Ford took the win.
Race Spec Dynamics, another series newcomer team with an all-Brazilian lineup of five drivers took fourth place in the #90 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
The race also set a new GT AM class record for lead changes, with an astonishing 79 swaps at the front. The previous record of 59, set at last year's 24 Hours of Daytona, underscored the race's intense competitiveness. The GT AM championship defending #80 Digital Chicane Acura NSX GT3 EVO 22 impressed by climbing from 16th to fifth, showcasing their resilience in a crowded field and getting their championship defense campaign off to a solid start.
Wastegate Racing’s #34 Corvette finished in sixth place, six laps down, after starting from second place.
Spain’s Penor Competición #81 Porsche had an all-Spanish lineup of six drivers compete in the race, completing 749 laps en route to their P7 finish in the team’s series debut.
Starting from pole the #74 SRN Motorsports Corvette was regarded one of the favorites for victory in GT AM class, but the team encountered a number of issues with receiving penalties early on for pitting under FCY and entering closed pits. Later on the car was involved in an incident with a LMP2 class prototype that resulted in significant damage and put the team ten laps down.
Rounding out the top ten finishers were the #515 Porsche of Wolf Motorsport Simracing and the #312 Real Pixel Motorsport Acura.
#83 McLaren takes GT AM championship lead
On account of their first series victory, Off In The Esses Racing and their #83 McLaren are now championship leaders in GT AM class, with the #94 SWF Motorsports Porsche right in their tow at only a 16-point distance.
The #64 Vulture Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 sits in third place, at a 65-point deficit, while the #34 Wategate Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R is fourth, 74 points out of first.
Endurance Cup standings after Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona provided a big chunk of Endurance Cup points for the in-series championship that also includes Sebring, Watkins Glen, Indianapolis and Road Atlanta.
An impressive 16 Endurance Cup points were earned by the race-winning #83 Off in the Esses Racing McLaren, falling short of the perfect 20 points by just four.
SWF Motorsports and their #94 Porsche are following in in second, at 11 points, taking the tiebreaker over the #81 Peno Competición Porsche by account of their top-five result.
The defending GT AM champion #80 Digital Chicane Acura is fourth, at ten Endurance Cup points.
The next Endurance Cup points race will be the Engine 59 12 Hours of Sebring on March 1st.
In victory lane, emotions ran high as the Off in the Esses drivers reflected on their journey, and the team celebrated its maiden victory in VSCA, in the biggest and most prestigious race of the series.
Post-Race Quotes
Joseph Okopien, #83 McLaren: "Winning this race is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved. After so many close calls, this moment feels surreal."
Stuart Leslie, #83 McLaren: "We’ve dreamed of this since our first race. To win at Daytona makes all the effort worth it."
Jonathan Duncan, #83 McLaren: "We barely made it across the line, but the strategy and discipline paid off."
Patrick Boilard, #83 McLaren: "Last year’s heartbreak at VIR made this win even sweeter. It’s a testament to our growth as a team."
Marty Jefferies, #74 Chevrolet: “The first few hours of the race we had some bad luck with a couple of Full Course Yellows, where we had to pit while the pit lane was closed, or we would have run out of fuel. Serving those penalties put us behind.”
“Our main takeaway is that we can't run the tank completely down during our stints that we normally do in other series. It is just not worth the risk of a FCY that seemed to happen close to our pit windows. Pitting with two, three laps worth of fuel was the safest route, even though because of this we had to do a splash and dash for the final three laps of the race which I believe cost us another position.”
Laurence Dobrot, #74 Chevrolet: “We had some solid racing going, but around the eight-hour mark we had a little incident going into Turn 7, one of the LMP2 cars passed us in the braking zone and then moved over into us. That took the whole front clip off and damaged the suspension.”
“Our awesome pit crew was able to get the Z06 back into the race with only 15 minutes of repairs. I think that put us down about 10 laps but we were still able to battle back to being only 7 laps down. It’s not quite a win obviously, but still an outstanding performance.
“This race showed that we have a very strong and competitive team for the season and are looking forward to the Sebring race.”
Looking ahead
GT AM class teams will now get to enjoy a break as the series’ next round at Long Beach will see only GTP and GT PRO teams compete. GT AM teams return to action in the Engine 59 12 Hours of Sebring on March 1st, which marks the second-longest race of the year.
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