In a dramatic turn of events, United Autosports has been declared the LMP2 class winner at the renowned Rolex 24 At Daytona. This development emerged following a post-race inspection that revealed Tower Motorsports' vehicle had violated technical regulations.
The inspection findings indicated that the skid block underneath Tower Motorsports' car had worn down more than the maximum permissible limit of five millimeters, prompting significant penalties. Consequently, drivers John Farano, Sebastien Bourdais, Sebastian Alvarez, and Job van Uitert were demoted to 12th place in the LMP2 category, effectively ending their hopes of victory.
Richard Dean, CEO of United Autosports, expressed his team's elation at the unexpected victory. “We came to Daytona with one very clear goal and we have achieved it,” said Dean. “To win the Rolex 24 At Daytona any year is pretty special, but to win it only a few months after celebrating victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours makes it an extra-special moment. Zak [Brown] and I would like to thank the entire team for their dedication and commitment. We can all be very proud of what we have achieved.”
Originally, the No. 22 United Autosports ORECA 07, driven by Daniel Goldburg, Paul di Resta, Rasmus Lindh, and James Allen, finished the race 44.697 seconds behind the No. 8 car of Tower Motorsports. However, the post-race penalties elevated them to first place in LMP2 and eighth overall.
Expressing his perspective on the outcome, di Resta shared sentiments of mixed feelings over the penalty that changed the race's outcome. “It’s massive to have another 24-hour win,” said di Resta, who celebrated a similar victory with United Autosports at Le Mans in 2020. “We’ve achieved the two big ones in LMP2 both with United Autosports in the No. 22… which is a very cool thing to say. It takes relentless dedication.”
Despite their elation, di Resta did reflect on the challenges faced during the race and the implications of being penalized. “We felt very hard done by on race day with the penalty -- and after watching the video back, it does feel wrong. But we kept fighting, you fight all the way to the very end. It’s massive for the championship -- Daniel Goldburg did a remarkable lap to qualify on pole, and now with what we’ve achieved… it’s just huge.”
In the wake of the race, Tower Motorsports attempted to fight the ruling with an official protest, which was ultimately dismissed by IMSA. While the team remains focused on future races, the incident serves as a significant learning experience regarding compliance in technical regulations.
The implications are profound for United Autosports as they look to leverage this victory as a morale booster in their championship campaign. With this win at the Rolex 24, they join an elite group of teams who have successfully conquered two of the most prestigious endurance races in the world. The team’s consistency and performance are now underlined by two monumental achievements in less than a year.
As the dust settles on this year’s Rolex 24, United Autosports stands tall among its competitors, with an eye on extending their success into the remaining IMSA season. The team’s journey in 2025 has been marked by determination, strategy, and triumph, setting a strong precedent for future challenges on the track.