When the sun sets over the infield at the 24 Hours of Daytona<\/strong>, the real battle begins for the GTD and GTD Pro classes. While the prototypes at the front dictate the pace, a constant battle rages in the GT field – wheel to wheel, stint for stint, often decided by centimeters, seconds and nerves of steel. <\/p>\n\n At the season opener of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship<\/strong>, the GTD classes once again delivered exactly what Daytona is all about this year: endurance racing under constant stress, a field full of top international drivers and decisions that were only announced deep in the night or in the first light of dawn.<\/p>\n\n Both categories are based on the globally established GT3 regulations<\/strong>, but their character differs significantly:<\/p>\n\n Together they formed one of the densest and toughest starting fields of the entire race – a rolling showcase for modern customer sport at world-class level.<\/p>\n\n Paul Miller Racing<\/strong> made history in the GTD Pro class<\/strong> this year. Following a qualifying penalty, the BMW M4 GT3 EVO<\/strong> started from last place in the category – a highly unfavorable start to a 24-hour race in which track position is everything. <\/p>\n\n But the race to catch up began overnight. While other teams made mistakes, incurred penalties or lost time in traffic, the BMW worked its way forward lap by lap. Clean pit stops, consistent stints and four drivers who carried the car through the night unscathed made the difference in the end. <\/p>\n\n The class also remained high-class away from the podium: The Corvette works team with Tommy Milner<\/strong>, Nick Catsburg<\/strong> and Nico Varrone<\/strong> fought fierce duels, while the Manthey Porsche “Grello” with Thomas Preining<\/strong>, Klaus Bachler<\/strong>, Ayhancan G\u00fcven<\/strong> and Ricardo Feller<\/strong> repeatedly attracted attention with its strong pace.<\/p>\n\n In the GTD class<\/strong>, a race developed over 24 hours that was emblematic of Daytona: changing leads, repeated neutralizations and a leading field that was barely spread out even in the final hours of the race.<\/p>\n\n As the morning dawned, it was clear that this class victory would not be decided on the strategy board, but on the track. Winward Racing<\/strong> in the Mercedes-AMG GT3<\/strong> ultimately prevailed in the final battle – after an intense duel in which every lapped lap and every corner in the infield became a challenge. <\/p>\n\nTwo classes, one pulse – GTD Pro and GTD<\/h3>\n\n
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\n\nGTD Pro – BMW’s path from the back of the field to the top<\/h2>\n\n
Podium GTD Pro – Top 3<\/h3>\n\n
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\n\nGTD – A fight to the last breath<\/h2>\n\n
Top 3 GTD – Final standings<\/h3>\n\n