A Chaotic Start to the IMSA SportsCar Championship
Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet were clear favorites to secure the IMSA SportsCar Championship drivers’ title heading into the Petit Le Mans series finale at Road Atlanta. The Porsche Penske Motorsport duo entered the event with a 100-plus point advantage, but the race proved anything but straightforward. The 10-hour endurance race was marked by chaos, yet the phrase “a walk in the park” oddly fit the beginning of Campbell’s day.
Campbell started his race day with a two-mile walk to the track, an unusual but strategic move. With traffic delays turning a half-hour journey into an hour and 40-minute ordeal, he opted to avoid the stress of rushing. “One hour before I was due on track for the reconnaissance laps I thought I’d get out and walk,” said Campbell. “I didn’t want to be in too much of a rush—and it did get the legs working.”
The record crowd at the Atlanta venue further highlighted the current state of sportscar racing. Attendance was up by 20% compared to previous years, proving the sport’s enduring appeal. However, the team faced additional challenges on the morning of the race, as PPM World Endurance Championship driver Julien Andlauer fell ill and had to withdraw from the #6 Porsche 963 LMDh entry. To maintain a three-driver lineup, the team turned to Laurens Vanthoor, who was driving the #7 entry with Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr.
Penske Racing president Jonathan Diuguid praised Vanthoor’s flexibility, stating, “Larry stuck his hand up when it started going in the wrong direction and said, ‘Hey, I will do whatever you guys need me to do.’” Vanthoor’s ability to switch between cars was crucial, as the team needed to ensure he met the minimum driving time in each car.
Vanthoor described the hectic hour before the start: “One hour into the race the team told me, ‘Larry, you’re next.’ I asked: ‘Which car?’ They said, ‘We don’t know yet!’ That was kind of how the day went.” He first completed his stint in the #7 entry, then returned to the #6 Porsche shortly after.
Despite starting the race as a less competitive option, the #6 Porsche made a significant leap up the order late in the third hour, aided by a stroke of luck. When the fifth safety car was called, Campbell was entering the pitlane, and the timing allowed the team to make a strategic move. The final full stops for the GTP frontrunners ensured that everyone would require a late splash if the race stayed green.
THOR’s decision to bring De Angelis in early paid off, allowing him to gain positions and eventually finish in third behind Bamber and a car that took the opposite strategy. Jaminet emerged in the lead when the race went green, but as temperatures dropped, the Porsche maintained its position at the front.
“We knew that our car would come alive a bit more in the night,” explained Campbell. This proved true as the Porsche overtook the leading Cadillac V-Series.R LMDh in Earl Bamber’s hands. Despite the close battle, Campbell chose to play it safe, saying, “I think the win was possible, but we were in a risk management situation.”
Jaminet continued this approach, letting the Caddy go in the final hour and finishing just behind the Aston Martin Valkyrie Le Mans Hypercar driven by Alex Riberas. The Aston Martin, which had been a strong contender throughout the race, secured second place—a notable achievement for the team.
The Caddy, however, proved to be the most consistent performer, with Tom Blomqvist and Jack Aitken securing a well-deserved victory. Aitken’s performance propelled him into second place in the championship, while Bamber finished in 10th after missing the Laguna Seca round due to WEC commitments.
The #7 Porsche suffered a late incident, with Nasr making contact with the wall and finishing 10th. Despite this, the team still managed to secure the IMSA Endurance Cup and the manufacturers’ and teams’ titles.
For Porsche, the absence of an overall victory in a prototype remained a notable gap. Their only previous win at Petit Le Mans came in 2015 when Tandy and Patrick Pilet triumphed in heavy rain. For Campbell and Jaminet, the focus remained on securing the championship rather than chasing a single race victory.
