
Dirty, #8: Tower Motorsports, ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2: John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, Sebastien Bourdais, Job Van Uitert
LMP2 was a story of attrition in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the Tower Motorsports team found the formula to keep it clean and win on strategy.
IMSA’s second-tier prototypes were effectively a spec division at Daytona this year: while the series is open to any manufacturers who build a car within the regulations, all the teams present chose the Oreca chassis. As a result, all the teams were more evenly matched than ever before.
The net result was fluctuation throughout the field all race. From the start, polesitter Ben Keating was quickly overtaken by the No. 22 United Autosports car before the No. 11 crashed in the west horsehoe turn to bring out the first full-course yellow. From there, it was AO Racing’s No. 99 dragon-painted car to a big lead until it received a pass-through penalty and the No. 04 CrowdStrike car took the lead.
The Tower Motorsports No. 8 car took the lead for the first time in the early morning but it didn’t hold it for long as the No. 99 drove back to the lead after its penalty and stretched its lead once again. But everything was shaken up with an hour to go when the AO Racing machine suffered a mechanical issue and had to come down pit road with an hour to go, handing the lead back to Tower Motorsports with Sebastian Bourdais behind the wheel.
Though he had the lead in the closing laps, Bourdais still had a fight on his hands. In the final caution with under an hour to, the team took on more fuel to prepare for a run to the end, which allowed two cars to get in front. When those two cars came together on the restart, though, and were forced down pit road for repairs, Bourdais inherited the lead once again.
He managed his fuel well enough to stay out at the end and win with fewer trips down pit road than his competitors, taking victory with a 44.697-second margin.

#8: Tower Motorsports, ORECA LMP2 07, LMP2: John Farano, Sebastian Alvarez, Sebastien Bourdais, Job Van Uitert takes the checkered flag
Bourdais, who drove the final stint for the team en route to victory, described seeing the smoke clear as the leaders in front of him crashed after the final restart and his path to victory open up.
“Not really, but I just saw smoke,” he described when ask if he could make out what happened. “I thought, if nobody wants to win it, we’ll take it.
“The most improbable win since we were definitely not the strongest,” he admitted, “but those races are never won until the checkered flag and that was another reminder. Really happy for Tower Motorsport and for John [Farano] who has been after that Rolex for awhile.”
Team owner John Farano is also a driver for the team, which had finished fourth, second, third, fifth, and fifth in its last five attempts at Daytona in the LMP2 class; every position in the top five but a win.
“Well, you know, for the last five years we’ve had a chance to win almost every year,” Farano said. “I just cannot believe the team effort that has kept us here for five years, and now here we are. I’ve always dreamed of it, I really never thought it would be a reality.”
The team’s third driver Jacob van Uitert was full of praise for the team.
“You have to dream to win this race, this prestigious event. I’ve come here three times now, and on my third time I was lucky. It will take some time to sink in,” van Uitert said.
“But the team, they did a mega job, we were not the fastest car but we did the right strategy at the end and all drivers were flawless.”
The Tower Motorsports No. 8 ended up on the top step of the podium, with the No. 22 United Autosports car in second and the No. 74 Riley in third. The No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports and the No. 18 Era Motorsports cars rounded out the top five.
Pos | No. | Manufacturer | Laps | Behind | Pit Stops | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | #8 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 765 | –.— | 16 | |
2 | #22 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 765 | 44.697 | 17 | |
3 | #74 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 765 | 51.413 | 18 | |
4 | #52 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 764 | 1 lap | 20 | |
5 | #18 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 764 | 1 lap | 17 | |
6 | #99 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 757 | 8 laps | 18 | |
7 | #04 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 755 | 10 laps | 19 | |
8 | #88 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 697 | 68 laps | 13 | |
9 | #11 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 682 | 83 laps | 21 | |
10 | #73 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 678 | 87 laps | 16 | |
11 | #43 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 430 | 335 laps | 0 | |
12 | #2 | ORECA LMP2 07M | 239 | 526 laps | 0 |
- Ford Triumphs in Contact-Heavy GTD Class at Daytona 24 - January 26, 2025
- Tower Motorsports Emerges from LMP2 Attrition for Daytona 24 Win - January 26, 2025
- Penske Perfect Twice Over: Porsche Wins 24 Hours of Daytona for the Second Year in a Row - January 26, 2025