The Porsche Penske Motorsport team has made big progress on the way to the first race
outings of the Porsche 963. During the two-day test drives at the Daytona International Speedway in
the US state of Florida, the brand-new LMDh prototype lapped the combination of the oval and twisty
infield a total of 397 times.
The test drives on the legendary American circuit threw tough challenges at the 500 kW (680 PS)
hybrid vehicle. The external conditions, with temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius
combined with high humidity of over 90 percent and regular showers, pushed man and machine to the
limit – such enormous stresses offer the ideal environment to prepare the Porsche 963 for the fierce
competition in the 2023 season.
On the first of two days, the team was hampered by climatic conditions: following US law, lightning
strikes near the racetrack at Daytona Beach meant that all marshals had to retreat indoors to safety.
Consequently, the start of the tests was delayed by 90 minutes. The new prototype, which will fight for
overall victory at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring from next year, then began its endurance run.
The works drivers Dane Cameron (USA), Matt Campbell (Australia), and Mathieu Jaminet (France)
shared driving duties at the wheel of the car with chassis number 03. Under the watchful eye of the
experienced American team founder Roger Penske (The Captain), the squad improved the setup of the
Porsche 963 and refine the interaction between the engineers, drivers, and mechanics.
Right up until 10 pm on the second day, the new racing car ran without any notable problems. The test
runs concluded with a highlight: during the last few minutes, bright flashes lit up the night sky – giving
a foretaste of the Porsche 963’s first race outing. At the race debut of the LMDh prototype in the IMSA
WeatherTech Sportscar Championship on 28/29 January 2023, the sky above the new racing car will
also be brightly illuminated: Following tradition, the organisers of the 24 Hours of Daytona will set off
spectacular fireworks at dusk.
