- Sun-Soaked Florida Weekend and Strong Fan Turnout Sets the Stage for a Mix of First-Time and Repeat Run Group Winners at the HSR Daytona Classic 24 presented by Mission Foods
- Xavier Dayraut and Benjamin Chiron Co-Drive 1963 No. 139 Shelby Cobra 289 to Inaugural Sixties’ Endurance by Peter Auto Victory to Complete Full Weekend Celebration of Featured Marque Ford
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (November 15, 2026) – The 12th running of the HSR Daytona Classic 24 presented by Mission Foods came to a competitive close Sunday afternoon with a diverse and deserving group of both first-time and repeat race winners. A record eight different run groups combined for 24 straight hours of racing from 2 p.m. EST on Saturday to just a few minutes before 2 p.m. EST today.
Among the notable victories was a first-time HSR Classic Endurance Championship presented by Mission Foods series victory for a Mission Foods sponsored team in Run Group F by Juan Gonzalez, Roberto Gonzalez and IMSA Hall of Famer Butch Leitzinger aboard the 2017 No. 81 Cadillac Dallara DPi. Roberto Gonzalez won his first HSR Classic race but his uncle Juan – in addition to an overall nighttime win in an LMPC car in a B.R.M Endurance Challenge race at Daytona in 2019 – previously scored an HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour Run Group victory co-driving his 2007 Pescarolo Judd LMP with Leitzinger in 2021.
This weekend’s victory, however, was the first in HSR Classic for Juan Gonzalez in a Mission Foods liveried car, which was a trifecta of sorts for the largest tortilla and flatbread producer in the United States. It marked the first time a Mission Foods sponsored car won in a Mission partner series – the HSR Classic Endurance Championship presented by Mission Foods – in a premier race sponsored by the global food producer – the HSR Classic Daytona 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods. Leitzinger joins Juan Gonzalez as a three-time Classic 24 winner with his 2015 triumph joining their 2021 and 2026 victories in the twice-around-the-clock race.
Another milestone victory was secured by Xavier Dayraut and Benjamin Chiron that had emerged early in the opening segment in Group P aboard their 1963 No. 139 Shelby Cobra 289 and led the way to secure the inaugural Sixties’ Endurance by Peter Auto victory at the Daytona Classic 24.
The result brought the weekend full circle, with the Shelby Cobra carrying the weekend’s Ford Feature Marque celebration to the top of the legendary group’s standings.
“We’re French guys, and we race all around France and Europe with Peter Auto,” Dayraut said. “But to come here at the end of the year and win at Daytona was a real dream. Winning at Daytona is a big dream, and it’s really special for us as Europeans.”
Chiron also reflected on the significance of making his Daytona debut after the pair’s win, highlighting the challenge of adapting to both the historic circuit and the Shelby Cobra, which he drove for the first time during the weekend.
“The banking was totally new for me, and the second surprise was the Cobra” Chiron said. “It was totally new for me, and this was my first time driving one this weekend. It was a perfect week, a perfect weekend.”
A pair of Jaguar E-Types rounded out the run group’s podium, with James Thorpe and Phil Quaife guiding their 1965 No. 43 Jaguar E-Type second as Olivier Breittmayer completed the podium with a third-place result in his 1963 No. 153 Jaguar E-Type.
Among the drivers and teams joining Juan Gonzalez and company as repeat HSR Classic Daytona winners were Scooter Gabel and Alegra Motorsports, who combined for an encore performance of their 2020 and 2024 run group victories.
Gabel co-drove with first-time HSR Classic 24 race winner Nick Padmore in the 1970 No. 60 Loka MkIII B in Run Group A as the duo battled with perennial HSR Classics powerhouse Toni Seiler in his Waite-and-See Motorsports 1970 No. 7 Lola T165 throughout the race.
While Seiler and team closed the lead gap on the No. 60 with a perfectly timed and executed pit stop in the final race segment, he was unable to overcome the advantage held by Gabel and Padmore, who endured a fuel pickup issue during the final two segments to secure the Run Group A victory and overall honors. It was the first win in HSR Classic competition for Padmore.
Seiler ultimately settled for second, while Craig Watkins and co-driver Taylor van Overbeek maintained their position inside the top three through the closing stints to secure third in the 901 Shop-prepared 1968 No. 46 Porsche 911 S/T as the top GT competitors in the class.
Run Group B, which joined Run Group A during the weekend’s running, saw Angus Rogers and KMW Motorsports put the crowning touch on a dominating weekend. In a controlled performance from start to finish, Rogers and co-driver Rocco Pasquarella swept all four segments aboard their KMW Motorsports 1973 No. 15 Porsche 911 RSR to claim the overall division win. The victory was the first HSR Classics run group win for both drivers and followed a previous run of five-straight podium showings by Rogers.
Rogers carried his winning form from the HSR Daytona Historics into the endurance event after previously capturing victories this week in the SascoSports International/American Challenge presented by Hoosier and the B.R.M. Chronographs Legacy Enduro.
The consistency extended to the remainder of the Group B podium as Dean De Santis and Josh Tuggle held on for runner-up honors after moving into the position during the second segment in their AJR Heritage Motorsports-fielded 1969 No. 33 Porsche 911 RSR. Dick York and Automatic Racing team owner David Russell also remained inside the top three throughout all four segments, securing third in the popular 2001 No. 90 “Pinky” BMW E46 M3.
Another dominating performance produced a repeat and third career HSR Classic Daytona 24 Run Group win for Andrew Jordan and Mike Jordan aboard the Jordan Racing Team 2011 No. 77 Porsche 997.2 GT3 Cup. The father-son duo controlled the competition throughout the event, in which they provided a clean sweep of all four segments.
Travis Bedson and Cory Friedman held on to the second-place position they established following the third segment to secure the runner-up finish aboard their Autometrics 2008 No. 014 Porsche 997.2 GT3 Cup. Kevin Clayton and Kingpin Racing team owner Tyler Hoffman rounded out the podium, continuing their strong 2026 HSR campaign with a third-place finish in the 2018 No. 03 Mercedes-AMG GT4.
The combined Run Groups C and D contest provided perhaps the most late-race drama, multiple lead changes, and some out-of-no-where race winners that know the secret of HSR Classic success. In Group C, gearbox issues aboard the Alegra Motorsports-prepared original Whittington Bros. Racing 1979 No. 94 Porsche 935 brought the race-leading challenge of Billy Johnson and Carlos de Quesada to an end with a DNS for the final 42-minute segment.
The setback opened the door for savvy HSR Classic race winners Alan Benjamin and Barry Waddell, who capitalized after overcoming an early two-lap deficit in the opening segment to claim Group C honors aboard their 1992 No. 21 Porsche 964 Carrera Cup.
A consistent run by Roger Mettler near the front in all four segments earned him second place aboard his 1992 No. 30 Porsche 964 Carrera RSR. Enzo Lucas also persevered through a pair of fuel-related setbacks to claim the final spot on the podium in his 1977 No. 8 Porsche 935.
The Group D battle also underwent a dramatic reshuffling as mechanical issues eliminated two of the early contenders. A broken axle during the third segment ended the challenge of Jackson Dunn aboard his 2004 No. 111 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup, while the father-son pairing of David MacNeil and Cooper MacNeil also encountered mechanical problems that prevented their entry from completing round three.
With both challengers sidelined, another family pairing capitalized on the opportunity. Tom McGlynn and his son Jimmy McGlynn took control during the third segment and maintained their advantage through the final run to secure the Group D victory in their 901 Shop-prepared 2005 No. 110 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup.
David Smith kept his 2006 No. 50 Riley XX/DP in podium contention to secure second, while Buz McCall and his son Brad McCall moved into the top three following the third segment and held on to the finish in their Round 3 Racing 2007 No. 907 Porsche 997 GT3 Cup.
Run Group E provided another closely fought finish, as a pair of entries featuring familiar IMSA competitors entered the closing segment in contention for the group victory. Jon Manship, Peter Toombs, Trent Hindman and Lonnie Pechnik shared the Wright Motorsports-prepared 2019 No. 216 Porsche 991.2 GT3 R, while Marvin Kirchhöfer and car owner Heiko Neumann contested the race in the 2014 No. 65 Mercedes-Benz AMG SLS GT3 prepared by three-time and reigning IMSA GTD Champions Winward Racing.
After the No. 216 Porsche had led for much of the race, Neumann and Kirchhöfer gained the upper hand in the early minutes of the final stint and appeared poised to take the victory. However, a pit lane speed infraction resulted in a time penalty that dropped the Mercedes-AMG behind the leading Porsche, allowing Hindman to regain the lead and secure the Group E victory for the team and his co-drivers.
Despite the penalty, Neumann and Kirchhöfer held on for second after running near the front throughout the race. Classic 24 regular Vincent Barletta, meanwhile, gained a position on Thomas Merrill during the final segment to round out the Group E podium aboard his Turner Motorsport 2016 No. 95 BMW M6.
Back in Group F, another Cadillac Dallara DPi joined the No. 81 on the podium, with JC France, Tim Jenrum and four-time Rolex 24 winner João Barbosa guiding their former Action Express Racing 2017 No. 31 Cadillac Dallara DPi to second place. The trio maintained the runner-up position through the final two segments, while John Reisman delivered a consistent performance across all four segments to secure third in his Hudson Historics 2020 No. 74 Ligier JS P320 after spending much of the event inside the top 10.
Notably, several competitors overcame significant mechanical setbacks and the attrition of the twice-around-the-clock contest to put together strong recoveries and finishes across their respective run groups.
Among the impressive rebounds were those of Pierce Marshall and Eric Foss, who bounced back from an engine failure in the opening Group F segment to return their 2017 No. 01 Cadillac Dallara DPi to contention for the run group victory. Matador Motorsports completed a swift engine change to get the car back on track, allowing the duo to challenge for the lead through the final segment of the weekend.
One of the weekend’s most impressive comebacks came from Colin Dougherty, who rebounded from a difficult opening segment in his CDOC-prepared, Team Sahlen’s 2001 No. 43 Porsche 996 GT3 RS. After finishing last and completing just one lap in the opening run, Dougherty responded with three consecutive top-three finishes across the remaining segments, highlighted by a victory in the second segment.
Next up on the HSR schedule is the season-ending HSR Sebring Classic 12, presented by the Mission Foods, December 4 – 7.
About HSR: An International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) property, Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) was formed in the mid-1970s with an event at Road Atlanta. There was one goal then and it remains true today: to celebrate the racing cars from the past. As a “time machine” of sights and sounds, HSR provides a venue for competitors and spectators alike to share in the wonderful history and excitement created by the cars that competed at race tracks around the world. HSR currently sanctions eight vintage and historic racing events at some of the world’s most renowned race tracks, including Road Atlanta, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and more. The complete schedule and full event information can be found on HSR’s website at www.HSRRace.com. Look for the HSR Channel on YouTube and follow HSR on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/HSRrace/ and on Twitter X at @HSR_race and Instagram @HistoricSportscarRacing.
