Whelan Cadillac Closes the 2025 IMSA Season with Back-to-Back Victories at Petit Le Mans
Braselton, GA. (October 11th, 2025)
There’s a certain poetry to endurance racing’s finales. Ten long hours of daylight, dusk, and darkness where the season’s storylines all converge. The 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans had all the elements of a modern IMSA classic: redemption, heartbreak, breakthrough performances, and farewells. When the checkered flag finally fell on a crisp Georgia night, it was Whelen Cadillac Racing once again standing atop the overall podium for the second consecutive year, sealing their 2025 campaign with a flourish and a statement.
It wasn’t just a victory. It was a culmination, the result of precision, strategy, and resilience after a long, bruising season that saw the GTP field evolve into the most competitive collection of hybrid prototypes anywhere in the world. Cadillac closed the year by winning the final two races of the season, while Porsche Penske Motorsport claimed the GTP championships thanks to consistency and pace across the year.
But beyond the headlines, the race was rich with stories across every class: from LMP2’s underdog heroics to GTD Pro’s late-race duel, and GTD’s mix of heartbreak and triumph. Each category had its defining moments, proving once again why Petit Le Mans remains one of the most cherished events in global endurance racing.
GTP: Cadillac’s Command and Porsche’s Coronation
Ten hours of racing can rarely be distilled into a few moments, but the 2025 Petit Le Mans was one of those rare exceptions. A race where Whelen Cadillac Racing’s discipline from the very first lap to the last defined the outcome. The No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R, driven by Jack Aitken, Earl Bamber, and Frederik Vesti, executed a nearly flawless race, managing fuel, traffic, and tire degradation with clinical precision.
The win marked Cadillac’s second straight Petit Le Mans victory, and with it, the American brand closed the year in style winning both the Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis and now the season finale at Road Atlanta. After enduring a mid-season stretch of near-misses and mechanical frustration, the team seemed to rediscover their rhythm in the final two rounds.
The race, as always, wasn’t without pressure. Throughout the afternoon and into the cool Georgia night, the bright red and white Cadillac traded times with the striking green-accented No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie, driven by Roman De Angelis, Ross Gunn, and Alex Riberas. For Aston Martin, this was more than just a strong run it was their first-ever podium in IMSA’s top category, an extraordinary result in their debut season with the Valkyrie LMH project. Their precision and pace proved the car’s potential against established hybrid contenders.
Rounding out the podium was the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, shared by Mathieu Jaminet, Matt Campbell, and Laurens Vanthoor. The trio’s third-place finish was exactly what they needed to secure the GTP Drivers’, Teams’, and Manufacturers’ Championships. Porsche’s strategy all season long was simple: consistency over chaos. While they didn’t win every battle, they ultimately won the war, wrapping up a second consecutive IMSA GTP title for the marque.
Behind them came one of the most emotionally charged stories of the day — Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s No. 63 Lamborghini SC63. In what was the team’s final IMSA race, they narrowly missed the podium but achieved their best finish ever fourth place. Mirko Bortolotti, Andrea Caldarelli, and Romain Grosjean drove with a mix of aggression and composure that hinted at what could have been had the program continued into 2026. Their near-miss podium provided a fitting farewell for Lamborghini’s prototype adventure in IMSA, a reminder of the brand’s determination to compete at the top level.
For the rest of the GTP field — BMW M Team RLL, Acura, and the Proton Porsche effort — the race became a test of endurance more than speed. Attrition claimed several would-be contenders, while Cadillac and Porsche proved that experience and clean execution remain the gold standard.
As the fireworks exploded above Road Atlanta’s pit straight, the storylines in GTP were both celebratory and bittersweet. Cadillac owned the race. Porsche owned the season. And Aston Martin and Lamborghini left with validation that their future in the top class could be bright.
LMP2: A Farewell Drive for the Ages
If there was a single drive that embodied the spirit of Petit Le Mans, it came from Steve Thomas. Competing in his final IMSA start, the veteran driver refused to let sentimentality slow him down. In fact, he produced perhaps the drive of his life.
The No. 11 TDS Racing Oreca 07-Gibson had taken pole in Friday qualifying only to be penalized in post-session inspection for a bodywork infraction, forcing the team to start from the back of the field. For most, that would have spelled doom. For Thomas, it was an opportunity.
In the opening stint, he sliced through the LMP2 field like a man possessed, climbing from last to first before the first driver change. It was an audacious, inspired drive that drew cheers up and down pit lane. From there, co-drivers Hunter McElrea and Mikkel Jensen took over, managing the pace, maintaining composure in traffic, and never relinquishing the lead again. When the checkered flag waved, TDS Racing had completed one of the most satisfying comebacks in class history from pole to penalty to victory.
Behind them, the No. 52 Inter Europol Competition team delivered another consistent and clean performance, finishing second. The Polish-backed squad’s runner-up result was a testament to their discipline in traffic and pit precision — hallmarks of a program that has made steady gains each season. Completing the podium was Era Motorsports, whose No. 18 Oreca 07 capped off a year of steady progress with third place.
For AO Racing, their first year in LMP2 ended with both frustration and elation. Despite finishing sixth in class after a challenging day that included contact and multiple off-sequence pit cycles, the team still clinched the 2025 LMP2 Season Championship. It was a fitting reward for their adaptability in their debut prototype campaign, one that saw them consistently at or near the front all season long.
As the LMP2 category transitions toward a new formula and an uncertain future, the 2025 Petit Le Mans served as a proper send-off for both the current-spec Orecas and the veteran drivers who’ve carried the class for nearly a decade. For TDS Racing and Steve Thomas, it was the perfect ending to a remarkable chapter.
GTD Pro: BMW’s Brilliance and Corvette’s Championship
The GTD Pro class at Petit Le Mans has a way of delivering drama late in the race — and 2025 was no exception. With a little over an hour to go, the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO executed a decisive move that would determine the outcome.
Dan Harper, in the closing stint, pulled off a nifty pass on the No. 4 Corvette Racing Z06 GT3.R of Nicky Catsburg, Tommy Milner, and Nico Varrone in turn 11. Once clear, Harper extended the gap to secure victory, adding yet another endurance trophy to Paul Miller Racing’s already impressive résumé.
For Corvette Racing, the runner-up result was both frustrating and satisfying. They came tantalizingly close to victory but could take solace in the fact that both factory Corvettes finished on the podium. The No. 3 Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R, co-driven by Antonio García, Alexander Sims, and Daniel Juncadella, finished third a result that sealed the GTD Pro Class Championship for the No. 3 team.
It was a hard-earned title for Pratt Miller, the team’s first full-season championship in the new GT3-era Corvette after decades of GTLM dominance. García and Sims, stalwarts of the program, blended consistency and racecraft throughout the season to stay ahead of the factory Lexus and BMW efforts.
The No. 48 BMW’s victory underlined just how far the team and the M4 EVO package had come in 2025. The car’s balance and tire life proved decisive in the final hours as the temperatures dropped and the track gained grip. The duel between BMW and Corvette was everything GTD Pro racing should be fast, fair, and ferocious.
For the fans, it was a treat: two titanic American factory programs fighting nose-to-tail in the dark at Road Atlanta, with a BMW victory and a Corvette championship ensuring both left with something to celebrate.
GTD: Ferrari’s Triumph and Chaos on Lap One
If the GTD Pro race was defined by strategy and finesse, the GTD category was defined by survival. The 2025 Petit Le Mans opened with a first-lap pileup that instantly reshaped the complexion of the race — and the championship.
As the field streamed into the esses, Manny Franco in the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 lost control and spun. The car came to rest across the racing line, and what followed was mayhem. The No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Brendan Iribe, struck Franco’s car heavily. The impact triggered a chain reaction that collected several others: Joey Hand in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3, Trent Hindman in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, and John Potter in the No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
The chaos instantly eliminated multiple contenders and reshuffled the championship picture. With so many rivals out before even a half lap was completed, the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 — the defending 2024 GTD champions — inherited an unassailable points advantage. Even before the first hour was complete, Winward Racing had clinched back-to-back GTD titles, a rare feat in IMSA’s modern GT3 era.
But the race win itself belonged to Ferrari. The No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Simon Mann, Alessandro Pier Guidi, and Lilou Wadoux, executed a near-perfect race. Their combination of pace, pit execution, and traffic management earned them victory by just 4.158 seconds over the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3.
For AF Corse, the victory was a proud return to IMSA’s top step after a challenging season. For Lilou Wadoux, it was even more special her triumph marked only the third time in Petit Le Mans history that a woman has won the race. The milestone added a historic dimension to what was already a landmark day for Ferrari’s GT programs.
In second, Triarsi Competizione’s effort was every bit as remarkable. James Calado, Kenton Koch, and Onofrio Triarsi pushed relentlessly, with Koch enduring an ankle injury that forced him to drive using right-foot braking for the first time in over a decade. Their perseverance nearly paid off with victory, but second place was a hard-earned reward after ten grueling hours.
The No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, piloted by Jack Hawksworth, Frankie Montecalvo, and Parker Thompson, completed the podium in third. The Lexus was strong throughout, staying out of trouble in a class that saw more than its share of attrition. Their podium sealed a strong end to the season for the veteran GTD program.
In many ways, the GTD class encapsulated everything that makes Petit Le Mans legendary unpredictable, emotional, and hard-fought to the end.
The Race Beyond the Race: Championships Decided
When the dust settled, the 2025 Motul Petit Le Mans had done more than crown race winners had reshaped the championship landscape across all categories.
- GTP: Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 6 Porsche 963 clinched the Drivers’, Teams’, and Manufacturers’ Titles, while Whelen Cadillac Racing closed the year with back-to-back victories.
- LMP2: AO Racing, in their first LMP2 season, took the Season Championship, a remarkable achievement for a team balancing multiple programs.
- GTD Pro: The No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R secured the Class Championship with a third-place finish.
- GTD: The No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 repeated as Class Champions after early attrition decimated the field.
In total, the race delivered four different manufacturers on the top step of the podium Cadillac, Oreca, BMW, and Ferrari a reflection of IMSA’s unmatched diversity and balance.
Petit Le Mans: The Perfect Finale
Few venues test man and machine like Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The 2.54-mile rollercoaster demands respect from its blind apexes to the treacherous downhill Turn 12. Over ten hours, every mistake compounds, every good decision matters, and every driver must adapt from blazing daylight to pitch darkness.
The 2025 edition reminded everyone why Petit Le Mans remains the jewel of North American endurance racing. It’s not just the drama of the closing laps it’s the accumulation of 600 minutes of relentless competition, of traffic, of strategy, of survival.
For Whelen Cadillac Racing, it was vindication proof that perseverance pays. For Aston Martin, it was a sign that their prototype project has genuine teeth. For Lamborghini, it was a farewell worth remembering. And for Porsche, it was yet another affirmation of their enduring mastery of sports-car competition.
In the lower classes, Steve Thomas’s fairy-tale farewell, Paul Miller Racing’s flawless late-race charge, and AF Corse’s historic GTD win all added layers to a story that could only be written at Petit Le Mans.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As the transporters rolled out of Braselton and the Georgia air cooled, the paddock already began to buzz with what’s next. The GTP field will expand again in 2026, with new manufacturers rumored to join. LMP2’s next-generation platform looms on the horizon. GTD Pro and GTD will continue to attract a mix of factory and privateer teams, each chasing glory in the year’s longest and most punishing races.
But for now, the echoes of 2025 still resonate the sounds of Cadillac’s V8 hybrid thundering through Turn 12, the flash of Ferraris in the night, and the cheer from the pit wall as champions were crowned.
Petit Le Mans remains what it has always been: a race that defines endurance. Not just who’s fastest, but who’s strongest, who’s smartest, and who can survive ten hours of the most intense racing on the continent.
In 2025, it gave us all of that and more.
IMSA:
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta: