Sports
Porsche Penske Roars Into 2025 History with Repeat Rolex 24 Wins!
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona delivered another heart-pounding finish, with Porsche Penske Motorsport securing a second consecutive overall victory in the iconic endurance race. The No. 7 Porsche 963, piloted by Felipe Nasr, Nick Tandy, and Laurens Vanthoor, took the checkered flag after an intense final battle on the legendary Daytona International Speedway road course.
Felipe Nasr clinched a thrilling Rolex 24 victory for Porsche Penske Motorsport #7, celebrating with his team and showcasing their Rolex watches in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway on Sunday, January 26, 2025. Photo by Florida National News / Corey Williams.
Victory Lane Drama: Porsche Penske vs. Meyer Shank Racing
In the closing hour, Felipe Nasr went head-to-head with Matt Campbell (Porsche Penske Motorsport #6) and Tom Blomqvist (#60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing) in a gripping three-way fight. The two Porsche Penske Motorsport entries dominated much of the final stretch, but Blomqvist pulled off a last-minute move to snatch second place from Campbell.
“This was an incredible battle to the finish! The Porsche Penske team gave us a perfect car, and I’m so proud of what we accomplished today,” Nasr said in Victory Lane.
Rolex 24 Class Winners:
- Overall Winner / GTP Class: #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport
- LMP2 Winner: #8 Tower Motorsports Oreca
- GTD Pro Winner: #65 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3
- GTD Winner: #13 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Major Takeaways: BMW’s Misfortune, Acura’s Close Call, and a Six-Car Wreck
BMW M Team RLL looked strong all race, but heartbreak struck in the final hour when contact with a Porsche led to front-end damage on the #24 BMW, forcing them out of contention. Pole-sitter Dries Vanthoor was running in the top three before the incident.
Acura Meyer Shank Racing came close to reclaiming victory, after winning in 2022 and 2023, but had to settle for second place behind Porsche Penske.
A major six-car crash during the night eliminated top contenders, including the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, driven at the time by World Endurance champion Louis Delétraz.
Iron Dames at the 2025 Rolex 24 at Daytona, Saturday, January 25, 2025. Photo by Florida National News / Roman Garay
Iron Dames Shine in Rolex 24 Debut
The Iron Dames, an all-female team featuring Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Karen Gaillard, impressed in their Rolex 24 debut, finishing 34th overall and 8th in the GTD class. After years of competing at Le Mans, the Iron Dames brought their talent to Daytona, proving they belong on the world’s biggest endurance racing stages.
Looking Ahead: Porsche Penske’s Historic Momentum
With back-to-back Rolex 24 wins, Porsche Penske Motorsport cements itself as the dominant force in endurance racing. As the 2025 IMSA season continues, all eyes will be on them to see if they can maintain their winning streak.
“Winning this race two years in a row is something special. The whole team deserves this moment,” said Roger Penske, team owner, in the post-race celebration.
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J Willie David, III, Roman Garay, Corey Williams
Florida National News
sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Davison scores 26 points, Branham adds 23 and Osceola records 23 steals to open its season with a victory at Silver Spurs Arena.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic opened their season with a record-setting defensive performance, collecting 23 steals and forcing 35 turnovers in a 97-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Silver Spurs Arena.
JD Davison scored a game-high 26 points and Malaki Branham added 23 as Osceola established a franchise record for steals and matched its record for opponent turnovers. Osceola Magic
Defense drives the comeback
Oklahoma City led 31-22 after the first quarter and 44-43 at halftime. Osceola pulled even at 70 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Blue 27-19 over the final period.
The victory gave Osceola a 1-0 start and dropped Oklahoma City to 0-2. Zhaire Smith led the Blue with 19 points, while Christoph Tilly contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. gleague.nba.com
Osceola’s defensive pressure helped offset Oklahoma City’s early advantage. The Blue finished just 5 of 29 from 3-point range, shooting 17.2%.
Six Magic players recorded multiple steals, led by Johnell Davis’ career-high six — one short of the franchise record. Davison collected four, Jarron Cumberland had three, and Ace Baldwin Jr., Branham and Mike Sharavjamts each added two.
Malaki Branham leans into his drive while keeping his dribble low as an Oklahoma City Blue defender guards him during the Osceola Magic’s season opener. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.
Davison and Branham lead the offense
Davison and Branham combined for 49 points, accounting for more than half of Osceola’s scoring.
Au’Diese Toney contributed 14 points in his return to Osceola, including a late 3-pointer that helped secure the victory.
Davis provided another boost off the bench with 11 points and a career-best-tying four assists, complementing his disruptive defensive performance.
Sharavjamts makes professional debut
Sharavjamts posted a team-best plus-12 rating in 24 minutes during his professional debut. Osceola outscored Oklahoma City by 12 points while he was on the floor. Osceola Magic
What’s next for the Osceola Magic?
Following a scheduled road matchup with the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Osceola returns to Silver Spurs Arena to host the Mexico City Capitanes on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Member News
The Magic’s challenge will be to sustain the defensive pressure that helped them overcome an early nine-point deficit in the opener.
NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.
Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.
“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.
LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.
The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.
A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.
Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls
Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.
A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry
The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.
Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:
“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”
— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.
South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
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