Matt Campbell talks Daytona 24 glory

Matt Campbell has just bagged his first big win of season 2024 and now he’s headed home for the Bathurst 12-Hour.

Victory in the Daytona 24-Hour is the biggest yet for the 29-year-old Queenslander, who is now firmly entrenched at the top level of Porsche Motorsport.

The big challenge for the year is the Le Mans 24, where Porsche was outgunned in 2023 by Ferrari, but Campbell is taking time to enjoy the Daytona success.

“Once it all sunk in and hit me on the Tuesday … it’s really different winning overall. And especially how the race went. We really took it to the Cadillacs and ran up the front,” Campbell told AUTO ACTION.

He did plenty of heavy lifting at the American sports car classic, driving around one-third of the race despite the Porsche-Penske team having four drivers – Campbell, Felipe Nasr, Dane Cameron and last year’s Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden – to share the Porsche 963.

It was a landmark win for Porsche as it renews its drive for Le Mans sports success with the 963 and also the first Daytona victory for Roger Penske – who was on the victory podium – in 55 years.

It was Nasr who qualified the car but Campbell who got the tough task of taking their Porsche through the twilight.

Matt Campbell racing into the Daytona night. Photo by Jake Galstad / LAT Images

“My first stint was the transition into the night,” he said.

“I did three double stints before the morning. And for the last eight hours of the race it was me and Felipe back-to-back. We did around eight hours each.

“There were quite a few good battles. Especially in the night time and early hours of the morning.

“When I took the lead in my first stint, I had to overtake a few cars. And it was ebbing and flowing. We were always able to come back to the front.

“I think we had the best speed of anyone in the night time. The Cadillacs were much the same in the daytime when it was hotter.” 

Despite the darkness, and a field with wildly differing speeds, Campbell said the race is not as tough at the French classic in June.

“There is quite a lot of lighting around Daytona. For a 24-hour race it’s actually one of the easiest for the light conditions. Especially compared to Le Mans.

“Daytona, overall, as a 24-hour endurance race, is one of the easiest ones physically. It’s never too warm and you get lots of rest on the banking.

“Don’t get me wrong, it is tough, but compared to some other 24s, it’s better.”

The toughest thing for Campbell in 2024 was standing in the pits as Nasr battled through the final hour to victory.

“For sure, watching was the nervous part,” he said.

“It was hard to watch. I didn’t want to go back to the truck after my last stint.

“He (Nasr) did a fantastic job. Made no mistakes. The team did a phenomenal job on strategy. It was a full-on race toward the end.

Aussie Matt Campbell (right) Dane Cameron, Josef Newgarden and Felipe Nasr celebrate Daytona 24 glory. Photo by Michael L. Levitt / LAT Images)

“He just needed to stay in front and he was able to do that.”

It was Campbell’s second big 24-hour win with Porsche, after GTE-AM success at Le Mans in 2018, and he also won the Sebring 12-Hour in 2019.

He has been part of the 963 program since the start, racing a full season with IMSA in the USA last year, and said there are significant updates for his 2024 campaign in the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans.

“The car certainly, compared to last time at Daytona, it’s very very different. There has been lot of development before the season.

“Up to Daytona last year we were focussed on durability. The performance was a lot better but not a huge difference to the end of last year.

“Systems and software. Nothing majorly different, it was just a lot nicer compared to last year.”

He said he now has more confidence heading into the WEC competition, where he is – for the first time – one of the elite driver group for Porsche.

“It sets the season in motion. It makes me more excited to go to Le Mans. It’s obviously my first time to be racing for the overall win, so I’m excited for that.

The car is now proven over 24 hours and it was its first big win. Porsche and Penske are now putting a lot of pressure on for Le Mans and we’re expected to perform.

“We drivers know the job we need to do. But it’s everyone in the team, mechanics, engineers, strategists…

“This year will be a different story to last year. There were a lot of concerns about reliability and we struggled for speed.”

The #7: Porsche Penske Motorsports, Porsche 963, GTP crosses the Daytona finish line. Photo by Jake Galstad / LAT Images)

As Campbell spoke to Auto Action he was in Barcelona in Spain for a major WEC test, before heading to Australia for the 12-hour at Bathurst with Manthey racing in a 911 GT3R.

“The team is putting a lot of effort into it. We were second last year and we’re coming back with our new car,” he said.

“That’s really exciting. I think it will really suit Bathurst as well.

“We’ve got the car and crew to do it. I think we can be in contention, no doubt about it.”

Campbell is also enthused about taking the lead-driver role at Mount Panorama, expecting to qualify and finish in the speedy Manthey car.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll qualify the car. I think I’ve finished the race every year I’ve done it.”

Then he is will be off on his globe-trotting adventure, as the WEC kicks off in Qatar at the end of February. 

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