Accelerating Performance team wins prestigious Daytona IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race on debut with McLaren
Win at Daytona 24 Hour-supporting race sealed with a decisive move after competitive performance throughout 4-hour race
Multi-championship winning McLaren Artura GT4 continues victorious ways with first win of 2025 – two years on from competitive debut at same even
The McLaren Artura GT4 claimed victory at Daytona this weekend (January 24) with the Accelerating Performance team winning the four-hour IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge race, two years on from the Artura GT4’s successful race debut at the same venue.
Having qualified a competitive fifth place on the 43-car grid, Accelerating Performance team pairing Moisey Uretsky and Michael Cooper ran consistently in the top ten for the duration of the four-hour race. Uretsky started the race and ran for an impressive 2 hours and 40 minutes before handing over to his team-mate.
Taking over the car with eighty minutes remaining, Cooper rejoined in eighth place and battled his way forward during a gripping final hour of racing, with cars separated by tenths of a second as they battled on the famous track and its punishing 31-degree banking. Cooper had advanced the Artura GT4 to third place as the race entered its final five laps, running nose to tail with the leaders.
With just two laps to go Cooper made a decisive move, taking a tighter line exiting turn six and moving up the inside as the leaders powered around the banking. Despite attempts to reclaim the lead, Cooper’s Artura GT4 crossed the finish line in first place in the Daytona 24 Hour-supporting race. The result was all the sweeter for being the Accelerating Performance team’s debut race with the Artura GT4.
“Unbelievable. I don’t have any words. My heart’s beating and I have no idea what’s happening! That was the longest stint that I ever done.
“I love McLaren, and it has been great working with them. The team really deserve this. It’s their third year in and have been working really hard, having all come together. This is a sport where if anyone makes a mistake, the whole thing is gone. It’s 100,000 million percent due to the team.”
Moisey Uretsky, Driver #44 McLaren Artura GT4
“That was a lot of fun. I drove the previous version of the McLaren, so this felt very familiar. It’s an amazing GT4 car and all the guys did an incredible job. Moisey ran the first couple of stints, way longer than we needed him to, and he handed me over a clean car that I was able to fight with Jan [Heylen] and Billy [Johnson] and take it to the front.
“When I saw Jan starting to struggle with the back of the car in some of the slow corners, I knew where I wanted to get him. We were really strong through turn six running that inside line, and I got a couple cars that way. So, I kept trying to plan that same move and be as close as I could going into that corner so I can get it done.”
Michael Cooper, Driver #44 McLaren Artura GT4
“The race was a really impressive display of the qualities of the Artura GT4, and I have to say a massive congratulations to Moisey, Michael and the whole Accelerating Performance team. To go out and win in your first race with the car, and at a track as prestigious as Daytona, really is something special.”
Ian James, Director of Motorsport, McLaren Automotive
Designed for high performance and endurance, the Artura GT4 shares much of its technology with the McLaren Artura road car, including a meticulous approach to lightweighting, from the Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA) to its compact and power-dense 120-degree V6 twin turbo engine.
The Artura GT4 has also been developed to be accessible to drivers of all abilities and race teams, and the new Artura Trophy Evo is set to make its US debut in the new McLaren Trophy, America championship, which commences in March at Sonoma in California.
