Nick Tandy, known as 'Mr. 24 Hours,' is the first driver to win all four major 24-hour races, achieving the Grand Slam. He will race the Porsche 911 GT3 R, 'Rexy,' at the upcoming IMSA event in Laguna Seca.
Key points
Nick Tandy is known as 'Mr. 24 Hours.'
He has won all four major 24-hour races.
Tandy will race the Porsche 911 GT3 R, 'Rexy.'
He achieved the Grand Slam in endurance racing.
Tandy is the first to win all six major endurance races.
Porsche 911 GT3 RNick TandyIMSALe Mans
nick tandy race car driver
'Mr. 24 Hours' Tells Us Why the 'Ring Is so CrazyPorsche
Timo Bernhard, Hurley Haywood, and Tom Kristensen are all legendary endurance racers with incredible resumes. However, none of them can match what Nick Tandy has already accomplished during his decorated career, which still appears to be far from the finish line. Behind the wheel of Porsche race cars, the 41-year-old, blue-eyed Brit is the first driver to claim overall victories at all four major 24-hour races—Le Mans in 2015, the Nürburgring in 2018, Spa in 2020, and Daytona in 2025. That record-setting feat is known as the Grand Slam, and being the first to win it has earned Tandy the nickname "Mr. 24 Hours."
We had the chance to chat with the living legend before his latest IMSA race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, where Tandy will be driving the iconic Porsche 911 GT3 R dubbed "Rexy" for his new team, AO Racing.
Car and Driver: You're the first person to win all four major 24-hour races, but your win at last year's 12 Hours of Sebring also made you the first to win all six big endurance races. How did you process winning the "Big Six" on that day?
Nick Tandy: It's nice to talk about this stuff, but on that day, the thing was we won the Sebring 12 Hours. We beat every other team that weekend and on that day. When you look back, you perhaps won't remember that day that you won your fourth Sebring or whatever, but you might look back and think, I won all the four 24 hours, I won the big six endurance races, I won the Triple Crown, and it was that day that completed it. But in the moment you're so focused on beating the competition on that day. That's all that really matters. And that's the most important thing and the bit that gives the most satisfaction.
2025 12 hours of sebring celebration
Nick Tandy (right) celebrates with teammates after winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2025.Porsche
Q&A
What is the Grand Slam in endurance racing?
The Grand Slam refers to winning all four major 24-hour races: Le Mans, Nürburgring, Spa, and Daytona.
What notable achievements does Nick Tandy have in his racing career?
Nick Tandy has won all four major 24-hour races and is the first driver to win all six significant endurance races, earning him the nickname 'Mr. 24 Hours.'
What car will Nick Tandy drive at the IMSA race in Laguna Seca?
Nick Tandy will drive the Porsche 911 GT3 R, known as 'Rexy,' at the IMSA race in Laguna Seca.
When did Nick Tandy achieve the Grand Slam in endurance racing?
Nick Tandy achieved the Grand Slam with victories at Le Mans in 2015, Nürburgring in 2018, Spa in 2020, and Daytona in 2025.
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You've called the Nürburgring one of the toughest 24-hour races. What makes the "Green Hell" so difficult in your mind?
It's not because of the length. It's not because of the jeopardy of having no runoff. It's because the place is so fast. People don't realize just how fast and continually fast the Nürburgring is. There are hardly any slow-speed corners on the whole of the Nordschleife. Everything is third-, fourth-, fifth-gear stuff, which, coupled with the fact there's no runoff available, things can go wrong much easier, much more quickly on that circuit than anywhere else we race. Adding in the Eifel weather, there is no other event like it. I mean, it's crazy. If somebody built that track now and said, 'Here you go, guys, come and do a race around here.' The governing bodies and the manufacturers would turn around and go, 'No, you're absolutely stupid, we're never going to do that.' Because it's so bloody dangerous. And when things go wrong there, they go wrong in a hurry, and that is the problem.
You've spent most of your career as a Porsche factory driver. What is it about that relationship that has worked so well?
Entering the Porsche Carrera Cup series is what changed my life. Honestly, because all of a sudden, everyone on the grid had the same car. It evened the playing field, and it enabled me to basically make a career in the sport because I could show my potential of what I could do in a racing car to many people watching. So, looking back, obviously, it was my break into the professional side of the sport. My career has been built around driving a Porsche 911, and luckily enough, I've won a lot of stuff. So, of course, you're thankful because Porsche has been racing sports cars from the beginning without stopping. Then you get to know the people that design and build and develop the cars, and then eventually you get to become part of the process of developing and refining these cars, and it's a great thing to be involved in.
What has it been like this season after switching from Porsche's Penske team to AO Racing, which is arguably the most popular team in IMSA? Is there more pressure, or is it just nice to have more fans?
The attention that the team gets, the attention that the car gets is just unbelievable. I think it's totally awesome for the sport, not just AO or not just Porsche, not just Rexy, for the whole sport. I go home to the U.K., and there are people that have never been to North America, they never went to Le Mans, they never saw the car racing, but they know about Rexy. The attention and the excitement that the team and the car bring to our sport is just phenomenal. And if you look at the other side of that, the racing side, I've come to a team that's a championship-winning team, both in North America and Europe. So, to compete, it's the same attention to detail, the same amount of effort, and then the same reward when you get a result as, honestly, I've seen in the last 15 years. And I think that's why most of us are part of a race team, especially at this level. If you put the work in and you work well together, the end result can be fantastic.
porsche ao racing's 911 gt3 r rexy racing
AO Racing
You've achieved things no driver has ever done before. What still motivates you, and is there anything left on your bucket list?
It's the next race. I never thought I was going to win a 24-hour race. I never thought I was going to race at Le Mans. I'd never actively chased any of the records. I attained them by winning the next race. Then, eventually, I won all the races and got these records. But after we won Daytona last year, after we won the endurance cup last year, the focus is straight onto the next race. That's just how it is. And if you focus enough and do a good enough job, then you end up winning some. If you do better than the rest, you end up winning more than the rest.
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