Dodge’s GT Icon: The Story of Viper C27
November 20, 2025
Five days of nonstop engines, endurance, and nostalgia brought Daytona International Speedway alive for the 11th running of the HSR Classic 24 Hour presented by Mission Foods. The event remains the longest and oldest race on the HSR schedule, yet it feels anything but routine. Across the infield, decades of racing heritage converged, machines from wildly different eras running side by side in the twice around the clock battle.
This year’s format echoed tradition: Run Groups A through G cycling around the clock, with Groups C and D sharing the track. Each group battled through four race segments, and at the end of it all, the winners claimed B.R.M. Chronographs; a fitting nod to the endurance legends who came before.
The stories that unfolded inside those groups showcased the wide spectrum of motorsport history. Florent Moulin delivered a standout moment for Iconic Racing, capturing his third HSR Classic victory behind the wheel of a pristine 2000 Dodge Viper GTS-R. Nearly 25 years ago, this very car placed fifth at the inaugural Rolex 24 At Daytona under the new Grand-Am era. Seeing it return by Iconic, Art & Revs felt like a full-circle moment. The Viper’s long hood, the thunder of that V10, it was Daytona history reliving its greatest hits.
Run Group E produced the weekend’s most dominant drive. Owen Trinkler climbed into the 2019 Porsche 991.2 GT3 R, the same car that claimed pole at the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hour, and never relinquished control. In the hands of the Vintage Racing Company-prepared machine, Trinkler swept all four segments, leading nearly every lap and winning by 21.292 seconds. It wasn’t just victory, it was precision.
Iconic Racing’s weekend, however, went even deeper. For the first time in team history, they executed a complete triple-sweep of Classic 24 victories. Gérard Lopez and former World Endurance Champion Marcel Fässler sealed the achievement with wins in both Run Group A and F. Their success marked the second time in three years that they’ve conquered both classes at Daytona, a résumé that speaks for itself.
Their Group A win came in a Lola, marking the car’s first victory of the 2023 Classic 24. Their Group F triumph followed in familiar machinery: the ex-JDC Motorsports 2019 Cadillac DPi, the same prototype the team campaigned to victory earlier in the weekend. In that moment, Daytona echoed with more than horsepower, it echoed with legacy.
Even as engines cooled and paddocks emptied, conversation turned toward the future. The 2026 event, scheduled for November 11–15 is already set to honor Ford’s storied racing history. From GT40s to prototypes to modern GT machinery, it promises to be a celebration worthy of the brand’s record and its impact on Daytona.
For now, though, the 11th running of the Classic 24 stands complete: five days of pure motorsport energy, unforgettable machines, and a celebration of endurance racing that remains unmatched anywhere else.
