2023 – now: The prototype era begins

After over 25 years of race wins and championship titles in GT racing, the Porsche 963 and Oreca 07 marked our first foray into prototype racing.

Built to LMDh regulations, the Porsche 963 is eligible to compete in the top class of both the FIA World Endurance Championship and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. Meanwhile, the Oreca 07 is a proven contender at the front of the field in leading regional series such as the European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series, as well as at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

What is so special about these cars?

Backed by a wealth of experience and expertise, Proton Competition took the next step in its evolution by entering the world of prototype racing. Unlike GT cars, which are based on production models, prototypes are purpose-built machines designed solely for competition.

A cornerstone of endurance racing for over a century, prototype racing opened the door for Proton Competition to compete for overall honours in the top class of the sport – for the first time in its history.

The move into protoype racing gave Proton Competition the chance to fight for overall wins, such as here in Abu Dhabi in the 2023/2024 Asian Le Mans Series.

What have we achieved with these cars?

With the potential to compete for overall victories now within reach, exciting new opportunities have emerged in global sportscar racing. Head-to-head battles with full factory teams from the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Toyota have become the norm, yielding standout results – such as an overall podium finish at the 2023 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta.

When it comes to the Oreca 07, it’s hard to look past our competitive debut with it at the 2023 Rolex 24 at Daytona. After 24 hours of tough and attritional racing, the #55 Proton Competition entry shared by Fred Poordad, Francesco Pizzi, Gianmaria Bruni and James Allen emerged victorious.

Racing the Porsche 963 also meant competing for the overall win at the prestigious Daytona 24 Hours in 2025.

How did the debut victory with the Oreca 07 come about?

If that wasn’t enough of a fairytale story, the finish to the race had to be seen to be believed. Still in third position with just minutes of the race remaining, Allen fought his way to the leader on the final lap and took the win by the barest of margins – just 0.016 seconds – for one of the closest finishes in Daytona history.

After many years racing at Le Mans in GT classes, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the endurance classic in style in 2023 with our maiden appearance in the top category with the Porsche 963.

Is it possible to run Hypercar and GT3 machinery at the same time?

Running both prototype and GT cars simultaneously – and in the same races – all over the world is a complex challenge that only a select few teams worldwide can manage. Strategic expertise, perseverance and meticulous attention to detail are vital in any racing team, but even more so when competing across two or three classes at once.