Philip Ellis Relives 175mph Daytona Scare: ‘One of the Wildest Moments of My Career’
Racing isn’t just about speed; it’s about survival. And sometimes, the line between winning a watch and ending up on the wall is razor-thin. Just ask Philip Ellis. During the closing moments of the 2026 Rolex 24, he experienced a heart-in-mouth moment that left spectators gasping and Ellis himself needing a minute to process just how close he came to disaster.
It was the kind of duel that makes IMSA racing so special. Ellis, piloting the Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG, found himself in a fierce scrap for the GTD class lead with Nicki Thiim in the Magnus Racing Aston Martin. With the clock ticking down and only ten minutes left in a grueling 24-hour marathon, tensions were high. But nobody expected things to get quite this sideways, literally.
Ellis Reflects on the High-Speed Slide
The incident happened at the fastest section of the Daytona International Speedway. We’re talking speeds north of 175mph. As Ellis and Thiim jockeyed for position, the two cars made contact. For a terrifying second, the No. 57 Mercedes was completely sideways, tires smoking, physics seemingly taking a holiday.“It was definitely one of the wildest moments of my career,” the 33-year-old driver said.
Now, Ellis isn’t exactly a rookie. He’s cut his teeth in the aggressive junior formulas of Europe and has seen his fair share of scrapes. But this one? This one was different. He admitted he needed some time to just “let that one sink in.” It’s a reminder that even for the pros, these machines are beasts that can bite at any moment.
Adrenaline Masked the Danger
Here’s the crazy part: in the heat of the moment, Ellis didn’t even realize how bad it was. That’s the power of adrenaline. When you are locked in a battle for the win after driving for hours on end, your focus narrows to a pinprick. The danger fades into the background, replaced by the singular need to stay ahead.
“It wasn’t until the in-lap that I realized I was missing the mirror. I was so focused on the fight that I didn’t even notice,” Ellis explained, sounding almost bewildered by his own tunnel vision.
It wasn’t until he saw the footage that the gravity of the situation hit him. “I wasn’t really aware that we were so close to a disaster that could have seen both of us DNF. Of course, neither of us would want that.”
Owning the Mistake
One of the marks of a great driver is the ability to own their mistakes, and Ellis didn’t shy away from taking responsibility. He admitted that he misjudged the move, an error that race control flagged with a warning.
“He had a run on me that I tried to break by putting the side draft on him,” Ellis noted, breaking down the split-second decision. “To be fair, I didn’t realize he was already that close to the wall. So, that one is on me, especially at that speed, where the consequences can be massive.”
It takes guts to admit you messed up, especially when the stakes are that high. But thankfully, the racing gods were smiling on them. Both cars continued, the show went on, and the fans got exactly what they paid for.
A Surprise Fight to the Finish
Ellis also gave credit where it was due. He confessed he was genuinely surprised by Thiim’s tenacity in those final laps. Usually, after a scare like that, or just due to tire wear, you expect a rival to fade. Not Thiim.“I was very surprised that he stuck with me like that,” said Ellis, now a three-time Rolex 24 winner.
“I don’t know if he found extra pace or if being in my slipstream helped him that much, but I didn’t expect him to fight back so hard in those last 15 minutes.”It’s that unpredictability that keeps us glued to the screen. Just when you think a driver has the advantage, the underdog finds another gear.
IMSA Rules and Racing Etiquette
Interestingly, Ellis had already been on IMSA’s radar earlier in the race for a separate incident involving Mattia Drudi. But did he know he was walking a tightrope with race control? Not really.“I had no idea, to be honest. I only knew I had a warning after our incident. But again, that didn’t really change much,” he said.
When asked if knowing about Thiim’s own warnings would have changed his defensive strategy, Ellis shrugged it off. He knows the game. “I don’t think so. IMSA is very strict on blocking rules. I might have tried to bait him into blocking me a bit more… but I’m glad we sorted it out on track and not via penalties.”
And isn’t that the truth? Nobody wants to see a race decided in the stewards’ office. We want to see it settled on the asphalt, wheel-to-wheel, with drivers pushing the limits of sanity and grip.
“I think that’s what people come here to watch,” Ellis concluded. “That’s why we see record crowds every year. It’s what makes IMSA so special.”He’s right. It’s the near-misses, the “wildest moments,” and the sheer human will to win that keep us coming back for more.
