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How did an automotive glass specialist become the only driver to conquer racing’s "Grand Slam"?
From balancing a 9-to-5 job in England and privately racing Porsches to standing atop the podiums at Le Mans, Nürburgring, Spa, and Daytona, Nick Tandy has become the only person in the world to win all four major 24-hour races outright.
Nick talks about the nuances between the four endurance majors and how he was able to conquer each of them with his team. He shares what it was like transitioning into a full-time factory driver position with Porsche and what pressures that entailed. He also reveals what it’s like driving the fan-favorite Rexy for AO Racing, and why even "Mr. 24 Hours" never stops learning.
Meet Nick Tandy: The only driver with this record [0:00]
Greg: There are 8.2 billion people on the planet Earth right now.
Nick Tandy: Jesus…
Greg: And you're the only one who's won all four of the 24-hour majors.
Nick: Yeah!
Greg: When the car crossed the line and you knew you had won this, this was the fourth, what went through your head?
We all know true immortality in sports isn't just about collecting the most championship rings and medals. It's also about achieving something so unbelievably difficult that few people on Earth, if anyone, will ever pull it off.
In tennis, only 19 men and women have won all four majors in their careers. In golf, just 13 have completed a career Grand Slam. And in the world of racing, there's only one driver who's ever achieved a similar feat. You might think I'm talking about multi-time F1 world champions like Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen, especially with Max dabbling at the Nürburgring, but I'm not. I'm talking about Nick Tandy from Bedford, England, an automotive glass specialist turned Porsche factory driver and the only person in the world to ever win all four major 24-hour races outright.
Nick: At the time, I didn't realise anyone would really give a shit about it. I knew about it, and a couple of other journalists knew because they keep records and had told me about this and what was possible.
What is the secret to endurance racing? [1:15]
Greg: What are the ingredients that make endurance racing what it is?
Nick: I mean, honestly, to be successful, you've got to be a team player. When you grow up driving, you're always in your own car. You know, stock cars, Formula 1, IndyCar, everything is single-driver stuff. Where here, you've got to work with people. Maybe I'm a good team player. It seems to have worked pretty well the last 10 years or so.
Greg: You beat out 8.2 billion people, so there you go.
Nick: There you go!
Greg: It's an understatement that it's just ‘worked out’ for Nick. It's been years of grit, perseverance, and perfection. So, what's the secret to winning? What makes him ‘Mr. 24 Hours’?
On the days that you have won these outright, is there something that's in the air? Is there something that clicks? Do you know when you walk into the weekend that, this is that car that could win at Le Mans, for example?
Nick: It's funny you say that, we knew at Le Mans for sure. You go through race week and the car is fast, you're reliable. By the time the race started, we got all this confidence that we were the people to beat. A lot of people didn't think that because we were rookies to the race, we were rookies to the Porsche program, but we had confidence that we were going to be strong. It was great. It was magical.
Differences between the major 24-hour races [2:45]
Greg: Just because the races are the same duration doesn't mean they're the same experience. Just think about the factors. You aren't just fighting a hundred other drivers. You're fighting the weather, the strain on your car and body, and the sheer unpredictability of the race. To survive that for 24 hours is a miracle. To win is a career-defining achievement. To do it at all four, that is something else entirely.
Talk about the majors and ones that you've won. How do you describe each of the different ones?
Nick: They're all 24-hour races, but they're all different. And to win them, it's all different. And Daytona is a race where, if you lose a minute, the chances are you might get a chance to get it back. Where, for instance, let's take the Nürburgring for example. Nürburgring is a place where you can have the best race and get the chance of something happening outside of your control, with the weather, with the way there's so many cars on track. There's much more luck involved, I would say, and you have to be lucky.
So Le Mans, typically, there's only one or two types of car that are fast enough and have the chance to win. Getting yourself in one of those cars at the right time is extremely difficult. And then you look at Spa. So Spa is different because it's the only one of the four where all the cars are the same speed. They're all GT3 spec cars nowadays. So there's tons of cars on quite a short track, let's say, with the weather that typically comes there. You have to know the intricacies of each event and how to prepare and how to get the best out of them.
Greg: How do you describe the difference to people between a four, six-hour race, a 10-hour race and a 24?
Nick: If you lose ten positions after a start or something, it's obviously much harder to get it back in a short race than in a long race. So you've got to go into these 12-hour, especially 24-hour races thinking, you know, we have to be there, we have to be strong, but if something negative happens, it's not the end of the world. Whereas in a shorter race, you know, we still have pit stops, you still work with your teammates, but the chance to regain ground is obviously much less.
Driving Rexy with AO Racing [4:20]
Greg: And what's it like with this program here? What's it like being part of the Rexy team?
Nick: It's busy. You know, I've seen it from afar. Obviously watching them in the paddock. The attention that the team gets and the car gets and everything. It's incredible.
Greg: And what are you bringing to the team this weekend? What's your role within this whole equation?
Nick: Learn.
Greg: Really?
Nick: Yeah, of course because this is a champion team. They know what they're doing I'm new to the car and GTD Pro, even though I've got a lot of experience in the GT3 car and GT racing and IMSA, but things are different so especially this weekend I'm here learning as much as I can. Of course if there is something I can help with then I will.
Greg: [Turns to the AO Racing team members watching with funny sunglasses on] Where did these glasses come from?
Nick: They look like Cyclops.
Greg: How often do you get pranked by these guys?
Nick: Every day!
The feeling when Nick Tandy became a professional Porsche driver [5:09]
Greg: Nick didn't just wake up and become a driver. He was juggling winning while working a nine to five as an automotive glass specialist. Now, if that's not dedication, I don't know what is. And it'd be fair to say that his hard work has paid off.
So in 2012, you were named the best privateer Porsche driver. Before it was a done deal, but you had the trophy, you had the accolade. How are you thinking about that at that point of your career?
Nick: Every year you're trying to find ways of funding the car you're trying to be racing. So the goal of everyone is to get to a level where the coin flips and instead of finding the money to pay for it, you're the one that is found and gets paid to do it. That's what happened at the back end of 2011 and into 2012 when I won the Porsche Cup. It was scoring the most points in a Porsche car around the globe for somebody that's not part of the Porsche factory driver pool. That year I became a professional, I left my normal job.
Greg: What’s the feeling that goes through your head? Is it a relief? Do you get to breathe or do you have to then lock into something next?
Nick: It's a huge pressure off, honestly, because you have all this pressure every year trying to do what you're trying to make it become your job. And when it finally is, it's like, yes, I've done it. But then of course, you know, instead of doing it for a hobby or trying to be an aspiring professional, you're being relied on to do the best job possible. So the pressure changes and then, you know, I've never lost the love of it. So it's awesome. I think it's awesome.
Goals with AO Racing for 2026 [6:34]
Greg: What is the thing that you're trying to check off next? Like you said you're competitive.
Nick: Daytona. And then after that it will be Sebring. And then after that it will be Laguna. Every race is as important as the next.
Greg: Alright, well we’ll talk to you again when you win the next four again!
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