Story byMotorsport photoHeiko StritzkeSun, January 25, 2026 at 11:51 PM UTC·3 min readPhilip Ellis has reflected on his heart-stopping 175mph slide during the 2026 Rolex 24. The moment occurred during a late-race clash with Nicki Thiim while battling for the lead—a duel that ultimately secured the GTD victory for Winward Racing. The dramatic fight for the class win between the #57 Winward Mercedes-AMG and the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin reached its boiling point with just ten minutes remaining when the two cars made contact at the fastest part of the Daytona International Speedway. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It was definitely one of the wildest moments of my career,” the 33-year-old told Motorsport. com. No stranger to spectacular incidents from his junior formula years in Europe, Ellis admitted he would need some time to “let that one sink in.”Despite the scale of the moment, Ellis confessed that the adrenaline of the duel meant he didn’t immediately grasp the danger sitting behind the wheel.“It wasn’t until the in-lap that I realized I was missing the mirror.