IMSA – Grosjean and Lamborghini at the party at Daytona

Two new test sessions were scheduled for Saturday at Daytona, both mixing the four categories.

If Tom Blomqvist was the fastest during the fourth session at the wheel of the Acura ARX-06/Meyer Shank in 1:36.339, Romain Grosjean did better during the next session held at night. The Lamborghini SC63 driver clocked 1:35.611, the best time of the two days of GTP racing. Romain Grosjean and Andrea Caldarelli had already shone during the fourth session, the two Lamborghini Squadra Corse drivers finishing in the top 3. The Italian still slowed his mount down at the end of the session.

Over the two days, the two Acura ARX/Meyer Shank Racing cars of Nick Yelloly and Tom Blomqvist finished in the top three behind the SC63. The BMW M Hybrid/RLL did not stand out even though they spent a lot of time under the structure after the morning tests (engine), Marco Wittmann and Robin Frijns were the fastest of the BMW squad.

In the Cadillac camp, it was Jack Aitken who was the fastest, 621 thousandths off the lead. The fastest Porsche driver over the two days was Gianmaria Bruni in the 963//JDC Miller MotorSports, just ahead of Kévin Estre.

All GTPs finished in 1.5s with the debutant Aston Martin bringing up the rear. For its Speedway debut, the Aston Martin Valkyrie completed 274 laps. The most seen driver on track during the two days was Julien Andlauer in the #6 Porsche 963.

In LMP2, Malthe Jakobsen’s time set during the second practice session was not beaten (1:38.635). It is therefore the Oreca 07/CrowdStrike Racing by APR which ends the day at the top of the timesheet, ahead of the two LMP2s from United Autosports and that of TDS Racing led by Charles Milesi.

The Ford Mustang GT3/Ford Multimatic Motorsports did well in the GTD PRO category, the #65 of Dennis Olsen (1:48.177) ahead of the #64 of Seb Priaulx (1:48.198). Third time for the Porsche 911 GT3 R/AO Racing of Klaus Bachler. Esteban Masson completed 14 laps in the #14 Lexus RC F GT3/Vasser Sullivan.

Porsche beat the competition in GTD thanks to Elliott Skeer in the 911 GT3 R/Wright Motorsports (1:48.438). Andy Lally and Valentin Haase-Clot finished in the trifecta, in the Magnus Racing and van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3s respectively. Davide Rigon placed the Ferrari 296 GT3/Inception Racing in fourth place ahead of another Ferrari, that of Giacomo Altoè (Conquest Racing).

Two new test sessions reserved for GTD PRO and GTD are on the menu for Sunday.

The times are HERE