Hot and cold for BMW M Team RLL. The first pole position of the 2025 IMSA season returned this Thursday evening to the Daytona track in Florida at Dries Vanthoor with the No. 24 M Hybrid V8, when the second car was forced to stop. on track
Sheldon van der Linde (BMW n°25 – BMW M Team RLL) stopped his GTP in the middle of the track at turn n°6 after a technical problem not yet specified by BMW, leading to a red flag and shortening the reserved session to GTPs.
But Dries Vanthoor finally brought smiles back to the BMW clan, with the best time set in 1’33″895, the only driver under 1’34” per lap.
The Belgian, already in good spirits at the Roar, is ahead of Nick Yelloly (Acura ARX-06 n°93 – Acura Meyer Shank Racing) by almost three tenths and Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 n°7 – Porsche Penske Motorsport) by a little more by three tenths.
Jack Aitken places the best Cadillac V-Series.R n°31 – Cadillac Whelen in fourth position at 0.455 ahead of Gimmi Bruni (Porsche n°85 – JDC-Miller Motorsports).
Sixth place for Tom Blomqvist (Acura no. 60), who for a time struggled on track with Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini SC63 no. 63 – Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse), 9th in the session, the two GTPs even coming into contact on the section oval.
7th and 8th place for the two Cadillacs – Wayne Taylor Racing, when Matt Campbell (Porsche n°6 – Porsche Penske) could not do better than 10th. Julien Andlauer did not set a time with the n°5 Porsche – Proton Competition, following a suspension problem.
United Autosports USA to its advantage in LMP2
United Autosports took pole position in LMP2 with the No. 22 Oreca 07 of Daniel Goldburg in 1’38” 676, the only driver under 1’39” per lap. Ben Keating failed by more than three tenths with the No. 52 Oreca – PR1/Mathiasen, Nick Boulle (No. 2 Oreca – United Autosports USA) half a second behind to complete the top 3.
© Courtesy of IMSA
Followed by Chris Cumming (Oreca n°73 – Pratt Miller Motorsports) and Steven Thomas (Oreca n°11 – TDS Racing) in the top 5.
Sixth, PJ Hyett (Oreca n°99 – AO Racing) could have finished higher in the hierarchy, but a spin at turn n°2, with an LMP2 placed on the flat bottom, caused the in place of a red flag a few seconds from the checkerboard. Worse for the American, he lost his two best times under the regulations.
-Gar Robinson (Riley) did not set a time.
Ford voit double en GTD PRO, Wright domine le GTD
For their second season in GT3, the Ford Mustangs hit hard in qualifying in Florida, scoring a clear double in GTD PRO. Mile Rockenfeller sets the best time in 1’45″523 with the #64 Ford. “Rocky” is ahead of his Ford Multimatic teammate Frédéric Vervisch (#65 Ford), trailing by 0″332. The two Pony Cars remain the only ones to have crossed the barrier of 1’46” per lap.
© Courtesy of IMSA
Dan Harper took 3rd place in the #48 BMW M4 GT3 EVO – Paul Miller Racing in third place at 0.482 and ahead of Alex Sims (Corvette Z06 GT3.R #3 – Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller) and Andrea Caldarelli ( Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 n°9 – Pfaff Motorsports). Laurin Heinrich hoists the best Porsche 911 GT3 R n°77 – AO Racing in 7th place, when the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO n°75 – 75 Express of Maro Engel finished 9th place for Davide Rigon (Ferrari 296 GT3 n°81 – DragonSpeed) more than 1″3 behind.
In GTD, Eliott Skeer takes the Porsche 911 GT3 R n°120 – Wright Motorsports to the top of the hierarchy in 1’46″634, 18 thousandths ahead of outgoing champion Philip Ellis (Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO n°57 – Winward Racing) The gaps are tight for the top 3 since Trent Hindman fails at 24 thousandths with the Lamborghini n°45 – Wayne Taylor Racing.
© Courtesy of IMSA
Maxi Götz (Mercedes n°32 – Korthoff Competition Motors) and Parker Thompson (Lexus RC F GT3 n°12 – Vasser Sullivan) complete the top 5 in the class at 0.149 and 0.154.
Best time in the GTD EL, Franck Perera took 7th place at 0″171 with the Lamborghini n°78 – Forte Racing, just ahead of Valentin Hasse-Clot (Aston Martin Vantage GT3 n°19 – van der Steur Racing). Michelle Gatting places the Porsche n°83 – Iron Dames in 11th place in the GTD.
Free practice 2 will begin tomorrow at 12:30 a.m. French time.
The times are HERE
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