IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona: Day Two Highlights
The second day of the November IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona featured an intense 10-hour session with 37 cars from various classifications, showcasing competitive times and technical developments across the board.
Fastest Times and Key Performances:
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Morning Session: Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60, driven by AJ Allmendinger, set an early benchmark with a 1:36.523. However, Colin Braun swiftly improved upon this, clocking in at 1:36.231.
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Afternoon Session (Session 4): Nico Pino from JDC-Miller MotorSports took the lead in the GTP class with a session-best time of 1:36.015. Following closely were Nick Yelloly in the No. 93 Acura and Julien Andlauer in the Porsche Penske Motorsport No. 6.
Yelloly’s Friday session time of 1:35.725 remains the quickest of the weekend.
Night Session Insights:
- BMW M Team WRT led the night running with their modified M Hybrid V8s, with Marco Wittmann clocking a 1:36.697 in the No. 25.
- Connor Zilisch’s performance in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R was notable, as he completed 81 laps with a best time of 1:37.455.
LMP2 Developments:
- Pietro Fittipaldi and Pratt Miller Motorsports dominated LMP2, setting a top morning session time of 1:39.609 in the No. 73 ORECA 07-Gibson. His afternoon effort of 1:39.177 was just milliseconds shy of the weekend’s fastest time set by Charles Milesi.
GTD and GTD PRO Performance:
- Mercedes’s new No. 48 AMG GT3 EVO led GTD PRO testing, with Maxime Martin achieving a best time of 1:47.622. The No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG consistently performed well and matched Martin’s times across sessions.
- Winward Racing’s back-to-back GTD champion No. 57 Mercedes-AMG set a benchmark with a fastest overall time of 1:47.156, surpassing emerging competition from new Porsche and Ferrari entries.
Technical Notes:
- The No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo faced setbacks due to a steering issue but still managed notable times, while the new Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini completed 134 laps with a competitive 1:48.242.
In preparation for upcoming races, teams utilized this test to refine setups and address technical challenges. The competitive spirit and technical advancements highlighted at Daytona underscore the intense preparation leading into the season.
