Daytona 24 Hours Qualifying: BMW Takes Pole Position
Daytona Beach, FL – Dries Vanthoor secured pole position for the 2024 Daytona 24 Hours, leading a dramatic qualifying session for the IMSA SportsCar Championship season-opener on Thursday. Driving the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 LMDh for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Vanthoor clocked a fast lap of 1m33.895s, nearly three-tenths quicker than Nick Yelloly of Meyer Shank Racing, who qualified second in his Acura with a time of 1m34.186s.
"I was a bit anxious with the red flag; it complicated tyre warm-up," Vanthoor noted. His performance follows a strong showing during the official pre-event “Roar” test, where he also achieved the fastest time.
The session faced interruptions, notably when Sheldon van der Linde’s #25 BMW halted on track. The cause remains undisclosed, leading to a brief stoppage as the clock continued to run.
Felipe Nasr placed third for Porsche with a time of 1m34.280s in the #7 entry, while Cadillac made notable progress following a recent Balance of Performance adjustment, gaining 20kW. Jack Aitken delivered a strong performance to qualify fourth with a 1m34.350s in the Action Express Racing Cadillac.
Tom Blomqvist’s #60 Acura was disadvantaged late in the session when he encountered Mirko Bortolotti’s Lamborghini on his final lap, ultimately finishing fifth with a time of 1m34.432s. Filipe Albuquerque rounded out the top seven for Wayne Taylor Racing, just ahead of teammate Louis Deletraz.
In the LMP2 class, Daniel Goldburg led for United Autosports, securing pole with a time of 1m38.676s, followed by Ben Keating at 1m39.000s.
Ford dominated the GT Daytona Pro with Mike Rockenfeller taking pole in the #64 Mustang GT3 at 1m45.523s, followed by Frederic Vervisch in the sister car at 1m45.855s. In the GTD category, Elliott Skeer led in the Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3-R with a time of 1m46.634s, just edging out Philip Ellis and Trent Hindman.
The Rolex 24 at Daytona continues with a night practice session scheduled for 18:30 local time. This year’s race promises to deliver a competitive edge among manufacturers, particularly with the newly established Balance of Performance regulations.
Key Qualifying Results:
-
LMDh Class:
- Dries Vanthoor (BMW) – 1m33.895s
- Nick Yelloly (Acura) – 1m34.186s
- Felipe Nasr (Porsche) – 1m34.280s
-
LMP2 Class:
- Daniel Goldburg (United Autosports) – 1m38.676s
- Ben Keating (PR1 Mathiasen) – 1m39.000s
-
GT Daytona Pro:
- Mike Rockenfeller (Ford) – 1m45.523s
- Frederic Vervisch (Ford) – 1m45.855s
- GTD Class:
- Elliott Skeer (Porsche) – 1m46.634s
