#60 MSR Acura Paces Opening Practice From Daytona

Acura Meyer Shank Racing Leads First Practice for Rolex 24 at Daytona

Daytona Beach, FL – Acura Meyer Shank Racing demonstrated a strong resurgence in the opening practice for the 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona, topping the timesheets with a blistering lap from Tom Blomqvist. The two-time race winner clocked a 1:35.415s in the #60 Acura ARX-06, securing first place with under 30 minutes remaining in the 90-minute session.

Following closely was Kévin Estre from Porsche Penske Motorsport, who posted a second-fastest time of 1:35.520s in the #6 Porsche 963. Felipe Nasr rounded out the top three for the same team, with a time of 1:35.534s in the #7 entry. Filipe Albuquerque provided a strong showing for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing, achieving fourth with a time of 1:35.561s in the #10 V-Series.R.

Dries Vanthoor completed the top five in the #24 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8, while the sister #25 WRT BMW struggled, managing only five laps due to hybrid system issues. The #23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie, driven by Ross Gunn, finished tenth, 1.9 seconds behind Blomqvist.

In the LMP2 class, Formula E leader Nick Cassidy led the charge in the #343 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson, clocking a best time of 1:39.764s. However, the team faced challenges due to a 60-second stop-and-go penalty related to a previous infringement concerning pit equipment setup. Alex Quinn and Pietro Fittipaldi followed in second and third, respectively.

Triarsi Competizione made an impressive entrance in GTD PRO, with Alessio Rovera driving the upgraded #033 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo to a best time of 1:46.348s. Dean MacDonald and defending race winner Frédéric Vervisch from Ford Racing followed in second and third.

In the GTD category, Valentin Hasse-Clot set the pace in the #19 Aston Martin Vantage GT3, achieving a class-best 1:46.325s. Antonio Fuoco and Nicki Thiim were notable contenders behind him.

Qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona takes place this afternoon at 2:10 PM ET, setting the stage for a thrilling endurance challenge ahead.

Key Times from First Practice:

• GTP:

  1. Tom Blomqvist (Acura) – 1:35.415s
  2. Kévin Estre (Porsche) – 1:35.520s
  3. Felipe Nasr (Porsche) – 1:35.534s
  4. Filipe Albuquerque (Cadillac) – 1:35.561s
  5. Dries Vanthoor (BMW) – Time Not Specified

• LMP2:

  1. Nick Cassidy (ORECA) – 1:39.764s
  2. Alex Quinn – Time Not Specified
  3. Pietro Fittipaldi – Time Not Specified

• GTD PRO:

  1. Alessio Rovera (Ferrari) – 1:46.348s
  2. Dean MacDonald (McLaren) – Time Not Specified
  3. Frédéric Vervisch (Ford) – Time Not Specified

• GTD:

  1. Valentin Hasse-Clot (Aston Martin) – 1:46.325s
  2. Antonio Fuoco (Ferrari) – Time Not Specified
  3. Nicki Thiim (Aston Martin) – Time Not Specified

Next Up:

Qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona begins at 2:10 PM ET. Further updates will follow as the countdown to this prestigious endurance race continues.