IMSA Sanctioned Test Day 2: Acura Meyer Shank Racing Leads with Stellar Performances
Daytona International Speedway witnessed intense competition as the second day of the IMSA Sanctioned Test unfolded. Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s #60 ARX-06 topped the timesheets, with AJ Allmendinger and Colin Braun showcasing their prowess.
Top Performers:
- Colin Braun clocked in a blistering 1:36.231, the fastest lap of the session, achieved shortly after an early red flag.
- AJ Allmendinger was initially fastest at 1:36.523.
- In the GTP class, Bryce Aron‘s #85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963 finished second, just 0.310 seconds off Braun, while Dries Vanthoor in the #24 BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8 secured third.
Notably, all 11 GTP entries were separated by under one second, signaling highly competitive field depth. The #23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie completed its first serious laps after addressing previous electrical issues, ranking 11th overall with 57 laps logged.
Laps and Technical Insights:
The #31 Cadillac Whelen entry emerged as the most active car, completing 88 laps, featuring Connor Zilisch’s debut stint in a GTP.
In LMP2, Pietro Fittipaldi led with a time of 1:39.609 in the #73 ORECA 07 – Gibson, edging out Tom Dillmann by 0.156 seconds.
GTD Highlights:
Spencer Pumpelly secured the top spot in GTD, driving the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo with a time of 1:47.537.
The session was marred by a red flag caused by John Potter’s off-track incident, but the team recovered later to resume their testing. Jan Heylen brought the new #28 RS1 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) to second place, followed by Philip Ellis in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
In GTD PRO, Maxime Martin led the pack, setting a lap of 1:47.622, just ahead of Mikaël Grenier and the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo.
Next Steps:
The test continues with a four-and-a-half-hour afternoon session, followed by a two-hour night run, providing teams with essential track time ahead of the upcoming racing season.
Test Session Results Summary:
- GTP Fastest Lap: Colin Braun (#60 Acura) – 1:36.231
- LMP2 Fastest Lap: Pietro Fittipaldi (#73 ORECA) – 1:39.609
- GTD Fastest Lap: Spencer Pumpelly (#44 Aston Martin) – 1:47.537
The results from this session reinforce the level of talent and competitive spirit within the IMSA field as teams prepare for the upcoming season.
