Jack Aitken Secures Pole Position for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona
Daytona International Speedway, FL – Jack Aitken delivered a stellar performance on Friday, clinching the pole position in the GTP class for the 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona, marking a significant achievement for the #31 Cadillac Whelen team. Aitken is the only driver to break the one-minute, 34-second barrier during qualifying, recording a time of 1:33.939.
This pole marks Action Express Racing’s second in three years, following Pipo Derani’s pole in 2024, which set a course record. Aitken will be joined on the front row by his teammates Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti, and Connor Zilisch, alongside the #39 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06. Renger van der Zande’s strong eventual lap of 1:34.041 put the red and black #93 Acura in second.
Louis Delètraz qualified third in the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac with a time of 1:34.069, while two-time defending winner Felipe Nasr placed fourth in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 at 1:34.183. The GTP field showcased competitive parity, with all entries separated by less than 1.5 seconds—down to Ross Gunn in the #23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie.
LMP2 and GTD PRO Highlights
In the LMP2 class, Jeremy Clarke earned Inter Europol Competition a historic pole position with a time of 1:39.952, edging out PJ Hyett’s #99 AO Racing ORECA by a mere eight milliseconds. Daniel Goldburg and Ben Keating rounded out the top three in a tightly contested session.
Alexander Sims captured pole in the GTD PRO category for Corvette Racing, achieving a time of 1:45.106. This marked the first pole for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R since 2022, positioning Sims ahead of Neil Verhagen in the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO (1:45.276). A notable performance came from Dean MacDonald, who qualified third in the #59 RLL Team McLaren 720S GT3 EVO at 1:45.425.
In the GTD division, Zacharie Robichon secured the pole for the #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with a time of 1:45.113. Philip Ellis and Robby Foley followed closely in second and third positions, respectively.
Upcoming Events
The 64th Rolex 24 At Daytona promises an exciting race, with night-time practice set to commence tonight at 6:15 PM EST. The stage is set for a gripping endurance challenge.
Qualifying Results:
- GTP Class: 1. Aitken (#31 Cadillac) 1:33.939, 2. van der Zande (#93 Acura) 1:34.041, 3. Delètraz (#40 Cadillac) 1:34.069, 4. Nasr (#7 Porsche) 1:34.183, 5. Blomqvist (#60 Acura) 1:34.328.
- LMP2 Class: 1. Clarke (#43 Inter Europol) 1:39.952, 2. Hyett (#99 AO Racing) 1:39.960, 3. Goldburg (#22 United Autosports) 1:40.096.
- GTD PRO Class: 1. Sims (#3 Corvette) 1:45.106, 2. Verhagen (#1 BMW) 1:45.276, 3. MacDonald (#59 McLaren) 1:45.425.
- GTD Class: 1. Robichon (#27 Aston Martin) 1:45.113, 2. Ellis (#57 Mercedes) 1:45.187, 3. Foley (#96 BMW) 1:45.265.
Images: © Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com
