Bamber Leads Night Practice In #31 Cadillac

Daytona 24: Bamber Tops Second Practice Amid Controversy

In a dramatic lead-up to the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Earl Bamber secured the fastest lap in the second practice session, clocking in at 1:35.914 in the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R. This performance came just before the team faced a post-qualifying technical infringement.

Bamber’s lap narrowly edged out Julien Andlauer, who recorded a 1:35.970 in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, while Tom Blomqvist posted a 1:36.147 in the #60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, placing third in the GTP class.

In LMP2, António Félix da Costa claimed the top spot with a lap of 1:39.791 in the pole-sitting #43 Inter Europol Competition ORECA 07-Gibson. He was followed closely by Nicklas Nielsen of AF Corse USA and Dane Cameron from AO Racing in second and third, respectively.

GTD PRO saw Antonio García lead with a time of 1:46.742 in the #3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Z06 GT3.R, contributing to a 1-2 finish for the team, with his teammate Nico Varrone at 1:46.832. James Calado of Triarsi Competizione was third.

In GTD, Danny Formal set the pace driving the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, achieving a time of 1:46.768. He was three-tenths faster than Conquest Racing’s Thierry Vermeulen, with Felipe Fraga from Myers Racing in third.

The session was interrupted briefly by a red flag caused by Eduardo Barrichello, whose #27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin suffered a right-rear wheel failure. Fortunately, no significant damage ensued. At the conclusion of the session, the #13 Autosport Corvette experienced a fire in the pit lane post-qualification.

Final practice is scheduled for tomorrow at 11:05 AM ET.

Practice Session Results Summary:

• GTP:
  • 1. Earl Bamber (#31 Cadillac) – 1:35.914
  • 2. Julien Andlauer (#7 Porsche) – 1:35.970
  • 3. Tom Blomqvist (#60 Acura) – 1:36.147
• LMP2:
  • 1. António Félix da Costa (#43 Inter Europol) – 1:39.791
  • 2. Nicklas Nielsen – AF Corse USA
  • 3. Dane Cameron – AO Racing
• GTD PRO:
  • 1. Antonio García (#3 Corvette) – 1:46.742
  • 2. Nico Varrone (#4 Corvette) – 1:46.832
  • 3. James Calado (#033 Ferrari)
• GTD:
  • 1. Danny Formal (#45 Lamborghini) – 1:46.768
  • 2. Thierry Vermeulen – Conquest Racing
  • 3. Felipe Fraga – Myers Racing

Key Quotes:

• Bamber’s performance emphasizes the competitive edge of the Cadillac team, while the technical infringement has raised questions about compliance ahead of the race.

Further developments are anticipated as the teams prepare for the final practice, with potential implications for the championship landscape.