Winward Locks Out Top Spots To Start Sunday Morning’s Test

IMSA Sanctioned Test Day – Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, FL – Winward Racing dominated the final day of the IMSA Sanctioned Test at Daytona International Speedway, achieving the fastest times in both GTD PRO and GTD classes with their Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVOs.

Maxime Martin clocked a blistering 1:47.152 in the opening four-hour morning session, marking the fastest time of the day for the GTD PRO category. This lap was a mere 0.004 seconds quicker than Lucas Auer’s time set yesterday in the second Winward entry.

Following Martin, Dean MacDonald piloted the RLL Team’s #59 McLaren GT3 Evo to a second-place finish in GTD PRO, posting a 1:47.684, while Will Power secured third with the #75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG. Jack Hawksworth and Andrea Caldarelli rounded out the top five in their Lexus and Lamborghini, respectively.

In the GTD class, Philip Ellis led the time sheets for Winward Racing’s #57 Mercedes-AMG with a 1:47.323, placing the team firmly in a 1-2 finish overall. Nicki Thiim’s #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin followed closely, finishing 0.490 seconds behind, while Callum Ilott’s #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche claimed third.

Noteworthy was the early session activity, as the majority of quick lap times were recorded in the initial phase. Attendance dwindled as teams completed their testing protocols, revealing a track with minimal traffic towards the session’s conclusion.

The Manthey Porsche #911 led the mileage tally, finishing with a total of 101 laps. However, Myers Riley Motorsports faced an early exit when engine issues halted their progress after just eight laps with the #16 Ford Mustang GT3 Evo.

This final day of testing served as a pivotal moment for teams, allowing them to refine setups ahead of the upcoming season.

Testing Continues: The session concludes with an additional three hours of track time planned for the afternoon.