Record-Breaking Pace Sets the Stage for the 2024 Rolex 24 at Daytona
Diverse Marques Show Strength in Qualifying for Daytona's Endurance Challenge
In a remarkable display of skill and speed, Pipo Derani set a new track record during the Daytona 24 Hours qualifying session. Piloting the #31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, Derani completed a lap in 1m32.656s, surpassing the previous year's record set by Tom Blomqvist, now his teammate, and outdoing Oliver Jarvis' fastest prototype lap from 2019.
Sebastien Bourdais, representing Chip Ganassi Racing in another Cadillac, was just a fraction slower, trailing by 0.071s. The #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, driven by Felipe Nasr, faced a challenging run but secured the third spot despite a spin-off incident.
“Third place is okay. I got everything I could out of our car today. The crew did a great job.” said Nasr. “I’m totally convinced that we’re contesting the race with a strong package. We’ll continue to focus on working on consistency over long distances in the upcoming practice sessions starting on Thursday. We need to be perfectly prepared to be in the fight for victory next weekend.”
BMW M Hybrid V8's Connor De Phillippi and the #40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06, driven by Louis Deletraz, rounded out the top five positions, demonstrating the competitive nature of the field.
A confident De Phillippi said, “In qualifying, we had the best car of the whole weekend. We are satisfied that we have made a good step in the right direction. There is still some optimisation to be done here and there, but I am happy for the team about the significantly better result compared to last year. We are slowly but surely getting to where we need to be to close the gap. The race is long, and a lot can happen. We are ready for the action.”
In the LMP2 class, Ben Keating continued his streak of excellence, clinching the class pole in the #2 United Autosports USA ORECA. Nick Boulle and George Kurtz followed closely, marking a competitive session in this category.
The GTD Pro and GTD classes also saw intense competition. AO Racing's Seb Priaulx set a class track record in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Jack Hawksworth and Parker Thompson also delivered noteworthy performances in their respective vehicles.
“Well, that was unexpected!” exclaimed Priaulx. “I gave everything I had and ended up on pole. Today was my day! Everything ran perfectly. Now, we have a long race ahead of us. We shouldn’t let the grid position distract us from the big challenge next weekend. Still, it’s always nice when you can go into an important race week with a good feeling and on the wave of success. I’m thrilled.”
The qualifying session was not without its challenges, exemplified by an incident involving Kellymoss with Riley's David Brule at the start, which led to a red-flag situation.
This high-octane qualifying session sets an exciting stage for the upcoming Daytona 24-Hour race, highlighting the prowess of top drivers and teams in the world of endurance racing.