Photo credit: Porsche
In the lead-up to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opener, the Porsche 963 from Porsche Penske Motorsport secured a starting position from the second row. During the qualifying session for the 24-hour race in Florida, Felipe Nasr, a factory driver from Brazil, achieved the third-fastest lap time, while the sister car qualified in tenth place. Additionally, the JDC-Miller MotorSports team, fielding an identical hybrid prototype, finished fifth in the session. In the GTD category, Wright Motorsports’ Porsche 911 GT3 R claimed pole position.
The qualifying session was marked by cold temperatures of nine degrees Celsius, which presented challenges for the GTP class drivers. The session was interrupted by red flags, resulting in less than six minutes available for competitive lap times. Nasr effectively managed to warm up the Michelin tires on the number 7 Porsche 963, concluding the session with a time of 1:34.280 minutes. Conversely, his teammate Matt Campbell faced difficulties, completing only two flying laps and unable to take advantage of the improving track conditions.
Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh, commented on the starting positions of third and tenth, stating that while not ideal, it was not a disaster. He noted the significant challenges posed by the low temperatures during qualifying but expressed confidence in the car’s performance for the race. Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, remarked that the session did not reflect their true potential and emphasized their focus on the upcoming race.
In the JDC-Miller MotorSports team, Gianmaria Bruni performed well, finishing in fifth place. However, the Proton Competition entry had to forgo qualifying due to damage incurred during a morning practice session, resulting in a last-place start for the race.
In the GTD class, Wright Motorsports demonstrated a strong performance with Elliott Skeer achieving pole position in the number 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R. This result follows a successful weekend for the team at Daytona International Speedway. The Iron Dames team will start from eleventh in the GTD category, with Michelle Gatting showing competitive timing.
The GTD-Pro class faced additional challenges due to changing weather conditions, with a light rain shower initially making the track slippery. Laurin Heinrich qualified seventh in AO Racing’s Porsche 911 GT3 R, while Thomas Preining secured 14th place in the Proton Competition entry.
The 24 Hours of Daytona is scheduled to commence on Saturday, January 25, at 1:40 PM local time. The event will be available for free livestreaming on imsa.tv outside the USA and Canada, with live timing accessible through scoring.imsa.com. Driver quotes following the qualifying session reflected a mix of satisfaction and concern regarding performance and conditions, with a unified focus on the race ahead.