Pipo Derani places Cadillac in pole position for the 24 Hours of Daytona

Cadillac confirmed in qualifying what the American manufacturer had demonstrated during the Roar Free Practice. The Detroit (Michigan) firm dominated the 15-minute session with Pipo Derani, reigning Drivers' champion, in pole position. The Brazilian set the reference time in 1:32.656 (new record) at the wheel of the No. 31 V-Series.R ahead of Frenchman Sébastien Bourdais on #01, at 0.071 seconds. Felipe Nasr completed the podium with the Porsche 963 n°7 at 0.220 seconds.

After its accident during the last practice session exclusively reserved for GTPs before qualifying, the No. 963 Proton Competition Porsche 5 was unable to take to the track. Note that the nine cars with a time at the end of this session, contested with a strong wind, are all below the 2023 pole position which was signed by Tom Blomqvist (1:34.031).

VIDEO - Accident for Proton Competition n°5 before qualifying

LM P2: United Autosports already in pole position

United Autosports is wasting no time. For his first race in IMSA, the Anglo-American team is already in pole position in the LM P2 category thanks to reigning champion Ben Keating. The fifty-year-old once again confirmed his peak speed by placing the No. 07 Oreca 2 in first position in its category in 1:38.501. The Texan beat his compatriot Nick Boulle, teammate of Frenchmen Tom Dillmann and Clément Novalak at Inter Europol Competition, by 0.102 seconds. George Kurtz placed the No. 4 CrowdStrike Racing by APR in third.

Ben Keating already puts United Autosports in pole position – Photo: IMSA

Associated with Lilou Wadoux, Matthieu Vaxiviere and Nicklas Nielsen in the Oreca 07 n°88 of Richard Mille AF Corse, Luis Pérez Companc made a mistake and damaged the rear of the prototype.

GTD/GTD Pro: Legge close to pole

The GT session was quickly interrupted by a red flag following David Brule's exit from the track at the wheel of the Kellymoss with Riley Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) in which Frenchman Julien Andlauer is entered. The session was restarted with just under eight minutes on the clock. Seb Priaulx was fastest in the No. 911 AO Racing Porsche 3 GT992 R (77) in 1:44.382, beating Jack Hawksworth in the No. 3 Lexus RC F GT14 of Vasser Sullivan by just 0.080 second. Romain Grosjean (Lamborghini Iron Lynx n°60) settled for 8th place in this category.

The No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura came close to the GTD feat – Photo: IMSA

Lexus will be able to console itself with the pole position in GTD signed by Parker Thompson in 1:44.494. The Canadian beat Klaus Bachler (No. 86 MDK Motorsports Porsche) by 0.043 seconds and a surprising Katherine Legge by 0.146 seconds. The British driver even held pole position until the very last moments at the wheel of the No. 3 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT66, confirming what she had demonstrated during Free Practice 1 of the Roar.