Incredible consistency between works drivers
In GTD PRO, 8 works drivers of three different GT3 are among the top 10 fastest laps after 5 sessions. Considering weather forecasts for today predicts rain, the fastest laps per driver of these past two days are likely to be the fastest of ROAR before the 24 Hours of Daytona.
In GTD, the Iron Dames are making waves with Frey and Gatting in the top 6 per driver.
GTD PRO
The top three GT3s in average
Beyond the ranking per team/car, the average fastest lap time per car is an essential data for a 24 hours race as it determines the consistency of a trio of drivers and the true ranking between teams with their respective car.
Andrea Caldarelli was the fastest of the five sessions with #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 in 1:47.626. With his co-drivers Marco Mapelli setting the third best lap in 1:47.798 and Jordan Pepper tenth in 1:48.324, the Lamborghini trio shares an average fastest lap of 1:47.916. Six times IndyCar Series winner James Hinchcliffe (fourth driver) was not able to perform at the level of other works drivers with a best lap in 1:49.049 which lowers considerably the average team fastest lap in 1:48.9925. Considering the number of cautions during Rolex 24, Hinchcliffe ‘ll probably drive his laps in the early hours so that his lower speed does not handicap the three other drivers.
📷© IMSA. Caldarelli-Mapelli-Pepper with #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.
#77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) show incredible consistency with Laurin Heinrich in 1:47.775 second, Alessio Picariello fifth in 1:48.165 and Klaus Bachler sixth in 1:48.200. Only 0.425 seconds separate the three Porsche world drivers. The Porsche trio share the fastest average fastest lap in 1:48.046.
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. Heinrich-Picariello-Bachler with #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
Fifth in the ranking per team, #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 count two works drivers in the top 10. Albert Costa and Miguel Molina are respectively eight (1:48.263) and ninth (1:48.278). Davide Rigon is 13th in 1:48.398. Fourth driver Thomas Neubauer is 26th in 1:48.639. Still the Ferrari quartet share the second average fastest lap in 1:48.3945.
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. Costa-Molina-Neubauer with #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3.
24 GTD drivers (out of 55) are within 1 second of combined sessions results per driver and class fastest lap.
GTD PRO combined session team ranking
Two Porsche 911 are among the top 5 teams ranking of combined sessions (AO Racing and Proton Competition) as well as the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 (1st), #77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) (2nd) and #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 (5th).
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. Left: #20 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R (992). Right: #3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Thomas Preining drove his fastest lap with #20 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) during the night session (session 5) which he dominated in GTD PRO class scoring the third in combined sessions fastest lap per team. Preining was fourth in results by driver and class fastest lap.
Antonio Garcia, seventh in results by driver and class fastest lap, put his #3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in P4 of combined sessions fastest lap per team.
Two Iron Dames in top 6 per driver in GTD class
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. Iron Dames Iron Ladies showed a very good grip of their # 83 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
With Rahel Frey second in 1:48.084 and Michelle Gating sixth in 1:48.173 ofcombined sessions ranking per driver and class, the Iron Dames showed a very good grip of their # 83 Porsche 911 GT3 R (992).
📷 © Courtesy of IMSA. Clockwise: Franck Perera with #78 Forte Racing entered Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 finished at the top of the combined sessions GTD pile with a 1:48.048 (set during session 3). 2023 Le Mans winner Alessandro Pier Guidi set the third fastest time (combined sessions) in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3. Elliot Skeer got a second Porsche 911 (#120 Wright Motorsports) in top five of combined session in 1:48.140 (P4) and Matthew Bell got his #13 AWA Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in P5 of combined sessions fastest lap per team and driver.
26 GTD drivers are within 0.500 seconds of combined sessions results per driver and class fastest lap.
Next sessions
Today’s WeatherTech Championship’s two remaining sessions are programmed as follow:
Session 6 from 9:45 AM to 10:45 AM ET
Session 7 from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM ET
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