Get ready for an exciting race! The 2026 IMSA Sportscar season has kicked off with a bang, and it's time to dive into the thrilling world of the Daytona 24 Hours.
Pole Position Drama Unveiled!
Jack Aitken has secured a remarkable pole position for Cadillac and Whelen Engineering in the highly anticipated 2026 Daytona 24 Hours. He, along with his teammates Earl Bamber, Frederick Vesti, and Connor Zilisch, will lead the pack as the green flag drops on Saturday. But here's where it gets controversial...
In a thrilling display of speed and strategy, the No.43 InterEuropol team claimed pole in LMP2, while the No.3 Pratt Miller Corvette and No.27 Aston Martin from Heart of Racing dominated in GTD Pro and GTD, respectively. The results are in, and they're sure to spark some heated debates among racing enthusiasts.
The Top 5 Finishers:
GTP:
- No.31 Whelen Cadillac - J. Aitken - 1:33.93
- No.93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura - R. van der Zande - +0.10s
- No.40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac - L. Deletraz - +0.13s
- No.7 Porsche Penske Motorsport - F. Nasr - +0.24s
- No.60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura - T. Blomqvist - +0.29s
LMP2:
- No.43 InterEuropol Competition - J. Clarke - 1:39.95
- No.99 AO Racing - P.J. Hyett - +0.00s
- No.22 United Autosports - D. Goldburg - +0.14s
- No.52 Bryan Herta Autosport - B. Keating - +0.59s
- No.11 TDS Racing - T. Lütke - +0.67s
GTD Pro:
- No.3 Pratt Miller Corvette - A. Sims - 1:45.10
- No.1 Paul Miller BMW - N. Verhagen - +0.17s
- No.59 RLL McLaren - D. MacDonald - +0.31s
- No.75 75 Express Mercedes - M. Engel - +0.34s
- No.033 Triarsi Competizione - A. Rovera - +0.40s
GTD:
See AlsoSouthern Tier Security Sponsors Garage 66 in 2026 NASCAR Cup Series | Watkins Glen & More!F1 Driver Alex Albon Engaged to Golfer Lily Muni He - A Sports Love StoryF1's New Race Director: Why Drivers are Praising Rui MarquesCadillac's New F1 Car: Unveiling the Barcelona Shakedown Livery- No.27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin - Z. Robichon - 1:45.11
- No.57 Winward Mercedes - P. Ellis - +0.07s
- No.96 Turner Motorsports BMW - R. Foley - +0.15s
- No.36 DXDT Corvette - C. Eastwood - +0.16s
- No.19 van der steur Aston Martin - V. Hasse Clot - +0.26s
The Qualifying Story Unfolds:
The GTD class took to the track first, with each class given 15 minutes to set their fastest laps. Cars flooded out of the pit lane, creating a thrilling spectacle. The No.36 DXDT Corvette, driven by Charlie Eastwood, seemed to be strategically positioning itself early on, aiming for an advantageous tow around the banking.
Trent Hindman in the No.45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini was the first to dip below 1:50, even reaching the 48-second mark. Giacamoe Altoe in the No.81 DragonSpeed Corvette followed suit, setting a quicker time. Eastwood quickly responded, dipping into the 1:46 range. Hindman improved, but it was clear that drivers were still warming up their tires.
Antonio Fuoco in the No.21 AF Corse took the top spot with a 45.6, but Eastwood reclaimed it with a 45.2. Robichon in the No.27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin went a tenth quicker. These lap times already surpassed the best GTD and GTD Pro times from last year's qualifying. Valentin Hasse Clot in the No.19 van der steur Aston Martin slotted into third, just a tenth behind Robichon.
Robby Foley in the No.96 Turner BMW edged out Eastwood by less than 0.01s, putting his M4 into second with only three and a half minutes left. Despite a reported puncture at the beginning, Foley's team managed to get him back on track. Robichon pitted a minute later, feeling he had extracted the most from his tires. Phillip Ellis applied pressure, putting his No.57 Mercedes just 0.07s behind the pole time.
As the checkered flag waved, no one could surpass Robichon's time. The No.27 Aston Martin will lead the GTD field in tomorrow's Daytona 24 Hours.
GTD Pro: A Battle of GT3 Cars
The GT3 cars took center stage for their 15-minute qualifying session. This session featured higher-graded FIA drivers, setting the stage for an intense battle.
Times dropped quickly, with Dean MacDonald in the No.59 RLL McLaren setting an early pace of 1:46.7. Neil Verhagen in the No.1 Paul Miller BMW was the first to dip into the 1:45s, with a 45.7. Davide Rigon in the No.62 Risi Ferrari went slightly quicker, but it was MacDonald and Verhagen who improved, with the BMW leading by two tenths.
Luca Stolz in the No.48 Winward Mercedes slotted into third with a 45.6, but Fred Vervisch in the No.65 Ford quickly took over with a quicker time. Maro Engel in the No.75 75 Express Mercedes jumped to the front.
Alexander Sims in the No.3 Pratt Miller Corvette found almost two tenths on the provisional pole time. Meanwhile, Verhagen also pitted for fresh rubber. MacDonald improved slightly, reclaiming third ahead of Engel.
Sims held on until the end, securing pole for Corvette in the 2026 Daytona 24 Hours. While only one Pro car beat Robichon's GTD pole time, the split grid ensures all 15 GTD Pros start ahead of the 21 GTD cars.
LMP2: Bronze Drivers Take Center Stage
The LMP2 class, featuring 13 Oreca 07 LMP2s, was the penultimate group to hit the track. All bronze drivers, as mandated by IMSA, competed in this session.
There was some drama on the warm-up laps, with Ben Keating in the No.52 Bryan Herta car going wide at turn 1 and then spinning on the exit of turn 4. Jeremy Clarke in the No.43 InterEuropol car had a close call, almost losing control on the approach to turn 1, but he managed to save it impressively.
Daniel Goldburg in the No.22 United Autosports entry set the first lap time under 1:41, but there was more time to be found. With five minutes left, Goldburg improved to a 1:40.1, leading Clarke and Keating, who had redeemed themselves after their earlier mistakes.
PJ Hyett in the No.99 AO Racing car became the first to dip under 1:40, setting a 1:39.9 and taking a two-tenth lead over Goldburg. However, Clarke responded, taking the top time by 0.008s. With two and a half minutes left, the top times were incredibly close.
Hyett and Clarke both had close calls, almost spinning into turn 1, possibly due to wind conditions. As the checkered flag flew, Naveen Rao in the No.18 Era Motorsports car spun and ended up on the grass, but he managed to continue.
In the end, it was Clarke and InterEuropol claiming pole, with no one able to beat his laptime. Hyett and Goldburg followed closely behind.
GTP: The Final Showdown
The GTPs had the final 15 minutes of qualifying, with the overall victory on the line. Most cars took the opportunity to scrub a set of tires on their first out lap, with engineers already strategizing for the race.
Marco Wittmann in the No.25 BMW had a spin entering turn 1, similar to some LMP2 drivers, but unfortunately, he couldn't recover.
Aitken led at the halfway point, but Dries Vanthoor quickly took over. Renger van der Zande in the No.93 Acura set the pace with a 1:34.0, with Aitken in the No.31 Cadillac close behind. Felipe Nasr was quick but lost time in the final sector, settling for fourth.
Aitken was the first into the 1:33s, with a 33.9. Van der Zande remained second, while Louis Deletraz in the No.40 Cadillac was a close third. Van der Zande had a mechanical issue in the final minute but managed to return to the pits without stopping the session.
And there you have it! Aitken and the No.31 Whelen car secured pole position for the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2026.
So, what do you think? Who will emerge victorious in this intense battle? Share your predictions and thoughts in the comments below!
