Laurens Vanthoor, reigning FIA World Endurance Hypercar champion, stormed to the top of the fifth testing session at the Roar Before the 24, proving Porsche Penske’s dominance ahead of the IMSA SportsCar Championship season opener.
The #7 Porsche Penske 963 GTP, a car synonymous with last year’s championship glory and the Daytona 24 Hours title, clocked a blistering lap of 1:36.271 under the night lights at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. The two-hour evening session (6:30 pm–8:30 pm local time) showcased pristine dry conditions, allowing drivers to push the limits across all categories.
BMW closes the gap but trails Porsche
Phillip Eng in the #24 RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 GTP came closest to challenging Vanthoor, posting a 1:36.498, while teammate Sheldon van der Linde secured third in the #25 BMW with a 1:36.912. Porsche’s supremacy in this session underscored their intent to stay ahead in the hyper-competitive GTP class.
Drama unfolds in LMP2
The LMP2 class witnessed a notable incident involving Shopify CEO and IMSA rookie Tobias Lutke in the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca 07. Lutke went off-track at Turn 3, prompting a seven-minute red flag. Despite the scare, the #18 returned unscathed, while Antonio Felix da Costa in the #43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca emerged fastest with a 1:39.618, beating Mikkel Jensen (#11 TDS Racing, 1:39.962) and Callum Ilott (#73 Pratt Miller Motorsports, 1:39.981).
Porsche leads GTD Pro and GTD
In GTD Pro, Thomas Preining showcased his prowess in the #20 Proton Competition Porsche 911 GT3.R, clocking a 1:48.034, outpacing Elliott Skeer in the GTD-class-leading #120 Wright Motorsports Porsche (1:48.140). Reigning GTD Pro champions AO Racing followed with the fan-favorite #77 “Rexy” Porsche driven by Alessio Picariello, whose 1:48.166 put him just ahead of Michelle Gatting in the #83 Iron Dames Porsche (1:48.216).
Other notable performances included Marvin Kirchhofer in the #13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R (1:48.237) and Albert Costa in the #81 Dragonspeed Ferrari 296 GT3 (1:48.286).
What’s next?
As the testing sessions intensify, all eyes remain on Porsche Penske and their relentless GTP efforts. Will BMW and Cadillac manage to bridge the gap before the 24 Hours of Daytona kicks off? The penultimate Roar Before the 24 session starts Sunday at 9:45 am local time (2:45 pm UK).
