DAYTONA 24H: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THE GREEN FLAG
The 2026 Rolex 24 At Daytona qualifying was defined by a fast, tightly packed field and a set of penalties that reshaped the grid before the race even began. The key storylines came from GTP pole being lost in post‑session checks and a major GTD Pro contender being sent to the back.
Provisional pole went to the No. 31 Action Express Cadillac V‑Series.R with Jack Aitken setting the fastest lap of the session, edging the top Acura and Porsche entries by small margins. After a penalty demoted the No.31 Action Express to the back of the class, the No. 93 Acura ARX‑06 inherited official pole position, moving to the inside of the front row for the race start, while the Wayne Taylor–run Cadillac No. 40 was promoted to the other front‑row slot and a Porsche 963 was elevated to third, locking out a multi‑manufacturer top three. The re‑ordered top end meant that Acura, rather than Cadillac, would control the run to Turn 1 and the early stint traffic.
LMP2 produced one of the closest sessions, with the pole‑winning ORECA 07 No.43 Intereuropol only a few tenths clear of the next cars in class. Bronze‑rated drivers, mandated to qualify, set the grid, which compressed times and produced a tightly stacked midfield behind the class polesitter. No major post‑qualifying technical penalties altered the front of LMP2, so the on‑track result largely stood, giving the pole car a clean view into the first stint.
In GTD Pro, the No. 3 Pratt Miller Corvette Z06 GT3.R set a strong qualifying time good enough for the front row and initially looked like a key threat for class victory after posting a lap that edged out several factory-backed rivals.
In the GTD class, the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 secured pole position with a razor-sharp lap from Alex Riberas, beating out a deep field of GT3 machinery by mere hundredths of a second and earning the inside line for what promises to be a chaotic opening stint in heavy multi-class traffic.
Post‑qualification penalties and revised grid
- The No. 31 Cadillac lost GTP pole after its rear skid block showed excessive wear, a sign the car was running too low; it was dropped to the back of the GTP field.
- This penalty elevated the No. 93 Acura to official pole and reshuffled the entire GTP order behind it, tightening the manufacturer battle at the front.
- In GTD Pro, the No. 1 Paul Miller BMW was penalized for camber settings outside the legal range and was sent to the rear of its class.
- As a result, the GTD Pro pole‑sitting and front‑row cars changed, giving other teams a strategic advantage on the opening laps while the BMW now faces a recovery drive through heavy GT traffic.
Starting Grid:
GTP
- No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura
- No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac
- No. 7 Penske Porsche
- No. 60 Meyer Shank Acura
- No. 6 Penske Porsche
- No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac
- No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche
- No. 24 BMW M Team WRT
- No. 25 BMW M Team WRT
- No. 23 THOR Team Aston Martin
- No. 31 Whelen Cadillac
LMP2 CLASS
1. No. 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca
2. No. 99 AO Racing Oreca
3. No. 22 United Autosports USA Oreca
4. No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport Oreca
5. No. 11 TDS Racing Oreca
6. No. 343 Inter Europol Competition Oreca
7. No. 18 Era Motorsport Oreca
8. No. 04 Crowdstrike Racing Oreca
9. No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports Oreca
10. No. 2 United Autosports USA Oreca
11. No. 8 Tower Motorsports Oreca
12. No. 83 Af Corse Usa Oreca
13. No. 37 Intersport Racing Oreca
GTD PRO CLASS
1. No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette
2. No. 59 RLL Team McLaren
3. No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG
4. No. 033 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari
5. No. 65 Ford Racing Mustang
6. No. 69 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG
7. No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette
8. No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari
9. No. 48 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG
10. No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini
11. No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus
12. No. 64 Ford Racing Mustang
13. No. 911 Manthey Porsche
14. No. 77 AO Racing Porsche
15. No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW
GTD CLASS
1. No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin
2. No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG
3. No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW
4. No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette
5. No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin
6. No. 21 Af Corse Usa Ferrari
7. No. 81 DragonSpeed Corvette
8. No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG
9. No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari
10. No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche
11. No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari
12. No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini
13. No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari
14. No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus
15. No. 44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin
16. No. 13 13 Autosport Corvette
17. No. 66 Gradient Racing Mustang
18. No. 912 Manthey 1St Phorm Porsche
19. No. 123 Muehlner Motorsports America Porsche
20. No. 28 Rs1 Porsche
21. No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Mustang
The green flag will be shown at 18.40 BST. The race will be streamed on IMSATV or on IMSA’s Youtube channel.
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