Image from IMSA website

Race: 100 minutes. Green flag 2:05 pm EST Peacock

Acuras dominated the practices, but a Cadillac took the pole for today’s qualifying race. The 100 minute event will set the grid for next Saturday’s 60th Rolex 24 Hour race at Daytona international Speedway.

Tristan Vautier set the fastest lap in the JDC-Miller number 5 Mustang Sampling car. The number 10 Acura from Wayne Taylor Racing will start second. Felipe Albuquerque was just 0.122 seconds behind Vautier. The 01 Ganassi Cadillac driven by Renger van der Zande looked on track to take the pole, but crashed in turn five near the end of the session. The red flag cost him his best lap. The car will start 10th.

Ben Keating will start from pole in LMP2. Keating will drive the number 52 and the number 5 DPi in the race, so his rides have the pole in two classes. I don’t know when Keating sleeps during this race.

Cameron Shields is on pole in LMP3 in car 26.

In GTD Pro, Alex Imperiatori leads an all Porsche front row to the green, while Kenny Habul took pole for GTD in a Mercedes. Habul was third fastest in the GTD classes. Tghe slight difference in speed between the GTD Pro and GTD cars should make for some interesting racing.

Gidley Returns

Yesterday’s Prototype Challenge race marked the return to competition of Memo Gidley, who was injured in a horrific accident at Daytona in 2014. His car rammed a stalled car, then he was hit from behind. I didn’t think he would ever race again.

Not only did Gidley return to racing, but he won the pole. His car led the majority of the race, with rookie Alexander Korbei driving the final two hours. The team finished third.

This has been an inspirational weekend with Gidley and Robert Wickens returning to action.