Scott Dixon went fastest in the #01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R GTP machine in the first practice session for the Daytona 24 Hours – setting a time of 1:36.012s in his penultimate lap of the world-famous speedway.
The first practice session for the 62nd running of the Daytona 24 Hours took place over 90 minutes on the 3.56-mile International Speedway Road Course.
The session picked up Daytona running after last week’s Roar Before the 24 three-day test event ended with Sunday qualifying for this weekend’s enduro.
Dixon’s time was 0.127s quicker than second-place Connor De Phillippi in the #25 Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 (1:36.139s) and 0.269s ahead of third place Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche Penske 963.
Fourth fastest went to Dries Vanthoor in the #24 BMW, setting a time of 1:36.374s (+0.362s).
The top five was completed by the second Penske factory Porsche, Dane Cameron in the #7 entry, setting a time of 1:36.497s (+0.485s).
Sixth went to Jack Aitken in the pole-sitting #31 Action Express Cadillac, completing a 1:36.619s (+0.607s) tour of the circuit.
The remainder of the GTP field was led by seventh-place Louis Deletraz in the #40 Acura ARX-06 run by Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti (1:36.665s), followed by Richard Westbrook in the first of two customer Porsches, the #85 entry run by JDC-Miller MotorSports (1:36.774s).
Ninth went to Neel Jani in the #5 Proton Porsche (1:36.903s) and 10th went to Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Acura, which spent much of the session in the garage with a brake fluid leak, completing just 18 laps and setting a fastest time of (1:37.432s.)
1.420s covered the 10 GTP runners with the top nine covered by just 0.891s.
The #40 Acura set the most laps with 49 followed by the #5 Porsche (47 laps) and #25 BMW (41 laps).
In LMP2, the top three consisted of Toby Sowery in the #04 MDK by Crowdstrike Racing Oreca 07-Gibson (1:39.407s), Ben Hanley in the #2 United Autosports Oreca (1:39.529s/+0.122s) and Charles Milesi in the #11 TDS Racing Oreca (1:39.965s/+0.558s).
The GTs were led by the GTD #66 entry Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 piloted by Katherine Legge who set the benchmark of 1:46.585s. Legge was 0.198s quicker than the fastest GTD Pro (second GT) entry, namely the #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 driven by Jack Hawksworth (1:46.783s).
Second in GTD Pro (fourth GT) went to Marvin Kirchofer in the #9 Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO (1:46.934s), followed by third-place James Caldo (sixth GT) in the #62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 (1:47.040s).
The second fastest GTD entry (third GT) was the #96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 piloted by Robby Foley (1:46.860s), followed by third-place (fifth GT) Albert Costa Balboa in the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (1:47.038s).
GT field receive Balance of Performance changes
Ahead of practice, Balance of Performance (BoP) revisions were made amongst the GT competitors, with just the Lexus RC F GT3 left the same as it was after the Roar Before the 24 test last week.
The remaining 10 of the 11 GT-spec cars saw changes.
The Porsche 911 GT3 R contingent, which includes the GTD Polesitting #77 AO Racing entry has been handed a 20 kg increase and -1 degree change in minimum rear wing angle, representing the harshest BoP of any of the manufacturers.
Ford’s brand-new Mustang GT3 has also received a hefty BoP revision via a 15 kg weight increase.
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 has received a 15 kg weight reduction and a 1 mm larger air restrictor which should be equivalent to a 11 BHP increase along with 1 degree reduced wing angle, reflecting the car’s poor performance in the Roar last weekend.
BMW’s M4 GT3 and the Acura NSX GT3 have both received a power increase, 12 and 9.5 BHP respectively.
McLaren’s 720 GT3 Evo and the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVOs have both been handed a weight reduction of 10 kg.
The Italian contingent has received weight increases, with the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 getting a 5 kg increase and the Ferrari 296 GT3 getting a 10 kg increase.
The Ferrari, along with the Corvette Z06 received a 1-degree increase in rear wing angle and all ten of the cars to receive BoP changes also have received fuel limit adjustments ranging from 1 to 3 litres.
The GT contingent along with the rest of the field will be able to further acclimatise with their machines and the Daytona course in second practice, which gets underway today at 14:10 local time (19:10 GMT).
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