IMSA News: Vanthoor in Penske Porsche tops Saturday night session at Daytona
Laurens Vanthoor (pictured) capped off the night practice session at the Roar Before the Rolex 24 with a stellar performance, propelling the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 to the top of the GTP leaderboard under the lights at Daytona International Speedway.
–By Mark Cipolloni–
The two-hour Session 5, focused more on night-running preparation than outright speed, saw Vanthoor post a benchmark lap of 1:37.239 late in the outing, edging out Colton Herta in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R by a razor-thin 0.103 seconds at 1:37.342. Will Stevens followed closely in third aboard the sister No. 10 WTR Cadillac with a 1:37.493, just 0.254 seconds off the pace, highlighting Cadillac’s consistent strength.
The GTP field proved intensely competitive, with the top ten entries separated by a mere 0.343 seconds, underscoring the fine margins in this hybrid prototype category. Nico Pino impressed in fourth for the No. 85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963, showcasing the 2025-spec car’s potential, while Frederik Vesti secured fifth in the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac.
Laurin Heinrich rounded out Porsche Penske’s solid evening in sixth with the No. 7 entry, ahead of Dries Vanthoor in the No. 24 BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8 and Nick Yelloly in the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06. Notably absent from the timesheets was the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH, sidelined for a precautionary engine swap following earlier issues.
In LMP2, Mikkel Jensen set the early tone and held firm, clocking a 1:39.770 in the No. 2 United Autosports Oreca 07 Gibson to lead the class.
Nolan Siegel trailed in second with the No. 343 Inter Europol Competition Oreca at +0.351 seconds, while Antonio Felix da Costa claimed third in the team’s sister No. 43 entry, demonstrating the Polish squad’s depth.
The GT categories delivered their own highlights, with Mercedes-AMG machinery dominating GTD Pro. Will Power, the IndyCar star, blitzed to the class best of 1:47.673 in the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing (or 75 Express) Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, outpacing Fabian Schiller in the No. 69 GetSpeed Mercedes by 0.293 seconds.
Mirko Bortolotti soldiered on to third in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, despite the team grappling with an anti-lock brake system glitch that curtailed much of their running. Andrea Caldarelli managed fifth in the same Lamborghini, per some accounts, amid a session where reliability tweaks took precedence.
Over in GTD, Felipe Fraga—or Jenson Altzman, depending on stints—pushed the No. 16 Myers Riley Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3 Evo to the forefront with a 1:47.733, making it the second-quickest GT overall behind Power’s Pro entry. Indy Dontje followed in second with the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, and Casper Stevenson took third in the No. 81 DragonSpeed Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, adding variety to the podium mix.
Remarkably, the session unfolded without any reported incidents, penalties, or red flags, allowing teams to rack up valuable night miles in preparation for the grueling 24-hour endurance classic. With no major disruptions, the focus remained on fine-tuning setups and driver acclimation under darkness, setting the stage for Sunday’s final practice at 9:45 a.m. ET, reserved for higher-rated FIA drivers. As the Roar draws to a close, Porsche Penske’s late surge hints at their readiness to defend last year’s Rolex 24 crown, while rivals like Cadillac and emerging contenders keep the competition razor-sharp.