IMSA News: Aitken wins Rolex 24 Pole in #31 Action Express Cadillac
In a sun-drenched qualifying session at Daytona International Speedway, Jack Aitken (pictured) unleashed a blistering lap to secure pole position for the 2026 Rolex 24 at Daytona, piloting the No. 31 Whelen-backed Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R to a time of 1:33.939.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
This marked the only sub-1:34 lap in the 15-minute GTP session, edging out Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 by a mere 0.102 seconds (1:34.041). Aitken, teamed with Earl Bamber, Frederik Vesti, and rising star Connor Zilisch, echoed Cadillac’s strong form, securing the marque’s second pole in the last three years—reminiscent of Pipo Derani’s 2024 record. The entire GTP field was incredibly tight, with all entries separated by just 1.443 seconds.
Louis Deletraz locked out a Cadillac front-row sweep with third in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing entry (1:34.069), followed by Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Porsche Penske 963 (1:34.183) and Tom Blomqvist in the sister MSR Acura. Kevin Estre (No. 6 Penske Porsche), Filipe Albuquerque (No. 10 WTR Cadillac), and Nico Pino (No. 85 JDC-Miller Porsche) rounded out the top eight, while the Team WRT BMWs started ninth and tenth. An early spin by Marco Wittmann in the No. 25 BMW didn’t derail the session’s flow, but the Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR-LMH brought up the rear.
LMP2
Shifting to LMP2, Jeremy Clarke stole the show on his Rolex 24 debut, claiming pole for the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca 07-Gibson with a 1:39.952—pipping PJ Hyett in the No. 99 AO Racing Oreca by just 0.008 seconds (1:39.960). Clarke shares the car with Tom Dillmann, Antonio Felix da Costa, and Bijoy Garg, marking Inter Europol’s first pole at the event. Daniel Goldburg took third in the No. 22 United Autosports entry (1:40.096), ahead of Ben Keating in the No. 52 Bryan Herta Autosport/PR1 Mathiasen car, who recovered from an early spin. The all-Bronze driver session highlighted close competition, with Tobias Lutke (No. 11 TDS Racing) and George Kolovos (No. 343 Inter Europol) completing the top six.
GTD Pro
In GTD PRO, Alexander Sims powered the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to pole with a 1:45.106, 0.170 seconds clear of Neil Verhagen in the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 (1:45.276). This is Corvette’s first GTD PRO pole at Daytona since 2022, with Sims joined by Antonio Garcia and Marvin Kirchhofer. Dean MacDonald surprised in third with the No. 59 Rahal Letterman Lanigan McLaren 720S GT3 Evo (1:45.425), followed by Maro Engel (No. 75 Express Mercedes-AMG) and Alessio Rovera (No. 033 Triarsi Ferrari). Defending class winners Frederic Vervisch (No. 65 Ford Mustang) started sixth, while the two Porsche 911 GT3 Rs languished at the back of the class.
GTD
GTD saw Zacharie Robichon clinch pole in the No. 27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo at 1:45.113, just 0.074 seconds ahead of Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG (1:45.187). This ends a nine-year drought for Aston Martin’s GTD pole at Daytona, with Robichon—a 2022 class winner—sharing duties with Eduardo Barrichello, Tom Gamble, and Mattia Drudi. Robby Foley (No. 96 Turner BMW) was third (1:45.265), with Charlie Eastwood (No. 36 DXDT Corvette), Valentin Hasse-Clot (No. 19 van der Steur Aston Martin), and Antonio Fuoco (No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari) close behind. Defending GTD winner Orey Fidani will start 16th in class.
With final practice set for Friday morning and the race green-flagging Saturday at 1:40 p.m. ET, the stage is set for an epic endurance battle. Cadillac eyes a strong start in GTP, while Porsche chases a historic three-peat overall.