RELATED: Rain makes qualifying … interesting
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Driving a brand new Prototype developed and built in his native Russia, IndyCar driver Mikhail Aleshin won the top starting spot for the Rolex 24 at Daytona — with the ninth fastest time of Friday’s qualifying sessions at the 3.56-mile Daytona International Speedway road course.
Englishman Nick Tandy had the afternoon’s fastest lap, leading a Porsche sweep of the top two starting spots in the highly competitive GTLM Class, touring the course in 2:01.408 (105.561 mph) and edging fellow Porsche North America team car driver Frederic Makowiecki for the top starting spot in the prestigious endurance race, which starts at 2:40 p.m. ET on Saturday (on FS1).
On a rain-drenched afternoon at the Birthplace of Speed, Tandy posted his lap on Michelin tires before conditions deteriorated even further. Accordingly, the GTLM cars were appreciably faster than the Prototype and Prototype Challenge entries.
Luis Filipe Derani was the second fastest qualifier in Prototypes, with Oswaldi Negri third in the No. 60 Honda-powered Ligier JS P2. Negri is teaming with NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, John Pew and Olivier Pla. All but Pla were part of the 2012 overall winning team, which also included the late Justin Wilson.
The defending Rolex 24 winners — NASCAR drivers Jamie McMurray and Kyle Larson and IndyCar stars Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan — had an adventurous qualifying session that included an off-course excursion at the entrance to Turn 1.
With Dixon behind the wheel, the No. 02 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing entry was seventh fastest among the Prototypes and 32nd overall.
Johnny Mowlem led the PC Class with a time of 2:05.708 (101.951 mph). NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Brendan Gaughan was a late addition to the No. 20 ORECA FLM09/Chevrolet team, which also includes Tomy Drissi, Marc Drumwright and Ricardo Vera.
Mowlem’s ORECA FLM 09 was eighth overall and, surprisingly, faster than any of the entries in the Prototype Class.
MORE: Photos from The Roar Before the Rolex 24