Daytona 24: Nasr/Derani overcome grid penalty to win qualifying race
Overcoming a grid penalty for being underweight, Felipe Nasr and Pipo Derani landed pole for next weekend's IMSA SportsCar Daytona 24 Hours at Daytona in their Action Express Cadillac

With the wet conditions adding around a dozen seconds to the laptimes of the Prototype, Mazda's Oliver Jarvis retained the lead at the drop of the green flag, but immediately came under pressure from IMSA debutant and ex-Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen.
The Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac wrested the lead at the end of lap one, the pair pursued by Tristan Vautier in the JDC-Miller Motorsports Caddy - with Nasr not wasting time to move ahead of the Acuras to claim fourth place.
At the first restart, Vautier went around the outside of Jarvis at Turn 1 to make it a Cadillac 1-2, while Filipe Albuquerque moved the Wayne Taylor Racing Acura up ahead of Nasr to take fourth and start applying pressure to Jarvis who lost momentum and fell to seventh.
Then the yellow flew again for a GTD shunt, and all the DPi runners pitted for slicks except leader Magnussen.
They would rejoin in the order Vautier, Cameron, Ricky Taylor (who had taken over from Albuquerque in the WTR car, Nasr, Jimmie Johnson and Harry Tincknell who was now in the Mazda.
However, the RT24-P regained one spot when Cameron stopped his Meyer Shank Racing Acura for a second time.
Following the second restart, Nasr went around the outside of Taylor at the Horseshoe turn to make it a Cadillac 1-2-3, while later around the lap Tincknell would blast past Taylor for fourth.

A lap later, Vautier took advantage of being on slicks and Magnussen being on wets on a drying track and the Frenchman moved to the front pursued by Nasr, who took the lead with 50 minutes to go.
Magnussen would then pit and hand off the Ganassi car to Renger van der Zande.
With 34min to go, the final pitstop sequence started, with Nasr handing off to Pipo Derani, and Mazda jumping Tincknell ahead of Loic Duval who had taken over the JDC-Miller Cadillac.
However, with 20 minutes to go, Duval was filling the Mazda's mirrors until Tincknell seemed to find another level.
Duval had to cede third to the Meyer Shank Acura drive by Olivier Pla, but Duval moved back ahead as they closed on the Mazda once more as it fell 4.5s behind leader Derani.
However, this three-car battle for second rather dissipated over the final 10 minutes.
Taylor had a fairly lonely run to fifth at the end, keeping well ahead of Kamui Kobayashi who had taken over the #48 Cadillac from the impressive Jimmie Johnson and set the fastest lap of the race.
In the GTLM class, Corvette scored a 1-2 courtesy of Nick Tandy/Alexander Sims and Jordan Taylor/Nicky Catsburg ahead of the WeatherTech Racing Proton Porsche piloted by Kevin Estre/Cooper MacNeil, while the PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports entry took top honours in LMP2.
Complete Roar Before the 24 results
Pos | Class | Driver | Team | Laps | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | DPi | F.Nasr, P.Derani | Whelen Engineering Racing | 51 | 1h41m06.688s |
2 | DPi | O.Jarvis, H.Tincknell | Mazda Motorsports | 51 | 3.664s |
3 | DPi | T.Vautier, L.Duval | JDC-Miller Motorsports | 51 | 4.627s |
4 | DPi | D.Cameron, O.Pla | Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | 51 | 6.995s |
5 | DPi | R.Taylor, F.Albuquerque | Konica Minolta Acura | 51 | 8.997s |
6 | DPi | J.Johnson, K.Kobayashi | Ally Cadillac Racing | 51 | 19.985s |
7 | DPi | R.van der Zande, K.Magnussen | Cadillac Chip Ganassi Racing | 51 | 1m14.834s |
8 | LMP2 | B.Keating, M.Jensen | PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports | 51 | 1m33.798s |
9 | LMP2 | D.Andersen, F.Habsburg | High Class Racing | 50 | 1 Lap |
10 | LMP2 | J.Farano, G.Aubry | Tower Motorsport by Starworks | 50 | 1 Lap |
11 | LMP2 | F.van Eerd, G.van der Garde | Racing Team Nederland | 50 | 1 Lap |
12 | LMP2 | R.Hodes, G.Grist | Dragonspeed USA | 50 | 1 Lap |
13 | LMP2 | R.Lacorte, A.Fuoco | Cetilar Racing | 50 | 1 Lap |
14 | LMP2 | D.Merriman, P-L.Chatin | Era Motorsport | 49 | 2 Laps |
15 | LMP2 | C.Ware, S.Yoluc | RWR Eurasia | 49 | 2 Laps |
16 | GTLM | N.Tandy, A.Sims | Corvette Racing | 49 | 2 Laps |
17 | GTLM | J.Taylor, N.Catsburg | Corvette Racing | 49 | 2 Laps |
18 | GTLM | C.MacNeil, K.Estre | WeatherTech Racing | 49 | 2 Laps |
19 | LMP2 | E.Lux, D.Defrancesco | Dragonspeed USA | 48 | 3 Laps |
20 | LMP2 | S.Thomas, T.Nunez | WIN Autosport | 48 | 3 Laps |
21 | GTLM | J.Calado, A.P.Guidi | Risi Competizione | 48 | 3 Laps |
22 | GTD | B.Auberlen, R.Foley | Turner Motorsport | 48 | 3 Laps |
23 | GTD | Z.Robichon, L.Vanthoor | Pfaff Motorsports | 48 | 3 Laps |
24 | GTD | R.Ineichen, M.Bortolotti | GRT Grasser Racing Team | 48 | 3 Laps |
25 | GTLM | P.Eng, T.Glock | BMW Team RLL | 48 | 3 Laps |
26 | GTD | A.Telitz, O.Gavin | Vasser Sullivan | 48 | 3 Laps |
27 | LMP3 | M.Kranz, L.Horr | Muehlner Motorsports America | 48 | 3 Laps |
28 | GTD | R.Ward, P.Ellis | Winward Racing | 48 | 3 Laps |
29 | GTD | I.James, R.De Angelis | Heart of Racing Team | 47 | 4 Laps |
30 | LMP3 | M.Kvamme, R.Norman | Forty7 Motorsports | 47 | 4 Laps |
31 | GTLM | A.Farfus, M.Wittmann | BMW Team RLL | 47 | 4 Laps |
32 | LMP3 | J.Bennett, G.Kurtz | CORE Autosport | 47 | 4 Laps |
33 | GTD | E.Jones, B.Curtis | Scuderia Corsa | 47 | 4 Laps |
34 | GTD | R.Hardwick, P.Long | Wright Motorsports | 47 | 4 Laps |
35 | GTD | R.Megennis, Z.Veach | Vasser Sullivan | 46 | 5 Laps |
36 | GTD | K.Habul, R.Marciello | Sun Energy 1 | 46 | 5 Laps |
37 | GTD | J.Potter, A.Lally | Magnus with Archangel | 45 | 6 Laps |
38 | GTD | M.Root, C.Eastwood | TF Sport | 45 | 6 Laps |
39 | GTD | C.Nielsen, E.Bamber | Team Hardpoint EBM | 45 | 6 Laps |
40 | GTD | D.Morad, M.De Quesada | Alegra Motorsports | 45 | 6 Laps |
41 | GTD | S.Mann, N.Nielsen | AF Corse | 44 | 7 Laps |
42 | LMP3 | L.Willsey, J.Barbosa | Sean Creech Motorsport | 30 | Not running |
43 | GTD | A.Metni, A.Davis | NTE Sport | 18 | Not running |
44 | LMP3 | R.Lindh, C.Cassels | Performance Tech Motorsports | 13 | Not running |
45 | LMP3 | J.Cox, D.Murry | Riley Motorsports | 8 | Not running |
46 | GTD | B.Sellers, M.Snow | Paul Miller Racing | 2 | Not running |
47 | GTD | M.Goikhberg, F.Perera | GRT Grasser Racing Team | 48 | 3 Laps |
- | GTD | T.Giovanis, O.Trinkler | Team TGM | 0 | Not started |
- | LMP3 | G.Robinson, S.Pigot | Riley Motorsports | 0 | Not started |

Corvette drivers wary of LMP3 impact on GTLM fight at Daytona 24
Kobayashi: Johnson has made "big step" in adapting to IMSA prototype

Latest news
Tanak scores first Puma win in preparation for WRC Rally Sweden
Ott Tanak claimed his first victory driving an M-Sport Ford Puma after winning the Otepaa Winter Rally in preparation for next week’s World Rally Championship round in Sweden.
Ranking the worst Formula 1 cars to win a grand prix
Cars that rarely looked like contenders for victory have occasionally slipped through the net to become winners of world championship Formula 1 races. But which was the worst of the bunch?
Schumacher radio criticism highlighted F1 privacy change for Russell
George Russell says that the way an off-the-cuff radio remark criticising Mick Schumacher last year became a big deal shows how he is more under the spotlight in Formula 1.
Newgarden impressed by Chevrolet on IndyCar's new renewable fuel
Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden says he’s been impressed with the drivability of his Chevrolet engine following the switch to renewable fuel and has seen no loss in performance.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
The big question concerning IMSA's new LMDh cars on their debut
The new LMDh era finally begins in earnest this weekend with the IMSA SportsCar Championship curtain-raiser at Daytona. The prospect of multiple marques going all guns blazing for victory over 24 hours is a salivating one for fans of sportscar racing, but what are the chances of the new hybrid machines (known as GTP cars Stateside) proving reliable enough to win on debut?
Inside BMW's long-awaited prototype racing return
Much like German OEM rival Porsche, BMW's absence from sportscar racing’s top flight will be ended this weekend when a pair of M Hybrid V8 prototypes make their debut in the Daytona 24 Hours. A programme focused on the IMSA SportsCar Championship for now will expand to the World Endurance Championship and Le Mans next year, in a sign of both its ambition and pragmatism
How Porsche and Penske are gearing up for sportscar racing's bold new era
Porsche and Penske have teamed up to tackle the world's biggest sportscar races in 2023 with the new 963 LMDh car. Autosport was on hand at the recent Daytona test to hear from key players in the partnership as it prepares for dual campaigns across the IMSA SportsCar Championship and World Endurance Championship
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
The long road to convergence for sportscar racing's new golden age
The organisers of the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship worked together to devise the popular new LMDh rule set. But to turn it from an idea into reality, some serious compromises were involved - both from the prospective LMDh entrants and those with existing Le Mans Hypercar projects...
How Porsche's Le Mans legend changed the game
The 956 set the bar at the dawn of Group C 40 years ago, and that mark only rose higher through the 1980s, both in the world championship and in the US. It and its successor, the longer-wheelbase 962, were voted as Autosport's greatest sportscar in 2020 - here's why
Why BMW shouldn't be overlooked on its return to prototypes
OPINION: While the focus has been on the exciting prospect of Ferrari vs Porsche at the Le Mans 24 Hours next year, BMW’s factory return to endurance racing should not be ignored. It won't be at the French classic next year as it focuses efforts on the IMSA SportsCar Championship, but could be a dark horse in 2024 when it returns to La Sarthe with the crack WRT squad
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.