Negri fastest in second free practice for Daytona 24 Hours
Oswaldo Negri Jr topped the second free practice session of the day ahead of qualifying for the Daytona 24 Hours
Oswaldo Negri Jr topped the second free practice session of the day ahead of qualifying for the Daytona 24 Hours.
Driving the Michael Shank Racing Ligier-Honda JSP2, he lapped 0.642 seconds faster than second-fastest Joao Barbosa could manage in the Action Express Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP.
Olivier Pla, driving the Krohn Racing Ligier-Judd/BMW was third fastest, nine tenths off the pace, with Richard Westbrook putting the Spirit of Daytona Coyote-Chevrolet Corvette DP fourth fastest.
Joey Hand was fifth fastest in the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Riley-Ford Ecoboost DP. Ricky Taylor was a tenth further behind in the Wayne Taylor Racing Dallara-Chevrolet Corvette DP.
The fastest seven cars were covered by 1.555s, completed by Max Papis going seventh fastest in the second Action Express Coyote.
Five prototype-class cars failed to complete a lap, with the DeltaWing again sitting out the session as a result of a gearbox problem detected during morning practice.
It is hoped that the car will be out for qualifying later on Thursday.
Gianmaria Bruni was fastest in GTLM driving the AF Corse Ferrari 458 Italia, 0.370s faster than Oliver Gavin in the lead Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.
As in the first session, the GTLM field was incredibly close, with Jan Magnussen third fastest in the second Corvette and of the Risi Competitzione Ferrari driven by Pierre Kaffer.
CORE Autosport driver Colin Braun set the pace in the Prototype Challenge class ahead of Johnny Mowlem, while in GT Daytona Jeroen Bleekemolen's Dodge Viper SRT was quickest.
Qualifying takes place later in the afternoon, with each of the four classes given their own session.
LEADING PRACTICE TWO TIMES:
| Pos | Class | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P | J.Pew, O.Negri, A.Allmendinger, M.McMurry | Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian | Ligier/HPD | 1m39.629s | - |
| 2 | P | J.Barbosa, C.Fittipaldi, S.Bourdais | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m40.271s | 0.642s |
| 3 | P | T.Krohn, O.Pla, N.Jonsson, A.Brundle | Krohn Racing | Ligier/Judd | 1m40.548s | 0.919s |
| 4 | P | R.Westbrook, M.Valiante, M.Rockenfeller, G.Cosmo | visitflorida.com Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m40.761s | 1.132s |
| 5 | P | S.Pruett, J.Hand, C.Kimball, S.Karam | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Riley/Ford | 1m40.771s | 1.142s |
| 6 | P | J.Taylor, R.Taylor, M.Angelelli | Wayne Taylor Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m40.884s | 1.255s |
| 7 | P | E.Curran, D.Cameron, M.Papis, P.Keen | Action Express Racing | Corvette/Chevrolet | 1m41.184s | 1.555s |
| 8 | P | S.Dixon, T.Kanaan, K.Larson, J.McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates | Riley/Ford | 1m42.278s | 2.649s |
| 9 | PC | J.Bennett, C.Braun, M.Wilkins, J.Gue | CORE Autosport | ORECA/Chevrolet | 1m42.877s | 3.248s |
| 10 | P | E.Brown, J.van Overbeek, J.Fogarty | Tequila Patron ESM | HPD | 1m43.027s | 3.398s |
Daytona 24 Hours: Michael Shank Racing Ligier leads first practice
Why I want an LMP2 car to win Daytona
Porsche completes two-car LMDh test at Monza as US-bound chassis debuts
Porsche Penske Motorsport has begun testing a second example of the 963 LMDh contender as it ramps up preparation for its twin programmes in the World Endurance Championship and the IMSA SportsCar Championship in 2023.
IMSA Road America: Albuquerque/Taylor win, title rival Jarvis crashes
Wayne Taylor Racing’s Filipe Albuquerque and Ricky Taylor won Sunday’s rain-impacted IMSA SportsCar Championship round at Road America, as title rival Oliver Jarvis crashed in the closing laps.
IMSA Road America: Albuquerque on pole, Bourdais crashes
Wayne Taylor Racing’s Filipe Albuquerque took pole position for Sunday’s IMSA SportsCar Championship round at Road America for Acura in a qualifying that was red-flagged when Sebastien Bourdais crashed out.
Calendar revealed for 2023 IMSA SportsCar Championship
The IMSA SportsCar Championship has revealed an 11-race schedule for 2023, with Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course coming in at the expense of Mid-Ohio and Detroit.
The British pair at the heart of Lexus's IMSA push
Have you heard the one about two northerners driving for a Japanese manufacturer in America’s top sportscar series? Time to sit down and talk with Jack Hawksworth and Ben Barnicoat about racing across the pond… and your accent being mistaken for Australian
Why Peugeot couldn't afford to take a Le Mans gamble in 2022
Ahead of the much-anticipated arrival of its new 9X8 Hypercar, Peugeot revealed that it would not be entering this year's Le Mans 24 Hours with its incoming machinery. Although development restrictions for homologated cars are partially responsible, the French marque can draw on its own lessons from its history in sportscars
Why two names for the same thing could cloud sportscar racing's new golden era
OPINION: The adoption by IMSA of the GTP name for its forthcoming LMDh versus Le Mans Hypercar era in 2023 appeals to fans of nostalgia - but it undermines the commonality achieved by bringing its rulebook into line with the World Endurance Championship. GTP or Hypercar, both sides should settle on a single name
Celebrating the weird and wonderful monsters of sportscar racing
Few disciplines of motorsport offer better possibilities to build a colossus of the track than sportscars. For Autosport's recent Monsters of Motorsport special issue, we picked out some of the finest (and not so fine) that have graced sportscar classics including Le Mans, Daytona and Sebring
How Castroneves and Meyer Shank conquered another US classic
Helio Castroneves continued his fine start to life with Meyer Shank Racing that netted the 2021 Indianapolis 500 victory by prevailing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours together with team-mates Tom Blomqvist, Oliver Jarvis and Simon Pagenaud. As Cadillac fell by the wayside, the Brazilian veteran won out in an all-Acura duel to the finish
The British sportscar aces readying for a new golden era in IMSA
With the arrival of LMDh looming in 2023, top sportscar drivers are flocking to IMSA for the last hurrah of the DPi cars, starting with this weekend’s Daytona 24 Hours. Seven of the championship's leading British aces explain its appeal and share their hopes of winning a sought-after new watch...
How Derani's long road to title success exorcised painful memories
It took Pipo Derani no time at all to establish himself as a winner in IMSA, winning the Daytona 24 Hours and Sebring 12 Hours on his first two starts in 2016. But it took until the final corner of the 2021 season before he could become its champion, the culmination of a journey that he believes has made him a better driver
How the next step in the IMSA and WEC convergence can reunite multiple fronts
OPINION: Following the latest convergence connection permitting Le Mans Hypercars from the World Endurance Championship to compete against LMDh entries in the IMSA SportsCar Championship from 2023, it could open up enticing options not only to manufacturers but also for the calendar and race formats