The qualifying session for the 2025 24h of Daytona has just ended, and BMW clinches pole position in GTP at the last moment! Acura #93 takes second place, while Magnussen’s #25 retires after just 5 minutes.
2025 24h of Daytona Qualifying: GTD Qualifying Recap
The GTD class qualifying kicks off: for those familiar with the WEC, these are GT3 cars, but with a different naming convention.
This is the top-10:
Porsche #120, Elliott Skeer
Mercedes #57, Philip Ellis
Lamborghini #45, Trent Hindman
Mercedes #32, Maximilian Goetz
Lexus #12, Parker Thompson
Lamborghini #78, Franck Perera
Aston Martin #19, Valentin Hasse-Clot
Aston Martin #27, Zacharie Robinchon
Ferrari #70, Frederik Schanforff
Ferrari #34, Daniel Serra
2025 24h of Daytona Qualifying: GTD Pro Qualifying Recap
Next up are the GTD Pro drivers: same cars as the GTD class, but with a higher caliber of drivers.
The famous “Rexy” (AO Racing’s car, known for its dinosaur-themed livery) is back in 2025, now featuring a “diamond tooth” to celebrate its 2024 championship. Typically, Rexy gets a golden tooth for every race victory.
Joining Heinrich on track are Caldarelli, Rigon, Engel, and IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood. Joining Heinrich on track are Caldarelli, Rigon, Engel, and IndyCar driver Kyle Kirkwood. The session ends with a Ford 1-2, followed by BMW. Corvette performs well, while the sole Ferrari finishes in 12th place.
Here’s the top 10:
Ford #64, Mike Rockenfeller
Ford #65, Frederic Vervisch
BMW #48, Dan Harper
Corvette #3, Alexander Sims,
Lamboghini #9, Andrea Caldarelli
Corvette #4, Tommy Milner
Porsche #77, Laurin Heinrich
Corvette #91, Connor Zilisch
Mercedes #75, Maro Engel,
Aston Martin #007, Marco Sorensen
Mercedes #69, Luca Stolz
Ferrari #81, Davide Rigon
BMW #1, Madison Snow
Porsche #20, Thomas Preining
Lexus #14, Kyle Kirkwood
2025 24h of Daytona Qualifying: LMP2 Qualifying Recap
Now it’s time for the prototypes: the LMP2s hit the track, with AO Racing also present in this class. Their car, nicknamed “Spike,” sports a vibrant dragon-themed livery. Although there are four chassis manufacturers in LMP2, all teams are running the Oreca chassis, effectively making it a single-make category.
Also on track is the Inter Europol car, a standout performer in the 2023 24h of Le Mans. Ben Keating, another Le Mans 2023 star, is back behind the wheel of the #52. With one minute left, PJ Hyett spins out in the dragon-themed Spike #99, getting stuck and causing a red flag.
There are 12 Oreca cars on the grid. The final standings are decided after a relatively calm session, apart from the #99 AO Racing incident.
This is the top-10:
United Autosport #22, Daniel Goldburg
Mathiasen Motorsport #52, Ben Keating
United Autosport #2, Nick Boulle
Pratt Miller Motorsport #73, Chris Cumming
TDS Racing #11, Steven Thomas
AO Racing #99, PJ Hyett
AF Corse #88, Lius Perez Companc
Riley #74, Gar Robinson
Crowdstrike Racing with APR #04, George Kurtz
Inter Europol Competition #43, Jon Field
Era Motorsport #18, Tobi Lutke
Tower Motorsport #8, John Farano
2025 24h of Daytona Qualifying: GTP Qualifying Recap
It’s time for the big guns: the GTP class cars, also known as Hypercars, take to the track. 10 minutes before the end, the BMW #25 stops, triggering a red flag. The car appears to have simply shut down, marking a rough start to the weekend for the car driven by Kevin Magnussen.
In the final moments, Dries Vanthoor beats Nick Yelloly’s Acura time and secures pole position for the BMW M Hybrid V8!
Here’s the GTP classification:
BMW #20, Dries Vanthoor
Acura #93, Nick Yelloly
Porsche #7, Felipe Nasr
Cadillac #31, Jack Aitken
Porsche #85, Gianmaria Bruni
Acura #60, Tom Blomqvist
Cadillac #10, Filipe Albuquerque
Cadillac #40, Louis Deletraz
Lamborghini #63, Mirko Bortolotti
Porsche #6, Matt Campbell
Porsche #5, Julien Andlauer
Cadillac #25, Sheldon Van Der Linde
Photo: Michelin Racing USA, The Heart Of Racing, United Autosport, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, IMSA