Action Express’s Brazilian driver set the fastest lap at Daytona International Speedway’s 3.56-mile road course circuit, clocking in at 1m35.217s. Derani’s impressive performance knocked Connor De Phillippi’s BMW M Hybrid V8, which had led most of the session, into second place, trailing by a significant 0.377s. Derani’s exceptional speed in the opening sector, where he recorded a sub-23s lap at 22.991s, contributed significantly to his success.
The No. 6 Porsche Penske 963, driven by Laurens Vanthoor following Nick Tandy’s top performance in the opening session, secured the third position, finishing 0.504s behind the leading car.
Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 experienced an eventful session, with Jordan Taylor spinning the No. 40 car in Turn 1 30 minutes before the end. Despite the setback, Taylor continued, and the entry ended up seventh overall.
In the LMP2 class, Christian Rasmussen, the 2023 Indy NXT champion, propelled the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA to the top with a fastest lap of 1m39.674s. Nolan Siegel, a contender for the Indy NXT title last year, followed closely in the Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier, trailing by 0.253s.
LMP2 encountered two incidents during the session. The No. 88 AF Corse ORECA spun in Turn 3 but managed to continue, finishing 0.353s behind in third. The No. 8 Tower Motorsports ORECA spun in Turn 7 about 45 minutes into the session, prompting the first red flag. Scott McLaughlin, an IndyCar star, paced the team eighth in class but was 0.844s off the leading pace.
Ford Multimatic Motorsports’ Christopher Mies impressed by setting the Ford Mustang GT3 as the fastest in GTD Pro with a lap time of 1m46.494s. This performance was 0.266s quicker than James Calado’s time in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3.
In the GTD class, Jan Heylen of Wright Motorsports set the mark with the No. 120 Porsche 911 GT3 R, recording a lap time of 1m46.741s.
