Press release
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january 23, 2023 - Porsche Motorsport
Porsche 963 tackles the 24 Hours of Daytona from the front row
- First qualifying for the new Porsche Penske Motorsport factory team
- Works driver Felipe Nasr qualifies a close second in the GTP class
- Bad luck for Nick Tandy with the sister car hitting the barriers
- Porsche 911 GT3 R (Gen. 992) secures P8 in the GTD-Pro class
The two #porsche963 fielded by the Porsche Penske Motorsport factory squad have wrapped up their first qualifying session in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with varying degrees of success. Felipe Nasr from Brazil planted Porsche Penske Motorsport’s No. 7 car on P2 – a mere 0.083 seconds off pole position. His brand colleague Nick Tandy, however, was hampered by bad luck in the No. 6 car. On the way to setting pole, the UK driver lost the rear of his 963 while braking for the Bus Stop chicane and hit the tyre wall. In the GTD classes, the seven #porsche911gt3r secured only mediocre grid positions.
At the start of the 20-minute GTP qualifying, Tandy and Nasr initially waited in the pits with their two 500 kW (680 PS) #porsche963. After about seven minutes, the two hybrid vehicles headed out onto the 5.73-kilometre racetrack to chase top times. Both Porsche works drivers put in a strong drive and quickly positioned themselves among the frontrunners. On lap four, Tandy pulled out all stops: the outright Le Mans winner of 2015 set top times in the first two sectors and was on course for pole position – only to lose the rear of his #porsche963 when braking for the last chicane. The vehicle shot over the grass and crashed into the tyre barrier. Despite damage to the front of the car, Tandy managed to drive slowly back to the pits – however, the stewards had already red-flagged the session. The IMSA regulations clearly state that the driver who caused a red flag in qualifying has their two fastest lap times voided. As a result, the No. 6 car will take up the race from the back of the GTP field.
When the qualifying session finally went green for the remaining two and a half minutes, Nasr again launched a blistering attack in the No. 7 car. With mere seconds left on the clock, the Brazilian catapulted his 963 to the front of the field, only to be pipped to pole by the No. 60 Acura in a last-ditch effort. The qualifying on Saturday marks the conclusion of the so-called “Roar” at Daytona. As part of the three-day test #event, Porsche’s two new hybrid prototypes covered a total of 1,541 kilometres in preparation for the season-opening round this coming Saturday and Sunday. Tandy shares the cockpit of the No. 6 #porsche963 with his works driver teammates Mathieu Jaminet from France and Dane Cameron from the USA. Nasr drives the sister car with the Australian Matt Campbell and Michael Christensen from Denmark.
“Congratulations to Acura on securing the first pole position in the new GTP era,” says Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “We’re pleased with our qualifying result because we’ve clearly underlined that we’re up with the play. When the session restarted towards the end, we didn’t have enough time to get the tyres back up to the optimum temperature. Nick’s accident is a pity for the crew of the No. 6 car but it’s by no means an indication of how the race will pan out. 24 hours is a long time and a lot can happen – and we’re part of the action!”
New #porsche911gt3r qualifies among the backmarkers
In the GTD-Pro class, the new #porsche911gt3r (Gen. 992) concluded its qualifying debut in eighth place. Works driver Laurens Vanthoor from Belgium turned seven qualifying laps and improved significantly over the course of the session. However, the vehicle fielded by the defending champions Pfaff Motorsports was unable to join the fight for pole position. In the GTD category, the six new identical 415 kW (565 PS) GT3 vehicles from Weissach also struggled. Jan Heylen (Belgium) and factory driver Kévin Estre from France planted the two cars from Wright Motorsports on positions 14 and 18. Both cars fielded by Kelly-Moss with Riley take up the race from P19 and P20 of the GTD field. Lining up on the grid behind them are the vehicles from MDK Motorsports (P21) and AO #racing (P23).
“Our cars haven’t been able to match the pace of the #competition since the Roar began,” explains Sebastian Golz, Project Manager #porsche911gt3r. “On the one hand, the Balance of Performance process is based on basic data such as the vehicle’s weight, engine output and aerodynamics, which help determine the initial classification. On the other hand, what is taken into account is the data collected out on the circuit under comparable track and weather conditions. The organiser receives the data when the qualifying session is over so that the adjustment of the BoP process can begin. We work closely with the organisers and look forward to a balanced field for the race.” At the three-day “Roar Before the 24” in Daytona, the seven new #porsche911gt3r turned 829 laps and covered a distance of 4,733 kilometres.
The #24hoursofdaytona race weekend begins this Thursday, 26 January, with three practice sessions. The 61st running of the #endurance classic in Florida gets underway on Saturday, 28 January, at 1:40 pm local time (7:40 pm CET).
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