Ryan Dalziel took pole position for the 50th Daytona 24 Hours in his Starworks Motorsport Ford-Riley yesterday.
The Scot set his best lap of 1:41.119 just before the halfway mark, earning a one-tenth advantage over Max Angelelli in the #10 Suntrust Racing Corvette.
The 29-year-old Dalziel is aiming for his second Daytona victory, having won the event in 2010. He will be partnered by in the race by Lucas Luhr, Allan McNish, Alex Popow and Enzo Potolicchio.
Angelelli gave Dalziel a respectable chase during the qualifying session, setting several times that were all good for the top five; however the Italian could do nothing to deprive Dalziel of the top spot.
Twice IZOD IndyCar champion Scott Dixon recorded the 3rd quickest time in the #02 Chip Ganassi Racing BMW-Riley. The Kiwi nudged ahead of Alex Gurney’s Corvette by less than one-tenth, while early pacesetter Antonio Garcia fell to 5th overall come the chequered flag.
Ozz Negri rounded out the top six in the Ford-powered Michael Shank Racing entry. The Brazilian finished the session two spots ahead of the “junior squad”, headed by Michael McDowell.
Indeed McDowell will be the elder hand in a team with Gustavo Yacaman and Jorge Goncalvez (Indy Lights) and Felipe Nasr (2011 British F3 Champion).
Splitting the Michael Shank Racing entries will be #9 Action Express Racing entry qualified by Joao Barbosa.
Three Ford’s and a BMW filled the following two rows, with #2 Starworks Ford-Riley heading the group in 9th. Entries by #77 Doran Ford-Dallara (10th), #50 Alegra BMW-Riley and the #76 Krohn Ford-Lola (12th) were the slowest DP runner.
Neither the #5 Action Express Racing nor the #01 Ganassi Racing BMW-Riley – the reigning Grand-Am champions – could set a time due to engine failures in practice.
In the GT Class, Andrew Davis in the #59 Brumo Racing Porsche GT3 took pole ahead of Jeff Segal’s #69 AIM Autosport Ferrari 458. Segal left it late to set his quickest time, just edging Andy Lally in the #44 Magnus Racing Porsche to 2nd in class.
Patrick Long will line up 4th in the #45 Flying Lizards Porsche ahead of the leading Risi Competizione Ferrari 458, the #45, with Gianmaria Bruni at the wheel.
Rolex 24 At Daytona (Qualifying Session, January 27th)
Pos No. Class Pic Drivers Team/Car Time
Daytona Prototype Class
1. Dalziel / Luhr / McNish / Popow / Potolicchio
Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley 1:41.119
2. Angelelli / Briscoe / Taylor
SunTrust Racing / Corvette DP 1:41.240
3. Dixon / Franchitti / McMurray / Montoya
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley 1:41.463
4. Fogarty / Gidley / Gurney
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing / Corvette DP 1:41.519
5. Garcia / Gavin / Magnussen / Westbrook
Spirit of Daytona / Corvette DP 1:41.611
6. Allmendinger / Negri / Pew / Wilson
Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian / Ford Riley 1:41.662
7. Barbosa / Borcheller / France / Papis
Action Express Racing / Corvette DP 1:42.074
8. Goncalvez / McDowell / Nasr / Yacaman
Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian / Ford Riley 1:42.414
9. Hunter-Reay / Mayer / Potolicchio / Potolicchio / Valiante
Starworks Motorsport / Ford Riley 1:42.657
10. Frisselle / Frisselle / Lowe / Tracy
Doran Racing / Ford Dallara 1:42.773
11. Defoor / Forbes-Robinson / Johnson / Pace / de Quesada
50+Predator/Alegra / BMW Riley 1:43.723
12. Braun / Jonsson / Krohn / Zonta
Krohn Racing / Ford Lola 1:44.433
Donohue / Fittipaldi / Law
Action Express Racing / Corvette DP (no time)
Hand / Pruett / Rahal / Rojas
Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates / BMW Riley (no time)
GT Class
13 Davis / Haywood / Keen / Lieb
Brumos Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.342
14 Assentato / Lazzaro / Longhi / Segal
AIM Autosport Team FXDD Racing with Ferrari / Ferrari 458 1:49.357
15 Lally / Lietz / Potter / Rast
Magnus Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.388
16 Bergmeister / Long / Neiman / Rockenfeller
Flying Lizard Motorsports, Wright Motorsports / Porsche GT3 1:49.550
17 Bruni / Fisichella / Matos
Risi Competizione / Ferrari 458 1:49.661
18 Cameron / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8 1:49.700
19 Collard / Holzer / Leitzinger / MacNeil
Alex Job Racing / Porsche GT3 1:49.766
20 Edwards / Marsh / Milner / Taylor
Autohaus Motorsports / Camaro GT.R 1:49.773
21 Asch / Baldwin / Burtin / Ragginger / Sellers
Burtin Racing with Goldcrest Motorsports / Porsche GT3 1:49.891
22 Bell / Maassen / Miller
Paul Miller Racing / Porsche GT3 1:50.044
23 Beretta / Bertolini / Vilander
Risi Competizione / Ferrari 458 1:50.191
24 Brown / Cosmo / Sharp / van Overbeek
Extreme Speed Motorsports / Ferrari 458 1:50.197
25 Bell / Carter / Curran / Plumb
Stevenson Motorsports / Camaro GT.R 1:50.273
26 Cisneros / Edwards / Kauffmann / Tandy
NGT Motorsport / Porsche GT3 1:50.298
27 Al Masaood / Al Mehairi / Kane
Oryx Racing / Audi R8 Grand-Am 1:50.312
28 Bremer / Edwards / Liddell
Stevenson Motorsports / Camaro GT.R 1:50.426
29 Bell / Eversley / Graeff / Yarab Jr.
Magnus Racing / Porsche GT3 1:50.456
30 Farnbacher / Keating / Pilet / Simonsen
TRG / Porsche GT3 1:50.557
31 Blaylock / O'Young / Roush / Van Blankers / White
Bullet Racing / Porsche GT3 1:50.572
32 Auberlen / Dalla Lana / Marsal / Muller / Werner
Turner Motorsport / BMW M3 1:50.582
33 Armindo / Curtis / Lewis / Sofronas / Willsey
Orbit/GMG / Porsche GT3 1:50.605
34 Baas / Canache / Norman / Pirro / von Moltke
APR Motorsport / Audi R8 Grand-Am 1:50.749
35 Cook / Earnhardt / Harrington / Hill / Ware
Rick Ware Racing / Ford Mustang 1:50.762
36 Avenatti / Faieta / Poordad / Sweedler / Wagner
Alex Job Racing / Porsche GT3 1:50.824
37 Bomarito / Franchitti / Hinchcliffe / Tremblay
SpeedSource / Mazda RX-8 1:51.022
38 Aguas / Kauffman / Pastrana / Waltrip
AF-Waltrip / Ferrari 458 1:51.105
39 Dempsey / Espenlaub / Foster / Long / Putman
Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8 1:51.416
40 Ave / Heylen / Peterson / Soulet / Valverde
Racers Edge Motorsports / Dodge Viper 1:51.555
41 Del Vecchio / Grunnet / Kester / McKee / Pobst
Acumen Motorsport / Porsche GT3 1:51.575
42 Auberlen / Dalla Lana / Johnson / Muller / Said
Turner Motorsport / BMW M3 1:51.680
43 Miller / Prewitt / Rettich / Schneider / Shoff
Alliance Autosport / Porsche GT3 1:51.727
44 Jones / Lester / McCutchen / Thomas
Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC / Porsche GT3 1:52.250
45 Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8 1:52.541
46 Buford / Englster / Murry / Schaldach
Liqui Moly Team Englster/Mitchum Motorsports / Porsche GT3 1:52.641
47 Ardagna / Costabal / Di Guida / Orjuela / Salazar
TRG / Porsche GT3 1:52.679
48 James / Johnson / Kitch Jr / Maxwell / Rogers
Dempsey Racing / Mazda RX-8 1:52.998
49 Fergus / Finger / Greer / Hotchkis / Trinkler
Dick Greer Racing / Porsche GT3 1:53.161
50 Andretti / Andretti / Hacquard / Krohn
Yellow Dragon Motorsports / Mazda RX-8 1:53.202
51 Castellano / Cox / Hedlund / McCarthy / Michaelian
TRG / Porsche GT3 1:53.919
52 Bertheau / Bleekemolen / Goossens / Henzler / Pumpelly
TRG / Porsche GT3 1:54.347
53 DeFontes / Fogg / Konopka / Vonka / van de Laar
Orbit/GMG / Porsche GT3 1:54.402
54 Baughman / Breukers / Fumal / Mason / Nowicki
Michael Baughman Racing / Corvette 1:55.577
Cumming / Estre / Faulkner / Gomez / Keating
TRG / Porsche GT3 (no time)
Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Nonnamaker / Sahlen
Team Sahlen / Mazda RX-8 (no time)
Dollahite / Nater / O'Doski / Seefried / Whitis
Muehlner Motorsports America, LLC / Porsche GT3 (no time)
