BMW M Team RLL secured Rolex 24 pole after Dries Vanthoor delivered a remarkable performance during qualifying for the IMSA season opener.
As the first major event of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season, the Rolex 24 is not only a showcase of endurance racing but also a battleground for manufacturers and teams vying for supremacy.
Dries Vanthoor driving the No.24 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8 clinched the Rolex 24 pole position with a stunning lap time of 1:33.895, marking a huge achievement for both him and the BMW team.
The qualifying session for Rolex 24 at Daytona 2025 held on January 23 was fraught with challenges. It was notably shortened due to an incident involving Vanthoor’s teammate, Sheldon van der Linde, who experienced a mechanical failure that brought out a red flag early in the session.
This interruption limited the available time for drivers to set competitive laps, creating a tense atmosphere as teams scrambled to maximize their remaining opportunities on track. With less than six minutes left in the session after the red flag was lifted, drivers had just enough time to complete an out lap and two timed laps.
Vanthoor’s Rolex 24 pole winning lap was executed flawlessly on his final attempt, showcasing his skill and determination under pressure. His performance was impressive not only because of the time he set but also due to the context of the session’s interruptions.
The Belgian driver finished 0.291 seconds ahead of Nick Yelloly from Meyer Shank Racing, who qualified second in an Acura ARX-06.
Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Penske Porsche 963 secured third place, followed closely by Jack Aitken in Action Express Racing’s Cadillac V-Series.R and Gianmaria Bruni from JDC-Miller Motorsports in fifth.
The competitive landscape in the GTP class was further highlighted by Tom Blomqvist’s unfortunate situation. Blomqvist had been fast throughout practice but found his potential Rolex 24 pole-winning lap thwarted by traffic from Mirko Bortolotti’s Lamborghini SC63, resulting in a sixth-place qualifying effort.
READ ALSO: Blomqvist leads Meyer Shank Racing Acura 1-2 in opening practice for Rolex 24
Besides the GTP drama, LMP2 and GTD classes also provided their share of excitement during qualifying. Daniel Goldburg from United Autosports claimed Rolex 24 pole in LMP2 with a lap time of 1:38.676, edging out Ben Keating by just over three-tenths of a second.
The session was marked by intense competition, with reigning class champion Nick Boulle qualifying third after a late-session red flag impacted others’ chances to improve their times.
The GTD Pro class saw Mike Rockenfeller lead a Ford Multimatic Motorsports sweep of the front row, marking a historic moment as Ford Mustang GT3 claimed its first class pole position.
Rockenfeller’s best lap of 1:45.523 showcased not only his driving prowess but also Ford’s commitment to returning to competitive form within IMSA racing.
In GTD, Elliott Skeer from Wright Motorsports took Rolex 24 pole with a time of 1:46.634, narrowly beating Trent Hindman from Wayne Taylor Racing by just 0.024 seconds while Maxi Goetz placed third for Korthoff Competition Motors’ Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
The Rolex 24 at Daytona 2025 is set to begin on Saturday, January 25, at 1:40 p.m. ET and will feature four classes—GTP, LMP2, GTD Pro, and GTD—competing simultaneously on one of motorsport’s most iconic stages.
Teams will face varying weather conditions and intense competition over an entire day and night of racing.
This year’s event promises to be particularly thrilling given BMW M Team RLL’s resurgence in GTP and strong showings from other manufacturers like Acura, Porsche, Cadillac, Ford, and Lamborghini across all categories.
As teams finalize preparations during remaining practice sessions, fans eagerly anticipate how strategies will unfold during this ultimate test of endurance racing.
