IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Champion Pipo Derani claimed the first overall pole position of the 2024 season for his reigning champion team Wehlen Engineering Cadillac, praising the balance of his #31 V Series.R after establishing a new qualifying record.
The previous IMSA qualifying track record was set by Olly Jarvis in the #77 Mazda DPi in 2019, which was a 1:33.685.
All nine GTP qualifying participants – with the #5 Proton Porsche’s repairs preventing their attempt – set lap times faster than Jarvis’ record.
It was, however, Derani who came out on top to not only take the first pole position of the year, but also the new qualifying track record with his time of 1:32.656.
“Obviously, the Cadillac was flying out there today,” he said after claiming his 10th IMSA career pole.
“It was just a privilege and a pleasure to drive such a car – really well balanced.
“There was great teamwork to improve what was needed for qualifying.
“The car felt on rails, and it was nice to enjoy and feel the full potential of GTP.”
All GTP cars ended up within a second of the pole time, as Sebastien Bourdais lined up the Chip Ganassi-run #01 Cadillac Racing V Series.R on second place.
Just 0.071 separated the Frenchman and Derani, after Bourdais set the outright fastest first sector time.
“In the end, everyone was really tight,” Derani added with recognition to the chasing competition.
“I think Porsche was within a tenth from pole [ed: actually 0.22 seconds].
“It’s about finding those details to find a little extra time, and we were able to do just that today.”
“We weren’t really talking about what was possible, we were just trying to maximize the tools that we had.
“Quite honestly, I was quite surprised, but I think the conditions were perfect for that – cold, the tyres were working well, and obviously for qualifying you’re running low fuel.
“I would say we were a bit more surprised than not by the lap time.”
As reigning IMSA champions, Action Express Racing are targeting a fourth 24 Hours of Daytona victory, having last done so in 2018 with a driver crew of Filipe Albuquerque, João Barbosa and Christian Fittipaldi.
