BMW M Team WRT’s Sheldon van der Linde topped the second Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona, signaling strong intentions from the team as the 2026 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season approaches.
The session, which wrapped up the opening day of testing on Friday unfolded over two hours under clear Florida conditions, allowing teams to gather crucial data ahead of the iconic Rolex 24 endurance race scheduled for January 24-26.
The second session commenced smoothly but faced two red-flag interruptions that tested teams’ adaptability and recovery protocols.
Just 16 minutes in, Job van Uitert clipped the wall at Turn 1 in the No. 37 Intersport Racing Oreca, ending its participation prematurely and forcing a cleanup that halted proceedings briefly.
Fifteen minutes after the restart, Esteban Masson brought out the second red flag when his No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 stopped at Turn 5, adding to the session’s intensity as crews worked efficiently to resume running.
Despite these stoppages, drivers logged substantial mileage—many exceeding 50 laps—focusing on long-run simulations, tire degradation analysis, and aerodynamic tweaks for the hyper-competitive GTP field.
Sheldon van der Linde in the No. 24 BMW etched his name atop the overall timesheets with a blistering best lap of 1:36.742, showcasing the BMW’s straight-line speed and cornering prowess.
Completing 51 laps, van der Linde’s effort edged out the competition by a slim margin, building on the BMW M Team WRT’s promising debut in IMSA with the all-new BMW M Hybrid V8.
Tijmen van der Helm trailed van der Linde by just 0.138 seconds in the No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports Porsche 963, while Laurin Heinrich was third fastest in the No. 7 Porsche Penske 963—fresh off Felipe Nasr’s dominance in the opening test session.
Laurens Vanthoor delivered a late flyer in the sister No. 6 Porsche Penske 963 to slot fourth overall, demoting Earl Bamber’s No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R to fifth.
The Cadillac contingent showed solid form with Filipe Albuquerque sixth in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R, followed closely by Jordan Taylor in the No. 01 WTR entry.
Tom Blomqvist placed eighth in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, navigating earlier technical gremlins that plagued MSR in the opener to deliver a competitive showing.
Kevin Magnussen in the sister No. 25 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 and Ross Gunn in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Valkyrie AMR Pro rounded out the top ten fastest GTP entries.
Shifting to LMP2, Hunter McElrea in the No. 2 United Autosports Oreca 07 Gibson led the second Roar Before the Rolex 24 test at Daytona with a sharp 1:39.136.
Enzo Fittipaldi trailed by 0.143 seconds in the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports Oreca, while Tom Dillmann’s No. 43 Inter Europol Competition Oreca claimed third, a further tenth back.
In the GT divisions, Corey Lewis dominated GTD with a 1:47.552 lap in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Ford Mustang GT3 EVO, pipping the pro ranks by leveraging the Mustang’s torque out of slow corners.
Chaz Mostert led GTD Pro just 0.103 seconds slower in the No. 75 Express Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, setting a benchmark for the factory efforts with aggressive aero setups.
Chris Mies placed second in the No. 65 Ford Mustang GT3 as Alexander Sims’ No. 3 AO Racing Corvette Z06 GT3R rounded out the top three in GTD Pro.
Danny Formal’s No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 slotted second in GTD, while Russell Ward’s No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG took third overall in GT.
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