DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Qualifying for the Rolex 24 at Daytona set the stage for another hard-fought endurance classic, and the five Corvette-entered teams produced a mix of headline-grabbing pace and strategically solid starting positions across both GTD PRO and GTD. With the grid now finalized, Corvette Racing and its customer partners head into the twice-around-the-clock marathon positioned to contend from multiple angles.

The most eye-catching result came in GTD PRO, where Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked down class pole. In the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, Alexander Sims delivered a blistering lap to secure the Motul Pole Award, placing the car at the head of the GTD PRO field for Saturday’s start. Sims shares the No. 3 with Antonio Garcia and Marvin Kirchhöfer, and the trio’s qualifying performance reaffirmed Corvette’s outright speed in IMSA’s premier GT category.

The sister No. 4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, also entered by Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports, qualified eighth in class. With Nicky Catsburg handling qualifying duties, the No. 4 crew—completed by Tommy Milner and Nico Varrone—secured a mid-pack starting spot that keeps the car within striking distance once endurance strategy and traffic management come into play.

In the highly competitive GTD category, Corvette customer teams showed encouraging pace and depth. DXDT Racing led the way for the customer entries, qualifying fourth in class with Charlie Eastwood setting the time in the No. 36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. The result places DXDT firmly among the GTD frontrunners heading into race day.

Close behind, DragonSpeed continued its early progress with the Corvette platform by qualifying sixth in GTD. The No. 81 Corvette—shared by Giacomo Altoè, Henrik Hedman, Casper Stevenson, and Matteo Cairoli—earned a solid grid position that provides flexibility for pit strategy during the opening hours.

Rounding out the Corvette contingent, 13 Autosport qualified 16th in GTD with Orey Fidani behind the wheel. While the starting spot is deeper in the field, 13 Autosport enters the weekend with proven Daytona endurance credentials and will rely on consistency and clean execution to move forward over 24 hours.
Collectively, qualifying underscored the breadth of Corvette’s presence at Daytona: a class pole in GTD PRO, competitive top-10 pace throughout GTD, and multiple teams positioned to capitalize as the race inevitably evolves. When the green flag waves, all five Corvette entries will shift focus from outright speed to durability, traffic management, and strategy—hallmarks of success at the Rolex 24.
Sources
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – Official Qualifying Results
Corvette Racing / Pratt Miller Motorsports – Team Communications
CorvetteBlogger – Rolex 24 Qualifying Coverage
NBC Sports – Rolex 24 at Daytona Qualifying and Grid Reports

