Cadillac DPi-V.R Looking Strong At Roar Before The 24 Test

The off-season is almost over, IMSA fans, with the WeatherTech Sportscar Championship firing its engines back up for the annual Roar Before the 24 test session at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

On-track activities began Friday with the DPi, LMP2, GTLM and GTD classes all taking to the track in the late morning for their first testing opportunity of 2019.

New Cadillac DPi-V.R prototypes of JDC Miller Motorsports and Juncos Racing were both present at the test. The addition of the yellow No. 84 and No. 85 JDC Miller Cadillacs and the green, white and orange No. 50 Juncos Cadillac bring the number of DPi-V.R entries for 2019 to six.

The newcomers join the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac and the No. 31 and No. 5 Action Express Cadillacs in the General Motors prototype family.

The No. 10 Cadillac was the fastest of the all the Cadillac entries during yesterday’s test, topping two of the day’s five sessions. Toyota LMP1 ace Kamui Kobayshi was the quickest overall in session two, while full season driver Renger van der Zande led the fourth session of the day in the black, white and blue DPi.

WTR’s Cadillac sparred with the two Joest Mazdas throughout the day, which topped the first and third sessions of the day, along with the fifth session in the dark.

Usually a force to be reckoned with at Daytona, the two Action Express entries were suspiciously absent from the time of the time sheets. Both JDC Miller and Juncos Racing Cadillacs lingered in the middle to the bottom of the time sheets as the two teams got to grips with their new machinery.

The Corvette C7.R of Corvette Racing, meanwhile, was typically consistent, appearing in the middle of the GTLM time charts for most of the day. Antonio Garcia went second quickest in session 3, but the team appeared to struggle in the night session, turning in the two slowest lap times in their class.

The Roar Before the 24 continues today, with the DPi, LMP2 and GTLM classes participating in a  qualifying session that decides pit stall selection for the Rolex 24. GTD class qualifying was held last night, with Acura NSX GT3 driver Ana Beatriz claiming pole and thus getting first dibs on GTD pit stall selection.

Full timing results from the Roar Before the 24 can be found at this link.

Stay tuned to GM Authority for more IMSA news as the Roar Before the 24 wraps up and the annual Rolex 24 endurance classic kicks off later this month.

Photos by Jake Galstad/Richard Dole courtesy of IMSA.