Following front row sweep, Cadillac V-Series.R entries look strong for Rolex 24
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 24, 2024) – Following a fast start that netted a front row sweep for the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona, reigning Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) champion Cadillac Racing will aim to also finish 1-2 this weekend.
The No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R, with two-time IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship champion Pipo Derani behind the wheel, secured the pole for the twice-around-the-clock test with a track-record lap of 1 minute, 32.656 seconds on the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona International Speedway course.
The No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R, piloted by Sebastien Bourdais, was less than a tenth of a second behind and completed the front row lockout. Cadillac has four pole starts for the Rolex 24 and four victories – all since 2017.
Derani’s track-record lap during the 15-minute qualifying session Jan. 21 was nearly 2 seconds quicker than the 2023 pole-winning lap time of 1:34.031 – the first race of the GTP era.
“The change in the past year is massive. The development has been tremendous. The job that was done throughout the year was amazing,” said Derani, who scored his series debut victory in the 2016 Rolex 24 At Daytona.
Derani will share driving duties with Jack Aitken and Tom Blomqvist, who won the race the past two years. Bourdais will co-drive the No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R with Renger van der Zande, Scott Dixon and Alex Palou.
The Rolex 24 At Daytona is also the first of five races in the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
NBC and its network will provide flag-to-flag coverage of the race (all times ET):
Saturday – NBC 1:30-2:30 p.m.; USA 2:30-8 p.m.; Peacock 8-10 p.m.; USA 10 p.m.-12 a.m.
Sunday – Peacock 12-6 a.m.; USA 6 a.m.-12 p.m.; NBC 12-2 p.m.
Full race also streamed on Peacock app.
Additionally, radio coverage is available at imsa.com, the IMSA app, XM 207, Sirius 211, SiriusXM Online 996, 107.9 FM local at track; 93.5 FM and 1150 AM in Daytona.
Cadillac Racing Rolex 24 At Daytona poles
2023 — Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R (Pipo Derani, Jack Aitken, Tom Blomqvist)
2021 — Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R (Tristan Vautier, Sebastien Bourdais, Loic Duval)
2018 — Spirit of Daytona Racing Cadillac DPi-V.r (Matt McMurry, Tristan Vautier, Eddie Cheever III)
2017 — Mustang Sampling Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R (Joao Barbosa, Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque
- No overall wins when starting from pole.
Overall wins
2020 (Renger van der Zande, Ryan Briscoe, Scott Dixon, Kamui Kobayashi)
2019 (Renger van der Zande, Fernando Alonso; Jordan Taylor, Kamui Kobayashi)
2018 (Christian Fittipaldi, Filipe Albuquerque, Joao Barbosa)
2017 (Jeff Gordon, Jordan Taylor, Ricky Taylor, Max Angelelli)
Exciting lineup of Cadillac vehicles on display
Spectators can see the award-winning lineup of Cadillac vehicles, including the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing that is the Official Safety Car of the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona, at the Cadillac display in the midway. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-midnight Saturday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.
Drivers preview the 62nd Rolex 24 At Daytona
No. 01 Cadillac V-Series.R
Sebastien Bourdais: “I am really excited to get 2024 going. I think the traditional start of the season with Daytona is always a fun one. It gathers a ton of drivers that you might not see the rest of the season, so it is a bit of an international event and gathering with a great atmosphere. Everybody wants to leave with a watch on their wrist. We finished third last year, but we felt like we were in it to win it. I feel like Cadillac has given us a very good car and we have a good understanding of the system. We feel even more prepared and with the team that we can lean on, I think we have all the necessary ingredients to go for the win.”
Renger van der Zande: “We have been developing this car for a year now and lately we have found a lot of set-up options that work for us. Reliability is the most important thing and that is certainly what Chip Ganassi Racing and Cadillac Racing bring. Anything can happen at Daytona, but we feel prepared with a nice blend of drivers to win this race. It’s the biggest race of the season, the one you want to win and a big part of a championship. We’re there to win.”
Scott Dixon: “I always look forward to Daytona; it’s a great way to kick off the season. I feel like we had a really good shot last year and the car speed was really good. The team has done a good job in the offseason to make things a little bit smoother and better.
“The key is always to stay out of trouble and make sure you finish the 24 hours first and then hopefully have a good shot at trying to get a win.”
Alex Palou: “I’m very excited to return to Daytona after competing with the team in the DPi era in 2022. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the new Hybrid and it will be a great way to start the year early with such a great team and with such great teammates.
“I’ve had the privilege of racing with Scott, Sebastien and Renger and I’m sure with all the preparation and knowledge that the team has, we’ll be able to fight for a win and maybe bring home some new watches at the end of January.”
No. 31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R
Jack Aitken: “We’ve been talking about it over the winter and doing a (GTP championship) repeat is one of the hardest things you can do in sports. Coming in as the reigning champion for Pipo and the team is a high bar, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again. I’ll bring extra motivation to get my first championship. It all starts with the Rolex 24. We’re starting in a good position to hopefully stay out of danger on the start heading into Turn 1. That’s always an issue. And we’ll go from there.”
Tom Blomqvist: “It means a lot to me to win this race again and with a different team. I think that speaks volumes in itself from a personal side – to be able to jump across and fight for a victory. That’s hugely motivating and rewarding if we win. I play a different role this year, coming in to assist and I’ll put in all my effort to help the team win because I want to win.”
Pipo Derani: “There’s really nothing different to do than what you’ve already done and those things have worked because we’ve won races and championships. That also helps you calm down and focus on the important things. Come race day and come Sunday afternoon, you hope everything fell into place and you have the shot at victory in this event. With 59 cars this year, all of us will be in survival mode. At Daytona, it’s only in the last six hours when the puzzle of the race starts coming together, and you start to work out what piece you are, and the game of on-track chess begins.”
