Fittipaldi Brothers Prepare to Race Together; 13 Autosport Completes Late Repair
By Holly Cain
Practice 3 Results
Provisional Starting Grid
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Laurens Vanthoor topped Friday’s final practice for the weekend’s Rolex 24 At Daytona IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season-opener at Daytona International Speedway. He posted a best lap of 1 minute, 36.475 seconds in his No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 around Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course under sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s.
It was a busy final session with multiple cars from multiple classes having slight “offs.’’ A brief red flag period came out three times into the hour-long morning run with cars stalled on course. All but two cars in the 60-car race field – the Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC – turned laps. The Vasser Sullivan team said there no issues with the cars but simply chose not to run the session.
The No. 10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R was second quickest overall with driver Will Stevens, followed by the No. 24 BMW M Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8 with driver Sheldon van der Linde.
The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) and overall pole-sitting No. 93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06 was 10th fastest in the session.
Mathias Beche in the No. 11 TDS Racing ORECA LMP2 07 was quickest in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class – ahead of the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 piloted by Rolex 24 rookie Enzo Fittipaldi.
Maro Engel was quickest in Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) in the No. 75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Scott McLaughlin in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R posting fast lap in Grand Touring Daytona (GTD).
“We’ve had a really smooth week,” McLaughlin said post-practice. “Maybe a couple of minor issues but nothing crazy. It’s normal 24-hour stuff and making sure everything is just right.
“The team has done a great job since we’ve been here. All the Corvettes have been fast which is great for all the teams. I’m really enjoying being back in the Corvette family for this race and having a blast. My teammates are great and I think we have a really good shot at it in GTD.”
Fittipaldi Brothers Team up at Rolex 24
Fittipaldi brothers Pietro and Enzo are among three sets of brothers (Vanthoors, Taylors) entered in this week’s Rolex 24 At Daytona – and it marks the first time this talented pair will co-drive together.
The Brazilian brothers, who are two-time Formula 1 champion Emerson Fittip
aldi’s grandsons are sharing the seat of the No. 73 Pratt Miller Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with Manuel Espirito Santo and Chris Cumming. The car starts ninth in the LMP2 class of Saturday’s race. It is 29-year-old Pietro’s fourth Rolex 24 start and will mark 24-year-old Enzo’s race debut.
“It’s the first time we’re racing together as teammates so it’s a dream come true,” said Pietro Fittipaldi, whose best finish in the Rolex 24 – fourth place in LMP2 – came in 2024 in a late fill-in appearance.
“This race is the race that gave me the passion for motorsport, I would say. I’ve come here as a kid and watched my uncles Max Papis and Christian Fittipaldi (both two-time Rolex 24 winners).
“And I can remember staying in Max’s motorhome with my Aunt Tatiana [Papis] as a kid being able to stay awake all night. And it was amazing. Watching the cars drive for 24 hours that’s what got me into racing and now to be able to do the race together with Enzo, that’s very special. It’s a dream.
His younger brother Enzo was equally as keen about to compete for the first time alongside Pietro.
“To do it together with my brother it becomes even more special, Enzo Fittipaldi said. “Very cool to have family that have done this race and been successful but at the end of the day you have to come here and learn for yourself and experience it for yourself. It’s going to be a tough race.”
13 Autosport Completes All-Night Repair
The 13 Autosport Corvette finished final practice third in GTD after an all-night repair following the refueling issue at the end of the Thursday’s night practice. There was no damage to the engine and all systems checked out in practice.
“The boys and girls worked all night and haven’t gone home,” said Orey Fidani, co-driver of the No. 13 Corvette Z06 GT3.R. “They took the whole car apart overnight and put it back together for today. I think it’s a perfect car and we’re ready for the race. It’s an even bigger morale boost to us as drivers based on how hard they worked to get everything back together. We want to go out and win this race for them.”