Roar test #3: Taylor heads Vautier in Cadillac 1-2

Taylor posted a time of 1min37.188sec on his 13th lap of the session to beat by 0.196sec former Indy Lights champion Tristan Vautier in SDR’s #90 car, which he will share with Eddie Cheever III and Matt McMurry.

Although Cadillacs were fastest in both of Friday’s sessions, this was the first time that WTR, which won last year’s Rolex 24 and won the IMSA Prototype championship, had posted the fastest time.

CORE autosport continued to set a strong pace with its Oreca LMP2, with Romain Dumas taking third place with a time of 1m37.537s in the second half of the session.

Mike Conway put in a late lap to take fourth in the #31 Action Express Cadillac he shares with Felipe Nasr and Eric Curran, ahead of Stephen Simpson in the Miller Motorsports Oreca.

The #5 AXR Cadillac, fastest in both of Friday sessions, was fifth fastest in the hands of Joao Barbosa, just over a tenth quicker than the #38 Performance Tech Motorsports Oreca LMP2 of Pato O’Ward.

Pipo Derani was the best of the Nissan DPis with a late lap 0.729s off the pace to take eighth place, relegating Felix Rosenqvist in the #37 DC Racing Oreca to ninth.

Fernando Alonso continued to build up speed on his first experience of Daytona, taking over from Phil Hanson who started the session, and then completing 16 laps.

The two-time Formula 1 world champion posted a 1m38.072s as the checkered flag came out to go 11th, the fastest time set so far by the #23 United Autosports Ligier.

That put him ahead of the two Penske Acuras in which Dane Cameron and Ricky Taylor set the times.

Best of the Mazda Team Joest entries was Harry Tincknell in 15th, 1.688s off the pace and just under three-tenths faster than the sister car of Rene Rast.

Chip Ganassi Racing’s Ford GTs were first and second in GT Le Mans, with Scott Dixon outpacing Dirk Muller by 0.130s, while Risi Competizione’s Alessandro Pier Guidi put in a late lap for third place in the Ferrari 488 GTE.

In GT Daytona, Matteo Cairoli’s time of 1m47.125s, set on the car’s 16th lap put the #59 Manthey Racing Porsche top. Rolf Ineichen was second fastest In the Grasser Lamborghini Huracan ahead of the Paul Miller Racing example driven by Andrea Caldarelli.