The annual pre-Daytona test day, the ‘Roar before’, took place at the International Speedway over the weekend, with the LMP2s leading the way from the new DPis on the timing screens.

Porsche LMP1 racer Neel Jani set the early benchmark, moonlighting with Rebellion Racing alongside Seb Buemi, heading four of the five sessions. But it was resurgent Briton Ben Hanley who set the weekend’s fastest lap in DragonSpeed’s Oreca. Mazda was the quickest of the new-for-2017 Daytona Protoypes, 0.2s shy of Hanley’s weekend best. Just 1.3s covered the entire premier prototype field.

Ryan Briscoe and Tony Kanaan were quickest in GTLM, both in Ford GTs, Porsche’s Sven Muller  topped GT Daytona, with James French fastest of the five Prototype Challenge cars. 

IMSA’s main protagonists prepare for the 24 Hours, taking place on January 28-29 

The DragonSpeed Oreca topped the timesheets in the hands of Ben Hanley, who partners Henrik Hedman and Nicolas Lapierre​

AX Racing opted for a Cadillac chassis, reigning champions Dane Cameron and Eric Curran finished sixth fastest

Lexus moves into the GT Daytona ranks in 2017

The new Porsche RSR made its competitive debut, clocking almost 3,000 kilometres

Mercedes too moves into GTD, with 24 Hours Nürburgring winner Adam Christodoulou 

Rebellion Racing switches from LMP1 privateers to LMP2, and has recruited Stephane Sarrazin, Sebastien Buemi and Neel Jani for the Daytona 24