BMW’s M Hybrid V8 racing car showed an impressive ahead of this weekend’s Rolex 24 at Daytona, setting the fastest times in three of six sessions during the Roar Before the 24 test. Dries Vanthoor delivered the standout performance in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, clocking a 1m35.424s lap on Friday. The time remained unbeaten throughout the three-day test, firmly establishing BMW as a top contender for the IMSA SportsCar Championship season opener.

Vanthoor’s lap edged out Nick Yelloly’s 1m35.619s in the #93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, while Tom Blomqvist rounded out the top three with a 1m35.827s in the #60 Acura. In the next sessions, Marco Wittmann set the tone Saturday morning in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8, with Sheldon van der Linde taking the afternoon honors in the same car. While Porsche’s Laurens Vanthoor went fastest in the night session on Saturday in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, and Neel Jani topped Sunday’s wet session for Proton Competition, BMW consistently showed its strength in both dry and mixed conditions.

Could This Be The Year?

The Roar test performance is a significant boost for BMW M Team RLL. The team underwent major lineup changes after struggling in the GTP class over the past two years. BMW’s best finish in the Rolex 24 has been sixth with the cars often struggling to keep the pace with Porsche and Cadillac.

Acura and Cadillac remain strong contenders heading into the Rolex 24. Romain Grosjean, in the Lamborghini SC63, delivered a 1m36.041s to secure fourth on the combined timesheets, while van der Linde’s 1m36.093s in session two put the #25 BMW in fifth. Gianmaria Bruni’s effort in the #85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche and Laurens Vanthoor’s nighttime lap in the #7 Porsche completed the top seven.

Further back, Earl Bamber in the #31 Action Express Cadillac and Mathieu Jaminet in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport entry rounded out the top 10 alongside Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac.

BMW’s latest roster addition Kevin Magnussen will also make his debut next weekend at the iconic 24 Hours of Daytona. Magnussen’s familiarity with sports car racing, coupled with his long-standing connection to Vincent Vosse, head of BMW’s WRT Hypercar team in the FIA World Endurance Championship, makes him a compelling addition to BMW’s endurance racing lineup. [Photos: Dan Levins @klapped.media]