Caldarelli Quickest in “Very Positive” First Daytona Run

Photo: Rick Dole/IMSA

Lamborghini Iron Lynx unofficially topped the time charts in the opening day of the IMSA-sanctioned test at Daytona International Speedway, with Andrea Caldarelli leading the way in the brand-new Lamborghini SC63.

The Italian driver reeled off a best time of 1:35.027 in Wednesday’s second session, outpacing the GTP competition by more than four-tenths in the running.

It not only marked the first outing on the Florida high banks for the Ligier-chassied LMDh car but also its first run on U.S. soil, following tests exclusively in Europe up until this point.

“It went quite well,” Caldarelli told Sportscar365. “We obviously did a lot of testing in Europe so it was the first time here.

“The car felt pretty similar to what we had in Europe. Obviously this was the first time we went on a very high-speed track. For us, it was quite new to have such a high speed.

“I’m quite happy where we are. The car felt pretty solid. We didn’t have time to really test much of different things, so we tried to keep it to where we know the car.

“Tomorrow we’ll try to explore a bit more. So far, I would say it was a very productive day.”

Caldarelli admitted the Italian squad didn’t exactly know what to expect at Daytona given the unique nature of the high-speed oval/road course.

“We were a little bit blind to see where we were with this kind of downforce and combination between high speed and low speed and low downforce,” he explained.

“We didn’t really know where we were and I’m happy to say that we are there and even though we didn’t have many testing like the others, they already have a season.

“We have to do a lot of work still about procedure and stuff like this but other than that, I think it was a very positive day.”

Lamborghini Iron Lynx team principal Andrea Piccini echoed Calderelli’s positive comments.

The car had a slightly delayed start in the morning session with an unspecified issue but managed to hit the track by 11:30 a.m. to complete 17 laps. It was followed by a 43-lap run in the afternoon, all by Caldarelli.

“This morning was a little bit complicated,” Piccini told Sportscar365. “We had some issues so we had to start a little bit late but at the end of the day we managed to on track.

“We’re still learning but the car is competitive for sure.

“On new tires we always ran with a decent amount of fuel so we are pretty happy with the progress of the day.

“Andrea is happy with the drivability of the car, which is very important. But it’s still a long way to go.

“But for the moment we’re really happy, both from the Lamborghini side and on the team side.

“Our drivers, Andrea especially, knows the track very well. He’s driven here many times in the GT3 so for sure that helped. But it is encouraging to be competitive right away at such an amazing circuit as Daytona.”

The only noticeable issue on the day came with a left-rear puncture in the closing stages of the afternoon session, although no damage was sustained to the car, which returned to the track for a final ten-minute stint to the checkered flag.

Piccini: “A Shame” Lamborghini SC63 Won’t Debut in Rolex 24

Lamborghini Iron Lynx is at this week’s IMSA test for Balance of Performance purposes only, with its participation in the Rolex 24 at Daytona never having been in the cards due to a tight timeframe for the car’s WEC homologation.

The Lamborghini SC63 will make its competition debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship season-opening Qatar 1812km in March, then followed by the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring and remaining IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and WEC rounds.

“Honestly it’s a shame we’ll not be able to take part in the Daytona 24-hour,” Piccini said. “The team, Lamborghini, everyone needs the maximum time, so it was simply not possible with the homologation and the timing.

“We’re looking forward to the rest of the IMSA Endurance Cup this year and for sure in 2025, the Daytona 24 Hours.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John