Daytona Sunday Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***While Oliver Jarvis recorded a 1:33.398 lap time in his Multimatic-built prototype to lead a Team Joest 1-2 sweep in Roar 24 qualifying for garage and pit lane spaces, it did not go down as an official lap record despite being quicker than PJ Jones’ 1:33.875 lap set in the 1993 Rolex 24 that still stands as the official record.

***Since its introduction last year, IMSA has not considered Roar 24 qualifying to be an official session. 

***Only 24 of the 47 entered cars took part in Day 3 at the Roar, as GT Daytona class cars, for the first time, were limited to a two-day test only. A few teams, however, remained in the paddock undergoing rebuilds. 

***Cadillac Racing program manager Laura Wontrop Klauser said the manufacturer’s increased logistics behind its new six-car Cadillac DPi-V.R program has gone to plan, with additional ECR Engines calibrators and Dallara chassis support staff on-site.

***While running at capacity for 2019 due to the lead time required by ECR, Klauser told Sportscar365 they will evaluate additional requests as they come in for potential additional entries in 2020.

***Cadillac has remained as the only DPi manufacturer to make its cars available to customers. “I would love to see our competitors do the same and I’m hoping that by us putting ourselves out there for that that we inspire them to do,” Klauser told Sportscar365. “The more we can grow the DPi field, the better for all of us.”

***While known in the U.S. scene as Ana Beatriz, the Brazilian is racing under her official name, Bia Figueiredo, this year. “I’ve spent 25 years in racing,” she said. “At the beginning my father had me as Ana Beatriz Figueiredo as my driver name but people from racing thought it was too long!

“When the chance came in Indy Lights in 2008, my managers at the time were worried that Americans wouldn’t be able to spell Figueiredo so they suggested Ana Beateiz. The problem was that it created two names as Brazilians never stopped calling me Bia Figueiredo.”

***The eight quickest times in GT Daytona from the weekend came from either Silver or Bronze-rated drivers, led by Meyer Shank Racing’s Figueiredo.

***The pair of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge TCR class LA Honda World Honda Civic Type-R TCRs that were sent home early by IMSA due to a minimum weight infraction is understood to be due to a preparation issue for the new-for-2019 TCR entries and nothing intentional or deceptive. 

***IMSA’s senior director of technical regulations and compliance Geoff Carter told Sportscar365 that both cars had went through technical inspection without the technical infringement discovered at that time.

***Super GT star Joao Paulo de Oliveira, who recently lost his longtime factory GT500 drive with Nissan, made a visit to the paddock this weekend, in search of potential 2019 drives. The 37-year-old Brazilian has competed in the highly competitive Japanese GT series since 2006 and is also a former Super Formula champion.

***While it marked the first time IMSA ejected a team altogether from the Roar Before the Rolex 24, the sanctioning body had parked several cars for single sessions due to alleged performance manipulation in the pre-season test.

***Wayne Taylor Racing’s new recruits Fernando Alonso and Kamui Kobayashi have already been fully immersed in the team, with the Toyota LMP1 stars meeting Jordan Taylor’s dog, Fonzie (pictured below), while also creating a stir on social media with the two-time Formula 1 world champion dressing as Jordan’s alter-ego Rodney Sandstorm.

Photo: Wayne Taylor Racing

🇺🇸 Rodney Sandstorm
🇪🇸 Rodney tormenta de arena. #RodneySandstorm @WayneTaylorRcng @alo_oficial @kamui_kobayashi pic.twitter.com/eDZWlfG7eL

— Jordan Taylor (@jordan10taylor) January 5, 2019

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