No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford Riley takes 50th Anniversary Rolex 24 pole at Daytona

Qualifying for the 50th Anniversary of the Rolex 24 At Daytona produced an upset with the No. 8 Starworks Motorsport Ford Riley capturing the pole for the twice-around-the-clock challenge at Daytona International Speedway.Ryan Dalziel of Orlando turned a fast lap of 126.741 mph on the twists and turns of the 3.56-mile road course. Rounding out the front row for the Rolex 24 was the No. 10 SunTrust Racing Corvette with driver Max Angelelli, who posted a speed of 126.590 mph.“I’m a little bit surprised,” Dalziel said. “I thought the Chevys were going to be the cars to beat and I think they are going to be the cars to beat but we put together a really good lap.”Dalziel will team with Allan McNish, Lucas Luhr, Alex Popow and Enzo Potolicchio on the No. 8 car, which was assembled in the last few weeks.“I think it’s just an incredible job these guys have done to put our car together in such a short amount of time,” Dalziel said. “We were the last Riley to be delivered to a team. With everything that has gone on the past couple of days for us, to get the pole is very rewarding but it’s a long race.”“I can not hide my disappointment obviously leading all the pre practice and now I’m (outside pole),” said Angelelli, who will share driving duties with Ricky Taylor and Ryan Briscoe on the No. 10 car. “I wasn’t expecting ending in (outside pole). I still feel our car is really good, really fast. I still feel for the 24-hour, we will be the car to beat.”On the second row will be the No. 02 Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates BMW Riley (126.312) and the No. 99 GAINSCO Bob Stallings Racing Corvette (126.242).In the GT class, it was a back-and-forth battle with the No. 59 Brumos Racing Porsche and driver Andrew Davis coming out on top with a pole-winning lap of 117.210 mph. The No. 69 AIM Autosport Team FXDD with Ferrari and driver Jeff Segal was second with a speed of 117.194.“That was an intense session,” Davis said. “I just pushed as hard as I could from the first lap out. The Brumos crew, we struggled in the first couple of (practice) sessions so this is very expected. It just shows that Brumos Racing doesn’t stop fighting. That’s the best that I car had been on balance.”BMW Performance 200: In qualifying for Friday’s BMW Performance 200 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race, Shelby Blackstock, son of country music star Reba McIntyre, captured the pole in a Roush Performance Mustang with a speed of 109.051 mph. Jack Roush Jr., also in a Mustang, was second with a lap of 108.923. In Sport Touring, Andy Lally, with a lap of 101.222, took the pole in a Kia Forte Koup.

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