thursday afternoon's 75-minute qualifying session was divided into three groups. gtd cars were sent onto the track first for 15 minutes with a 10-minute interval before gtlm and prototype entrants had two separate identically timed sessions. regulations stipulated teams to nominate a single driver to qualify their cars. the competitors' fastest lap times determined the starting order. imsa then arranged the grid to put the prototype and gtlm cars ahead of the gtd field. van der zande for wayne taylor took the third pole position of his career, on his final lap with a time of 1 minute and 36.083 seconds; he ran deep at turn five through later braking. this was his team's first pole position at daytona since max angelelli in the 2010 race. he was joined on the grid's front row by castroneves who had pole position for penske in the closing minutes until van der zande's lap.