It was qualifying for a qualifying race, but it felt more like hand-to-hand combat and likely a preview of the intense competition to expect in next week’s Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Alexandre Imperatori, wheeling the No. 2 KCMG Porsche 911 GT3R, was the fastest qualifier Saturday in the new GTD PRO class and will therefore lead the Grand Touring cars to the green flag in Sunday’s 100-minute qualifying race that sets the starting grid for the 60th anniversary Rolex 24. Meanwhile, Kenny Habul set the pace in GT Daytona (GTD), putting the No. 75 Sun Energy 1 Mercedes-AMG GT3 atop that class.

Imperatori topped a field of 13 GTD PRO entries with a run of 1 minute, 46.136 seconds (120.750 mph) over Daytona’s 3.56-mile road course, which was slick in places after sporadic rain showers throughout the day.

“It was very slippery on the cold tires,” Imperatori said. “I was just trying to get some good laps in and get a feel for the car and racetrack. We managed to get top spot. This doesn’t mean much for next week (the Rolex 24), but it’s always good to start on the right foot.”

Battling side-by-side with the factory professionals were 22 GTD cars, which have the same technical specifications as the GTD PRO entries. GTD teams, however, must use a Bronze- or Silver-rated driver in qualifying, while GTD PRO teams can select a driver of any rating. Habul, who has a Bronze rating, was clocked at 1:46.313 (120.549 mph) to emerge fastest in GTD – less than two-tenths of a second off Imperatori’s pace.

Habul was concerned not only about the moisture on the course but negotiating heavy traffic, with more than 30 cars on the circuit at the same time.

Mathieu Jaminet produced the second-fastest GTD PRO lap driving the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche, with a time was 1:46.199 (120.679 mph). It put Porsches 1-2 in class qualifying.

Habul’s lap in GTD qualifying was third best among all GT cars. Russell Ward made it a 1-2 Mercedes-AMG effort in GTD, driving the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes to a lap of 1:46.464 (120.378 mph).

Jan Heylen, co-driver of the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R in the GTD class, posted the fastest lap among all GT entrants in Friday’s two sessions. Heylen’s top lap of 1 minute, 46.483 seconds (120.357 mph) came in the first practice and held up by 0.033 seconds over the second-session lap turned in by GTD PRO driver Mirko Bortolotti in the No. 63 TR3 Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3.

Sunday’s qualifying race airs live at 2 p.m. ET on Peacock and IMSA Radio. Live coverage of the Rolex 24 At Daytona begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29 on NBC.