Colin Braun topped the times for the opening practice session of the Roar Before the 24, with the Brit, in the new #60 Meyer Shank Acura ARX-06, setting a 1:35.635 to go fastest.
The session was stopped with around 20 minutes to go as the #3 Corvette C8.R, with Jordan Taylor driving, stopped on track. Previous to this there were two more red flags, one for the #17 AWA Duqueine D08-Nissan and another for the #74 Riley Ligier JS P320.
Times were tight at the top, with five cars within a 0.272 margin, led by Blomqvist. Matt Campbell, driving the #7 Porsche 963, was second, 0.141 off Blomqvist. Third was Ricky Taylor, in the #10 Wayne Taylor Acura ARX-06, with newcomer Nick Yellowy fourth in the #25 BMW Team RLL M Hybrid V8.
Fifth was Mathieu Jaminet in the #6 Penske-run Porsche 963, while van der Linde’s teammate Philipp Eng, behind the wheel of the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8, was sixth, 0.648 off Blomqvist and 0.376 off Jaminet.
Then came then two Chip Ganassi Cadillacs V-LMDHs, Earl Bamber in #01 followed by Sebastien Bourdais in #02, 1.049 and 1.294 seconds off the pace respectively. The third Cadillac, #31 run by Action Express, wasn’t able to set a time, as it had an unspecified technical issue.
In LMP2, Alex Quinn was quickest in the #52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07-Gibson, setting a 1:39.167. Second fastest was Oliver Jarvis, for the #18 Era Motorsport Oreca 07-Gibson team, with Indycar star Scott McLaughlin third for #8 Tower Motorsports.
In LMP3, Cameron Shields set the pace with a 1:43.486 in the #38 Performance Tech Motorsport Ligioer JS P320. Daytona veteran Joao Barbosa was second in the #33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320, while the #17, with Wayne Boyd driving one of two AWA Duqueine D08s, was third.
Andy Lally, meanwhile, showed up the GTD Pro field by going quickest in the GT classes. Pumpelly, driving the #44 Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR, set a 1:47.004, with Ross Gunn, in the GTD Pro-entered #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR, was 0.060 off Pumpelly’s leading time.
It was an Aston Martin top three, then, in the GT classes, as Owen Trinkler was third, and second in GTD Pro, setting a 1:47.228 behind the wheel of the #64 TGM/TF Sport Aston Martin Vantage AMR.
Third in GTD Pro was Vasser Sullivan’s Jack Hawksworth, driving the #14 Lexus RC F GT3.
With Pumpelly leading GTD as the quickest GT driver, second in GTD was Kyle Marcelli in the #93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3. Third was Indy Dontje, driving the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes AMG-GT3.
The next session gets underway at 4:15pm local. The GTD, LMP3, and LMP2 classes will be given 15 minutes of track time on their own, before the two pro classes — GTD Pro and GTP — join them at 4:30 local, with the session then lasting until 6:00.
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