IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship: Practice Session Recap at Laguna Seca
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, California – The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship held its first practice session of the weekend, with Felipe Nasr leading the field in the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. The session featured competitive times and notable incidents as teams prepared for the upcoming race.
GTP Class Highlights:
Nasr clocked a fastest lap of 1:14.638, topping the timesheets and surpassing Jack Aitken’s earlier lap of 1:14.950 in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, which ultimately secured second place. The third fastest was Marco Wittmann in the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8, who achieved a time of 1:14.961. Aitken and Wittmann delivered consistent performances, while the two Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillacs, driven by Ricky Taylor and Louis Deletraz, finished fourth and fifth, respectively, with times of 1:15.071 and 1:15.169.
The session was briefly halted after Colin Braun experienced a spin in the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06, colliding with the wall at Rainey Curve. Fortunately, the team executed quick repairs, allowing Tom Blomqvist to return to the session shortly thereafter.
The GTP class displayed competitive parity, with only 1.5 seconds separating all entries, underscoring the tight competition heading into the race weekend.
GTD Class Insights:
In the GTD PRO category, Laurin Heinrich led the way in the No. 77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R with a lap of 1:21.418, significantly outpacing the class field. The No. 3 Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, driven by Antonio Garcia, followed in second, while the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 rounded out the top three with Albert Costa at the wheel.
In the GTD standings, Robby Foley set the early benchmark with a time of 1:21.920 in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW, ahead of Frederik Schandorff in the No. 70 Inception Racing Ferrari and Riccardo Agostini in the No. 23 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari, who faced a spin during the session.
Next Steps:
The second practice session is scheduled for Saturday at 9:55 a.m. PT. Teams will look to refine their setups further as they prepare for the challenges of Laguna Seca.
Results Summary:
-
GTP Top Three:
- Felipe Nasr (Porsche) – 1:14.638
- Jack Aitken (Cadillac) – 1:14.950
- Marco Wittmann (BMW) – 1:14.961
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GTD PRO Top Three:
- Laurin Heinrich (Porsche) – 1:21.418
- Antonio Garcia (Corvette) – 1:21.935
- Albert Costa (Ferrari) – 1:21.979
- GTD Top Three:
- Robby Foley (BMW) – 1:21.920
- Frederik Schandorff (Ferrari) – 1:22.048
- Riccardo Agostini (Ferrari) – 1:22.116
