Blomqvist Puts #60 MSR Acura On Top In Long Beach Practice

IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach: Practice Session 1 Highlights

Acura Meyer Shank Racing dominated the first practice session at the IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach, with Tom Blomqvist clocking the fastest lap of 1:13.335 in the #60 MSR Acura ARX-06. This session marked an intense start to the weekend, with Practice 2 scheduled for 1:10 PM PT and Qualifying at 5:25 PM PT.

Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R followed closely, achieving a time of 1:13.402, while Laurens Vanthoor of Porsche Penske Motorsport secured third with a time of 1:13.436, despite facing a notable Balance of Performance adjustment that added 45 kg to the factory 963s.

The top five was rounded out by Jack Aitken in the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R at 1:13.462, and Laurin Heinrich, who made his debut for JDC-Miller MotorSports, finishing fifth.

In the GTD category, Matthew Bell led the timesheets with a lap of 1:19.226 in the #13 Autosport Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, overtaking Jack Hawksworth who finished second with a time of 1:19.330 in the #89 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3. Philip Ellis of Winward Racing and Giacomo Altoè from DragonSpeed followed in third and fourth, respectively.

Notable livery changes included DragonSpeed’s striking pink and green design and a revised look for Pfaff Motorsports’ #46 Lamborghini, featuring the blue and white of Lithia Auto Group.

The session featured 17 cars in GTD, with Robert Wickens in the newly sponsored #36 DXDT Racing Corvette concluding the practice in 13th position. No red flags were issued throughout the session despite multiple off-track excursions.

Practice Results Summary:

• GTP Class:

  • 1. Tom Blomqvist (Acura) – 1:13.335
  • 2. Filipe Albuquerque (Cadillac) – 1:13.402
  • 3. Laurens Vanthoor (Porsche) – 1:13.436
  • 4. Jack Aitken (Cadillac) – 1:13.462
  • 5. Laurin Heinrich (Porsche) – debut

• GTD Class:

  • 1. Matthew Bell (Chevrolet) – 1:19.226
  • 2. Jack Hawksworth (Lexus) – 1:19.330
  • 3. Philip Ellis (Mercedes-AMG) – position unreported
  • 4. Giacomo Altoè (Chevrolet) – position unreported

Conclusion

The session provided crucial insights ahead of upcoming competitive rounds, emphasizing both the performance and adaptability of teams within the evolving landscape of IMSA regulations.

Images © IMSA