IMSA Monterey SportsCar Weekend: BMW M Team RLL Sets the Pace in Second Practice

WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, CA — BMW M Team RLL demonstrated increased competitiveness during the second practice session of the IMSA Monterey SportsCar Weekend. Dries Vanthoor clocked the fastest overall time in the GTP category, recording a blistering 1:13.915 in the #24 BMW M Hybrid V8. This marks the best time of the weekend thus far, setting a positive tone for qualifying. Vanthoor has shown strong qualifying prowess, having secured three pole positions in the previous rounds of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

Matt Campbell followed closely in the #6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, with a time just 0.036 seconds shy of the leader, before the session was interrupted by a red flag due to Misha Goikhberg’s #78 Forte Racing Lamborghini spinning off at turn three. This was the second red flag of the 90-minute session; the first came after Nick Yelloly’s #93 Acura Meyer Shank Racing ARX-06 went off track at the Corkscrew but avoided significant damage. The incident cost Yelloly his fastest qualifying lap.

Further complications arose for the top GTP contender; Philipp Eng was turned around by Tommy Milner’s #4 Corvette but managed to resume his run without major issues. The #25 BMW, driven by Sheldon van der Linde, secured the third-quickest time, while Tom Blomqvist’s #60 MSR Acura and Felipe Nasr’s #7 Penske Porsche rounded out the top five. Notably, Nasr’s co-driver, Nick Tandy, was seen returning to the pits with the cockpit door open, indicating an undisclosed issue.

In the GTD PRO category, Pratt Miller Motorsports captured the top two positions, with Nicky Catsburg’s #4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R posting a best lap of 1:21.187, ahead of Alexander Sims in the #3 Corvette. The #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 clocked the third-fastest time but raised concerns mid-session due to smoke emanating from the rear, attributed to a gearbox fluid issue that was resolved without further incident.

Completing the GTD PRO top five were the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 and the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3. In the GTD category, Kenton Koch led the field in the #32 Korthoff Competition Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO with a time of 1:21.502, followed by WTR’s Lamborghini and Vasser Sullivan’s Lexus.

Qualifying for the Monterey SportsCar Championship is set to commence at 3:15 PM PT, available for viewing on the official IMSA YouTube channel and Peacock in the U.S.

Practice 2 Results Overview:

• GTP:

  • 1. Dries Vanthoor (BMW) – 1:13.915
  • 1. Matt Campbell (Porsche) – 1:13.951
  • 1. Sheldon van der Linde (BMW) – Time TBD

• GTD PRO:

  • 1. Nicky Catsburg (Corvette) – 1:21.187
  • 1. Alexander Sims (Corvette) – 1:21.688

  • 1. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari – Time TBD

• GTD:
  • 1. Kenton Koch (Mercedes) – 1:21.502
  • 1. WTR Lamborghini – Time TBD
  • 1. Vasser Sullivan Lexus – Time TBD

Follow updates and live timing as the weekend progresses.