Mosport: de Ferran team tops Friday testing

A year after it suffered the cruelest of fates at Mosport International Raceway – running out of fuel while leading in class on the last lap – de Ferran Motorsports found itself on top following Friday’s test session for Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. Simon Pagenaud set the fastest lap in the XM Acura ARX-02a, a 1:05.470 (135.213 mph) tour around the 2.459-mile, 10-turn circuit.

Pagenaud and teammate/team owner Gil de Ferran saw their four-race win streak end two weeks ago at Road America with a runner-up finish to Patr¢n Highcroft Racing’s David Brabham and Scott Sharp, the LMP1 championship leaders.

Brabham was 0.043 seconds off Pagenaud’s pace. Coincidentally, Brabham and Sharp won in LMP2 at Mosport last year when de Ferran stopped halfway around the circuit on final lap.

“It’s good to be back at Mosport on a high-speed track that suits the Acura well," Pagenaud said. “As always, the crew has done a fantastic job preparing the car prior to getting here, so it’s already feeling great. It’s a thrill to drive such high-speed corners with such a good car. I had a fun time out there."

Acuras sat 1-2-3 overall with Lowe’s Fernandez Racing’s Luis Diaz third overall and first in LMP2. The young Mexican posted a lap of 1:06.478 (133.163 mph) in the Acura ARX-01b that he will drive with team owner Adrian Fernandez.

Jon Field was fourth overall and third in LMP1 behind the wheel of Intersport Racing’s Lola B06/10-AER. He posted a lap of 1:07.190 (131.75 mph) in the prototype that he will drive with son Clint. Field was just 0.005 seconds ahead of Dyson Racing’s two Mazda-powered Lola B09/96 coupes. Guy Smith and Marino Franchitti each turned laps of 1:07.195 (131.742 mph).

Jaime Melo went quickest for Risi Competizione in GT2. Last year’s class pole-winner set a lap Friday of 1:18.004 (113.486 mph) in the Ferrari F430 GT that he will drive with Pierre Kaffer. The Risi squad is unbeaten at Mosport with the F430 GT, which debuted here in 2006.

Corvette Racing’s Oliver Gavin was second in the Corvette C6.R that he will drive with Olivier Beretta. His time of 1:18.214 was 0.099 seconds better than BMW Rahal Letterman Racing’s Bill Auberlen, who will drive a BMW M3 with Joey Hand. The two were class winners at Road America.

The top eight cars in class were within 0.823 seconds.