Briscoe, Dumas go 1-2 in Detroit warm-up

Ryan Briscoe led a Penske Racing 1-2 finish in a 25-minute warm-up session for this afternoon’s Detroit Sports Car Challenge presented by Bosch. Briscoe, who posted the fastest lap of the race and was the overall pole-sitter, turned a lap of 1:14.621 (99.865 mph) at the 14-turn, 2.07-mile circuit in the Porsche RS Spyder that he will drive with Patrick Long. The Australian was 0.082 seconds better than Romain Dumas in the other Penske Porsche.

Today will be a busy one for Briscoe, who also will drive for Penske in the IndyCar race. The two RS Spyders will start sixth and seventh on the grid today.

Marcel Fässler went quickest in LMP1 for Audi Sport North America. His time of 1:16.213 (97.779 mph) gave Audi hope after qualifying eighth and ninth Friday. Fässler, who will drive with Emanuele Pirro, got his first significant dry time on the circuit. Class pole-winner Lucas Luhr crashed his Audi R10 TDI on his first lap early in the session after making hard contact with the barrier at Turn 8. The rear bodywork was damaged, the wheel rim was damaged as well.

Johnny O’Connell went quickest in GT1 for Corvette Racing with a lap of 1:24.745 (87.934 mph) in the pole-winning No. 3 Corvette C6.R. O’Connell, who will partner with polesitter Jan Magnussen, was 0.716 seconds ahead of Oliver Gavin and Olivier Beretta in the sister Corvette.

Bell Motorsports’ Aston Martin DBR9 of Terry Borcheller and Chapman Ducote sat third in class at 1:31.178 (81.730 mph).

Dominik Farnbacher set the pace in GT2 for Tafel Racing in its Ferrari F430 GT. The German, driving with Dirk Mueller, turned a lap of 1:16.679 (85.972 mph). Risi Competizione’s Ferrari of Mika Salo and Jaime Melo was 0.014 seconds behind the Tafel entry. Flying Lizard Motorsports was the best of the Porsche teams with a 1:26.817 (85.836 mph) for the 911 GT3 RSR of Patrick Pilet and Johannes van Overbeek.