IMSA: Blomqvist Tops Second Practice at Sebring

Tom Blomqvist, who drove the final stint to victory at the Rolex 24 in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06, turned the fastest Sebring practice lap, at 1 minute, 47.049 seconds (125.773 mph) in the afternoon practice Friday.

Qualifying to set the 53-car grid takes place Friday morning. The 12-hour endurance race takes the green flag at 10:10 a.m. ET Saturday, with flag-to-flag coverage on Peacock and USA Network joining TV coverage at 4:30 p.m.

All eight GTP cars bettered their morning session efforts with laps turned in the afternoon on the always-challenging 3.74-mile Sebring International Raceway circuit. Last year’s polesitter, Sebastian Bourdais, was 0.026 seconds off Blomqvist’s pace in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing Cadillac V-Series.R. Louis Deletraz was third quick in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, followed by Pipo Derani in the No. 31 Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac. The top four were separated by 0.262 seconds.

Blomqvist was pleased with his effort, especially considering the No. 60 Acura was limited to seven laps in the morning practice.

“We didn’t have a smooth day to be honest,’’ he said. “We’re playing a little bit of catch-up. We’ve got a strong car, the package is good, we just need to keep working on it, understanding it. There’s still room for improvement and we just need to chip away.”

The majority of fast laps came late in the afternoon session. The headlining GTP class is still on a learning curve in its maiden season but comes off a strong showing at the Daytona season opener, where less than 12 seconds separated the top four finishers after the twice-around-the-clock race.

“It’s not super, super important, but obviously it’s nice to (top the time sheet),’’ said Blomqvist, who shares the No. 60 this week with Colin Braun and Helio Castroneves. “It shows we’re quick and obviously we’ll go out to try and achieve pole position. But the big points are scored on race day.’’

Danish driver Christian Rasmussen posted the fastest lap through the first two practices in the eight-car Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class. His lap of 1:50.506 in the No. 18 Era Motorsport ORECA LMP2 07 was 0.634 seconds better than Guido van der Garde ran in the morning in the No. 35 TDS Racing ORECA.

American Dakota Dickerson set the best lap in the nine-car Le Mans Prototype 3 (LMP3) category with a lap of 1:56.349 in the No. 30 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P320. The No. 74 Riley Ligier was second fastest with Felipe Fraga at the wheel (1:56.417).

Sims tops Night Practice 3

Alexander Sims paced night practice for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring, in a red flag-filled session due to a number of stoppages and incidents.

Sims’ 1:48.820 in the No. 31 Cadillac V-Series.R set early in the 90-minute session held as the quickest, 0.152 seconds faster than the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 of Nick Tandy in second.

Louis Deletraz was credited with the third-quickest time in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06.

However, the WTR Andretti Acura, as well as the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing entry, brought out separate red flags due to stoppages on track with suspected electrical issues.

GTD Pro was led by Jordan Taylor in the No. 3 Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD

#77: Wright Motorsports, Porsche 911 GT3 R (992), GTD: Alan Brynjolfsson, Trent Hindman, Maxwell Root

Parity Is the Word in GT Classes

Four different manufacturers topped the timing screens when results from the GT Daytona (GTD) and GTD PRO classes were tabulated after the first two of three Thursday practice sessions at Sebring.

Run in cooler conditions, the morning session produced the ultimate quickest laps of the day, topped overall by Trent Hindman in the No. 77 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3R (992) from the GTD class. Hindman circulated the 17-corner Sebring course in 2:01.092 (111.187 mph) to best Kyle Marcelli (No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR Acura NSX GT3 Evo) by 0.102 seconds.

The Vasser Sullivan Lexus team came away very happy from a recent test at Sebring, and that form carried over to the race weekend. Jack Hawksworth’s 2:01.156 effort in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD PRO class gapped the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 by 0.238 seconds in the opening practice. Vasser Sullivan’s No. 12 Lexus that competes in GTD was third fastest in its class in both Thursday sessions.

“Our test at Sebring a couple of weeks ago was very positive,” said Ben Barnicoat, who shares the GTD PRO Lexus with Hawksworth and endurance driver Kyle Kirkwood. “We were at the top of the time sheets the entire two days, which gives us confidence for the race.”

The ambient temperature increased by 10 degrees prior to Thursday’s late-afternoon session. Russell Ward’s 2:01.218 lap (111.072 mph) in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the GTD class was the second session benchmark, with Corvette Racing endurance ace Tommy Milner notching 2:01.260 (111.033 mph) to pace GTD PRO in the No. 3 Corvette C8.R GTD and sit second to Hawksworth’s morning lap on the combined speed chart through the first two sessions.

“Today was a great day (to prepare) for the race because you get kind of all conditions,” said Milner, a two-time Sebring winner in GT classes. “This track has been very temperature sensitive in the past, so understanding what the car is going to do in different temperatures is important.

“Ultimate lap pace seems good for us, which is great,” he added. “The long run pace there at the end for me seemed good compared to the other cars that were out there. That’s what you want – to be fast over one lap and over a long run.”

Practice 2 Results

Pos

PiC

No.

Class

Drivers

Team

Car

Time

Behind

1

1

60

GTP

T. Blomqvist / C. Braun

H. Castroneves

Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian

Acura ARX-06

1:47.049

+0.000

2

2

01

GTP

S. Bourdais / R. van der Zande

S. Dixon

Cadillac Racing

Cadillac V-Series R

1:47.075

+0.026

3

3

10

GTP

R. Taylor / F. Albuquerque

L. Deletraz

Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06

Acura ARX-06

1:47.197

+0.148

4

4

31

GTP

P. Derani / A. Sims / J. Aitken

Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac

Cadillac V-Series R

1:47.311

+0.262

5

5

7

GTP

M. Campbell / F. Nasr

M. Christensen

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

1:47.693

+0.644

6

6

6

GTP

N. Tandy / M. Jaminet / D. Cameron

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

1:48.076

+1.027

7

7

25

GTP

C. De Phillippi / N. Yelloly

S. van der Linde

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

1:48.512

+1.463

8

8

24

GTP

P. Eng / A. Farfus / M. Wittmann

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

1:48.790

+1.741

9

1

18

LMP2

D. Merriman / R. Dalziel

C. Rasmussen

Era Motorsport

ORECA LMP2 07

1:50.506

+3.457

10

2

04

LMP2

G. Kurtz / B. Hanley / N. Siegel

Crowdstrike Racing by APR

ORECA LMP2 07

1:51.273

+4.224

11

3

52

LMP2

B. Keating / P. Chatin / A. Quinn

PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

1:51.802

+4.753

12

4

35

LMP2

F. Heriau / G. van der Garde

J. Pierson

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:52.426

+5.377

13

5

51

LMP2

E. Lux / D. Defrancesco / P. Fittipaldi

Rick Ware Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:52.817

+5.768

14

6

20

LMP2

D. Andersen / E. Jones / A. Fjordbach

High Class Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:52.940

+5.891

15

7

8

LMP2

J. Farano / S. McLaughlin / K. Simpson

Tower Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

1:53.454

+6.405

16

8

11

LMP2

S. Thomas / M. Jensen / S. Huffaker

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:53.939

+6.890

17

1

30

LMP3

A. Balogh / G. Grist / D. Dickerson

Jr III Racing

Ligier JS P320

1:56.382

+9.333

18

2

74

LMP3

G. Robinson / F. Fraga / J. Burdon

Riley

Ligier JS P320

1:56.564

+9.515

19

3

17

LMP3

A. Mantella / W. Boyd / N. Varrone

AWA

Duqueine D08

1:56.640

+9.591

20

4

33

LMP3

L. Willsey / J. Barbosa / N. Pino

Sean Creech Motorsport

Ligier JS P320

1:57.020

+9.971

21

5

36

LMP3

J. Andretti / G. Chaves / G. van Berlo

Andretti Autosport

Ligier JS P320

1:57.096

+10.047

22

6

4

LMP3

S. Lucas / T. Kasemets / T. Estep

Ave Motorsports

Ligier JS P320

1:57.438

+10.389

23

7

13

LMP3

O. Fidani / M. Bell / L. Kern

AWA

Duqueine D08

1:57.697

+10.648

24

8

85

LMP3

T. Bechtolsheimer / T. van der Helm

D. Goldburg

JDC Miller MotorSports

Duqueine D08

1:57.855

+10.806

25

9

38

LMP3

C. Allen / R. Mau / T. Nunez

Performance Tech Motorsports

Ligier JS P320

1:59.690

+12.641

26

1

57

GTD

R. Ward / P. Ellis / I. Dontje

Winward Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:01.218

+14.169

27

2

80

GTD

P. Hyett / S. Priaulx / G. Jeannette

AO Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.252

+14.203

28

1

3

GTDPRO

A. Garcia / J. Taylor / T. Milner

Corvette Racing

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD

2:01.260

+14.211

29

2

23

GTDPRO

R. Gunn / A. Riberas / D. Pittard

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:01.313

+14.264

30

3

12

GTD

F. Montecalvo / A. Telitz

P. Thompson

VasserSullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

2:01.373

+14.324

31

3

62

GTDPRO

D. Serra / D. Rigon / G. Casagrande

Risi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:01.397

+14.348

32

4

14

GTDPRO

  1. Hawksworth / B. Barnicoat

  2. Kirkwood

Vasser Sullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

2:01.410

+14.361

33

5

9

GTDPRO

K. Bachler / P. Pilet / L. Vanthoor

Pfaff Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.556

+14.507

34

4

96

GTD

P. Gallagher / R. Foley / M. Dinan

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

2:01.559

+14.510

35

6

79

GTDPRO

D. Juncadella / J. Gounon / M. Engel

WeatherTech Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:01.563

+14.514

36

5

93

GTD

A. Harrison / D. Formal / K. Marcelli

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR

Acura NSX GT3

2:01.676

+14.627

37

6

27

GTD

R. De Angelis / M. Sorensen / I. James

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:01.755

+14.706

38

7

32

GTD

M. Skeen / M. Grenier / K. Koch

Team Korthoff Motorsports

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:01.818

+14.769

39

8

1

GTD

B. Sellers / M. Snow / C. Lewis

Paul Miller Racing

BMW M4 GT3

2:01.856

+14.807

40

9

92

GTD

D. Brule / A. Udell / J. Andlauer

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.875

+14.826

41

10

16

GTD

R. Hardwick / J. Heylen / Z. Robichon

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.969

+14.920

42

11

91

GTD

A. Metni / K. van Berlo / J. Evans

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:02.130

+15.081

43

12

78

GTD

M. Goikhberg / L. Spinelli / B. Hites

Forte Racing Powered by USRT

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:02.301

+15.252

44

13

44

GTD

J. Potter / A. Lally / S. Pumpelly

Magnus Racing

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:02.334

+15.285

45

7

63

GTDPRO

F. Perera / J. Pepper / R. Grosjean

Iron Lynx

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:02.372

+15.323

46

14

66

GTD

S. Monk / K. Legge / M. Miller

Gradient Racing

Acura NSX GT3

2:02.421

+15.372

47

15

77

GTD

A. Brynjolfsson / T. Hindman / M. Root

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:02.519

+15.470

48

8

95

GTDPRO

B. Auberlen / C. Hull / J. Edwards

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

2:02.551

+15.502

49

16

83

GTD

R. Frey / S. Bovy / M. Gatting

Iron Dames

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:02.703

+15.654

50

17

023

GTD

O. Triarsi / C. Scardina / A. Rovera

Triarsi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:02.710

+15.661

51

18

70

GTD

B. Iribe / F. Schandorff / O. Millroy

Inception Racing

McLaren 720S GT3 EVO

2:03.009

+15.960

52

19

21

GTD

S. Mann / M. Molina / F. Castellacci

AF Corse

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:03.649

+16.600

53

20

47

GTD

R. Lacorte / G. Sernagiotto / A. Fuoco

CETILAR RACING

Ferrari 296 GT3

 

Practice 3 Results (Night)

Pos

PiC

No.

Class

Drivers

Team

Car

Time

Behind

1

1

31

GTP

P. Derani / A. Sims / J. Aitken

Whelen Engineering Racing Cadillac

Cadillac V-Series R

1:48.820

2

2

6

GTP

N. Tandy / M. Jaminet / D. Cameron

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

1:48.972

+0.152

3

3

10

GTP

R. Taylor / F. Albuquerque

L. Deletraz

Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06

Acura ARX-06

1:49.034

+0.214

4

4

24

GTP

P. Eng / A. Farfus / M. Wittmann

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

1:49.292

+0.472

5

5

01

GTP

S. Bourdais / R. van der Zande

S. Dixon

Cadillac Racing

Cadillac V-Series R

1:49.531

+0.711

6

6

25

GTP

C. De Phillippi / N. Yelloly

S. van der Linde

BMW M Team RLL

BMW M Hybrid V8

1:49.851

+1.031

7

7

7

GTP

M. Campbell / F. Nasr

M. Christensen

Porsche Penske Motorsports

Porsche 963

1:50.106

+1.286

8

8

60

GTP

T. Blomqvist / C. Braun

H. Castroneves

Meyer Shank Racing w/ Curb Agajanian

Acura ARX-06

1:50.899

+2.079

9

1

35

LMP2

F. Heriau / G. van der Garde

J. Pierson

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:51.543

+2.723

10

2

18

LMP2

D. Merriman / R. Dalziel

C. Rasmussen

Era Motorsport

ORECA LMP2 07

1:51.842

+3.022

11

3

11

LMP2

S. Thomas / M. Jensen / S. Huffaker

TDS Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:51.951

+3.131

12

4

20

LMP2

D. Andersen / E. Jones / A. Fjordbach

High Class Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:52.389

+3.569

13

5

04

LMP2

G. Kurtz / B. Hanley / N. Siegel

Crowdstrike Racing by APR

ORECA LMP2 07

1:53.023

+4.203

14

6

52

LMP2

B. Keating / P. Chatin / A. Quinn

PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

1:53.936

+5.116

15

7

8

LMP2

J. Farano / S. McLaughlin / K. Simpson

Tower Motorsports

ORECA LMP2 07

1:54.151

+5.331

16

8

51

LMP2

E. Lux / D. Defrancesco / P. Fittipaldi

Rick Ware Racing

ORECA LMP2 07

1:55.897

+7.077

17

1

30

LMP3

A. Balogh / G. Grist / D. Dickerson

Jr III Racing

Ligier JS P320

1:56.595

+7.775

18

2

74

LMP3

G. Robinson / F. Fraga / J. Burdon

Riley

Ligier JS P320

1:57.552

+8.732

19

3

4

LMP3

S. Lucas / T. Kasemets / T. Estep

Ave Motorsports

Ligier JS P320

1:57.974

+9.154

20

4

17

LMP3

A. Mantella / W. Boyd / N. Varrone

AWA

Duqueine D08

1:58.624

+9.804

21

5

36

LMP3

J. Andretti / G. Chaves / G. van Berlo

Andretti Autosport

Ligier JS P320

1:58.682

+9.862

22

6

13

LMP3

O. Fidani / M. Bell / L. Kern

AWA

Duqueine D08

1:58.733

+9.913

23

7

85

LMP3

T. Bechtolsheimer / T. van der Helm

D. Goldburg

JDC Miller MotorSports

Duqueine D08

1:59.397

+10.577

24

8

33

LMP3

L. Willsey / J. Barbosa / N. Pino

Sean Creech Motorsport

Ligier JS P320

1:59.592

+10.772

25

9

38

LMP3

C. Allen / R. Mau / T. Nunez

Performance Tech Motorsports

Ligier JS P320

2:00.123

+11.303

26

1

3

GTDPRO

A. Garcia / J. Taylor / T. Milner

Corvette Racing

Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD

2:01.290

+12.470

27

1

57

GTD

R. Ward / P. Ellis / I. Dontje

Winward Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:01.360

+12.540

28

2

14

GTDPRO

  1. Hawksworth / B. Barnicoat

  2. Kirkwood

Vasser Sullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

2:01.375

+12.555

29

3

79

GTDPRO

D. Juncadella / J. Gounon / M. Engel

WeatherTech Racing

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:01.407

+12.587

30

4

9

GTDPRO

K. Bachler / P. Pilet / L. Vanthoor

Pfaff Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.635

+12.815

31

2

80

GTD

P. Hyett / S. Priaulx / G. Jeannette

AO Racing

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:01.646

+12.826

32

3

27

GTD

R. De Angelis / M. Sorensen / I. James

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:01.771

+12.951

33

4

93

GTD

A. Harrison / D. Formal / K. Marcelli

Racers Edge Motorsports with WTR

Acura NSX GT3

2:01.879

+13.059

34

5

63

GTDPRO

F. Perera / J. Pepper / R. Grosjean

Iron Lynx

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:01.994

+13.174

35

5

91

GTD

A. Metni / K. van Berlo / J. Evans

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:02.045

+13.225

36

6

16

GTD

R. Hardwick / J. Heylen / Z. Robichon

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:02.068

+13.248

37

6

62

GTDPRO

D. Serra / D. Rigon / G. Casagrande

Risi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:02.169

+13.349

38

7

78

GTD

M. Goikhberg / L. Spinelli / B. Hites

Forte Racing Powered by USRT

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:02.209

+13.389

39

7

23

GTDPRO

R. Gunn / A. Riberas / D. Pittard

Heart of Racing Team

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:02.228

+13.408

40

8

1

GTD

B. Sellers / M. Snow / C. Lewis

Paul Miller Racing

BMW M4 GT3

2:02.240

+13.420

41

9

92

GTD

D. Brule / A. Udell / J. Andlauer

Kellymoss with Riley

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:02.288

+13.468

42

10

12

GTD

F. Montecalvo / A. Telitz

P. Thompson

VasserSullivan

Lexus RC F GT3

2:02.288

+13.468

43

11

44

GTD

J. Potter / A. Lally / S. Pumpelly

Magnus Racing

Aston Martin Vantage GT3

2:02.406

+13.586

44

12

32

GTD

M. Skeen / M. Grenier / K. Koch

Team Korthoff Motorsports

Mercedes-AMG GT3

2:02.476

+13.656

45

13

023

GTD

O. Triarsi / C. Scardina / A. Rovera

Triarsi Competizione

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:02.566

+13.746

46

14

96

GTD

P. Gallagher / R. Foley / M. Dinan

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

2:02.719

+13.899

47

15

83

GTD

R. Frey / S. Bovy / M. Gatting

Iron Dames

Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2

2:03.116

+14.296

48

16

47

GTD

R. Lacorte / G. Sernagiotto / A. Fuoco

CETILAR RACING

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:03.263

+14.443

49

17

21

GTD

S. Mann / M. Molina / F. Castellacci

AF Corse

Ferrari 296 GT3

2:03.603

+14.783

50

18

70

GTD

B. Iribe / F. Schandorff / O. Millroy

Inception Racing

McLaren 720S GT3 EVO

2:03.612

+14.792

51

19

66

GTD

S. Monk / K. Legge / M. Miller

Gradient Racing

Acura NSX GT3

2:03.930

+15.110

52

8

95

GTDPRO

B. Auberlen / C. Hull / J. Edwards

Turner Motorsport

BMW M4 GT3

2:04.194

+15.374

53

20

77

GTD

A. Brynjolfsson / T. Hindman / M. Root

Wright Motorsports

Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)

2:05.495

+16.675