The American Le Mans Series Presented by Patron had its first official track session Friday morning at Mazda and a minute later the first car spun on cold tires. The ambient temperature was in the low sixties.
The cars started out slowly and carefully, for the most part, and as the session wore on, so did the tires and confidence and the times dropped.
LUCAS LUHR/Muscle Milk HPD ARX-03a Honda/Michelin/E-10 was again fastest overall and in P1 class, with a time of 1:16.834. Dyson Racing’s Lola B12/60 Mazda/Dunlop/Isobutanol was second in the class of two.
The fastest P2 driver was ANTONIA PIZZONIA/Conquest Endurance Morgan/Nissan/Dunlop/E-10, turning 1:18.179, ahead of four other cars in class. He was third overall, behind Dyson.
TOM KIMBER-SMITH/CORE Autosport ORECA FLM09 Chevrolet/Michelin/E-10 beat eight other PC drivers, with a lap of 1:20.385 – sixth overall.
OLIVER GAVIN/Corvette Racing Chevrolet/Michelin/E-85 was the fastest of the 12-car GT class, at 1:23.973, good for fifteenth overall. He pretty much led the GT field during the session.
DAMIEN FAULKNER/Green Hornet Racing Porsche 911 GT3 Cup/Yokohama/E-10 was the fastest GTC car, at 1:28.648, twenty-eighth overall.
The beleaguered Lotus Evora/Cosworth/Yokohama/E-10 of Lotus/Alex Job Racing didn’t make it on track, as the team was trying to resolve the engine management issues which caught them out after only four laps during Thursday’s test session. The crew was hoping to make it for the second practice, or at least in time to qualify.
