Free Practice Two meant a dry track, and the last opportunity for teams to get laps in before qualifying.
Unlike in Free Practice One this morning, all 49 of the teams set a representative lap.
Returning to their Roar Before the 24 form was the #55 Mazda RT24-P with Jonathon Bomarito setting the session’s quickest time, a 1:34.672.
Filipe Albuquerque set a time of 1:35.383 late in the session, a good sign for the #5 Mustang Sampling Cadillac DPi-V.R. squad who are looking to defend their Rolex 24 title this weekend.
A perhaps surprising name appeared near the top of the timing sheets by the end of the session, that being the #54 CORE Autosport Nissan DPi. The team’s outing at the Roar was their first run with the car, and expectations were not sky high. Nevertheless, Colin Braun put down a 1:35.538 to go third in the class.
In LMP2 it was another 1-2 lock out for Dragonspeed, this time with Nicolas Lapierre setting the pace in the #81 Oreca 07, his best time a 1:38.138. Pastor Maldonado was the quickest in the #18 Oreca 07, his time of 1:38.228 roughly one-tenth of a second off the highly-experienced Frenchman.
Third in the class was the #52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports Oreca 07, their newly hired driver Gabriel Aubry putting down a 1:38.386.
GT Le Mans was topped by the #911 Porsche 911 RSR and Nick Tandy whose time of 1:43.475 was not bested in the session.
Second was the #3 Corvette C7.R of Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia, and Mike Rockenfeller. It was Magnussen though who lead the group, his best lap time a 1:43.561. The #67 Ford GT made it three manufacturers in as many positions in the class, Ryan Briscoe setting a 1:43.758.
GT Daytona was lead by Daniel Serra in the #51 Spirit of Race Ferrari 488 GT3, that car’s best time being a 1:45.936. They were followed by Trent Hindman in the #86 Acura NSX GT3, and Ben Keating in the #33 Mercedes-AMG Team Riley Mercedes GT3, Hindman and Keating each setting a lap roughly three-tenths of a second off that of Serra in the leading Ferrari.
Pic copyright Mazda Racing
