A heavy accident for Rene Rast in the #77 Mazda brought the final 60 minute Free Practice session to a finish just seconds before the due time, Rast emerging unhurt after an incident which left the RT-24P upside down and with heavy rear end damage. Confirmed now as having happened after contact with the #73 Park Place GTD Porsche.
On track, Dane Cameron topped the Saturday Morning session posting 1:32.975 in the #6 Acura Team Penske ARX-05 DPi late in the session.
Behind the Acura the session saw several of the LMP2’s very much in the mix with first Paul Di Resta (#32 United Autosports Ligier), then Colin Braun (#54 Core Autosport ORECA) topping the times into the final stages, the surprise package of the session though would prove to be Simon Trummer in the #85 JDC Miller ORECA Gibson, after Cameron leapfrogged both Di Resta and Braun.
Trummer did likewise, his 1:33.137 just 0.162 off Cameron’s best with Braun’s time just 0.037 further back! The top nine cars in the class separated by under a single second.
GTLM saw Ford dominate the session after an early run from Patrick Pilet in the #911 Porsche 911 RSR topped the times before the Ganassi boys took charge.
Ryan Briscoe, then Richard Westbrook eked out an advantage in the #67 Ford GT, Westbrook’s best a 1:42.489, Joey Hand in the sister #66 leapfrogging Garcia’s Corvette effort and Pilet’s Porsche time to set second fastest time of the session by the Red Flag 1:42.636.
GTD saw the Lexus RCF GT3s dominate proceedings, The #15 of Jack Hawksworth topping the times before his best time was bettered by half a tenth by Kyle Marcelli in the sister #14 car (1:44.859).
Sheldon van der Linde was next up in the #29 Montaplast by Land Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3 two tenths further back.
