Acura Meyer Shank Racing got this weekend’s Roar Before The 24 off to a fast start with its #60 Acura ARX-06.
The returning team ended up topping the first session of the event with a 1:35.927 from Tom Blomqvist with 22 minutes remaining of the 75-minute run.
It pushed the #25 BMW Team RLL M Hybrid V8 to second in the times after Rene Rast reeled off that car’s best lap: a 1:36.103.
Ex-Porsche factory driver Gianmaria Bruni made it three brands in the top three with a 1:36.182 aboard the JDC-Miller 963, splitting the two RLL BMWs.
The first of the factory Porsches – the #6 – would finish up fifth and 0.652 off the fastest time. The quickest Cadillac meanwhile, was the #31 from the Whelen-backed Action Express V-Series.R down in eighth.
As for Lamborghini’s SC63, which ran fastest in November’s Sanctioned Test with a 1:35.611, it ended up 23rd in the times and slower than all 12 LMP2 cars after completing just five laps, the lowest total in GTP.
The #04 Crowdstrike by APR ORECA topped LMP2 with a 1:38.673, which was marginally quicker than the #2 United example that slotted in second. The #88 ORECA from AF Corse would complete the top three.
In the GTD ranks, Pfaff’s new Pro-entered Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 finished at the top of the pile with a 1:47.626 from Andrea Caldarelli.
Sarah Bovy in the GTD class Iron Dames Porsche came closest. The Belgian’s best lap was a 1:48.084. 2023 Le Mans winner Alessandro Pier Guidi set the third fastest time in the #21 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3.
This run was the first time the Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the field took part in an IMSA-sanctioned track session with torque sensors fitted. Three of the five cars entered set times, the quickest being the #32 Korthoff Competition Motors car, which would end up 18th in GTD.
There were two red flags towards the end of Session 1. The second came after an incident at the Bus Stop chicane for the AO Racing ORECA, which brought the action to an early end.
PJ Hyett was caught by the TV cameras limping back to pit lane with front-left damage to the car after looping the car around at the corner exit.
Action continues this afternoon with Session 2 at 15:00 local time.
All images courtesy of Andrew Lofthouse
