BMW M Team WRT’s Dries Vanthoor set the top time in second practice for the IMSA Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Early on in the afternoon’s 90-minute practice session, Porsche Penske Motorsport’s Kévin Estre set the first lap under one minute and 13 seconds, at 1:12.742.
Seconds later, Rory van der Steur clipped the wall at turn one and dropped a wing mirror on the track. The incident caused a red flag, and it also means the #19 Van der Steur Racing Vantage will lose its fastest lap in qualifying this afternoon.
The top time in GTD changed hands several times once green flag running resumed, ultimately landing back with Estre with a 1:12.568.
Just before the halfway mark, Colin Braun went off into the tyre barrier down at turn eight, bringing out the second red flag of the session. The #60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 suffered moderate left-front damage, and will also lose its fastest lap in qualifying.
With less than 20 minutes to go, the younger of the Vanthoor brothers turned in a 1:12.284 in the #24 WRT BMW M Hybrid V8, to go fastest ahead of the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R of Jack Aitken in second.
And with less than seven minutes on the clock, Harry King in the #177 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R crashed at turn one, bringing out the third and final red flag to bring the second practice to a conclusion.
Before that, Nick Yelloly improved to third-fastest in the #93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura, followed by Estre, and the #25 WRT BMW of Marco Wittmann in fifth place.
Over in GTD, the two Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3s finished 1-2; Frankie Montecalvo actually set the quickest time in the #89 Lexus, turning a 1:18.654. Fellow Vasser Sullivan mainstay Aaron Telitz was second-fastest in the #12 Lexus.
Danny Formal was third in the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, and Robert Wickens, running in his hand-controlled #36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, put his team fourth on the running order.
Qualifying starts this afternoon at 5:25 PM PT (local time).
Images © IMSA
