Track records are pretty much irrelevant here, as the DPs have never previously raced here and the P2 cars have been pretty much neutered in comparison to the old Porsche RS Spyder days. It’s a new era, thus there may just be a new category of records starting today.
Before really setting a time, the Starworks Riley HPD dashed into the pits – a quick look and poke around the back of the car satisfied the crew and Pierre Kaffer returned the car to the track.
The No. 90 had a scary moment, going off at a pretty good pace, but thankfully he brought the car to a stop before hitting anything. Scott Pruett also had a moment too – no damage reported.
As far as fast times, it was first Jon Fogarty for Action Express setting the pace with a 1:53.590, then Sebastien Bourdais going 1:52.105. Action Express 1-2.
With 4 minutes to go, Olivier Pla vaulted the OAK P2 Nissan to second overall, also getting into the 1:52 range.
Sensing some pressure, Bourdais responded with a 1:51.917. Game over? For Pla, yes. He pitted. For Starworks it was likely game over also. The 78 was seen stopped along side the track.
With the checkered flag flying, there were a handful of cars left on track, but it was only Klaus Graf making any real improvement, moving to 5th overall for Muscle Milk.
Heading into this session, it looked like the Ford powered prototypes were capable of challenging, but that didn’t happen. The best placed Ford was 6th, over a second back for Scott Dixon, who was driving the 02 Ganassi Riley.
“It was good, but I don’t think we’re the best car,” Bourdais told Marshall Pruett. “The Ganassi cars were slow; I don’t know what they’re doing…maybe the bags of sand were leaking (laughs). They’re very fast. There were a lot of cars spinning and putting dirt on the track early, but it was good for me because I was waiting to go for it at the end. When I was going nobody was putting stuff on the track, and since we dropped the [downforce level] on the car, it was pretty on the edge, but it was good.”
