Yesterday we made a list of things to look out for in the Roar Before the 24. Now that day 1 is complete, here’s a run down of the important, interesting and fun points.
Session 1
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- Cadillac wasted no time parking themselves at the top. 1-2-3-4
- Spirit of Daytona jumped straight into the Caddy pack, third behind #5 AXR and #10 WTR.
- Best of the rest was CORE Autosport, 8 tenths off the lead Cadillac.
- The new Mazda RT24-P did not run in session 1.
- The updated BAR1 Riley also did not run.
- It was Noah’s ark in GTLM as the cars went 2 by 2.
- Ford led the single Risi entry, then Porsche and Corvette behind. All of the cars were within 9 tenths of each other
- BMW appeared to have some teething problems, both cars not posting competitive times
- In GTD, Blancpain champions GRT Grasser led the class with the Huracan GT3.
- The Manthey Porsche was second, with the other GRT Lambo third.
Session 2
- Cadillacs jumped to the top early in the session, but the CORE Autosports Oreca kept them from a clean sweep at the top.
- The Cadillacs racked up the laps, completing more than any other car. Over 50 laps for the #5 AXR.
- The #90 SoD Caddy caused a red flag when Eddie Cheever III nosed the wall.
- Jackie Chan DC Racing made significant steps forward in session 2, posting times in the top 10.
- Acura didn’t look particularly fast, but they did complete plenty of laps. Sandbagging, or working through a program?
- The 99 Red Dragon missed the first hour, but was fast once it took to the track.
- Mazda Team Joest had the #55 out early in the session, although currently 1.6 seconds off the pace.
- The sister #77 did not make it to the track for any extended running. Installation laps only.
- The #2 ESM Car had a full rear end change between the sessions. The ESM crew managed the change in under 2 hours.
- Nick Tandy suffered a puncture during the session and had to return to the pits slowly.
- Bruno Senna caused a red flag when he spun his United Autosports Ligier and stalled on track.
- Performance Tech had to test the Oreca 07 – including the fuel tank size. The team ran the car out of fuel, causing it to stop on track. It was recovered by a flatbed truck and returned to the session.
- The #51 Ferrari spun and caused a red flag. Maybe the AF Corse run Spirit of Daytona car was upset at having so many Aston Martin drivers behind the wheel.
- Johannes van Overbeek had an amusing incident – pressed the drinks button and got the windscreen wipers!
- Mixed running for most of the field, except for BMW. The new M8 is still not with the rest of the GTLM Pack
- GRT Grass Lamborghini topped GTD again.
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