SEBRING, Fla. — Acura continued to set the pace in the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship completed a two-day test at Sebring International Raceway on Thursday — a month before the 71st round of the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Twenty-six cars from all five WeatherTech championship classes, including all four GTP manufacturers, took part in testing the 3.74-mile street course. The two Acura ARX-06 competitors set the pace in four of the five sessions, with Filipe Albuquerque turning the best overall lap in the final session of 1 minute, 46.450 seconds (126.483 mph) in the #10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06, the Wayne used Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport.
Albuquerque said the team experimented with setup changes throughout the test and he’s pleased with the result, especially compared to the Daytona Prototype International (DPi) he’s ridden, which has raced on the notoriously rough Sebring surface in the past had to fight. The hybrid powered GTP class replaced DPi this season.
“We freestyle the setup and try to figure out what’s happening here, what’s happening there,” explained Albuquerque. “But again, the car is always a pleasure to drive and I have a really good feeling – especially coming here from the DPi where we struggled a bit at this track last year and this car is Just better . I think we’ve been tackling DPi’s points well so far so it’s a better ride over these bumps.”
The No. 10 topped the timesheets in three sessions, twice by Albuquerque and once by co-driver Louis Deletraz. Mathieu Jaminet was the only other driver to set a sub-1:47 lap, with a 1:46.949 (125.892 mph) performance in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 in the final session. Competition across the GTP class was close, with six of the seven test drivers completing a lap within 0.847s of Albuquerque’s pacemaker.
“I think everyone is still learning about the car,” Albuquerque said. “Sebring is very different from Daytona and it’s super interesting to see that everyone’s packed up… but there’s still a lot to do and in the race we’ll definitely pack up.”
Meyer Shank Team recovers from early troubles
The No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06, who won the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January, was sidelined on Wednesday’s first day of testing with mechanical problems – he sat out the first session entirely and only completed 15 laps third session. The team recovered overnight, with Tom Blomqvist setting the fastest lap (1:47.297, 125.484 mph) in Thursday morning practice.
“We didn’t have the smoothest day (Wednesday),” said Blomqvist. “There were a few small setbacks that cost us track time. But the track time we did allowed us to learn a lot, which I think showed on the second day. The car is working well and we are just running everything at full speed to get as much information as possible before the race weekend.”
Van der Zande begins to feel at home
Renger van der Zande was the only non-Acura driver to lead a session and led Wednesday’s second practice session in the No. 01 Cadillac V-LMDh of Chip Ganassi Racing (1:47.053, 125.770 mph). After months of development and testing, followed by the 24 Hours of Daytona International Speedway, the Dutch driver said this week was the first time he had that natural feeling in the new prototype.
“I had so many hours in the car (at Daytona) that now for the first time in Sebring for this test I felt like it was a DPi,” he said. “I had the feeling that I and the car were one again.
“We had two really good days of testing,” he added. “For the first time I had the feeling that we could really work on the car and the car ran flawlessly. We went into the unknown ahead of the Daytona race and now we’re starting to understand the car better and better, which is why we’re also improving the car set-up. We put a lot of kilometers in the car and worked with the engineers and mechanics to make things better, especially at Sebring. I think we have a very good base for the Twelve Hour.”
Mercedes, Lexus head of GT testing
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 No. 32 from the Korthoff Motorsports team. (IMSA photo)
Fifteen GT3 cars – two in the GT Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class and 13 in the GT Daytona (GTD) class – took part in the test. The No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Team Korthoff Motorsports led four GTD sessions, with Mikael Grenier setting the best overall lap of any GT car over the two days (2:01.558, 110.762 mph).
Grenier shared the No. 32 spot with Mike Skeen and Kenton Koch, with each driver topping the GTD standings for at least one session.
“We’ve achieved a lot, tried a few different things on the car,” said Skeen. “We were fast right off the trailer and that gave us the opportunity to really experiment. Yes, really happy with where we end up. Learned a lot of information and quite confident going into the next month.”
The #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 set the pace in each GTD PRO practice, with Ben Barnicoat setting the car’s best lap (2:01.743, 110.594 mph). The sister No. 12 Lexus, with Parker Thompson at the wheel, prevented the No. 32 Mercedes from winning every GTD session.
“We’ve had a great two-day test here at Sebring,” said Barnicoat. “Vasser Sullivan’s team did a great job. We ticked off many test items on our list. It’s great to be the fastest (GTD PRO) car to leave and I’m really looking forward to the race.”
Mercedes, Honda Lead Michelin Pilot Challenge Test
13 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge vehicles were also available for their own two-day test at Sebring, which included two practice sessions each day. Mercedes dominated the class with six of the eight participating GS vehicles. Honda and Hyundai comprised the five touring cars tested (TCR), with each manufacturer leading two sessions.
Jared Thomas, co-driver of the No. 23 Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 fielded by JTR Motorsports Engineering, was fastest in the GS with a lap of 2:10.439 (103.220 mph). After a seventh place finish in the season opener at Daytona, Thomas can feel momentum building for the Alan Jay Automotive Network 120 on March 16 at Sebring.
“We’ve been really happy with the improvements we’ve made here,” said Thomas. “I think we improved the car where we left off at Daytona. New program, new car for us, so we try a lot of different things and see what works and what doesn’t work. Very happy with the Mercedes-AMG. It was a really good car, it seems really consistent.”
Mike LaMarra put the #73 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic FK7 TCR at the top of the combined TCR speed chart with a lap of 2:13.705 (100.699 mph). Co-driver William Tally, who finished second in the TCR with LaMarra at Daytona, said the driver pairing was going well.
“It was a really successful test for Mike and I,” said Tally. “This is his first year moving up to graduating rider, it’s my first full season as a starting rider so we’re both taking on new roles. He improved his pace at Daytona better than one could really hope for and here he proved that.
The new Honda TCR completes important development rounds
While LaMarra and Tally tested the current Civic Racer, veteran Ryan Eversley completed 81 crucial laps in the new Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Developed by Honda Performance Development and JAS Motorsports, the car is set to be race-ready later this year.
By the end of Thursday’s test, Eversley was within nine-tenths of a second from LaMarra’s fastest circuit.
“In true Honda fashion, it was rock solid, fast and easy to drive,” said Eversley. “The best part from the mechanics side is how easy it is to work on this car and that’s a testament to everyone at JAS and HPD designing a user friendly car to make the teams have an easier weekend eh that will make drivers happier too.
“We are delighted that the new car is coming to IMSA and racing in the TCR.”
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