GRAND-AM: Donohue Quickest In Final Practice

GRAND-AM

GRAND-AM: Donohue Quickest In Final Practice

Saturday’s final practice session for the Rolex Sports Car Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course echoed the look of the starting grid as the top four times were set by Corvettes...

Matt Cleary | Posted June 09, 2012 Lexington, OH

David Donohue went quickest for Action Express Racing in Saturday's final practice at Mid-Ohio. (Photo: Brian Cleary/GRAND-AM)

While seasoned team owners might point out that a race day final practice session is just one last chance to wreck a race car before the race even starts, the drivers and engineers will quickly counter that it also provides a final chance to run the car and try to dial the ideal race day set up.

Saturday’s final practice session for the Rolex Sports Car Series (Live!, SPEED, 4:30 PM ET) at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course echoed the look of the starting grid as the top four times were set by Corvettes, with the BMW-powered Riley Ganassi notching the fifth quickest time of the 30-minute session.

Last weekend’s runner-up No. 5 Action Express of David Donohue posted a 1:19.101-second lap to lead the session after his teammate Terry Borcheller qualified the car fourth on Friday.

The GT ranks saw the Turner Motorsport No. 94 lead the pack with a 1:24.800-second lap, with the No. 59 Brumos close behind. While the No. 43 Sahlen’s Mazda had an adventurous session, causing a pair of pauses in the action after going off course, the sister No. 42 entry of Wayne Nonnamaker and Dane Cameron faired much better and brought home the third fastest time in the session.

Despite topping the charts, Donohoe was quick to point out that there isn’t much too to read into when looking at the results for what amounts to a final warm up session.

“I just ran set one tires to be quick this morning, but this morning isn’t much of a judge because people are running full tanks, some people are running light, people are just doing different things,” said Donohue, who has run every single DP race since the inception of the category. “Some people are just shaking it down. Not a lot of people are trying hard. Fortunately for us, the car did the work and we got the time.”

Friday’s qualifying session saw a lot of action as multiple machines went off track in pursuit of the pole. But Donohue doesn’t anticipate seeing anything like that when it comes to race time.

“I suspect you won’t see guys throwing it off the track!” Donohue smiled. “A lot of people are getting surprised by Continental Tires being more consistent than we thought. We qualified fourth and Terry did a great job in qualifying. The (sister Action Express team entry) nine car is fifth, so hopefully we can keep the podium filled with Corvettes and Action Express can repeat a one-two (finish) from Detroit, but in reverse order!”

RESULTS: Practice 4

With experience at Skip Barber Racing School, Lime Rock Park, and several IndyCar teams, Matt Cleary has covered open wheel and sports car racing for over a decade. Working for Sunday Group Management, Cleary also provides strategic motorsports consulting for a range of clients in the sport. You can follow him on Twitter @sundaygroup.

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Matt Cleary

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