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GRAND-AM
GRAND-AM: Westbrook Leads Lime Rock P1
Richard Westbrook topped the charts in the first practice in mixed-conditions as drivers got their first crack at Lime Rock's ultra-quick 1.53-mile circuit
Richard Westbrook continues to cement his place as the breakout star of the 2012 Daytona Prototype season with Spirit of Daytona Racing. (Photo: GRAND-AM/Brian Cleary)
Richard Westbrook topped the charts in the first practice in mixed-conditions as teams and drivers got their first crack at Lime Rock Park’s ultra-quick 1.53-mile circuit, which will play host for the season finale as GRAND-AM is set to determine some eight championships through the two-day race weekend.
Westrbook’s 49.930-second flyer in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette led a trio of Chevrolets as the No. 99 GAINSCO posted a 50:049-second lap with Alex Gurney on board. The No. 9 Action Express was third fastest, with the top seven machines logging lap times within one second of Westbrook’s time before rain intensified late in the session.
While Westbrook has raced on tracks around the globe, the Lime Rock Park visit is surprisingly just the second time the Englishman has run on the Northwest Connecticut track.
“It was a good run,” said Westbrook. “The car is good so far but I know everyone else is going to catch up. It looks like us and the 99 car have got a good car at the moment and also the Action Express but I expect the others to catch up - it's only practice. The conditions are very, very tricky. It's still a little bit damp in places.”
The No. 90 Corvette has endured a star-crossed season, with three wins but a series of DNF’s that have the group looking to fight to gain ground in the championship.
“It's good to be back at Lime Rock,” continued the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race winner. “I've only ever driven this track in a GT car way back in 2008 - in a Porsche in the ALMS - so it's a little bit different but it came back pretty quickly! When I came here in 2008 I really liked it especially on race day because you've got that little amphitheater filled up especially when you've got a big crowd and it's really nice. You get a nice unique atmosphere. I remember it was bloody hot because it was in June but I don't think we'll have that problem this weekend. I really like it. It's old school, it's fast, for a small track it's really fast. It's in some ways pretty nuts actually - in a nice way.”
While the No. 01 Ganassi entry might appear to have a fairly clear path to another GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Championship, there is still a lot to fight for through the order as just 10 points separate third place from seventh entering the weekend.
While the trophy engraver already knows who to be adding to the GT Team and Driver Championships in the Rolex GT Class with Jeff Segal and Emil Assenato locking up the honors at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Manufacturer Championship is still to play for as Chevrolet and Mazda look to take the fight to the first-year GRAND-AM entry in a highly diversified field.
The GT practice sheets reflected that diversity as the Camaro GT.R of Stevenson Motorsports led the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 entry in the first practice, with the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda third ahead of the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche and the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette.
Friday’s forecast is likely to see rain feature in the mix as three of the weekend’s championships will be decided this afternoon when the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge stages the first race of the weekend with the 2.5-hour Street Tuner (ST) class race at 3:20 p.m. ET.
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
Westrbook’s 49.930-second flyer in the No. 90 Spirit of Daytona Corvette led a trio of Chevrolets as the No. 99 GAINSCO posted a 50:049-second lap with Alex Gurney on board. The No. 9 Action Express was third fastest, with the top seven machines logging lap times within one second of Westbrook’s time before rain intensified late in the session.
While Westbrook has raced on tracks around the globe, the Lime Rock Park visit is surprisingly just the second time the Englishman has run on the Northwest Connecticut track.
“It was a good run,” said Westbrook. “The car is good so far but I know everyone else is going to catch up. It looks like us and the 99 car have got a good car at the moment and also the Action Express but I expect the others to catch up - it's only practice. The conditions are very, very tricky. It's still a little bit damp in places.”
The No. 90 Corvette has endured a star-crossed season, with three wins but a series of DNF’s that have the group looking to fight to gain ground in the championship.
“It's good to be back at Lime Rock,” continued the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course race winner. “I've only ever driven this track in a GT car way back in 2008 - in a Porsche in the ALMS - so it's a little bit different but it came back pretty quickly! When I came here in 2008 I really liked it especially on race day because you've got that little amphitheater filled up especially when you've got a big crowd and it's really nice. You get a nice unique atmosphere. I remember it was bloody hot because it was in June but I don't think we'll have that problem this weekend. I really like it. It's old school, it's fast, for a small track it's really fast. It's in some ways pretty nuts actually - in a nice way.”
While the No. 01 Ganassi entry might appear to have a fairly clear path to another GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Championship, there is still a lot to fight for through the order as just 10 points separate third place from seventh entering the weekend.
While the trophy engraver already knows who to be adding to the GT Team and Driver Championships in the Rolex GT Class with Jeff Segal and Emil Assenato locking up the honors at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Manufacturer Championship is still to play for as Chevrolet and Mazda look to take the fight to the first-year GRAND-AM entry in a highly diversified field.
The GT practice sheets reflected that diversity as the Camaro GT.R of Stevenson Motorsports led the No. 94 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 entry in the first practice, with the No. 70 SpeedSource Mazda third ahead of the No. 44 Magnus Racing Porsche and the No. 31 Marsh Racing Corvette.
Friday’s forecast is likely to see rain feature in the mix as three of the weekend’s championships will be decided this afternoon when the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge stages the first race of the weekend with the 2.5-hour Street Tuner (ST) class race at 3:20 p.m. ET.
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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