Ben Barnicoat set the pace in the opening practice session for the GT Challenge round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, with the Vasser Sullivan Lexus driver setting a 1:45.201 to go quickest at Virginia International Raceway iun the #12 Lexus RC F GT3.
Patrick Gallagher was second fastest in the #1 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3, just 0.033 off Barnicoat, and was also fastest in the GTD class.
The sister #14 Vasser Sullivan Lexus was third fastest overall and second in GTD. Aareon Telitz set a time of 1:45.394, 0.193 off his British teammate in an encouraging session for the Vasser Sullivan team.
The third-placed GTD team, and fourth overall, was Winward Racing, with Philip Ellis lapping VIR in 0.028 slower than Telitz, in the #57 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Second fastest in GTD Pro, sixth overall, was Patrick Pilet in the #9 Pfaff Porsche 911 GT3 R. He was 0.694 off Barnicoat, while Antonio Garcia, the next GTD Pro car in ninth overall, was even further adrift, the Spaniard 0.822 off in the #3 Corvette C8.R.
The session was relatively clean, with no red flags, although Dani Juncadella’s #79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 did catch fire in the pitlane briefly before being extinguished, as the session came to a close. Juncadella got out of the car under his own steam and appeared unhurt.
