- Sargent Sets the Tone Overall and in Pro-Am Class
- Stephens Fastest in Pro Class
- Negri Quickest in Am Class
Practice 1 Results
Circuit of The Americas welcomed eighteen GT3 machines to its winding twists and turns for Practice 1 on Friday morning. Under a blazing sun and rising temperatures, the GT World Challenge America powered by AWS drivers tackled the hour-long session.
GMG Racing set the fastest overall lap time, but the battle at the top was fierce, with several contenders vying for the fastest time. In the final stages, JMF Motorsports suffered a mechanical issue, bringing out a red flag with 10 minutes remaining. As a result, Practice 1 was cut short.
Pro Class
The margins were very slim in the Pro class, with Michai Stephens and Kenton Koch leading the charge for JMF Motorsports and Random Vandals Racing. The two remained at the top of the class in their respective No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and No. 99 BMW M4 GT3, with only 0.032 seconds between the two, with the slight advantage going to Stephens.
The No. 18 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R of Alex Sedgwick and Jan Heylen concluded the session in third place in the Pro class, followed closely by Random Vandals Racing’s sister entry, the No. 51 BMW M4 GT of Bill Auberlen and Varun Choksey. Only 0.066 seconds separated them, showcasing that the battles are sure to be very close on race day.
Pro-Am Class
GMG Racing’s Tom Sargent emerged as the early leader both in the Pro-Am category and overall, as the Australian soared to the top of the charts in his No. 32 Porsche 992 GT3 R and remained there all the way through to the end of the session.
He was initially followed by Kyle Marcelli in the No. 92 LAB Motorsport by GT Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R, however, Matt Bell moved ahead of him into second position at the halfway mark of Practice 1 in the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
It was a strong session for the Pro-Am field, with Darren Turner also in the mix, putting his No. 24 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO into fourth, with the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Justin Rothberg and Robby Foley completing the top 5.
In the Am class, it was AF Corse’s Oswaldo Negri and Jay Schreibman who took charge in their No. 163 Ferrari 296 GT3, followed by hometown team Dollahite Racing, with Anthony Lazzaro and Scott Dollahite driving the No. 6 Ford Mustang GT3.
Let’s Get Racing
The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS will return to the track for Practice 2 on Friday afternoon, April 25th at 3:20 PM CT.
If you can’t make it to Circuit of The Americas, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTCOTA.
GT World Challenge America | Photo: GT World Challenge America
