In just his second IMSA WeatherTech practice session at Long Beach, Robert Wickens set the fastest time in the GTD class, headlining another practice session that also brought another BMW M Team RLL finish 1-2 in GTP.

Wickens used all 90 minutes of the afternoon practice session to his benefit. Using his hand controls, he drove the No. 36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to the top of the leaderboard with a 1m18.157s. Then, on his next lap, the Canadian driver improved to a 1m17.891s to secure the top spot in GTD heading into Qualifying.

Practice 2 wasn’t all perfect for Wickens, though. He went off at the end of Shoreline Drive, into the Turn 1 runoff, and couldn’t restart in time to avoid bringing out a red flag. Because he brought out a red flag, the No. 36 Corvette will lose its best time in Qualifying later this afternoon, starting at 5:10 PM PT (local time).

But that was a small inconvenience in what was otherwise a productive session. Wickens completed 34 laps and improved by over 2.5s from his personal best in Practice 1 this morning.
The two BMW M Hybrid V8s led GTP in the opposite order to Practice 1. Dries Vanthoor set a 1m12.201s in the No. 24, to lead Sheldon van der Linde in the No. 25 BMW, on a 1m12.342s.

Then it was Jack Aitken in third, driving the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, followed by the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 of Mathieu Jaminet in fourth, team-mate Felipe Nasr in the No. 7 Penske Porsche in fifth, and the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06 of Tom Blomqvist in sixth.

Blomqvist’s co-driver Colin Braun slid off into the tire barrier at Turn 1 to bring out the last of four red flags that interrupted practice. The No. 60 Acura suffered damage to the front end, but a nose change was all it needed to get back on track.
Single-car incidents involving GTD drivers Trent Hindman (No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini) and Misha Goikhberg (No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini) brought out the other red flags, and a few others also strayed off course as the pace began to pick up.

Ross Gunn also found another second of improvement aboard the No. 23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie – still 11th and last in GTP, but still finding more one-lap pace with no major issues.
Behind GTD leaders Wickens and DXDT Racing, Philip Ellis went second-fastest in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, ahead of Jonny Edgar in the No. 177 AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3 R in third, and Parker Thompson in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3.