First practice in the GT classes. Andrea Caldarelli took just seven laps to post his best effort in local favorite Pfaff Motorsports’ No. 9 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, a 1:15.580 (117.126 mph).
That gave him and co-driver Marco Mapelli a cushion of nearly half a second in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class over Nicky Catsburg and Tommy Milner in the No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R at 1:16.040 (116.417 mph).
“The car felt in a much better window than last year to drive,” reported Catsburg. “We did good work on the setup, and it feels like everything is in the right window.”
Ben Barnicoat clocked 1:16.328 (115.986 mph) in the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 he shares with Aaron Telitz to place third in GTD PRO.
Vasser Sullivan’s No. 12 entry competing in GTD was slightly quicker than its identical GTD PRO stablemate by 0.005 second to lead the GTD class.
Jack Hawksworth, who teams with Parker Thompson, turned that 1:16.328 (115.978 mph) lap on his seventh tour of CTMP to narrowly edge the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 in which Philip Ellis got down to 1:16.412 (115.850 mph).
Other Canadian entries of note include the No. 13 AWA Corvette Z06 GT3.R, adorned in a Canadian flag livery, which Matt Bell drove to sixth place in GTD. Co-driver Orey Fidani, from nearby Etobicoke, Ontario, is tied atop the standings for the IMSA Bob Akin Award, presented at the end of the year to the top Bronze-rated driver in GTD.
Guelph, Ontario’s Robert Wickens, who is competing in the WeatherTech Championship in the GTD sprint race rounds this year, saw teammate Alec Udell run 10th quickest in the No. 36 DXDT Racing Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Two more entries have revised lineups confirmed on Friday. PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports will run Benjamin Pedersen, the team’s IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup third driver, alongside 2024 CTMP winner and LMP2 champion Nick Boulle in their No. 52 ORECA LMP2 07. Additionally, Kenton Koch joins the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 with Onofrio Triarsi in GTD.
WeatherTech Championship competitors look forward to another 90 minutes of practice Saturday morning, prior to qualifying for all three classes starting at 4 p.m. ET.
The two-hour, 40-minute Chevrolet Grand Prix starts at 2:05 ET on Sunday, July 13, with coverage available on USA and Peacock domestically; IMSA.TV and the official IMSA YouTube channel with stream the race for international viewers.
