After second practice for the IMSA Michelin GT Challenge at VIR, Ferraris are on top of both GT classes, and in GTD PRO, the top two cars set identical lap times.
For the second session in a row, the No. 81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 set the outright fastest time and the top time in GTD PRO. After Albert Costa set the pace in Practice 1, this time it was co-driver Giacomo Altoe that led the way with a 1m45.011s.
Only a minute later, Sebastian Priaulx in the "Liquid Carbon" No. 64 Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3 (pictured above) set the exact same time as Altoe, which held up for second place.
In GTD, Onofrio Triarsi set the fastest time in the No. 021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari, posting a 1m45.324s about 40 minutes into the 90-minute session.
All 90 minutes proceeded with no red flags, but with about 15 minutes to go,
smoke began to pour from out of the exhausts of the No. 4 Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Tommy Milner’s car was pulled behind the wall at Turn 1 safely, then retreated to the garage. The car will undergo a precautionary engine change ahead of qualifying.
Co-driver Nicky Catsburg had set the third-fastest time in the car earlier in the session, ahead of teammate Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette.
The No. 78 Forte Racing Lamborghini also spent most of the session in the garage with a fuel pump issue, before returning late. On the other hand, the No. 14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus enjoyed an uninterrupted practice after losing most of the first session with electrical problems.
Behind the Triarsi 296, the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Jack Hawksworth was second fastest in GTD, followed by the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 of Danny Formal, and the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of Russell Ward.
Rounding out the top five in each class, and the top ten overall, were the No. 1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO and the No. 34 Conquest Racing Ferrari.
Heading into this afternoon’s qualifying session at 4:55 ET, the field is very close around VIRginia International Raceway:
Less than one second covered the best times of 19 out of the 23 cars entered.