Pipo Derani of the #31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R GTP entrant emerged as the fastest driver in the initial IMSA free practice session at Long Beach, clocking a time of 1.13.477. The first sprint of the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season is scheduled for this Saturday, April 20th, and the event kicked off with two practice sessions. Derani, the reigning GTP champion, showcased a strong start after his crash at the previous IMSA round, the 12 Hours of Sebring. The #31 Cadillac completed 30 laps during the session, while Connor De Phillippi in the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 secured second place with a time of 1:13.503 on the final lap of FP1. Sebastien Bourdais in Chip Ganassi’s #01 Cadillac narrowly clinched third position with a time of 1.13.531, despite completing only nine laps, which was significantly less than their competitors. Nick Tandy claimed fourth place for the #6 Porsche Penske 963 with a lap time of 1:14.056, aiming to replicate his victory from last year’s race alongside teammate Mathieu Jaminet. Phillip Eng rounded off the top-five in the GTP category, driving the #24 BMW RLL machine and achieving a time of 1:14.213. In the GTD category, AWA’s sole Corvette Z06 GT3.R emerged as the fastest car in the 17-car field, with Matt Bell setting a time of 1:18.911 in their #13 Corvette after completing 29 laps. Parker Thompson from Vasser Sullivan secured the second position in the #89 Lexus RC F GT3 with a time of 1:19.055. Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti’s #45 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, driven by Kyle Marcelli, claimed third place with a time of 1:19.150. Jack Hawksworth, the reigning GTD Pro champion, placed fourth in the #89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus with a time of 1:19.153, as he prepares to compete in the GTD category this weekend. Inception Racing rounded off the top-five in GTD with their #70 McLaren 720S GT3 EVO, driven by Frederik Schandorff, achieving a time of 1:19.198. The action will continue with Free Practice 2, a 1-hour and 30-minute session, scheduled for later at 8.50pm UK time. For the full classification of results from FP1 for the Grand Prix of Long Beach, please refer to the link provided.
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