Estre Fastest in First Practice at Detroit's Belle Isle
DETROIT, Mich. - Kevin Estre, of Lochau, Austria was fastest in the first practice session at Belle Isle, and the Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by the Metro Detroit Cadillac dealers.
Twenty-seven drivers took to the damp 13-turn, 2.3-mile temporary street course for the 30-minute session - rain had fallen earlier in the morning.
Early in the session, JD Davison, of St. Petersburg, FL , in the No. 33 AE/ReplayXD/NISSAN NISMO GT-R GT3 Nissan GT-R-GT3 was fastest with a 1:36.341. Ten minutes into the session, Davison would better his time with a 1:35.376.
At the 11-minute mark, Robert Thorne, of Littleton, Colo., in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S GT3 went to the top with 1:34.026, followed by Johnny O'Connell, of Flowery Branch, GA, in the No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-VR GT3 with a 1:34.527.
At the 15-minute mark, Davison, would again jump into the P1 position with a 1:33.593. Shortly after that at the 17-minute mark, Renger van der Zande, of Nijmegen, The
Netherlands , in the No. 31 EFFORT Racing/World PMO Porsche 911 GT3R eclipsed Davison time with a 1:33.103.
At the 20-minute mark, O'Connell would go to the top with a 1:32.895. On the next lap he went quicker with a 1:32.401
At the 25-minute mark Estre would set the fastest time of the session with a 1:31.945. GT drivers' points leader coming into the weekend Olivier Beretta of Monte Carlo, Monaco, in the No. 61 Ferrari Ontario/Toronto/Alberta/ Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia was second with a 1:32.075. Davison's set the third fastest time of the session with a 1:32.122.
Henrique Cisneros, of Miami, FL, in the No. 30 MOMO NGT Motorsport Ferrari 458 GT3 Italia was fastest in GTA with a 132.490, sixth fastest overall in the session.
Of note, James Sofronas, of Pound Ridge, N.Y. will not race at Detroit due to a shop injury suffered this past weekend.
Thorne Fastest in Shortened Second Practice at Detroit's Belle Isle
DETROIT, Mich. - Robert Thorne, of Littleton, Colo., was fastest in a shortened second practice session at Detroit's Belle Isle and the Cadillac V-Series Challenge presented by the Metro Detroit Cadillac dealers.
Twenty-five of the entered 27 drivers for Rounds 10 and 11 of the GT/GTA Championships took to the 13-turn, 2.3-mile temporary street course for the scheduled 30-minute session - weather was overcast and 78 degrees.
Very early in the session, Thorne, in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S GT3 set the pace with a 1:32.114, with Nicky Catsburg, of Voorthuizen, Netherlands , in the No. 25 Blancpain Racing Lamborghini Gallardo GT3 FL2 second with a 1:32.153, and Peter Cunningham, of Milwaukee, Wis., in the No. 42 RealTime/Acura Motorsports/HPD Acura TLX-GT in third with a 1:32.271.
Shortly after Thorne set the early fast lap, a full-course yellow occurred with the No. 20 Bentley/Breitling/Mobil 1 Bentley Continental GT3 of Butch Leitzinger, of Rebersburg, Pa. off in turn 13. The removal of the No. 20 car took up the balance of time left in the session. Leitzinger was not injured in the incident.
Bryan Heitkotter, of Fresno, Calif., in the No. 05 Nissan GT Academy GT-R Nissan GT-R GT3 recorded the fastest lap in GTA with a 1:33.106.
Drivers and teams now prepare for Saturday morning's Round 10 qualifying session scheduled for 7:30 am