Lucas Ends Friday On Top at COTA

Photo: Wes Duenkel/Ford

Will Lucas ended the opening day of track action for this weekend’s pair of season-ending Mustang Challenge North America races at Circuit of The Americas on top, thanks to a pace-setting time from Practice 2.

The reigning Mustang Cup USA champion reeled off an impressive 2:18.760 lap time in Friday afternoon’s second and final practice session, outpacing Practice 1 leader Cole Loftsgard by a considerable 1.338 seconds.

Devin Anderson was third quickest in his No. 22 TechSport Racing Ford Mustang Dark Horse R, while series debutant Justin Gravett and Sandy Satullo completed the overall top-five, for TechSport and Wheelhouse Motorsports, respectively.

Wheelhouse team owner Dan McKeever again led the way in the Dark Horse Legends class, ahead of Paolo Salvatore and points leader Tom Tait.

Tait’s title rival, Chris Clarke, had drama as his No. 9 Paley Motorsport with AAG Racing Mustang was reported to have gone behind the wall in Tune 6 during the session, before rejoining seven minutes later.

Clarke set the fourth quickest time in the class.

Additionally, the No. 63 Wheelhouse entry of Joseph Dederichs had a non-functioning transponder during the session.

Qualifying is next up and is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. CST on Saturday ahead of the first race of the weekend later that evening at 6:30 p.m. CST, which will be streamed live on Peacock as well as Ford Racing and IMSA’s YouTube channels.

RESULTS: Practice 2

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John