BMW’s Vanthoor Leads Stop-Start Long Beach Practice 2

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Dries Vanthoor led the way in a stop-start second IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship practice session at Long Beach, which featured three red flags for accidents.

Vanthoor, in the No. 24 Team WRT BMW M Hybrid V8, topped the time charts in the 90-minute scheduled session, thanks to a 1:12.284 lap time.

It was 0.046 seconds quicker than the No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R of Jack Aitken, with Nick Yelloly third in the No. 93 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06.

Kevin Estre bounced back from a brush with the wall in opening practice to set the fourth best time in the No. 6 Penske Porsche 963, with Marco Wittmann completing the top-five in the sister WRT BMW.

The No. 89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 of Frankie Montecalvo topped the GTD class, ahead of teammate Aaron Telitz and the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 of Danny Formal.

The first red came out for debris from the wrecked No. 19 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo of Rory van der Steur, who made contact with the Turn 1 barriers but drove away from the scene.

Colin Braun, meanwhile, made heavy impact with the Turn 8 barriers in his No. 60 MSR Acura halfway through the session to bring out a second red, while a high-speed spin and impact into the Turn 1 barriers for Harry King in the AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, brought the session to an early end with less than five minutes left on the clock.

Both Braun and King climbed from their cars under their own power, although along with the No. 19 Van der Steur Aston Martin, will lose their quickest times in qualifying due to bringing out red flags in practice.

Qualifying is scheduled for 5:25 p.m. PST (8:25 p.m. EST) with live coverage on Peacock and IMSA’s YouTube channel.

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