Taylor Paces Opening Hour at Road Atlanta

Photo: Mike Levitt/IMSA

Jordan Taylor led Motul Petit Le Mans at the end of the opening hour, although was due its first pit stop of the race.

Taylor, in the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06, held an 11-second lead over the pole-sitting No. 31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R of Jack Aitken, with Alessio Picariello third in the No. 5 Proton Competition Porsche 963.

Nick Tandy in the No. 6 Penske Porsche ran fourth, with teammate Matt Campbell fifth in the GTP championship-leading No. 7 Porsche.

Aitken jumped out into an early lead from pole, with the No. 25 Team RLL BMW M Hybrid V8 of Connor De Phillippi initially slotted into second.

There was early drama for the No. 01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac of Sebastien Bourdais, which pitted on Lap 15 due to a mechanical black flag for scrutineering system requirements.

Bourdais initially dropped one lap down due to the sensor re-calibration, but got back onto the lead lap after the race’s first full-course caution for the GTD pole-sitting No. 80 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Scott Andrews, who was beached in the Turn 5 gravel trap.

It set up a series of fuel-only pit stops for the majority of the field.

LMP2 was led by the No. 2 United Autosports Oreca 07 Gibson of Ben Keating, while Fred Vervisch paced GTD Pro in the No. 65 Multimatic Motorsports Ford Mustang GT3, which along with second-placed Daniel Serra, have yet to make their first stops.

The No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG of Mike Skeen was out front of GTD after the early race misfortune for Andrews.

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