Tincknell Quickest for Mazda in First Roar Test Session

Mazda Team Joest driver Harry Tincknell set the fastest lap of the first session of the Roar Before the Rolex 24 IMSA pre-season test at Daytona.

Tincknell turned in a time of 1:36.027 behind the wheel of the No. 55 Mazda RT24-P to lead the nine-car DPi class on Friday afternoon.

Second-quickest in the field and seven-tenths down on the chart-topping effort was Renger van der Zande in the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac DPi-V.R.

The Dutchman produced a time of 1:36.743 in last year’s Rolex 24-winning car, slotting ahead of defending series champion Juan Pablo Montoya in the No. 6 Acura ARX-05.

Cadillac DPi drivers Felipe Nasr (Action Express Racing) and Tristan Vautier (No. 85 JDC-Miller Motorsports) rounded out the overall top five.

The JDC car was responsible for the last of three red-flag stoppages to interrupt the session, when Matheus Leist went off-course at Turn 6 shortly before the checkered flag.

The other incidents involved GRT Grasser Racing-prepared Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evos.

The first was a spin for GRT Magnus driver Andy Lally at Turn 3A in the opening stages of the session, while the second was a mechanical problem for the No. 11 GRT car later on.

The GTD order was ultimately topped by Aim Vasser Sullivan Lexus driver Jack Hawksworth.

In the GT Le Mans class, Porsche driver Nick Tandy led the way with a 1:44.271 flyer that put the Englishman half a second clear of Colton Herta in the No. 25 BMW M8 GTE.

The best lap time from one of the new Chevrolet Corvette C8.Rs was a 1:45.563 courtesy of Tommy Milner, who ended the session in fifth place behind Porsche’s Earl Bamber and BMW’s Jesse Krohn.

DragonSpeed’s Ben Hanley led the way in LMP2 with a time of 1:38.402.

A second Friday test session for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship field is set to take place at 3:45 p.m. ET.

RESULTS: Roar Session 1