Braun, DXDT Mercedes Quickest on Friday at Sonoma

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

DXDT Racing ended the opening day of official track activity at Sonoma Raceway on top, with Colin Braun quickest in both practice sessions for this weekend’s GT World Challenge America powered by AWS races.

After setting the pace-setting time of the day Friday morning, Braun was quickest again in the afternoon’s 60-minute session, recording a 1:38.785 lap time in his CrowdStrike-sponsored Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

Braun’s best lap in Practice 2 was roughly a half-second slower than his morning time although 0.494 seconds quicker than the No. 14 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Jeroen Bleekemmolen, who was second in the afternoon session.

The No. 1 Squadra Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 of Rodrigo Baptista was third overall and in the GT3 Pro-Am class ahead of the No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche of Max Root in fourth.

Jeff Segal completed the top-five in the No. 24 TR3 Ferrari.

The No. 93 Racers Edge Motorsports Acura NSX GT3 Evo of Trent Hindman and Shelby Blackstock was seventh and last in the GTWC America order in the session, nearly three seconds off the pace.

GT Sports Club was again led by the No. 27 Audi R8 LMS ultra of Jason Daskalos, who set a 1:44.406 lap time in the previous-gen Audi GT3 contender, which among other GT3 and new-for-2020 GT2 machinery are eligible to compete in the Bronze driver series.

Jason Bell, who did not set a lap in the morning session, wound up quickest of the Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport contingent.

Qualifying gets underway Saturday at 8:30 a.m. PT.

RESULTS: Practice 2 (GTWC) / Practice 2 (GTSC)

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