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GT World Challenge America

Parente Leads Friday Practice at Barber

Alavaro Parente Quickest in Friday practice at Barber…

Photo: Brian Cleary/BCPix.com

Photo: Brian Cleary/BCPix.com

After two practice sessions, Alvaro Parente posted the fastest time of the GT field for this weekend’s Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Alabama.

The McLaren GT factory driver took his K-PAX Racing No. 9 McLaren 650S GT3 to a time of 1:22.586 on his 10th tour of the 2.2833-mile circuit in the morning practice session.

Bentley Team Absolute’s Adderly Fong followed 0.272 seconds off of the McLaren’s pace in his No. 88 Bentley Continental GT3, with James Davison’s No. 33 Nissan GTR GT3 in third.

Parente, Fong, and Davison were the only drivers to finish in the 1:22-bracket in the combined session times.

Davison’s Nissan teammate, Bryan Heitkotter, posted the 4th fastest overall time with Johnny O’Connell and Michael Cooper leading the Cadillac Brigade to fifth and sixth respectively.

Speeds were slower for Practice 2, as Cooper’s pace-setting time of 1:23.831 in the second session would have placed him 14th in the morning practice.

In the heat of the afternoon, it was good enough to place him P1 over Andrew Davis in the No. 76 Calvert Dynamics Porsche 911 GT3 R.

GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing made its return to the track after a massive practice shunt last week at Long Beach sent the team home early to make repairs.

The Red Dragon turned five laps in morning practice but turned up the wick to post the 10th fastest time in Practice 2.

Wright Motorsports’ Michael Schein led the GTA category in his No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R with a fast time of 1:24.407 in the morning session.

Sloan Urry’s time of 1:26.911 in his No. 20 TruSpeed Autosport Porsche 911 GT3 Cup in Practice 1 was the quickest of the GT Cup competitors.

No major incidents were reported in either session.

Qualifying is next up for GT/GTA/GT Cup and is set for 8:45 a.m. CT.

RESULTS: Practice 1
RESULTS: Practice 2

Ryan Myrehn is an Indianapolis-based broadcaster and reporter. In addition to his work covering primarily domestic sports car racing for Sportscar365, he is the lead announcer for SRO America's TV coverage as well as a pit reporter for IndyCar Radio. Myrehn, a graduate of DePauw University, is also the host of Sportscar365's “Double Stint” Podcast.

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