NOLA Friday Notebook

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

***Fanatec GT World Challenge America powered by AWS teams completed a pair of 60-minute practice sessions on Friday at NOLA Motorsports Park, alongside sessions for Pirelli GT4 America, GT America powered by AWS, TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School and Skip Barber Racing School, which took to the track for the first time this weekend.

***Triarsi Competizione’s Ferrari 296 GT3 returned to action this morning after receiving parts from its spare, IMSA-allocated chassis that was brought in last night. The Ryan Dalziel and Justin Wetherill-driven entry posted the 11th and sixth quickest times overall on Friday.

***Drivers are predicting a difficult weekend with marble pickup around the 2.75-mile, 16-turn circuit that has reportedly been worse than last year’s inaugural event, which was marred by heavy rains throughout the weekend. Saturday’s forecast calls for a 78 percent chance of rain.

***RS1’s Eric Filgueiras told Sportscar365: “What makes this track unique in that it’s a bit difficult to race in is the marble build-up outside of the line is incredible. But the tire deg, so far, has been better than Sonoma.”

***The minimum pit stop time for this weekend for GTWC America teams is 79 seconds, compared to 84 seconds for GT4 America competitors, with the drive-through penalty equivalent established as 44 second in the event of a post-race time penalty issued.

***Valentin Hasse Clot is making his GTWC America debut in place of Ross Gunn, who is on Formula 1 simulator duty for Mercedes-AMG this weekend. The Frenchman tested the No. 007 TRG Aston Martin Vantage GT3 alongside full season driver Derek DeBoer at NOLA in February.

***Archangel Motorsports and TRG are running under the same tent this year, with the common link being Archangel team principal Mike Johnson, who serves as strategist on the No. 007 Aston Martin. Sportscar365 understands that Johnson also services TRG’s cars between races at his St. Louis shop.

***Todd Coleman told Sportscar365 that his switch from Toyota GR Supra GT4 to Aston Martin Vantage GT4 machinery this year has been a “night and day difference” noting the strengths of the full-stint drivability of the Prodrive-built Astons. Coleman, however, praised both TRD and North American Aston Martin importers CSJ Motorsports for an equal level of customer support.

***The No. 999 Hanley Motorsports Toyota of Parker Thompson and Daniel Hanley is sporting a retro-themed livery reminiscent of the All American Racers Toyota sports cars. It also indirectly serves as a tribute for the late Dennis Aase, who passed away earlier this year.

***Thompson explained: “We went over a few paint schemes and this one seemed so fitting. It was before the passing of Dennis Aase. It wasn’t a direct tribute to him; it was more a tribute to the 80’s and 90s’ Toyota cars that were made famous and we’re just trying to carry on that iconic livery. Weeks before Sonoma, obviously the passing happened and it made the tribute even more special.”

***With the Nos. 98 and 99, made famous by AAR, already taken in GT4 America, Thompson said they added his 2022 championship-winning Porsche Deluxe Carrera Cup North America car number 9 to create No. 999.

***Thompson said the team recently took delivery a second, brand-new Toyota that will be used as a backup car to the race car, which is an ex-Smooge Racing chassis that was owned by Todd Coleman.

***Toyota Gazoo Racing announced on Friday that it has produced 100 units of the GR Supra GT4 since its sales launch in March 2020. The car, which started in Europe, expanded to the North American market that August, followed by Japan and other parts of Asia in October of that year.

***With the track’s event center reserved for the GT Paddock Club this weekend, the media center is uniquely located on the second floor of Nolasport’s race shop. The GT4 America squad, which is based on the far end of the paddock, is fielding three Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsports this weekend.

***Seth Lucas and Jason Hart are set to team up together for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in a Dinamic Huber Motorsport Porsche. Lucas, who drives for MDK Motorsports in GTWC America and Hart, who is one of the team’s drivers in Carrera Cup North America, were part of the all-American lineup in one of Herberth Motorsports’ Porsches at the Hankook 24H Dubai in January, alongside Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer.

***Qualifying for the pair of GTWC America races is set to begin Saturday at 9 a.m. CT, which along with Race 1 (3:10 p.m. CT) will be covered live on SRO’s GT World YouTube page. The first 60-minute GT4 America race, at 4:30 p.m. CT, will also be broadcast on the channel by the regular commentary team of Ryan Myrehn, Calvin Fish and Amanda Busick.

***Sunday’s schedule sees GT4 America Race 2 take the green flag at 11:30 a.m. CT prior to the second and final 90-minute GTWC America race of the weekend at 1:45 p.m. CT.

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