Sargent Leads Friday Road America Practice

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

Tom Sargent led the way in the opening GT World Challenge America powered by AWS practice session of the weekend at Road America, putting the Pro-Am points-leading GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo atop the overall top charts.

The Porsche Motorsport North America Selected driver, who also currently leads the series’ SRO GT Academy, recorded a best lap of 2:04.606 in the 60-minute session to edge out the No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo of Daniel Morad by 0.098 seconds.

Loek Hartog was third quickest in the No. 88 Kellymoss Porsche while Ryan Yardley made it three Porsches in the too-four in his No. 31 Wright Motorsports example.

The No. 14 Riley Technologies BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Andy Lee completed the overall top-five, which was all occupied by Pro-Am class entrants.

Quickest in Pro was the sixth-placed No. 12 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, which features Ferrari Hypercar factory driver Miguel Molina this weekend in place of Frederik Schandorff, who is on GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup duty at the Nürburgring.

The No. 163 AF Corse Ferrari of Benny Simonsen led the Am class, which features a new entrant this weekend in a Scuderia Corsa Ferrari.

Of note, the Pro class championship-leading No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo completed only a few laps before going behind the wall with a gear issue, and ended the session in last.

It came as a double blow for the Canadian squad, whose No. 27 JMF Mercedes-AMG of Philip Ellis appeared to lose an engine in a dramatic blow-up on the front stretch just past the halfway mark, resulting in the session’s only red flag.

The No. 27 car will lose the two fastest laps in qualifying as a result of bringing out the red, per race control.

Track action resumed with nine minutes left on the clock.

The second of three practice sessions is on tap for Saturday at 10:55 a.m. CST, followed by a final 30-minute session at 2:25 p.m. CST.

RESULTS: Practice 1

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