Utah Thursday Notebook

Photo: John Dagys

***The Acura NSX GT3 could make its race debut in this weekend’s SprintX event, although a final decision has not yet been made. HPD Senior Program Engineer Lee Niffenegger told Sportscar365 their focus this week has been on testing, with both Peter Kox and Peter Cunningham turning laps in the car in testing on Thursday, as well as the opening SprintX practice session.

***Kox topped the time charts in the timed session, with a best lap of 1:48.507. While it was three-quarters of a second quicker than the competition, it was still nearly one-second slower than Johnny O’Connell’s GT qualifying record from last year.

***While only being suspended by Pirelli World Challenge for the first race, James Davison will not be driving at all this weekend. The Australian, who currently sits sixth in the GT championship, is here in a driver coach capacity only.

***In addition to his one-race suspension, Davison’s probation has also been extended a further three events, which will stretch through the remainder of the season. He is expected to return to the wheel of the No. 33 Always Evolving Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 for the next event at Sonoma.

***The No. 3 Cadillac ATS-V.R of Johnny O’Connell missed Thursday afternoon’s test session after undergoing an engine change. O’Connell battled engine/electronic-related issues at Road America.

***GMG Racing has not yet decided if its two Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars will take part in the SprintX event this weekend. Both Alex Welch and Kevin Westcott are entered and turned laps in the test sessions today but did not set times in Practice 1. Welch’s car is also entered in the GT Cup class for Sprint, while Westcott is taking part in the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA event this weekend, also with the same car.

***Both GMG Porsche Cup cars do not currently have co-drivers listed but team principal James Sofronas told Sportscar365 that he has Colin Braun on standby. A final decision on the two cars’ SprintX participation will come tomorrow.

***Dion von Moltke will take part in Sunday’s SprintX Race 2 alongside David Ostella in the No. 23 M1 GT Racing Audi R8 LMS, with Ostella pairing with Walt Bowlin in Race 1. It’s the only three-driver lineup entered this weekend in the series.

***The No. 63 DXDT Racing Audi R8 LMS ultra, which is making its SprintX debut with David Askew and David Burke, is the former Andrew Palmer-owned, GMG Racing-run Audi from PWC, which has since been upgraded to ultra specification. The Utah-based team plans to enter one of its Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo cars in the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October.

***Canaan O’Connell, the son of four-time and defending PWC GT champion Johnny, makes his pro racing debut this weekend in a TCB-class Chevy Sonic entered by TechSport Racing. The 22-year-old second-generation driver is a driving instructor at the Bob Bondurant School in Arizona.

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