WRT Audi Leads The Way in Zolder Second Practice

Belgian Audi Club Team WRT driver Laurens Vanthoor was the fastest driver in the second Blancpain Sprint Series free practice at Zolder on Friday.

The newly-crowned Blancpain Endurance Series champion lapped the Zolder circuit in 1:29.752, beating NSC Motorsports’ Nick Catsburg by 0.234s.

Catsburg and Beechdean AMR driver Andy Soucek had been on top during the session, the Lamborghini setting the fastest lap just before the No. 177 GT Russian Team Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 caused a red flag.

After the session was restarted Soucek moved into first place, before Catsburg was the first to break into the 1:29s. The Lamborghini remained on top, until Vanthoor came through to post his fastest laps, five minutes from the end of the session.

Catsburg and teammate Peter Kox finished the session in second place, ahead of the Beechdean AMR Aston Martin Vantage of Soucek and Jonny Adam.

The No. 28 Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini of Jeroen Bleekemolen and Hari Proczyk finished in fifth place, behind the No. 85 HTP Motorsport Mercedes of Dusseldorp and Afanasiev. Rivals Maximilian Götz and Maximilian Buhk finished the session in sixth place.

Several cars hit trouble during the session. The BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert BMW Z4 GT3 pulled into the pits with a smoking engine, while the No. 61 Bhaitech McLaren, fastest in FP1, went off twice.

Action in Belgium will continue tomorrow morning with the qualifying session for the Qualifying Race.