IMSA Watkins Glen: Cameron pips returnee Blomqvist after two red flags in FP1

Porsche’s Dane Cameron set the pace in opening practice for the sixth round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship at Watkins Glen, ahead of the returning Tom Blomqvist for Cadillac.

IMSA brings a 56-car field to the classic 3.4-mile road course, which hosted the United States Grand Prix for 20 years, set in the rolling hills near the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

Cameron led the way in the 90-minute session in his factory-backed #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 with a lap of 1m34.175s, as dry conditions altered the run plans of the teams, many of which were expecting wet weather in each practice session this weekend.

After a brief red flag for the Tower Motorsports LMP2 Oreca crashing at Turn 1, which required some barrier repairs, recently jettisoned IndyCar racer Blomqvist jumped up to second in the Action Express-run #31 Cadillac V-Series.R, lapping 0.172s off Cameron’s pace.

Unlike the majority of the GTP teams, Blomqvist joins regular-season racers Pipo Derani and Jack Aitken in a three-driver lineup for the six-hour enduro.

“I missed it more than I thought I would,” Blomqvist told IMSA Radio. “Took me a few laps but then I got comfortable, I guess this is what I’m built for!

“Initially I wasn’t supposed to be here, but things happened on the other side [in IndyCar] and Pipo’s expecting another child, so in case it arrives then it’s better to have three drivers instead of one!”

A second red flag was required with 13 minutes remaining, again for the Tower LMP2, when Charlie Eastwood crashed it at Turn 7, this time deranging its left-front corner.

That only allowed for a four-minute sprint to the end of the session, but the hard compound Michelin tire in play this weekend meant there were no significant improvements.

Filipe Albuquerque was third fastest in his Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06, ahead of Philipp Eng’s BMW M Hybrid V8 and Nick Tandy in the #6 PPM 963.

Mikkel Jensen led LMP2 with 1m35.531s in the TDS Racing Oreca that he will share with Steven Thomas and Hunter McElrea. He was 0.046s quicker than Felipe Fraga’s Riley-run version, and set the fastest middle sector overall.

#77 AO Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R: Laurin Heinrich, Sebastian Priaulx (Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images)

Laurin Heinrich set the pace in GTD Pro, lapping his AO Racing ‘Rexy’ Porsche 911 GT3 R in 1m45.242s, a couple of tenths clear of the pro-am category leader Scott Andrews in Lone Star Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3.

Spencer Pumpelly spun the Magnus Racing Aston Martin Vantage at Turn 7 and rejoined.

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info

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Main Information
Cla	Drivers	#	Chassis	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	D. Cameron F. Nasr M. Campbell Porsche Penske Motorsport	7	Porsche 963	31	1'34.175		129.971
2	P. Derani J. Aitken T. Blomqvist Whelen Cadillac Racing	31	Cadillac V-Series.R	35	+0.172 1'34.347	0.172	129.734
3	R. Taylor J. Barbosa B. Hartley Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	10	Acura ARX-06	32	+0.277 1'34.452	0.105	129.590
4	J. Krohn P. Eng A. Farfus BMW M Team RLL	24	BMW M Hybrid V8	33	+0.400 1'34.575	0.123	129.421
5	N. Tandy M. Jaminet F. Makowiecki Porsche Penske Motorsport	6	Porsche 963	33	+0.581 1'34.756	0.181	129.174
6	R. van der Zande S. Bourdais S. Dixon Cadillac Racing	01	Cadillac V-Series.R	33	+0.694 1'34.869	0.113	129.020
7	T. van der Helm R. Westbrook P. Hanson JDC/Miller Motorsports	85	Porsche 963	31	+0.870 1'35.045	0.176	128.781
8	G. Bruni A. Picariello J. Andlauer Proton Competition	5	Porsche 963	40	+1.076 1'35.251	0.206	128.503
9	M. Cairoli A. Caldarelli R. Grosjean Lamborghini Iron Lynx	63	Lamborghini SC63	38	+1.172 1'35.347	0.096	128.373
10	C. de Phillippi N. Yelloly M. Martin BMW M Team RLL	25	BMW M Hybrid V8	35	+1.302 1'35.477	0.130	128.198
11	S. Thomas M. Jensen H. McElrea TDS Racing	11	ORECA 07	41	+1.356 1'35.531	0.054	128.126
12	G. Robinson F. Fraga J. Burdon Riley	74	ORECA 07	37	+1.402 1'35.577	0.046	128.064
13	J. Taylor L. Deletraz C. Herta Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	40	Acura ARX-06	24	+1.461 1'35.636	0.059	127.985
14	E. Lux R. Lindh N. Varrone DragonSpeed	81	ORECA 07	34	+1.575 1'35.750	0.114	127.833
15	J. Farano M. Dinan C. Eastwood Tower Motorsports	8	ORECA 07	29	+2.272 1'36.447	0.697	126.909
16	D. Merriman R. Dalziel C. Zilisch Era Motorsport	18	ORECA 07	36	+2.315 1'36.490	0.043	126.853
17	D. Goldburg P. di Resta B. Garg United Autosports USA	22	ORECA 07	37	+2.364 1'36.539	0.049	126.788
18	J. Smiechowski N. Boulle T. Dillmann Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports	52	ORECA 07	35	+2.417 1'36.592	0.053	126.719
19	B. Keating B. Hanley N. Pino United Autosports USA	2	ORECA 07	35	+2.472 1'36.647	0.055	126.646
20	G. Kurtz C. Braun T. Sowery Crowdstrike Racing by APR	04	ORECA 07	40	+2.524 1'36.699	0.052	126.578
21	D. Andersen S. Lucas S. Huffaker MDK by High Class Racing	20	ORECA 07	40	+2.776 1'36.951	0.252	126.249
22	L. Perez Companc N. Nielsen L. Wadoux Richard Mille AF Corse	88	ORECA 07	38	+2.919 1'37.094	0.143	126.063
23	P. Hyett P. Chatin M. Brabham AO Racing	99	ORECA 07	37	+3.142 1'37.317	0.223	125.775
24	J. Barbosa J. Edgar L. Willsey Sean Creech Motorsport	33	Ligier JS P217	37	+4.389 1'38.564	1.247	124.183
25	L. Heinrich S. Priaulx M. Christensen AO Racing	77	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	30	+11.067 1'45.242	6.678	116.303
26	S. Yoluc R. Andrade S. Andrews Lone Star Racing	80	Mercedes AMG GT3	33	+11.227 1'45.402	0.160	116.127
27	B. Sellers M. Snow N. Verhagen Paul Miller Racing	1	BMW M4 GT3	22	+11.415 1'45.590	0.188	115.920
28	R. Gunn A. Riberas M. Farnbacher Heart Of Racing Team	23	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	24	+11.589 1'45.764	0.174	115.729
29	O. Triarsi C. Scardina A. Rovera Triarsi Competizione	023	Ferrari 296 GT3	29	+11.687 1'45.862	0.098	115.622
30	S. Mann F. Heriau M. Molina Af Corse	21	Ferrari 296 GT3	27	+11.824 1'45.999	0.137	115.473
31	A. Garcia A. Sims D. Juncadella Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	3	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	32	+11.847 1'46.022	0.023	115.448
32	J. Potter A. Lally S. Pumpelly Magnus Racing	44	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	32	+11.869 1'46.044	0.022	115.424
33	R. Foley P. Gallagher J. Walker Turner Motorsport	96	BMW M4 GT3	29	+12.019 1'46.194	0.150	115.261
34	M. Franco A. Costa C. Sbirrazzuoli Conquest Racing	34	Ferrari 296 GT3	34	+12.043 1'46.218	0.024	115.235
35	M. Goikhberg L. Spinelli D. DeFrancesco Forte Racing	78	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	34	+12.124 1'46.299	0.081	115.147
36	D. Serra D. Rigon J. Calado Risi Competizione	62	Ferrari 296 GT3	34	+12.242 1'46.417	0.118	115.019
37	F. Perera J. Pepper M. Bortolotti Iron Lynx	19	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	37	+12.283 1'46.458	0.041	114.975
38	B. Iribe F. Schandorff O. Millroy Inception Racing	70	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	30	+12.321 1'46.496	0.038	114.934
39	H. Tincknell M. Rockenfeller C. Mies Ford Multimatic Motorsports	64	Ford Mustang GT3	29	+12.333 1'46.508	0.012	114.921
40	J. Hawksworth B. Barnicoat K. Kirkwood Vasser Sullivan	14	Lexus RC F GT3	29	+12.453 1'46.628	0.120	114.792
41	M. Kirchhofer O. Jarvis J. Hinchcliffe Pfaff Motorsports	9	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	36	+12.549 1'46.724	0.096	114.688
42	R. Lacorte G. Sernagiotto A. Fuoco Cetilar Racing	47	Ferrari 296 GT3	17	+12.655 1'46.830	0.106	114.575
43	T. Milner N. Catsburg E. Bamber Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	4	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	32	+12.658 1'46.833	0.003	114.571
44	R. Ward P. Ellis I. Dontje Winward Racing	57	Mercedes AMG GT3	31	+12.675 1'46.850	0.017	114.553
45	S. Monk T. Calderon S. McAleer Gradient Racing	66	Acura NSX GT3	35	+12.684 1'46.859	0.009	114.543
46	G. Levorato C. Lewis R. Hardwick Proton Competition	55	Ford Mustang GT3	34	+12.901 1'47.076	0.217	114.311
47	M. Skeen M. Grenier K. Koch Korthoff/Preston Motorsports	32	Mercedes AMG GT3	32	+12.927 1'47.102	0.026	114.284
48	K. Li A. Fjordbach K. Bachler MDK Motorsports	86	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	34	+12.973 1'47.148	0.046	114.235
49	O. Fidani M. Bell L. Kern AWA	13	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD	29	+13.003 1'47.178	0.030	114.203
50	J. Hand D. Muller F. Vervisch Ford Multimatic Motorsports	65	Ford Mustang GT3	26	+13.045 1'47.220	0.042	114.158
51	R. Frey M. Gatting S. Bovy Iron Dames	83	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	34	+13.394 1'47.569	0.349	113.787
52	F. Montecalvo P. Thompson A. Telitz Vasser Sullivan	12	Lexus RC F GT3	27	+13.423 1'47.598	0.029	113.757
53	R. De Angelis Z. Robichon I. James Heart Of Racing Team	27	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	25	+13.519 1'47.694	0.096	113.655
54	K. Marcelli D. Formal G. Doyle Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	45	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	13	+13.652 1'47.827	0.133	113.515
55	A. Adelson E. Skeer J. Heylen Wright Motorsports	120	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	35	+13.819 1'47.994	0.167	113.340
56	J. Andretti G. Chaves S. Hargrove Andretti Motorsports	43	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	31	+14.296 1'48.471	0.477	112.841
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