Bourdais keeps Cadillac on top at Long Beach

The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) times both dropped and tightened up considerably during the second practice session for tomorrow’s IMSA SportsCar Grand Prix of Long Beach. Sebastien Bourdais went to the top of the time sheet just as time ran out in the final 90-minute practice session before qualifying.

With the track more rubbered in and temperatures having risen a bit with the sun breaking through the morning cloud cover, Bourdais turned a 1m11.637s lap (98.9mph) in the No. 01 Cadillac Racing V-Series.R to steal the glory from the previous quick runner,Nick Yelloly in the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8. Yelloly’s best was 0.484s off Bourdais. The first practice’s fast performer, Pipo Derani, was third with a 1m12.218s lap in the No. 31 Whelen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R.

Philipp Eng kept both BMWs in the top five with a 1m12.454s lap in the No. 24, followed by Nick Tandy in the No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963. Until Bourdais’ blistering lap at the end of the session, the top nine cars had been within a second, but Tandy ended up being the last within a second of the best time.

Both Acuras continued to struggle, with the two Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti ARX-06s toward the bottom of the chart; only the No. 5 Proton Competition Porsche 963 was slower.

As in GTP, the best time in GTD was turned at the very end of the session, courtesy of Stevan McAleer. Sheena Monk’s new full-season partner in the No. 66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 flew to the top with a 1m18.259s time, good for a 90.53mph average around the a.968-mile, 11-turn temporary circuit. Danny Formal was second, 0.102s behind in the No. 45 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2, with Albert Costa Balboa third in the No. 32 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 at 1m18.382s.