CTSCC: Aschenbach, Thomas on record pace in opening practice at Sebring

Lawson Aschenbach and Seth Thomas bettered the existing track records in their respective classes in Wednesday morning’s opening Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge practice at Sebring International Raceway.

The Microsoft Visual Studio 150 will take the green flag 1:05 p.m. ET on Friday. The race will be streamed live on IMSA.com.

Camaros posted three of the four fastest times in the 45-minute session. Aschenbach led the Grand Sport (GS) competitors with a lap of 2:15.336 (99.486 mph) in the No. 6 Stevenson Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro Z/28.R, followed by teammate Andrew Davis, who ran 2:15.730 (99.197 mph) in the team’s No. 6 entry. Last year, Davis and co-driver Robin Liddell teamed to score the first victory for the new Camaro at Sebring.

“The guys have been working hard and we’ve been testing, so we’re going in with a lot of confidence,” Davis said. “We’re the defending winners here, and we’re coming off a great finish at Daytona (second) where we’ve historically struggled. I’m sure the field will tighten up for qualifying. There are a lot of good cars in the field, and that’s the great thing about this series.”

Matt Plumb, who joined his brother Hugh in winning the season-opening BMW Performance 200 at Daytona International Speedway, was third, running 2:16.190 (98.862 mph) in the No. 13 Rum Bum Racing Porsche 911. Third was the No. 8 Mantella Autosport Camaro Z/28.R with Mark Wilkins turning a lap of 2:16.217 (98.842 mph).

Thomas paced the Street Tuner (ST) drivers, running 2:24.441 (93.215 mph) in the No. 38 Next Level European Porsche Cayman co-driven by Dan Rogers. Jeff Segal was second, running 2:24.995 (92.858 mph) in the No. 42 Team Sahlen Porsche Cayman, followed by Wayne Nonnamaker, running 2:25.055 (92.820 mph) in the No. 43 Team Sahlen Porsche Cayman.

Wednesday includes a final 45-minute practice session at 3:20 p.m. ET. Qualifying begins at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, with competitors looking to break the existing track records held in GS by Trent Hindman, 2:15.947 (99.039 mph), and in ST by Chad Gilsinger, 2:24.508 (93.171 mph), with both marks set in 2014.