Cooper leads Mid-Ohio PWC practice

Michael Cooper drove his No. 8 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R. to the fastest GT class practice lap Friday with a time of 1m20.369s in the opening round of action Friday morning at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course as part of the Pirelli World Challenge Grand Prix of Mid-Ohio presented by Honda Racing.

Cooper, 28, won a Mid-Ohio GT 50-minute sprint feature last year in his rookie season with Cadillac Racing and is currently tied with Patrick Long for the GT overall point lead with 183 points each.

Trailing Cooper Friday in the 30-minute practice was his Cadillac Racing teammate Johnny O'Connell, who piloted the No. 3 Cadillac Racing Cadillac ATS-V.R. to a lap of 1m20.501s, followed by 2015 Mid-Ohio double winner Ryan Dalziel in the No. 2 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at 1m20.630s, last year's GT Cup Mid-Ohio winner Alec Udell in the No. 17 Euroworld Motorsports/GMG Porsche 911 GT3 R at 1m20.650s and reigning GT series champion Alvaro Parente in the No. 9 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S at 1m20.741s.

Taking positions six through 10 Friday morning were Bryan Sellers in the No. 6 K-PAX Racing McLaren 650S at 1m20.891s, current GT Sprint point leader Long in the No. 58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R at 1m20.923s, Kyle Marcelli at 1m20.945s in the the No. 61 RFerri Motorsports Ferrari 488 GT3, Spencer Pumpelly in the No. 4 Magnus Racing Audi RS8 LMS at 1m21.502s and VIR SprintX winner Daniel Mancinelli in the TR3 Racing/The Collection Ferrari 488 GT3 at 1m21.569.

Topping the GTA division was last year's Mid-Ohio double winner Michael Schein in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R with a time of 1m21.657s, followed by Tim Pappas in the No. 54 Black Swan Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 at 1m22.510s and current GTA point leader James Sofronas in the No. 14 GMG Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R at 1m22.563s.

Pacing the GT Cup division Friday was Yuki Harata in the No. 55 Dream Racing Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo at 1m26.260s.

GT/GTA/GT Cup qualifying will get underway Friday afternoon at 5:20 p.m. ET at the famed 2.258-mile, 13-turn permanent road course.

Teenagers Harry Gottsacker (pictured above) and Parker Chase paced GTS practice. Gottsacker, in the No. 69 Performance Motorsports Group Ginetta GT55, set the quickest GTS time with a clocking of 1m28.307s on his 18th birthday, with Chase, in the No. 19 Performance Motorsports Group Ginetta GT55, second at 1m28.596s in the opening round of practice. 

Third went to last year's GTS Mid-Ohio race winner Lawson Aschenbach, in the No. 10 Blackdog Speed Shop Chevrolet Camaro at 1m28.729s, followed by veteran Jeff Courtney, in the No. 99 RecStuff.com/KENDA/JCR Motorsports Maserati GT4 at 1m28.804s and Martin Barkey, at 1m28.899s in the No. 80 Mantella Autosports KTM X-Bow GT4.

Leading the GTS Am category was Mark Klenin in the No. 62 KPR/Tender Belly McLaren 570S at 1m29.078s.

Qualifying for the GTS division over the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio circuit is scheduled for 4:35 p.m. ET Friday.