Connor De Phillippi, just as he did in Friday’s first practice session for the IMSA SportsCar weekend at Road America, set a quick time early in the No. 25 BMW M Team RLL M Hybrid V8. In the second session, though, his 1m50.335s time (132.08mph) held for the best of the weekend so far.
Just as the first practice ended under red flag, this session also was effectively ended when Ben Keating went off track in the Carousel and clouted an unprotected part of the concrete wall with the No. 2 United Autosports ORECA, after his co-driver Ben Hanley set the fastest LMP2 time. The ORECA suffered heavy damage, but Keating’s upturned thumb out of the door let emergency workers know he was OK. Keating had been wide at Turn 8 just before the accident, but it’s unknown if both incidents had the same cause, or if going wide prior left him with dirty tires unable to hold on in the Carousel.
Although the session did go green with a little over 2m left, many cars remained in the pits and only one driver bettered his time in the final go.
Filipe Albuquerque, who set the fast time Friday, was only 0.009s off De Phillippi to lead the two Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06s in second and third. Jordan Taylor had a 1m50.620s lap in the No. 40 Acura to trail his teammate by 0.258s.
Jess Krohn was fourth quick in the No. 24 M Hybrid V8, but an off-track excursion in Road America’s notorious Kink may have damaged the car, and the crew was taking the rear of the BMW apart in the garage before the session ended. Gianmaria Bruni completed the top five in the No. 5 Proton Competition Porsche 963 to lead the Porsche contingent.
Hanley may have pushed the No. 2 ORECA to the fast time, but the United Autosports crew has a lot of work ahead of them to get the car ready for Sunday’s race, much less Saturday afternoon’s qualifying session. Tom Dillmann was 0.053s off Hanley in the No. 52 Euro Interpol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA to split the United entries, Paul Di Resta having posted a 1m53.575 in the No. 22.