McDonald Tops Opening COTA Practice

Photo: Brian Cleary/SRO

Blake McDonald topped the time charts in the first GT America powered by AWS practice session of the weekend at Circuit of The Americas.

McDonald, in the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, reeled off a 2:05.170 lap time in the 30-minute session to edge out the No. 8 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3 EVO of Elias Sabo by 0.826 seconds.

Memo Gidley, in his series return, was third in the No. 56 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, with Ross Chouest and Justin Rothberg completing the top-five in the SRO3 class in their Corvette and BMW entries, respectively.

GT4 was led by the No. 39 Van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo of Max Hewitt.

Thirteen of the 14 entered cars turned laps in the session, with the No. 188 Fast Track Racing BMW M4 GT4 EVO of Denny Stripling, a late addition, having sat in the pit lane.

Practice 2 is on tap for 1:30 p.m. CST.

RESULTS: Practice 1