Porsche factory driver Romain Dumas was quickest again at Mosport International Raceway on Saturday in the first official practice for Mobil 1 presents the Grand Prix of Mosport. The reigning overall champion at the 24 Hours of Le Mans set a lap of 1:07.489 (131.168 mph) around Mosport International Raceway for Muscle Milk Team CytoSport in its Porsche RS Spyder.
Dumas is driving the Porsche prototype for the first time in competition since 2008. He and Timo Bernhard were overall winners at Mosport in 2007, and Dumas also won in LMP2 driving the RS Spyder. He will drive this year with Klaus Graf.
The Frenchman was 1.357 seconds clear of Intersport Racing’s Clint Field in the Intersport Racing Lola-AER he will share with father Jon Field. Another Lola was next in the queue – Chris Dyson in Dyson Racing’s Mazda-powered Lola coupe that he will drive with Guy Smith. Dyson’s best lap was a 1:09.124 (128.066 mph).
Flying Lizard Motorsports’ Jörg Bergmeister went quickest in GT in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR that he will drive with Patrick Long at 1:17.691 (113.944 mph). The German ace’s best time was just 0.016 seconds better than Risi Competizione’s Gimmi Bruni; he will drive one of the team’s two Ferrari F430 GTs with Jaime Melo.
Corvette Racing’s Jan Magnussen was third quickest in class at 1:17.829 (113.742 mph) in the Corvette C6.R he will drive with Oliver Gavin. The class again was the tightest on the track with the top eight class within 0.379 seconds. One of those was Pierre Kaffer in a second Risi Ferrari. He went off hard between Turn 1 and Turn 2 with heavy damage to the front of the car.
Kaffer was alert and awake but was transported to Lake Ridge Health in Bowmanville for precautionary observation.
In LMPC, Gunnar Jeannette was fastest for Green Earth Team Gunnar at 1:12.546 (122.025 mph). The ORECA FLM09 that he will drive with Elton Julian sat 0.071 seconds quicker than Intersport Racing’s Kyle Marcelli, from nearby Barrie, Ontario. He was another 0.613 seconds better than Luis Diaz for PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports.
Jeroen Bleekemolen was the fastest GT Challenge driver for Black Swan Racing with a lap of 1:22.440 (107.30 mph). His Porsche 911 GT3 Cup entry that he will drive with Tim Pappas was 0.793 seconds quicker than TRG’s Andy Lally, who will drive Henri Richard. ORBIT/Paul Miller Racing’s Bryce Miller was third at 1:23.233 (106.357 mph).
