IMSA
Aitken’s Cadillac Shows The Way At Watkins Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Fresh off sweeping the front row in qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Cadillac V-Series.R continued to demonstrate its single-lap pace Friday at Watkins Glen Int’l.Jack Aitken (No. 31 Cadillac Whelen) led the first 90-minute practice for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the sixth race weekend of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Aitken lapped the undulating 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen course in 1 minute, 34.584 seconds for an average speed of 129.408 miles per hour to lead the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. Entries from Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian were second and third fastest, with Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 (1:34.662/129.302 mph) leading teammate Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 (1:34.979/128.870 mph).
The top seven GTP machines lapped within a second of Aitken’s benchmark on a breezy day with ambient temperatures in the mid-70s, although the track temperatures heated up significantly over the course of the day. A heat wave is forecast to roll into New York’s Finger Lakes region over the next 36 hours, taking the thermometer into the 90s by Sunday.
With that heat comes the potential for inclement conditions like the thunderstorm that caused the 2024 Sahlen’s Six Hours to be red-flagged for 41 minutes mid-race.
“We know these conditions are good to our car and we’ve generally had a strong car at Watkins Glen in the past, but the track hasn’t been good for us,” said Aitken, who along with co-driver Earl Bamber are seeking their first podium finish of the season. They’re joined at Watkins Glen by Frederik Vesti for this round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
“It wasn’t too difficult to put the car on track and be in the window straight away,” Aitken added. “It’s feeling really nice, and hopefully it stays that way. We do have all kinds of weather coming through, though, so we’re going to have to adapt.”
GTP championship points leaders Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr (No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963) were fourth fastest Friday, while the No. 40 and 10 Cadillacs from Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing rounded out the top six.
Lone Star Racing, a team solely competing in the Michelin Endurance Cup races, led all GT class entries in practice on Friday. Scott Andrews drove Lone Star’s No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class to a quick lap of 1:45.867 (115.616 mph) that just ended ahead of the fastest GTD PRO contender Andrea Caldarelli in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan EVO2’s best clocking of 1:45.912 (115.567 mph).
Felipe Fraga (No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07) set the pace in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with a lap of 1:35.798/127.768 mph that was barely a second off the leading GTP effort. Paul Di Resta (No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07) was second in class as four cars broke the 1-minute, 36-second barrier, including Dane Cameron in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07 that took the LMP2 Pro/Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with PJ Hyett and Louis Deletraz.
Deletraz is also in action at Watkins Glen, but in his full-time ride – the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing GTP Cadillac he shares with Jordan Taylor. Deletraz was fifth fastest Friday but still buzzing from his Le Mans victory.
“I grew up around Le Mans when my father (Jean-Denis) was racing, so I’ve been there a few times and very close to winning,” he said. “I finished second (in the LMP2 class) the last three years, so to finally check that box takes that pressure off my head and it’s a fantastic feeling.”
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Fresh off sweeping the front row in qualifying for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Cadillac V-Series.R continued to demonstrate its single-lap pace Friday at Watkins Glen Int’l.
Jack Aitken (No. 31 Cadillac Whelen) led the first 90-minute practice for Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, the sixth race weekend of the 2025 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season.
Aitken lapped the undulating 3.4-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen course in 1 minute, 34.584 seconds for an average speed of 129.408 miles per hour to lead the Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) class. Entries from Acura Meyer Shank Racing with Curb Agajanian were second and third fastest, with Renger van der Zande in the No. 93 Acura ARX-06 (1:34.662/129.302 mph) leading teammate Tom Blomqvist in the No. 60 (1:34.979/128.870 mph).
The top seven GTP machines lapped within a second of Aitken’s benchmark on a breezy day with ambient temperatures in the mid-70s, although the track temperatures heated up significantly over the course of the day. A heat wave is forecast to roll into New York’s Finger Lakes region over the next 36 hours, taking the thermometer into the 90s by Sunday.
With that heat comes the potential for inclement conditions like the thunderstorm that caused the 2024 Sahlen’s Six Hours to be red-flagged for 41 minutes mid-race.
“We know these conditions are good to our car and we’ve generally had a strong car at Watkins Glen in the past, but the track hasn’t been good for us,” said Aitken, who along with co-driver Earl Bamber are seeking their first podium finish of the season. They’re joined at Watkins Glen by Frederik Vesti for this round of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.
“It wasn’t too difficult to put the car on track and be in the window straight away,” Aitken added. “It’s feeling really nice, and hopefully it stays that way. We do have all kinds of weather coming through, though, so we’re going to have to adapt.”
GTP championship points leaders Nick Tandy and Felipe Nasr (No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963) were fourth fastest Friday, while the No. 40 and 10 Cadillacs from Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing rounded out the top six.
Lone Star Racing, a team solely competing in the Michelin Endurance Cup races, led all GT class entries in practice on Friday. Scott Andrews drove Lone Star’s No. 80 Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Grand Touring Daytona (GTD) class to a quick lap of 1:45.867 (115.616 mph) that just ended ahead of the fastest GTD PRO contender Andrea Caldarelli in the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan EVO2’s best clocking of 1:45.912 (115.567 mph).
Felipe Fraga (No. 74 Riley ORECA LMP2 07) set the pace in the Le Mans Prototype 2 (LMP2) class with a lap of 1:35.798/127.768 mph that was barely a second off the leading GTP effort. Paul Di Resta (No. 22 United Autosports USA ORECA LMP2 07) was second in class as four cars broke the 1-minute, 36-second barrier, including Dane Cameron in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2 07 that took the LMP2 Pro/Am class victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with PJ Hyett and Louis Deletraz.
Deletraz is also in action at Watkins Glen, but in his full-time ride – the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing GTP Cadillac he shares with Jordan Taylor. Deletraz was fifth fastest Friday but still buzzing from his Le Mans victory.
“I grew up around Le Mans when my father (Jean-Denis) was racing, so I’ve been there a few times and very close to winning,” he said. “I finished second (in the LMP2 class) the last three years, so to finally check that box takes that pressure off my head and it’s a fantastic feeling.”
Source: Speed Sport
