Humidity lingered in the air as bright but cloudy skies loomed overhead for Practice 1 at VIRginia International Raceway for the TC America Powered by Skip Barber field. A total of 23 drivers across three classes took to the track to tackle its twists and turns, utilizing the 30-minute session to familiarize themselves with the circuit’s rolling hills while teams experimented with their setups ahead of an action-packed weekend.
A red flag punctuated the session in the final 10 minutes, which ultimately cut the session slightly short.
TCX
Lucas Catania rose to the top of the leaderboard early in the session in his No. 26 Rigid Speed Company BMW M2 CS (Cup), putting together a string of purple sectors to secure the best time of the session with a flying lap time of 2:00.567, the only driver to break into the two-minute mark. It was a strong session for the Catania family, as Joseph Catania placed third in the opening practice session in the No. 24 Rigid Speed Company BMW M2 CS (Cup). They were separated by Maddie Aust in the No. 09 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup), who set the second-fastest time of the session.
Newcomer William Tally also proved his ability to get up to speed quickly, as he finished the session in fourth with the likes of his No. 73 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Type-R TCX. He was closely followed by Colin Garrett in the No. 44 Rooster Hall Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup), who rounded off the Top 5 in Practice 1.
TC
As Jeff Rica made his return to the track, he quickly showed off his speedy pace and consistently raised the bar as he laid down a series of fastest laps with his No. 78 Genracer / Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TC. Ricca clocked in a rapid time of 2:04.253, establishing a comfortable gap for himself. However, Celso Neto has already proved himself as a very strong competitor, and followed in second in his No. 7 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type-R.
MINI JCW Team had a productive opening practice session, showing off the strengths of their teammate pairing as Clayton Williams and Cristian Perocarpi set the third and fourth quickest times in their No. 60 and No. 37 Mini JCW Pro TC machines.
The final spot in the Top 5 was occupied by Sally McNulty in her No. 780 Genracer / Ricca Autosport Hyundai Veloster N DCT TC, followed closely by Jeremiah Burton in the No. 34 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Type-R.
TCA
TechSport Racing teammates Shaoyi Che and Devin Anderson exchanged fastest laps throughout the early stages of the session on board their No. 23 and No. 22 Subaru BRZ machines, joined soon after by Spencer Bucknum as he added himself into the mix with the No. 5 LA Honda World Racing Honda Civic Si FE1. The gaps between the trio remained incredibly tight, separated by mere tenths of a second.
P.J. Groenke began to challenge for the top spot in class halfway through the session, maneuvering his No. 62 MINI JCW Team Mini JCW around the highly technical track. It was ultimately Bucknum who retained the best time in class with a 2:10:549, with Groenke following suit in second.
Che got the slightest advantage over his teammate to set the third-fastest time, as Anderson ended the session in fourth. William Lambros completed the Top 5 in the No. 77 Skip Barber Racing School Honda Civic Si FE1. The three drivers were separated by less than half a second, once again displaying the competitiveness of the series and setting the scene for what is still to come this weekend.
LET’S GO
The series takes to the track later today for Practice Two at 2:30 p.m. ET. Fans can follow progression with Griiip Live, live timing. The studio makes it easy to follow class battles, lap times, and pit strategy for the five SRO America series.