- Jeff Ricca Fastest in Opening Session
- Hyundai, Toyota, and BMW Occupy the Top 5
- Practice 1 Results
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing series kicked off the action in Austin, Texas by being the first to take over Circuit of The Americas on Thursday morning. Although the hot southern temperatures hadn’t quite settled in yet, the field was eager to bring some heat of their own in the opening 25 minute session.
After sweeping at Sonoma, Jeff Ricca was back in top form in his No. 78 Ricca Autosport Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO, rising to the top of the charts with a lap time of 2:26.709. He was joined by teammate and newcomer on the grid Gyumin Kim in the No. 74 entry. With the first round of the Hyundai N Trophy Cup taking place this weekend, the Ricca Autosport group showcased that they are already strong contenders for wins and podiums.
JMF Motorsports’ Jonathan Neudorf concluded Practice 1 in third in his No. 4 Toyota GR Corolla TC, and is on the hunt for strong results as he continues to get familiarized with the newer machinery.
PJ Groenke was also in the mix, settling into fourth position on the leaderboard in his No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N1 TC EVO. After securing a podium result last time out at Sonoma, he is aiming for a repeat performance come race day.
The top 5 was completed by the No. 29 Fast Track Racing BMW M2 CS (Cup) of Nick Roberts. With three different manufacturers vying for competitive times and strong performances, Practice 1 has already given a glimpse into the high stakes action that is still to come.
Let’s Get Racing
The TC America powered by Skip Barber Racing School field will return to the track for Practice 2 Thursday morning, April 24th at 11:40 AM CT.
If you can’t make it to Circuit of The Americas, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTCOTA.