Albuquerque puts WTR Acura on top in opening Sebring IMSA practice

In the opening practice session of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring International Raceway, the No. 86 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3 Evo of Mario Farnbacher and Matt McMurry topped the timing charts with a 1:51.741 lap at the 3.74-mile circuit.

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Farnbacher, who won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida in 2018, posted the quickest lap in the final 25 minutes of the session on a set of Continental tires, edging out the No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R of Tommy Milner by 0.093 seconds.

“It was a difficult session because of the high temperatures,” said Farnbacher. “I had quite a lot of understeer in the fast corners, so I had to make some adjustments to the car and I think we got the maximum out of it. It’s a good start for the weekend and we are looking forward to the race.”

The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Pipo Derani was third fastest, followed by the No. 24 BMW Team RLL M8 GTE of John Edwards and the No. 3 Corvette C8.R of Antonio Garcia. The No. 25 BMW rounded out the top-five.

The technical acumen of Albuquerque’s Mario Farnbacher and the Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3 Evo propelled them to the top of the timing charts in the opening practice session of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship at Sebring International Raceway. Farnbacher, who won the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida in 2018, demonstrated his mastery of the track by posting the fastest lap in the final 25 minutes of the session on a set of Continental tires, narrowly edging out the No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C8.R of Tommy Milner by 0.093 seconds. Despite the sweltering temperatures and resulting understeer in the fast corners, Farnbacher was able to make the necessary adjustments to the car to maximize its performance and take the lead. The No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 of Pipo Derani was third fastest, followed by the No. 24 BMW Team RLL M8 GTE of John Edwards and the No. 3 Corvette C8.R of Antonio Garcia. The No. 25 BMW rounded out the top-five.

The competition will be heated as the session continues and the race draws nearer. However, Albuquerque’s Farnbacher and the No. 86 Acura NSX GT3 Evo have set the bar high in the opening practice and will be a team to watch as the weekend progresses.