Daytona Rolex 04/02/2001   Thursday Free Practice Report   © Malcolm Cracknell It was wet overnight, overcast first thing, with a damp track drying half way through the first hour’s session. Wets were the order of the day initially, then slicks for the last 30 minutes. Times were relatively meaningless, except that the two Dyson entries were 1 – 2. Weaver was over a second quicker than the #20 R&S. Eric van de Poele and Allan McNish both set 1:44s in the Risi 333SP, but by the end the traffic was very bunched after a short red flag period to remove the #13 Kicak Porsche, which went into the wall. Jon Field was fourth fastest, just ahead of the 74 Ranch Resort R&S and the Michael Lauer R&S, chassis 001. Norman Simon set the time in this car despite various problems, which included power steering and ride height adjustments, and engine tweaks. Typical N. Simon to still set sixth, but a guide as to the value of the times. The Crawford was eighth, with its newly reprofiled nose. The #6 TRP Lola was fastest in SRPll, with the two Corvettes flying along at the head of GTS. The Saleen was two seconds away from Fellows’ best. The #76 Texaco Gunnar Porsche was over three seconds down on Fellows, and clearly struggling for straight line speed against the very quick Corvettes. Geoff Lister was squealing with delight at his first experience of DIS, but in this class it wasn’t a Porsche fastest. Porsche were not fastest in GT? Please explain. It was the Mosler. Well done team. The V8 BMW was at the opposite end of the class, right down in 76th. With fancied runners such as the Bouchut / Freisinger Porsche in 73rd and the ’99 winner (Cirtek #91) in 78th with knock sensor maladies, it was an odd look to the field. The grid may get odder. Next up was second free practice, when rain made it thoroughly wet. If it stays wet for First Qualifying, the whole field will go out together for 45 minutes (rather than three separate sessions), but only the first two places on the whole grid will be set in stone. We’re currently waiting for the second session times. Tom Volk was one of several questioning the wisdom of the whole field out there together going for times which could count for the grid – if it’s wet on Friday. So everyone will be going quickly, all 80+…..in the wet. Almost as interesting as the track action was working out who would be in each of the Cirtek Porsches. We might have it right within an hour or three. David Warnock was wryly amused to find that he would be qualifying the GTS car. Phillip Peter’s name has had to be removed from the Red Bull Porsche – there’s a maximum of four drivers per car. Qualifying will be covered on a separate page. As it takes place, we're still waiting for the second free practice times. Was the Mosler fastest again in GT? Dunno. Shortly afterwards, here they are.....Weaver / Wallace fastest again, with a 1:55.310. Fellows is second quickest, overall, with a 1:58. More surprises: Konrad's Lola is third. The sister Dyson and Corvette entries are fourth and fifth, the 333SP is sixth, Robinson seventh, the V8 BMW eighth. How about that. 76th to eighth. Fastest in GT. Porsche are not quickest for the second time today, despite overwhelming superiority in numbers. They weren't even second; that was the Mosler. Randy Pobst was fastest GT Porsche. Copyright ©2000-©2023 TotalMotorSport