Muscle Milk Pickett Racing set the pace on Thursday at Mid-Ohio as the American Le Mans Series prepares for Saturday’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge.
Lucas Luhr turned a time of one minute, 12.331 seconds in the No. 6 HPD ARX-03a, beating Chris Dyson in the No. 16 Dyson Racing Lola B12/60 Mazda by almost three seconds.
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Christophe Bouchut in No. 055 Level 5 Motorsports HPD ARX-03b was third fastest overall with a one minute, 15.367-second lap time to lead the P2 division. Bouchut was nearly a second quicker than Martin Plowman in the No. 37 Conquest Endurance Morgan-Nissan. Plowman, who won the P2 class at Mosport two weeks ago, was fifth overall.
Marino Franchitti, brother of IndyCar driver Dario, narrowly beat Bruno Junqueira by 0.275 seconds in the Prototype Challenge class. Kyle Marcelli, of Barrie, Ont., was 10th overall and fourth in the PC class driving in the No. 8 Oreca FLM09 with Antonio Downs. Based in Plain City, Ohio, Merchant Services Racing is looking to win at their hometown race.