Porsche Dominates Indy 8 Hour Free Practice as Güven Leads the Way

Porsche's dominance at the 2024 Indianapolis 8 Hour Race continued as the German marque topped the timesheets in the opening free practice session. Ayhancan Güven, the current Intercontinental GT Challenge championship leader, set the fastest time for GMG Racing, underlining Porsche's strong pace at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Porsche's Peerless Performance Signals Ominous Warning to Rivals

Güven Leads the Way for Porsche

Ayhancan Güven, the Turkish driver who also topped the first test session on Wednesday, continued his impressive form by setting the fastest time of 1:23.856 in the opening free practice session. Güven's blistering pace, achieved less than ten minutes into the 90-minute session, highlighted Porsche's dominance at the Indy 8 Hour event.The session, which began at sunset and concluded under the cover of darkness, saw Güven and the Porsche machinery maintain their stranglehold on the timesheets. Porsches have now led every timed session at the Indy 8 Hour, including the two Wednesday tests and the afternoon's Bronze Test, showcasing the German manufacturer's unparalleled speed and consistency.

Buus Secures Second for EBM Porsche

Danish driver Bastian Buus put in a late charge to secure second place for the #61 EBM Porsche, setting a time of 1:23.895. While most teams focused on long-run pace as the session progressed, Buus managed to find an extra burst of speed to challenge Güven's benchmark.The close-fought nature of the session was evident, with the top three cars separated by less than a tenth of a second. Nick Yelloly, piloting the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW M4 GT3, set a time of 1:23.952 to claim the third-fastest spot, underlining the fierce competition among the manufacturers.

Trouble for Flying Lizard and AF Corse

The session was not without its drama, as a pair of red flags interrupted the proceedings. The first was caused by Bronze driver Elias Sabo, who spun off course in the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports BMW, while the second was triggered by Custodio Toledo in the #88 AF Corse Ferrari, who ran off into the gravel.Sabo was able to return to the pits, but reported issues with the gearbox, forcing the Flying Lizard team to call it a night. The AF Corse Ferrari, meanwhile, was also sidelined after the incident, highlighting the challenges and risks inherent in the Indy 8 Hour event.

Herberth Motorsport and Mercedes-AMG Impress

Patric Niederhauser, driving the #10 Herberth Motorsport Porsche, set the fourth-fastest time of 1:23.976, just ahead of Lucas Auer in the #75 Express Mercedes-AMG GT3. The strong performances from the Herberth Porsche and the Mercedes-AMG underscored the depth of talent and machinery in the field.Connor de Phillippi, the 2020 Indy 8 Hour winner, was the fastest of the five IGTC Pro class cars, setting the sixth-fastest time overall in the #99 Random Vandals Racing BMW. Arjun Maini in the #888 Triple Eight JMR Mercedes-AMG and Maro Engel in the #130 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-AMG also impressed, rounding out the top ten.

Defending Champions Struggle, but WRT Impresses with Quick Turnaround

The #29 Turner Motorsport BMW of Robby Foley and the #31 Team WRT BMW of defending race winner Sheldon van der Linde completed the top ten, suggesting that the defending champions may face a tougher challenge this year.However, the #33 WRT BMW, which had only just arrived at the Speedway, managed to complete 20 laps and was within seven-tenths of Güven's best time, showcasing the team's impressive ability to adapt and perform under pressure.The two AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3s and the two DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs struggled to match the pace of the frontrunners, finishing 16th and 22nd-23rd respectively on the timesheets.Overall, the opening free practice session at the 2024 Indianapolis 8 Hour Race has set the stage for an exciting and highly competitive event, with Porsche firmly establishing itself as the team to beat. The battle for supremacy is sure to intensify as the weekend progresses, with teams and drivers vying to claim victory at the iconic Brickyard.