Olsen, Porsche Pace Blancpain GT World Challenge America Practice at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Olsen, Porsche Pace Blancpain GT World Challenge America Practice at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

BOWMANVILLE, ONT. – Norwegian driver Dennis Olsen paced the Blancpain GT World Challenge field this afternoon at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park's renowned 3.957-km (2.459-mi.) Grand Prix circuit. The 30-minute practice session was held under overcast, 16-degree Celsius conditions.

Olsen, co-piloting the # 91 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Pro/Am class with American Anthony Imperato, ran a 1:16.975 to set the overall fastest lap of the session. Scottish driver Ryan Dalziel in the #63 Mercedes-AMG GT3 was next on the charts with a 1:17.096. Dalziel will co-pilot in the Pro/Am class with American David Askew.

Setting the third fastest time was Andy Soucek (1:17.133) in the K-PAX Racing #9 Bentley Continental GT3. Soucek and fellow Pro driver Alvaro Parente of Portugal will share duties over the weekend.

Finland’s Toni Vilander set the fourth fastest lap of the session in the Canadian team R. Ferri Motorsport # 61 Ferrari 488 GT3 (1:17.211). Vilander will co-pilot with Spain’s Miguel Molina – Molina and Vilander sit tied in second in the driver championship coming into the weekend.

Rounding out the top 5 was German Wolf Henzler in the #24 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R with a 1:17.211 – Marco Holzer will co-pilot. Alegra Motorsports sit fourth overall in the team championships.

Top Canadian of the session was Vancouver’s Scott Hargrove in the #58 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R entry – Hargrove set the sixth fastest time of the session with a 1:17.278. Hargrove and teammate American Patrick Long, a two-time series champion, will co-pilot over the weekend.

Of note, team championship and driver championship co-leaders heading into the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) weekend – K-PAX Racing’s #3 Bentley Continental GT3 piloted by driver Rodrigo Baptista from Brazil and Maxime Soulet from Belgium – posted the 10th fastest time with a 1:17.751.

The fastest 10 drivers all posted times within a second of each other, while five manufacturers including Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, Bentley, Ferrari and Acura were represented.

Results are provisional until posted final. Next on-track action for Blancpain GT World Challenge America teams is at 10 am Saturday for the second practice session of the weekend.