HOMESTEAD, Fla.—Action Express driver David Donohue was quickest in Friday’s two practice sessions for the Grand Am Rolex Sports Car Series Grand Prix of Miami.
Donohue lapped the 2.3 mile, 11-turn combination road/oval course in 1:14.163 at 111.646 mph in the #5 Action Express Racing Coyote-Corvette Daytona Prototype. For comparison, John Fogarty took the 2011 pole with a lap of 1:13.655 at 112.416 mph.
Friday’s practice times don’t say much about Sunday’s race, but the strategies developed from what is learned on Friday could dramatically affect both Saturday’s qualifying session and Sunday’s race.
“We tried to go quick today,” Donohue told Grand-Am.com. “Our main goal was to see how the tire plays out. Having a good car on old tires is going to be the key here, although having fresh tires—if there’s a late-race caution—could be a game changer.”
Homestead is notoriously hard on tires, with the combination of Florida heat, high banking, and an abrasive track. Teams might try to save a set for late in Sunday’s race by qualifying on older tires, hoping that lost grid spots will come back when the competition starts sliding (teams are allowed a limited supply of tires for the whole weekend.)
Action Express has played this game before—saving tires for the late laps. It could pay off for them Sunday.
