The last time Ozz Negri raced at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, he and then-co-driver John Pew stood atop the overall podium with a Prototype class victory aboard the No. 60 Michael Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Honda/Ligier prototype.
Since then, Pew retired from competition and Negri and the Shank team switched to the GT Daytona (GTD) class with a pair of new Acura NSX GT3 race cars.
But Friday’s GTD practice session finished with a similar result for Negri, who led the class with a best lap of 1:25.25.253 (94.504 mph) in the No. 86 machine he co-drives with Jeff Segal.
“It was two very different sessions today,” Negri said. “FP1 was pretty cold and very slippery, FP2 the track had a little more grip and temperature. The changes that we were able to make, we nailed them.
“At the end of the session, I was able to get two clean laps and put it together and make the most out of it.”
“It’s still just the first day, but it’s always good to end the day P1. We’re working hard to make it better and we will make it better. It’s just a great start to the weekend and we hope we can finish strong too.”
Canadian racer Daniel Morad, who won the season-opening Rolex 24 At Daytona in the GTD class, was second quickest in GTD practice, clocking a best time of 1:25.354 (94.392 mph) in the No. 28 Alegra Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R. Morad’s co-driver this weekend is longtime Porsche factory driver Patrick Long.
Third-quickest in GTD was another Porsche factory driver, Joerg Bergmeister, in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R at 1:25.385 (94.358 mph). Bergmeister and co-driver Patrick Lindsey are looking for their second victory of the season after taking the Northeast Grand Prix at Lime Rock Park in July.
Lindsey also owns a GTD victory at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, winning in 2015 with co-driver Spencer Pumpelly.