Pumpelly, Hindman Lead GT4 Sprint, SprintX 1st Practice Runs at VIR Friday

Pumpelly, Hindman Lead GT4 Sprint, SprintX 1st Practice Runs at VIR Friday

Pumpelly, Hindman Lead GT4 Sprint, SprintX 1st Practice Runs at VIR Friday

ALTON, Va.– Veterans Spencer Pumpelly of Atlanta, Ga., and Trent Hindman of Neptune, N.J., paced the opening practice round of the Pirelli GT4 America Friday at the historic VIRginia International Raceway with strong performances in the GT4 Sprint and GT4 SprintX classes over the 3.27-mile, 17-turn road circuit as part of the Blancpain GT World Challenge weekend.

Pumpelly, coming off a win in the streets of Long Beach, Calif., two weeks ago, drove his No. 66 TRG-Racers Group Porsche 718 Cayman Clubsport MR sports car to best lap of one minute, 55.048 seconds to lead the 17-driver field in the GT4 Sprint national division. The veteran racer will seek another GT4 Sprint win Saturday and Sunday in the GT4 doubleheader 50-minute sprint races.

Second to Pumpelly in the GT4 Sprint action Friday morning was GT4 Am driver Matt Fassnacht of Madison, N.J., in the #53 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 car with a top time of 1:55.141 followed by another GT4 Am competitor Alan Brynjoffsson of Tampa, Fla., at 1:55.650 in the #7 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman Clubsport MR, Gar Robinson of San Antonio, Tex., in the #74 Robinson Racing Ranch 74 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R at 1:56.041 and his teammate Shane Lewis of Jupiter, Fla., in the #72 Robinson Racing Ranch 74 Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R at 1:56.051.

Hindman, co-piloting the #77 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman Clubsport MR with Brynjoffsson in the GT4 SprintX (two-drivers, 60-minute races), was the quickest of the entire GT4 practice session Friday with a 1:54.667 as he prepares for the two GT4 SprintX events this weekend.

Second in GT4 SprintX practice went to Laguna Seca GT4 SprintX West winner Sean Quinlan of Palo Alto, Calif., teaming this weekend with Greg Liefooghe in the #19 Stephen Cameron Racing BMW M4 GT4 sports car with clocking of 1:54.995 followed by Stuart Briscoe in the #32 Kelly Moss Road & Race Porsche 718 Cayman Clubsport MR at 1:55.058, Kris Wilson in the No. 16 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 at 1:55.079 and Fassnacht in the No. 34 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 at 1:55.081.

The second Pirelli GT4 America Sprint and SprintX practice session is scheduled for Friday at 3:10 p.m. in a 45-minute shift.