The crew for #60 was still working on their car. Through the course of the day, they wrapped it in BFGoodrich graphics and applied the requisite sponsor decals.
The #60 car did not appear in practice due to Said’s other racing commitments. The field was split with half the cars practicing on one track and half on the other – one car at a time. Then they switched tracks.
After layout familiarization, segment times began to fall. However, some cars encountered barriers – both concrete and heavy-gauge plastic. Block/Gelsomino clipped both sides of #43’s rear bumper. One of the technicians remarked that the car would be repaired by Sunday, and that Ken Block was repaying him for an encounter on go-karts the previous evening!
Friday’s times seemed lower, although the split-track format made accurate timing difficult. At least the cars “looked” faster.
Plus, the driving was smoother. The 180-degree turn seemed the most problematic, with drivers taking a variety of lines and approaches.
Pushing harder, more cars brushed barriers. Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard turned the #17 Hyundai on its roof on the northwest track while exiting the turnaround on a slow, flat, 90-degree corner. L’Estage cut a little too close to the curbing, putting the car on the two right-side wheels, which initiated a slow roll.
The #60 car of Said/Buffum made its first track appearance, driven with authority by John Buffum, Said’s co-driver, who also happens to be the winningest FIA rally driver ever.