CLARINGTON, ON – It’s Friday of the Chevrolet Grand Prix IMSA Race Weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It’s time to unload the trailers, set up the paddock work areas, get the cars set up, and go through technical inspection — a busy day.
The teams arrives early, usually around 8 a.m., and begin unloading the cars and equipment. Each trailer typically carries one car, along with spare parts, tools, small machinery, tires, and other equipment. Many teams also bring a separate motorhome for the crew to stay in, rather than using a hotel or motel.
Once the cars are unloaded, they’re taken to IMSA Technical Inspection to ensure they meets all safety regulations as well as the rules for their racing classes. The cars are weighed, measured, and inspected from end to end.
Then comes the track time: a few laps to settle the car and warm up the engine, transmission, brakes, and tires. Then a few hot laps, followed by a return to the pits for adjustments. In and out of the pits until the session ends — then back to the paddock and the trailer for more tuning and fine-tuning. It can be a slow day if there’s a nagging issue, or a fast one if everything is running smoothly.
There are usually two practice sessions on Friday, followed by a night’s rest before Saturday — qualifying day.
