Koch’s lap time of 2:00.121 came on his third tour, and matches his 2018 qualifying performance to ensure a Radical will start the longest closed course road race in the USA from the front row of the grid two years in a row.
“I know we can get a 59, can I go back out?” Koch asked his crew chief during the session, but the team elected to play it safe knowing the bigger prize is 25 hours down the line.
Dempsey, who put Radical on pole last year, acheived a 2:00:411 slightly later in the session on his fourth lap in the trying conditions. Like Koch, he felt pole was in reach after returning to pitlane.
“There was more, I think it [pole] was possible, but imagine being Tom Dyer knowing that a pair of Radicals are right on his tail,” commented Dempsey with a chuckle.
Radical representative Tom Drewer was ecstatic with the result. “Congratuations to JFC, but what a run by the Radicals. Once again the SR3 is punching well above its weight here at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill. Let’s see if we can go one better than in 2018.”
Radical lead more laps than any other manufacturer last year, on its way to clinching second overall and the ESR class win with One Motorsports. In fact, over the past decade Radical has recorded multiple class podium finishes at Thunderhill, yet an outright victory still evades the British marque.
The 2019 NASA 25 Hours of Thunderhill presented by Hawk Performance commences Saturday at 11:00am Pacific.
Koch, the 2016 Daytona 24 Hour winner (PC Class), will share the #48 One Motorsports / Radical Sportscars entry with ELMS driver John Falb and Blue Marble Cocktails Radical Cup drivers Greg Gorski and Louis Schriber.
Driving alongside Dempsey in the #10 Eastern / Turn 3 Motorsports Radical SR3 are recently crowned Radical Cup class champions Eric Wagner and Antoine Comeau, and IMSA Prototype driver Neil Alberico.
A number of other Radical regulars are also participating in the event including George Kurtz, Gerhard Watzinger, Will Lin and Tony Bullock.
Live streaming will be available throughout the weekend. A general event broadcast is available via the NASA 25 Hour live stream channel, while each team will be hosting live streams from the cockpit, via links on their Facebook pages.
NASA 25 Hour Livestream
One Motorsports Facebook
Turn 3 Motorsport Facebook
You can also follow all of the action, with hourly reports on Radical Sportscar’s North American social media.
Facebook @RadicalCUP
Twitter @RadicalCUP
Instagram @Radical_CUP