Winward Racing/HTP Motorsport has been forced to withdraw the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Craig Lyons and Kris Wilson after a crash in Practice 1 yesterday.

The car made left-side contact with the tire barriers with Lyons behind the wheel, and while the team initially thought it would be possible to repair the car, the extent of the damage necessitated ending the weekend early.

“It took a pretty good hit on the left-hand side, both on the front and the rear,” engineer Tim Lewis told Sportscar365. “Right now, judging from the damage that has happened, we want to take it and put it on a frame jig.

“There’s one in North Carolina that AMG is comfortable with, so we’re going to take it there. That’s happening basically as soon as we leave here.

“The guys are pulling the engine right now because the engine has to be completely out of it to put it on the frame jig, so that’s going to happen today.”

Lewis said the team expects to be back in time for the series test at Sebring in February.

“In three days, it will be on that jig to fix it up and make sure everything is as it should be and whatever isn’t will be chopped off and put back on until it is,” he said.

“We’ll be ready and running at the open test at Sebring in the middle of February.”

The team has two other Mercedes-AMG GT4 cars entered this weekend for the duos of Russell Ward and Damien Faulkner in the No. 33 and Bryce Ward and Indy Dontje in the No. 57.