The GPT category faced challenging conditions during the qualifying session of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. With persistent rainfall, the 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course became dark and slippery, forcing every team to switch to rain tires. As the session progressed, however, the track began to dry out in certain areas, causing lap times to decrease. Despite the changing conditions, one driver managed to secure pole position with an impressive performance.
In the final moments of the session, Louis Deletraz of Acura Team Penske was able to string together a brilliant flying lap of 1m15.402s in the #10 Acura ARX-06. This time secured him the pole position, even though his lap was slightly affected by the #5 JDC Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 driven by Mike Rockenfeller. Sebastien Bourdais of Chip Ganassi Racing secured the second spot on the grid, trailing by 0.230s, while Augusto Farfus of BMW M Team RLL claimed the third position, 0.329s behind the leader. Tom Blomqvist of Meyer Shank Racing also had a strong showing, finishing fourth despite briefly holding the top spot in the session.
In the LMP2 class, Ben Keating of PR1/Mathiasen Motorsports put together an incredible last-gasp lap of 1m13.859s in the #52 ORECA 07. This impressive time allowed him to edge out Steven Thomas of TDS Racing by a mere 0.020s and take the class pole position. TDS Racing also secured the third position in LMP2, with John Falb driving the #35 car.
Glenn van Berlo of Andretti Autosport showcased his skills in the LMP3 class by claiming the top spot with a lap time of 1m16.674s in the #36 Ligier JS P320. He outpaced Rasmus Lindh of JDC Miller MotorSports in the #85 Duqueine D08 by a margin of 0.129s.
Jack Hawksworth of Vasser Sullivan delivered an exceptional performance in the GTD Pro class, securing the class pole position with a flying lap of 1m23.168s in the #14 Lexus RC F GT3. Mirko Bortolotti of Iron Lynx came in second, 0.360s behind Hawksworth, driving the #63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Antonio Garcia ensured that Corvette C8.R GTD was represented well by taking third place, 0.931s off the pace.
In the GTD class, Ian James of Heart of Racing put on a show with his Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Despite the changing track conditions, James managed to set a quick time of 1m23.116s, securing the top spot in class. Doriane Pin of Iron Dames trailed behind in second place, 0.679s adrift in the #83 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2. Aaron Telitz of Vasser Sullivan in the #12 Lexus RC F GT3 rounded up the top three, finishing 0.731s behind the class leader.
The qualifying session at the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship showcased the skill and determination of the drivers as they tackled the challenging weather conditions. With pole positions secured across various classes, the stage is set for an action-packed and thrilling race. Fans can expect intense battles for position and strategic maneuvers as the drivers give it their all to claim victory in their respective categories.
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