IMSA Watkins Glen: Acura beats Cadillac for GTP pole by 0.038s

Acura’s Louis Deletraz will start the sixth round of the IMSA SportsCar Championship, The Six Hours of The Glen, from pole position.

Deletraz will start from pole in the top GTP class, ahead of the Cadillacs of Renger van der Zande and Jack Aitken after the quickfire 15-minute qualifying sessions.

PJ Hyett scored the LMP2 pole for AO Racing, as Ferrari’s Daniel Serra topped the GTD Pro field, with Parker Thompson winning the pro-am class pole for Lexus.

IMSA brings a 56-car field to Watkins Glen’s 3.4-mile road course, which hosted the United States Grand Prix for 20 years, located amid the rolling hills near the Finger Lakes in upstate New York.

Felipe Nasr – who crashed out of Le Mans last weekend – set the early GTP pace in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963 with a lap of 1m33.265s despite a huge moment at the penultimate corner, then worked down to 1m32.753s with a less frantic tour.

Van der Zande’s Chip Ganassi Racing-run Cadillac V-Series.R briefly took P1, before Deletraz pipped him by 0.038s in his #40 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Acura ARX-06 with 1m32.209s.

“It was an amazing feeling to push on low fuel,” said Deletraz. “The car was fast today, very fast. I felt good, so I could really push straightaway, get the grip, put it on pole, which is nice.

“We know what is important is Sunday; yhe points are tomorrow. The weather looks like it’ll play some games with us tomorrow.”

Jack Aitken took third, three tenths off the pace, in the #31 Action Express-run Cadillac. Phil Hanson will start the #85 JDC-Miller MotorSports Porsche 963 from fourth after an impressive session, outpacing the factory car of Mathieu Jaminet.

Nasr will start sixth, ahead of Ricky Taylor (#10 Acura), Philipp Eng’s #24 BMW M Hybrid V8 – which had set the pace in practice this morning – Andrea Caldarelli in the sole Lamborghini SC63 and Gianmaria Bruni’s Proton-run Porsche.

#99 AO Racing ORECA LMP2-Gibson: PJ Hyett, Paul-Loup Chatin, Matt Brabham (Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images)

Hyett bosses LMP2 in 'Spike'

In LMP2, PJ Hyett set a cracking pace from the start of the session in AO Racing’s purple dragon-liveried Oreca, working down to 1m35.925s, 0.682s clear of Daniel Goldburg’s #22 United Autosports version. “It was a special lap that I’ll remember for a long time,” said Hyett.

Steven Thomas (TDS Racing) was third, ahead of Nick Boulle in the Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen entry and, after his struggles at the Le Mans 24 Hours last weekend, Ben Keating in the #2 United car.

Ferrari and Lexus take GTD poles

The mixed GTD session started with Jack Hawksworth setting the early pace at 1m44.535s in Vasser Sullivan’s Pro class Lexus RC F. Ross Gunn took over in the #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage, beating Hawksworth by 0.148s for a new GT track record of 1m44.387s.

Serra wrested P1 away in his Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 with a 1m44.227s, outpacing Gunn by 0.184s. “Honestly, was a pretty good lap,” said the Brazilian. “The high-speed corners here are good for the 296.”

Alexander Sims vaulted to second in Corvette Racing’s #3 Z06 GT3.R on 1m44.317s, with the sister #4 car of Nicky Catsburg taking fifth, behind Gunn and Hawksworth. Sims ended his session on three wheels, as he lost his left-rear tire on his final lap.

#12 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Frankie Montecalvo, Parker Thompson, Aaron Telitz (Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images)

Thompson led the way in the pro-am class in Vasser Sullivan’s #14 Lexus, a time good enough for sixth overall in the GT divisions.

Stormy weather is forecast to arrive during Sunday’s six-hour race, which starts at 11am local time.

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info

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Main Information
Cla	Drivers	#	Chassis	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	J. Taylor L. Deletraz Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	40	Acura ARX-06	7	1'32.209		132.742
2	R. van der Zande S. Bourdais Cadillac Racing	01	Cadillac V-Series.R	6	+0.038 1'32.247	0.038	132.687
3	P. Derani J. Aitken T. Blomqvist Whelen Cadillac Racing	31	Cadillac V-Series.R	9	+0.270 1'32.479	0.232	132.354
4	T. van der Helm R. Westbrook P. Hanson JDC/Miller Motorsports	85	Porsche 963	8	+0.316 1'32.525	0.046	132.289
5	N. Tandy M. Jaminet Porsche Penske Motorsport	6	Porsche 963	7	+0.370 1'32.579	0.054	132.211
6	D. Cameron F. Nasr Porsche Penske Motorsport	7	Porsche 963	9	+0.439 1'32.648	0.069	132.113
7	R. Taylor J. Barbosa Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	10	Acura ARX-06	8	+0.626 1'32.835	0.187	131.847
8	J. Krohn P. Eng BMW M Team RLL	24	BMW M Hybrid V8	8	+0.642 1'32.851	0.016	131.824
9	M. Cairoli A. Caldarelli Lamborghini Iron Lynx	63	Lamborghini SC63	6	+0.714 1'32.923	0.072	131.722
10	G. Bruni B. Viscaal Proton Competition	5	Porsche 963	9	+0.714 1'32.923	0.000	131.722
11	P. Hyett P. Chatin M. Brabham AO Racing	99	ORECA 07	10	+3.716 1'35.925	3.002	127.600
12	D. Goldburg P. di Resta B. Garg United Autosports USA	22	ORECA 07	9	+4.398 1'36.607	0.682	126.699
13	S. Thomas M. Jensen H. McElrea TDS Racing	11	ORECA 07	9	+4.400 1'36.609	0.002	126.696
14	J. Smiechowski N. Boulle T. Dillmann Inter Europol by PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports	52	ORECA 07	10	+4.772 1'36.981	0.372	126.210
15	B. Keating B. Hanley N. Pino United Autosports USA	2	ORECA 07	10	+4.961 1'37.170	0.189	125.965
16	G. Kurtz C. Braun T. Sowery Crowdstrike Racing by APR	04	ORECA 07	9	+5.392 1'37.601	0.431	125.409
17	G. Robinson F. Fraga J. Burdon Riley	74	ORECA 07	8	+5.548 1'37.757	0.156	125.208
18	D. Andersen S. Lucas S. Huffaker MDK by High Class Racing	20	ORECA 07	9	+5.885 1'38.094	0.337	124.778
19	L. Perez Companc N. Nielsen L. Wadoux Richard Mille AF Corse	88	ORECA 07	9	+5.944 1'38.153	0.059	124.703
20	D. Merriman R. Dalziel C. Zilisch Era Motorsport	18	ORECA 07	9	+6.995 1'39.204	1.051	123.382
21	E. Lux R. Lindh N. Varrone DragonSpeed	81	ORECA 07	6	+7.012 1'39.221	0.017	123.361
22	J. Farano M. Dinan C. Eastwood Tower Motorsports	8	ORECA 07	9	+8.740 1'40.949	1.728	121.249
23	J. Barbosa J. Edgar L. Willsey Sean Creech Motorsport	33	Ligier JS P217	9	+9.564 1'41.773	0.824	120.268
24	D. Serra D. Rigon Risi Competizione	62	Ferrari 296 GT3	7	+11.994 1'44.203	2.430	117.463
25	A. Garcia A. Sims Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	3	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	7	+12.108 1'44.317	0.114	117.335
26	R. Gunn A. Riberas Heart Of Racing Team	23	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	5	+12.178 1'44.387	0.070	117.256
27	J. Hawksworth B. Barnicoat Vasser Sullivan	14	Lexus RC F GT3	8	+12.302 1'44.511	0.124	117.117
28	T. Milner N. Catsburg Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports	4	Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R	8	+12.352 1'44.561	0.050	117.061
29	F. Montecalvo P. Thompson A. Telitz Vasser Sullivan	12	Lexus RC F GT3	6	+12.433 1'44.642	0.081	116.970
30	B. Sellers M. Snow N. Verhagen Paul Miller Racing	1	BMW M4 GT3	6	+12.453 1'44.662	0.020	116.948
31	H. Tincknell M. Rockenfeller Ford Multimatic Motorsports	64	Ford Mustang GT3	6	+12.525 1'44.734	0.072	116.867
32	L. Heinrich S. Priaulx AO Racing	77	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	8	+12.820 1'45.029	0.295	116.539
33	M. Kirchhofer O. Jarvis Pfaff Motorsports	9	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	7	+12.874 1'45.083	0.054	116.479
34	F. Perera J. Pepper Iron Lynx	19	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	7	+13.033 1'45.242	0.159	116.303
35	O. Triarsi C. Scardina A. Rovera Triarsi Competizione	023	Ferrari 296 GT3	8	+13.033 1'45.242	0.000	116.303
36	M. Skeen M. Grenier K. Koch Korthoff/Preston Motorsports	32	Mercedes AMG GT3	7	+13.223 1'45.432	0.190	116.094
37	R. Ward P. Ellis I. Dontje Winward Racing	57	Mercedes AMG GT3	9	+13.332 1'45.541	0.109	115.974
38	J. Hand D. Muller Ford Multimatic Motorsports	65	Ford Mustang GT3	8	+13.429 1'45.638	0.097	115.867
39	R. Foley P. Gallagher J. Walker Turner Motorsport	96	BMW M4 GT3	8	+13.507 1'45.716	0.078	115.782
40	B. Iribe F. Schandorff O. Millroy Inception Racing	70	McLaren 720S GT3 EVO	8	+13.867 1'46.076	0.360	115.389
41	M. Goikhberg L. Spinelli D. DeFrancesco Forte Racing	78	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	9	+13.924 1'46.133	0.057	115.327
42	M. Franco A. Costa C. Sbirrazzuoli Conquest Racing	34	Ferrari 296 GT3	9	+14.092 1'46.301	0.168	115.145
43	S. Yoluc R. Andrade S. Andrews Lone Star Racing	80	Mercedes AMG GT3	8	+14.278 1'46.487	0.186	114.944
44	R. Frey M. Gatting S. Bovy Iron Dames	83	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	9	+14.384 1'46.593	0.106	114.829
45	R. De Angelis Z. Robichon I. James Heart Of Racing Team	27	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	8	+14.608 1'46.817	0.224	114.589
46	G. Levorato C. Lewis R. Hardwick Proton Competition	55	Ford Mustang GT3	7	+14.624 1'46.833	0.016	114.571
47	A. Adelson E. Skeer J. Heylen Wright Motorsports	120	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	8	+14.910 1'47.119	0.286	114.265
48	J. Potter A. Lally S. Pumpelly Magnus Racing	44	Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo	8	+14.923 1'47.132	0.013	114.252
49	R. Lacorte G. Sernagiotto A. Fuoco Cetilar Racing	47	Ferrari 296 GT3	9	+15.587 1'47.796	0.664	113.548
50	S. Mann F. Heriau M. Molina Af Corse	21	Ferrari 296 GT3	9	+15.756 1'47.965	0.169	113.370
51	S. Monk T. Calderon S. McAleer Gradient Racing	66	Acura NSX GT3	8	+15.795 1'48.004	0.039	113.329
52	K. Marcelli D. Formal G. Doyle Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti	45	Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2	8	+16.581 1'48.790	0.786	112.510
53	O. Fidani M. Bell L. Kern AWA	13	Chevrolet Corvette C8.R GTD	8	+16.617 1'48.826	0.036	112.473
54	J. Andretti G. Chaves S. Hargrove Andretti Motorsports	43	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	9	+16.908 1'49.117	0.291	112.173
55	K. Li A. Fjordbach K. Bachler MDK Motorsports	86	Porsche 911 GT3 R (992)	9	+17.955 1'50.164	1.047	111.107
56	C. de Phillippi N. Yelloly BMW M Team RLL	25	BMW M Hybrid V8	0
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