The fifth round of America’s leading sports car series was greeted with varied weather conditions. However, the combined LMP2/P3 session was cut short due to a multi-vehicle crash, which also led to the abandonment of the intended following GTP session.
The outcome is that all prototypes will be arranged in the order of the championship standings. The #6 Porsche Penske F1 Flow 963, piloted by Nick Tandy and Mathieu Jaminet, will start from the pole position, followed by the #31 Action Express Racing Cadillac V-Series.R driven by Pipo Derani, Alexander Sims, and Jack Aitken.
In the third spot will be the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06, handled by Ricky Taylor, Filipe Albuquerque, and Louis Deletraz. The Chip Ganassi Racing Caddy driven by Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande, and the #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 managed by Connor De Phillippi and Nick Yelloly will follow.
During the mixed LMP2 and P3 session, a sudden downpour at the hilltop coincided with the cars exiting the pit lane. IMSA regulations do not permit teams to change tires during this period.
Three cars, all on wet tires, lost control and slid off the track in the Boot section, causing a pile-up that paused the session: Ari Balough in his #30 was the first to veer off, crashing into the tire wall. Ben Keating’s PR1 Mathiasen followed suit, hitting Balough’s immobilized car. Finally, Anthony Mantella’s #17 P3 (AWA) spun out and collided with Keating’s marooned vehicle. Thankfully, all drivers emerged without injuries.
Since no times were recorded, the starting lineup will be determined by the teams’ championship standings. This implies the #11 TDS Racing entry will take pole position, ahead of the #52 PR1 car, which requires repairs following Keating’s accident. In the P3 category, the #74 Riley car will start from pole position, ahead of the #13 AWA vehicle.
#78: US RaceTronics, Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2, GTD: Misha Goikhberg, Loris Spinelli, Patrick Liddy
Photo by: Jake Galstad / F1 Flow Images
Lamborghini Outperforms Ferrari for GTD Pole
In the GTD category, Jack Hawksworth set the early pace in his #14 all-Pro Lexus RC F with a time of 1m45.924s, followed closely by the #12 sister car driven by Aaron Telitz, who led the Pro-am category.
Loris Spinelli stole the show with a time of 1m45.330s in the Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan as the track began to dry following an earlier shower, despite the Inner Loop’s braking zone remaining wet. Daniel Serra then captured the Pro class pole with a time of 1m45.391s in his Risi-run Ferrari 296.
In an intense session, Hawksworth and Serra alternated for pole position, with Serra clocking 1m44.829s, but Spinelli ultimately took it back with a record-breaking lap time of 1m44.430s, outpacing Pro class leader Serra by four-tenths. All this despite a faulty dashboard which prevented Spinelli from knowing his lap times.
Jordan Pepper took the third qualifying spot in Iron Lynx’s Lambo, ahead of the Lexus pair of Telitz and Hawksworth. Doriane Pin claimed the sixth spot in her Iron Dames Huracan.
Ross Gunn encountered a problem when the right-rear wheel of his #23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage came loose due to a suspected hub issue, while Alan Brynjolfsson spun his Wright F1 Flow Porsche 911 twice at the Inner Loop chicane.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about IMSA Watkins Glen Qualifying
Why was the qualifying round of IMSA Watkins Glen cancelled?
The qualifying round of IMSA Watkins Glen was cancelled due to a major pile-up during the mixed LMP2/P3 session under mixed weather conditions.
What was the result of this cancellation for the race starting line-up?
As a result of the qualifying round’s cancellation, all prototypes will be arranged in the order of the championship standings. The #6 Porsche Penske F1 Flow 963 will start from the pole position.
What caused the pile-up during the mixed LMP2/P3 session?
The pile-up was caused by sudden rain at the hilltop, right as the cars were leaving the pit lane. Three cars, all on wet tires, lost control and slid off the track in the Boot section, causing the pile-up.
Which car took the pole position in the GTD category?
In the GTD category, the pole position was taken by Loris Spinelli driving the Forte Racing Lamborghini Huracan.
Were there any injuries during the pile-up in the LMP2/P3 session?
No, all drivers involved in the pile-up were unhurt.
More about IMSA Watkins Glen Qualifying
- IMSA Official Website
- Watkins Glen International
- About LMP2 Racing
- GTD Racing Explained
- Porsche Penske F1 Flow 963
- Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2
