GT America SRO3 points leader Johnny O’Connell will lead an all-Audi front row for Race 1 at Long Beach tomorrow afternoon after winning the pole position in his #3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3.
O’Connell, a previous Long Beach winner in both IMSA and SRO America competitions, was the quickest man in both Practice sessions earlier today. In Qualifying, the former GM works driver won the pole with a time of 1:19.670.
While it has to be said that this car is running a completely different tyre to IMSA, and the SRO3 class has a completely different Balance of Performance, his time would have put him 14th on the grid in GTD for tomorrow’s IMSA race.
James Sofronas, a multi-time Long Beach winner in SRO America, will start second in the #14 GMG Racing Audi, less than three-tenths away from pole position. Sonoma Race 1 winner Jason Daskalos qualified third in his #27 CRP/Daskalos Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, followed by Kyle Washington in his #32 GMG Racing Porsche 991.2 GT3 R.
The #70 MISHUMotors Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R of Mirco Schultis failed to set a time in Qualifying, however – and the #04 CrowdStrike by Riley Mercedes-AMG of George Kurtz took no further part in the day’s activities after Practice 1.
GT2 pole position went to Dan Knox in the returning #10 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT2, whose best lap of 1:21.901 was not far off the pace of the GT3 cars ahead of him.
Knox, who was a class winner during the Indianapolis 8 Hour race weekend with this GT2 Mercedes, beat TPC by Dream Racing’s Aaron Farhadi to pole by seven-tenths of a second. Farhadi’s #127 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo finished ahead of the #44 GMG Racing Mercedes of Brett Holden in third.
GT4 saw a close fight for pole position that ultimately was won by Gray Newell in the #25 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT4. The top three were separated by 0.162 seconds in class.
Newell won the pole ahead of Sonoma winner Isaac Sherman and the returning Robb Holland in the two Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4s, second and third respectively. Todd Coleman was fourth in the #69 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin.
Of note, Elias Sabo – making his IMSA debut this weekend – was sixth in class driving the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin, while GT World Challenge America regular Samantha Tan was seventh in her #38 ST Racing BMW M4 GT4.
Race 1 starts tomorrow at 4:25 PM PDT, following the conclusion of the IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach.
