First Lamborghini Temerario GT3 Pole at VIR
Andrea Caldarelli scored the first pole for the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 reeling off a 1:44.773 with the #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini in qualifying for Sunday’s Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway.
The Lamborghini factory driver outpaced Nicky Catsburg in the #4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R by 0.151 seconds.
First Lamborghini Temerario GT3 pole
Caldarelli scored his third IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole, this time driving the new #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3 with a 1:44.773.
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. #9 Pfaff Motorsports Lamborghini Temerario GT3
Factory Corvette second
Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs will be on the front row in both classes Sunday for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR with hopes of a double-victory in the season’s lone GT-only race.
In GTD PRO and the overall order, Nicky Catsburg will start on the outside front-row in the #4 Corvette from Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports. He and Tommy Milner sit second in the class Drivers Championship with Chevrolet leading the Manufacturers’ chase.
Catsburg’s best time was a 1:44.924 (112.195 mph) lap that was 0.151 seconds off Andrea Caldarelli’s pole-winning lap. It matches the best start for Catsburg and Milner this year as they also started second in GTD PRO at Detroit.
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. #4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R
NICKY CATSBURG, #4 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "This is exactly what we needed. I have to say, thanks to the guys on the team because the car was very, very strong in qualy on both sides. I think we nailed set-up pressures, the guys did a good job. Sure there is some more time in there, but it's the same for everyone. So I'm very happy with P2. We were\ a little bit lucky with the BMW losing his best lap, but still, it's very nice. The 9 car looks very strong also in their long run like us. So I feel like the 9 might be the one to beat. But that also shouldn't be our focus. Our focus should be to beat the No. 1, to beat the 77, and the 9 can finish ahead if they want to."
Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO third
Neil Verhagen driving the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO was classified third with a 1:44.957. In fact, he did set the second quickest lap but his 1:44.810 lap time was deleted due to bringing out a red flag in Friday’s practice when he crashed the #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. #1 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO
Second GTD pole for Corvette Z06 GT3.R
Casper Stevenson gave DragonSpeed its first pole position of the season with the #81 Corvette in the GTD class. It’s the second GTD pole of the year for the Corvette following Robert Wickens’ pole start at Long Beach for DXDT Racing..
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. DragonSpeed’s #81 Corvette Z06 GT3.R
CASPER STEVENSON, #81 CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R - GTD POLE-WINNER: "It was really good. This track had quite some grip in it. It was a lot of pressure but I delivered, and the car was great. Hopefully this is a clean race and I can set Giacomo up well. He's the best in the business.
"The key was a good qualy strategy. which we had. We did a warm-up on the used tires and a warm-up on the new. Then it was just doing the time while the tires were there. That was the key... putting it all together. You can easily get the driving part right late in the run, but that's when the tires start to fall off. It's really hard to pass here and isn't good to follow. It sets up well and that's what my job is." Source: Corvette Racing
Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG second and third in GTD
Lorenzo Patrese driving the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo was second with a 1:45.246.
Russell Ward was third in class as he did set a 1:45.327 with #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo (left); #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (right)
Next schedule
Race: Sunday 12:10 PM to 2:50 PM ET
Related Info
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. Two Lamborghini and two Corvettes in top 5 VIR FP2
📷 © Frankie DiSarlo at Virginia International Raceway. Masson fastest in FP2 one second slower than FP1
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Road America. First IMSA win for Pfaff Lamborghini Temerario GT3
📷 © Luc Warnotte at Road America. Two podiums for Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing
