UPDATE: Whelen Cadillac awarded IMS pole after MSR Acura fails inspection

IMSA WeatherTech Championship Qualifying Report: Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A dramatic qualifying session for the TireRack.com Battle on the Bricks saw Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s Tom Blomqvist initially take the pole position before disqualification due to non-compliance with LMDh bodywork regulations. As a result, Cadillac secured the top three spots on the grid for Sunday’s six-hour race.

Blomqvist, alongside Colin Braun, will start 12th in the GTP class after the No. 60 Acura ARX-06 was found to exceed the allowed bodywork tolerance of three millimeters outlined in Article 3.11.2 of the ACO/IMSA regulations. This means the pole position goes to Jack Aitken in the No. 31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R, who posted a time of 1m14.610s—just 0.041s behind Blomqvist’s disallowed time.

Aitken will be joined on the front row by Louis Delétraz (No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac) with a time of 1m14.715s, and Ricky Taylor (No. 10 WTR Cadillac) qualifying third at 1m14.804s. The No. 6 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, driven by Matt Campbell, qualified fourth, while the No. 93 MSR Acura, piloted by Nick Yelloly, secured fifth place without undergoing post-qualifying inspection.

In LMP2, Nick Boulle achieved his first pole of the season in the No. 2 United Autosports ORECA 07-Gibson, clocking a time of 1m17.846s. The battle was intense, with Daniel Goldburg in the No. 22 United ORECA taking second at 1m18.222s, while PJ Hyett in the No. 99 AO Racing ORECA rounded out the top three.

The GTD PRO class witnessed a thrilling conclusion as Dan Harper claimed pole with a 1m23.259s lap in the No. 48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Christopher Mies qualified second in the No. 65 Ford Mustang with 1m23.445s, while Mikaël Grenier’s No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, despite initially qualifying third, was relegated to the back after a post-qualifying ride height check failure.

In the GTD category, Casper Stevenson scored pole for the No. 27 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin with a time of 1m23.088s. Stevenson’s performance not only marked a personal milestone but also positioned him ahead of Lilou Wadoux in the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari, who secured second with 1m23.282s.

Race Day Information

The IMSA six-hour endurance race kicks off Sunday at 11:40 a.m. ET, with live broadcasts available on NBC for the final three hours, and complete coverage on Peacock and IMSA.TV internationally.

Notable Qualifying Results

• GTP:

  1. Jack Aitken (No. 31 Cadillac) – 1m14.610s
  2. Louis Delétraz (No. 40 Cadillac) – 1m14.715s
  3. Ricky Taylor (No. 10 Cadillac) – 1m14.804s

• LMP2:

  1. Nick Boulle (No. 2 United Autosports) – 1m17.846s
  2. Daniel Goldburg (No. 22 United Autosports) – 1m18.222s
  3. PJ Hyett (No. 99 AO Racing) – 1m18.120s (penalized)

• GTD PRO:

  1. Dan Harper (No. 48 BMW) – 1m23.259s
  2. Christopher Mies (No. 65 Ford) – 1m23.445s
  3. Mikaël Grenier (No. 75 Mercedes-AMG) – Failed Inspection

• GTD:

  1. Casper Stevenson (No. 27 Aston Martin) – 1m23.088s
  2. Lilou Wadoux (No. 21 Ferrari) – 1m23.282s
  3. Lin Hodenius (No. 80 Mercedes-AMG) – 1m23.507s

The field is set for what promises to be an exhilarating race at Indianapolis.