CJ Hyett Secures LMP2 Pole at Chevrolet Grand Prix

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – PJ Hyett and AO Racing have clinched the pole position for the upcoming Chevrolet Grand Prix, achieving this feat for the second consecutive year in a dramatic qualifying session. Hyett set a competitive lap time of 1:08.888 in the #99 ORECA 07-Gibson, narrowly improving upon his rivals in the closing moments, just ahead of United Autosports’ Dan Goldburg, who recorded a time of 1:08.986.

Hyett’s performance marks him as the first repeat pole winner in the LMP2 category this season, having previously secured pole at Watkins Glen. The race winner there and current points leader, Goldburg, will start alongside him in second.

The qualifying round was delayed by ten minutes due to barrier repairs from a prior incident in the Michelin Pilot Challenge race. Although faced with a local yellow flag at the final turn, Hyett managed to complete his final flying lap in time.

Steven Thomas qualified third in the #11 TDS Racing ORECA after recovering from an early crash in practice. Fourth place went to Jeremy Clarke, who faced challenges during qualifying but successfully secured a solid lap despite an incident at turn two. The grid is completed by the #04 Crowdstrike Racing by APR and the #73 Pratt Miller Motorsports entries.

In GTD PRO, Neil Verhagen delivered a standout performance for Paul Miller Racing, securing pole with a time of 1:15.046 in the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. This marks the first pole of the season for the team. Joining him on the front row will be Aaron Telitz in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3, who clocked in at 1:15.309.

The second row will feature both Corvette Racing entries, with Antonio Garcia in the #3 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R qualifying third and Tommy Milner in the #4 car directly beside him.

In the GTD category, Jack Hawksworth, also from Vasser Sullivan Racing, claimed pole with a time of 1:15.101, narrowly edging out Russell Ward in the #57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Robert Wickens qualified third in the #36 DXDT Racing Corvette, using specifically adapted hand controls.

The Chevrolet Grand Prix is set to commence tomorrow at 2:05 PM ET, with coverage available worldwide via the official IMSA YouTube channel and IMSA.TV, as well as on Peacock in the United States.

Qualifying Results Highlight:

• LMP2 Pole: PJ Hyett – #99 ORECA 07-Gibson (1:08.888)
• GTD PRO Pole: Neil Verhagen – #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO (1:15.046)
• GTD Pole: Jack Hawksworth – #12 Lexus RC F GT3 (1:15.101)

For a detailed breakdown of the qualifying results, visit IMSA’s official channels.

Images © Jake Galstad, Brandon Badraoui / IMSA / Lumen