Blomqvist Puts #60 MSR Acura On Pole For Petit Le Mans

28th Annual Motul Petit Le Mans: Qualifying Report

Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – Tom Blomqvist set a new GTP qualifying lap record, securing pole position for the 28th annual Motul Petit Le Mans with a time of 1:09.628 in the #60 Acura ARX-06, representing Acura Meyer Shank Racing. This impressive lap not only clinched the pole but also surpassed the previous record set by Cadillac’s Jack Aitken by a mere 0.011 seconds.

Blomqvist will be joined at the front by co-drivers Colin Braun and Scott Dixon as they seek to capitalize on their starting position. Aitken qualified second in the #31 Cadillac V-Series.R with a time of 1:09.827, closely followed by Nick Yelloly in the #93 Acura ARX-06 at 1:09.908. Felipe Nasr, the 2024 GTP champion, placed fourth with a time of 1:10.241 in the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsport 963, while Ross Gunn secured fifth in the #23 Aston Martin THOR Team Valkyrie (1:10.207).

Lamborghini’s Romain Grosjean, in the #63 Lamborghini SC63, will start seventh ahead of Filipe Albuquerque in the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, while the #24 BMW M Team RLL Hybrid V8, driven by Dries Vanthoor, rounds out the top ten.

In LMP2, Steven Thomas claimed his second pole of the season with a time of 1:13.157 in the #11 TDS ORECA 07-Gibson. The session was interrupted by a red flag after George Kurtz’s off-track excursion, which impeded his chances but allowed Thomas to maintain his position. Jeremy Clarke qualified second in the #43 Inter Europol Competition entry with a lap of 1:13.397.

GTD PRO saw a thrilling finish with Dan Harper achieving pole in the #48 Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 EVO, clocking in at 1:18.523. Aaron Telitz in the #14 Vasser Sullivan Racing Lexus RC F GT3 initially held the fastest time but ultimately lost out to Harper’s late run. Notably, title contender Albert Costa in the #81 DragonSpeed Ferrari 296 GT3 encountered issues during Practice, leading to a time deduction that pushed him to fourth in qualifying.

In GTD, Lorenzo Patrese scored his first career IMSA pole in the #47 Cetilar Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, setting a benchmark of 1:18.316, ahead of Riccardo Agostini in the #021 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari and Valentin Hasse-Clot, who rounded out the top three in the #19 Aston Martin Vantage GT3.

Upcoming Race Details
The 28th annual Motul Petit Le Mans will commence tomorrow at 12:10 PM ET. Action can be viewed worldwide via the IMSA YouTube channel and IMSA.TV, while U.S. viewers can follow the initial coverage on NBC and the entire race on Peacock.