Acura Meyer Shank Racing Clinches Pole Position at Long Beach
In a dramatic qualifying session for the IMSA Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, Nick Yelloly secured the pole position for Acura Meyer Shank Racing’s #93 Acura ARX-06 with a blistering lap time of 1:11.626 seconds. This marks Acura’s first GTP pole at Long Beach since 2023 and the team’s second this season.
Yelloly initially set the benchmark at 1:11.756 seconds before extending his lead with under three minutes remaining. “Finding that extra time on the lap was key,” he noted post-qualifying.
Just behind Yelloly, Marco Wittmann pushed the pace in the #25 BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8, clocking a 1:11.656 seconds—just 0.030 seconds shy of the pole time. Louis Delétraz qualified third in the #40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing V-Series.R with a time of 1:11.833 seconds, narrowly edging out teammate Jack Aitken in the #31 Cadillac Whelen V-Series.R.
The session was not without its challenges. The #60 MSR Acura, piloted by Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, faces a setback after sustaining damage during Practice 2, forcing the team to switch to a backup chassis, relegating them to the back of the grid for the sprint race.
In the tightly contested GTD class, Frankie Montecalvo achieved the pole position for Vasser Sullivan Racing, recording a 1:18.411 seconds in the #89 Lexus RC F GT3. Despite a five-minute hold due to a procedural oversight pre-qualifying, Montecalvo excelled on his final lap to secure the top spot, edging out Robert Wickens in the #36 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, who qualified second.
Wickens, who set a time of 1:18.562 seconds, expressed disappointment but remained optimistic. “It’s a solid starting position, and we’ll fight for the win,” he stated.
Danny Formal secured third on the GTD grid in the #45 Wayne Taylor Racing Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, while Spencer Pumpelly and Russell Ward rounded out the top five.
The IMSA Grand Prix of Long Beach is set to start tomorrow at 1:05 PM PT.
Key Qualifying Results:
GTP Class:
- Nick Yelloly (Acura ARX-06) – 1:11.626
- Marco Wittmann (BMW M Team WRT Hybrid V8) – 1:11.656
- Louis Delétraz (Cadillac V-Series.R) – 1:11.833
GTD Class:
- Frankie Montecalvo (Lexus RC F GT3) – 1:18.411
- Robert Wickens (Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R) – 1:18.562
- Danny Formal (Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) – Position TBD
