- Mercedes and Corvette Top the Overall Charts
- Provisional Qualifying 1 Results
- Provisional Qualifying 2 Results
A pair of back-to-back 15-minute qualifying sessions on Saturday morning set the grid for Races 1 and 2 in GT World Challenge America powered by AWS at Road America as the feature series of the Crown Coins Casino GT World event.
Philip Ellis powered to the overall and Pro-Am pole in Qualifying 1 behind the wheel of the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, while Matt Bell delivered the fastest lap in Qualifying 2 to secure both overall pole and the Pro-Am top spot in the No. 11 DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Pro Class
Qualifying 1
Alex Sedgwick moved to the top overall and in class for RS1 at the halfway mark of the session. Shortly after, Michai Stephens responded with a flyer in the No. 34 JMF Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3, claiming the fastest Pro lap with just five minutes to go. Kenton Koch placed third in class with the No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3, followed closely by Varun Choksey in the sister No. 51 BMW, who went fourth in class and sixth overall.
Qualifying 2
JMF Motorsports’ Mikaël Grenier wasted no time setting the pace in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3. The Canadian driver looked unstoppable until Bell’s late flying lap knocked him off the top of the overall charts, but Grenier still sealed the Pro class pole with a time of 2:03.827. Jan Heylen slotted into second aboard the No. 18 RS1 Porsche 992 GT3 R, with Connor De Phillippi rounding out the top three in the No. 99 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT3.
Pro-Am Class
Qualifying 1
Gray Newell set the early benchmark in the No. 24 The Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO, briefly going quickest overall. As the session developed, Justin Rothberg in the No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 and Todd Coleman in the No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 traded fastest laps.
In the final minutes, Philip Ellis delivered a blistering lap in the No. 91 Regulator Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to secure both class and overall pole. Rothberg settled for second in class, while Blake McDonald carried over his GT America momentum to place third in the No. 11 DXDT Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
Qualifying 2
The session quickly became a duel between Aaron Telitz in the No. 88 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and Matt Bell in the No. 11 DXDT Corvette. Bell ultimately prevailed, claiming not only the Pro-Am pole but also the overall top spot. Tom Sargent impressed in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 992 GT3 R, running in the mix throughout and finishing third in class and fourth overall to secure a second-row starting position for Race 2.
Am Class
In Am competition, Scott Dollahite initially put the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3 on class pole for Race 1 in Qualifying 1, placing tenth overall. However, the team was handed a three-place grid penalty for causing a collision, relegating them to thirteenth overall. In Qualifying 2, Oswaldo Negri turned the tables in the No. 163 AF Corse USA Ferrari 296 GT3, topping the Am charts to secure class pole for Race 2.
Let’s Get Racing
The GT World Challenge America powered by AWS series will return to the track for Race 1 on Saturday afternoon, August 16th at 3:15 PM CT.
If you can’t make it to Road America, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free live streams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTRoadAmerica.