Hindman Takes Watkins Pole; TCR Second Quickest Overall

Photo: Jake Galstad/IMSA

Trent Hindman will start Saturday’s The Esses 120 at The Glen from the pole, although it was overshadowed by the TCR class pole-sitter setting the second quickest time overall in qualifying.

Hindman’s 1:54.611 in the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT3 RS Clubsport was nearly one-second quicker than the competition in the GS class.

LP Montour, who claimed TCR class pole honors in the No. 6 Montreal Motorsport Group Honda Civic FL5 TCR, was second quickest overall on the time charts.

Both 15-minute sessions ran with similar track conditions, owing to the strength of the TCR machines around the 3.45-mile Watkins Glen International.

However, per Pilot Challenge rules, the entire TCR class will be ordered behind the GS cars on the grid.

Paul Holton qualified third overall and second in GS in the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4, ahead of the No. 69 Motorsports In Action McLaren Artura GT4 of Jesse Lazare.

Michai Stephens and Rory van der Steur completed the top-five in GS.

Montour’s TCR chart-topping 1:55.423 lap time was 0.406 seconds quicker than the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Harry Gottsacker, who ended up second quickest in class and seventh overall in qualifying.

It marked Montour’s second class pole of the Pilot Challenge season.

The No. 93 MMG Honda of DAI Yoshihara qualified third in class for the two-hour race.

The Esses 120 at The Glen gets underway Saturday at 12:55 p.m. EDT with live coverage on Peacock and IMSA Radio.

RESULTS: Qualifying

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John