Cicero Claims Third Consecutive Pole at VIR

Photo: Brandon Badraoui/IMSA

Nate Cicero claimed his third consecutive IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge pole, and McCumbee McAleer Racing’s fourth straight pole, ahead of this afternoon’s Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix at Virginia International Raceway.

Cicero, in the No. 13 Ford Mustang GT4, reeled off a chart-topping 1:52.482 lap time to outpace the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport of Luca Mars by 0.195 seconds.

Ford Koch, in his Pilot Challenge debut in the No. 23 Copeland Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4 EVO2 he will share with fellow series debutant Jaxon Bell, qualified third, ahead of Morgan Burkhard’s No. 67 CSM Porsche and the No. 46 Team TGM Aston Martin Vantage GT4 Evo of Paul Holton.

Nick Persing, in the No. 60 KohR Motorsports Mustang GT4, qualified sixth despite having an off-course moment in Turn 11 in the closing stages of the 15-minute GS qualifying session.

His teammate, Harrison Goodman in the No. 16 Porsche, also went off in Turn 5 but continued.

Bryson Morris denied LP Moutour his third class pole of the season in a late charge by the Bryan Herta Autosport driver in TCR.

Morris reeled off a 1:54.943 lap time on his final flying lap in the No. 33 Hyundai Elantra N TCR to edge out the No. 99 Victor Gonzalez Racing Team CUPRA Leon VZ TCR of Eric Powell, who also made a last-lap improvement, but came up 0.019 seconds short to Morris’ benchmark time.

Both times came following a restart from a red flag for the No. 10 Rockwell Autosport Development Audi RS 3 LMS TCR of Sam Rockwell, who went off in Turn 3, resulting in a restart with four minutes to go.

Rockwell lost his two fastest qualifying laps as a result of bringing out the red.

Morris and BHA co-driver Mark Wilkins won the most recent Pilot Challenge race at Road America.

Montour, who was on provisional pole prior to the red, will start third in class in his No. 93 MMG Honda Civic FL5 TCR.

The Virginia Is For Racing Lovers Grand Prix gets underway at 2:20 p.m. EST with live coverage on Peacock, as well as IMSA’s YouTube channel, commercial-free courtesy of Michelin.

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