Marcelli Puts KohR Mustang GT4 on Road Atlanta Pole

Photo: IMSA

Reigning IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge GS champion Kyle Marcelli has scored pole in his series return for Friday’s season-ending Fox Factory 120 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Marcelli took his No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 to a best lap of 1:25.922 to edge out the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4 of Kenny Murillo by 0.234 seconds.

The Canadian driver and Dean Martin-owned team is making its first Pilot Challenge start since January’s season-opening round at Daytona International Speedway.

It marked Marcelli’s first career Pilot Challenge pole in only his second qualifying attempt.

Marcelli confirmed to Sportscar365 that the team will not take part in the race tomorrow.

“We will not start the race,” he said. “The plan was always just to run the practice and qualifying.

“The car was rebuilt after the Daytona crash, this was just a shake down test and to gauge the competitiveness of the Ford with the current competition. We also don’t want to get in the way of the championship battle.”

The No. 93 CarBahn with Peregrine Racing Audi R8 LMS GT4 of Nolan Siegel qualified third, followed by the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport of Ryan Hardwick in fourth.

Hugh Plumb completed the top-five in the No. 46 Team TGM Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R.

GS championship leader Dillon Machavern, who along with Bill Auberlen hold a scant 30-point lead over Wright’s Jan Heylen, qualified seventh in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4.

Norman Leads Hyundai TCR Qualifying Sweep

Ryan Norman led a Hyundai sweep of the top three positions in TCR, thanks to a 1:28.014 lap time in the No. 98 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai Elantra N TCR.

Norman edged out teammate Harry Gottsacker by 0.446 seconds.

Tyler Gonzalez qualified third in the No. 27 Copeland Motorsports Hyundai Veloster N TCR, followed by the No. 44 New German Performance Audi RS 3 LMS TCR of Cliff Brown in fourth.

Class championship leader Taylor Hagler will roll off from 12th in class but needs to only start the two-hour race to clinch the class title alongside co-driver Michael Lewis.

The Fox Factory 120 gets underway Friday at 1:10 p.m. ET with live coverage on Trackpass on NBC Sports Gold 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