Skeen Storms to Pole at Mid-Ohio in Second IPC Start

Mike Skeen has claimed pole for Sunday’s IMSA Prototype Challenge race at Mid-Ohio.

Skeen, in the No. 23 Gilbert/Korthoff MotorSports Norma M30 Nissan, reeled off a 1:37.612 lap time in Saturday’s rain-soaked qualifying session.

Despite having limited LMP3 experience, Skeen beat Sebring winner Stevan McAleer and series points leader Austin McCusker.

“A little experience doesn’t hurt,” said Skeen, whose only other IMSA Prototype Challenge start in an LMP3 came at Sebring in 2018.

“This is probably the most difficult track in the country when it’s wet. It’s a challenge enough in the dry, but with the different pavement and sealer conditions, you really have to read it well in these changing conditions.”

Skeen will co-drive Sunday with Anthony Simone in tomorrow’s 1 hour and 45-minute race.

The pole-winning lap for Skeen was 0.232 seconds quicker than runner-up McAleer, 1:37.844, who one race ago scored a breakthrough win for the Robillard Racing Norma M30 team.

McCusker qualified third in the points-leading No. 47 Forty7 Motorsports Norma he will co-drive Sunday with Rodrigo Pflucker with a lap of 1:37.877.

Six different teams made up the top six spots with Dakota Dickerson fourth for MLT Motorsports, Jordan Perroy fifth for ANSA Motorsports and Cameron Cassels sixth for Performance Tech Motorsports.

The championship-contending No. 4 ANSA Motorsports Ligier of Leo Lamelas and Neil Alberico qualified ninth. The duo enters the Mid-Ohio weekend second in points, eight points behind McCusker and Pflucker.

Sunday’s race will be streamed live on IMSA.tv at 8:40 a.m. ET. The race also will be shown on NBCSN on Friday, May 10 at 3:30 p.m. ET.

RESULTS: Qualifying