Bourdais Takes Pole in GTLM Qualifying Duel at Mid-Ohio

Photo: Brian Cleary/BCPix.com

Sebastien Bourdais has taken GT Le Mans class pole honors for Sunday’s Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio, in a highly competitive and frantic qualifying session for IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship competitors.

The battle for the class pole exchanged hands multiple times between Bourdais, subbing again for Joey Hand in the No. 66 Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT, and Laurens Vanthoor in the No. 912 Porsche 911 RSR, in the closing stages of the 15-minute session.

The Frenchman’s 1:19.124 lap time, set on his final flying lap, edged out the Belgian by 0.275 seconds, who had snatched provisional pole away from Bourdais seconds earlier.

It marked Bourdais’ first IMSA GT Le Mans class pole in the car he’ll share with full-season driver Dirk Mueller in tomorrow’s two-hour and 40-minute race.

Jesse Krohn qualified third in class in the No. 24 Team RLL BW M8 GTE, followed by the No. 4 Corvette C7.R of Tommy Milner, who made it four different manufacturers in the top-four.

The No. 67 Ford of Ryan Briscoe completed the top-five.

Heistand Claims GTD Pole in Scorcher for AIM Vasser Sullivan

Richard Heistand claimed his first career pole in a storming run for AIM Vasser Sullivan and Lexus.

Heistand recorded a 1:24.281 lap time, having made continual improvements in the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the closing stages of the 15-minute session.

His final lap time put the Lexus driver 1.612 seconds clear of the No. 9 Pfaff Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R of Zach Robichon, who had initially qualified second in class.

However, Robichon lost his best time due to a pit lane infraction during a red flag, promoting the No. 33 Riley Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Ben Keating to second.

The red flag, for the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche of Marco Seefried who went off-course, saw five cars lined up at pit-exit, which had been under review by IMSA.

Seefried lost two of his fastest laps as a result, including one for causing the red flag.

The Acura Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio gets underway Sunday at 1:30 p.m. EDT, with live coverage on NBCSN and IMSA.tv.

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