Briscoe on GTLM Pole at COTA

Photo: Ford Performance

Ryan Briscoe ensured that Ford Chip Ganassi Racing will start Lone Star Le Mans from GT Le Mans pole, after setting the qualifying pace on Friday afternoon at Circuit of The Americas.

The Australian lapped the Texan circuit with a 2:04.188, which put his No. 67 Ford GT ahead of Toni Vilander’s Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE by five-tenths.

It marked the car’s third WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole of the season, but first for Briscoe, following Richard Westbrook’s top qualifying runs at Watkins Glen and Lime Rock.

Patrick Pilet and Fred Makowiecki put Porsche North America third and fourth on the class grid, with Dirk Mueller’s other Ford GT in fifth.

The two Corvette C7.Rs will start sixth and eighth, with the BMW M6 GTLMs seventh and ninth in class.

Alex Riberas put his No. 23 The Heart of Racing/AJR Porsche 911 GT3 R onto GT Daytona class pole, with a time of 2:08.568. He will lineup alongside Lawson Aschenbach’s Stevenson Motorsports Audi R8 LMS in tomorrow’s race.

Patrick Lindsey qualified third in the Park Place Motorsports Porsche, with Andrew Davis in the other Stevenson Audi fourth.

Christina Nielsen and Madison Snow complete the top six in class for Scuderia Corsa and Paul Miller Racing, respectively.

The Lone Star Le Mans will start at 11:35 a.m. CT tomorrow.

RESULTS: Qualifying

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.