Magnussen, Corvette Take GTLM Pole at Long Beach

Photo: Darren Pierson

Corvette Racing will lead the GT Le Mans field to the green in Saturday’s Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase after taking pole at Long Beach.

Jan Magnussen stormed to the top of the time charts with less than five minutes on the clock, bumping what was looking to be a BMW front row for the third round of the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship.

The Dane reeled off a fast lap of 1:17.939 in his No. 3 Corvette C7.R, clearing the No. 55 BMW Z4 GTE of Bill Auberlen by 0.152 seconds.

It marked the factory Pratt & Miller squad’s first pole in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and also the first for the new Corvette C7.R as they search for their fifth win on the streets of Long Beach.

Magnussen will share driving duties with Antonio Garcia in tomorrow’s 100-minute sprint race.

BMW Team RLL’s Auberlen and co-driver Andy Priaulx, who head into the weekend as class points leaders, will roll off from second on the grid, followed by the sister No. 56 BMW, qualified by Dirk Mueller, in third.

The top-five was completed by the No. 4 Corvette of Tommy Milner and the Nick Tandy-driven No. 911 Porsche North America entry, which made a noteworthy rebound following driveshaft issues in the morning.

Porsche’s sister works entry of Michael Christensen was sixth after engine problems in the first session, followed by the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia, qualified by Giancarlo Fisichella.

The Tequila Patron Sports Car Showcase is set for Saturday at 6:10 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FOX Sports 1.

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