Tandy Takes Porsche to GTLM Pole at Road Atlanta

Photo: John Dagys

Nick Tandy became the 11th different polesitter in 11 races in GT Le Mans, as the Englishman took his Porsche North America entry to top qualifying honors for tomorrow’s TUDOR United SportsCar Championship season-ending Petit Le Mans.

Tandy reeled off a best lap of 1:18.350 in his No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR, outpacing the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia of Giancarlo Fisichella in the 15-minute session, which was run in dry conditions.

It marked the CORE autosport-run Porsche NA squad’s second pole of the season but the first for the No. 911 car which Tandy will share with Joerg Bergmeister and Patrick Pilet in Saturday’s 10-hour enduro.

Tandy searches for back-to-back class wins in the race, having been part of the victorious Team Falken Tire squad here last year.

Bryan Sellers made it two Porsches in the top-three as he took his privateer Team Falken Tire entry to a quick lap of 1:18.804, ahead of the championship-leading No. 93 SRT Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GTS-R of Jonathan Bomarito in fourth.

The top-five was completed by the No. 912 Porsche of Michael Christensen, which out-qualified both the factory Corvette C7.Rs and the BMW Team RLL-run BMW Z4 GTEs.

Title contender Antonio Garcia will start sixth in his No. 3 Corvette, with the No. 91 Viper, which features co-championship leader Kuno Wittmer, was 8th in class.

The top-nine in class was separated by 0.906 seconds.

James Davison scored his fourth consecutive pole in GT Daytona, taking his No. 007 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage GT3 to a quick lap of 1:22.254.

The Australian edged out the No. 58 Snow Racing Porsche 911 GT America of Jan Heylen by 0.141 seconds, with Kevin Estre qualifying the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche in a season-best third.

Davison, who will share driving duties with David Block, Christina Nielsen and Al Carter on Saturday, will be looking to translate the pole run into TRG’s first win of the season.

Jeroen Bleekemolen qualified the Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R in fourth, while championship leader Dane Cameron will roll off fifth in his Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 GT3.

Other title contenders Alex Job Racing and AIM Autosport will start from 8th and 12th, respectively.

The 17th annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda takes the green flag Saturday at 11:15 a.m. ET.

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