Lind, van der Drift Secure Pro/Pro-Am World Finals Poles

Dennis Lind and Chris van der Drift have qualified on pole for the Pro/Pro-Am races of the Lamborghini World Finals at Monza.

Lind, aiming to repeat his World Finals victory from a decade ago, set the pace in a close first qualifying session, the TR3 Racing driver posting a 1:45.430 to defeat the opposition by a tenth of a second.

Second fastest was Brendon Leitch aboard the No. 70 Leipert Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2, while Will Bamber was third for XONINE Racing having clocked a 1:45.731.

Giano Taurino was fourth fastest, almost half a second shy of Lind’s time, while recently-crowned European champion Simone Iaquinta was fifth for DL Racing having posted his 1:45.981 early in the session but was unable to improve.

The Pro-Am pole went to the No. 119 TB Autosports car of Kyle Marcelli, with his 1:46.036 good enough for sixth overall.

European Pro-Am champion Anthony Pretorius moved his Micanek Motorsport car up to second in class right at the end of the session, ending up just over two-tenths adrift of Marcelli.

Jonathan Cecotto was then third fastest for Invictus Corse, just 0.036 seconds slower than Pretorius.

Pro-Am contender van der Drift — who has competed in the Asian series this year — then topped the timesheets in Q2 with a 1:46.064, which enabled him to pip Bamber to pole by just 0.015 seconds.

Third fastest was Jerzy Spinkiewicz, who glanced the barriers at Ascari during the morning warm-up and was only 19th in Q1 aboard his UNIQ Racing machine, with a 1:46.244.

Taurino was again fourth while the top-five was completed by Marzio Moretti’s Pro-Am Auto Sport Racing Service machine.

Sixth was another of the Asian series entries, the No. 206 Vincenzo Sospiri Racing Lamborghini of New Zealander Liam Sceats.

It was a tricky session for Lind’s stablemate, recently crowned North American champion Elias De La Torre however, as he was only 13th fastest.

He had been on a better lap in the closing minute of the session when red flags emerged after Ian Porter crashed his RAFA Racing Team car at Ascari.

Attention now turns to the first of the World Finals races, with the Am/LB Cup opener due to begin at 2:20 p.m. CEST (8:20 a.m. EST), while the first Pro/Pro-Am encounter is scheduled for 4:50 p.m. CEST (10:50 a.m. EST).

RESULTS: Qualifying 1/Qualifying 2