Von Moltke Takes Rebuilt Audi to GTD Pole in Detroit

Dion von Moltke has repaid his Paul Miller Racing crew with pole position in GT Daytona for Saturday’s Chevrolet Sports Car Classic, in a rebuilt car.

Von Moltke had an accident in the second practice session, where he hydroplaned off course on corner entry into Turn 7 and sustained heavy front and rear end damage to the No. 48 Audi R8 LMS.

It sent the PMR crew on a thrash to repair the car in the two and a half hours in-between the end of practice and qualifying and get the car back out for qualifying, and von Moltke delivered.

The Coral Gables, Fla.-based driver laid down a flier of 1:33.546 around the 2.35-mile The Raceway on Belle Isle to secure his first pole in the TUDOR Championship, and the team’s first since co-driver Christopher Haase won one at the 2014 season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Ben Keating in the No. 33 Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper GT3-R and Christina Nielsen in the No. 007 TRG-AMR Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 completed the top three on the grid.

The 15-minute session ended under a red flag after Michael Marsal sustained heavy contact with the Turn 12 wall in the No. 97 Turner Motorsport BMW Z4 GT3, but drove back to the pits.

Heading into Saturday’s 100-minute race, von Moltke and Haase lead the GTD points standings by one point over Townsend Bell and Bill Sweedler in the No. 63 Scuderia Corsa Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 (87-86). The Scuderia Corsa pair will roll off from seventh in the 10-car class.

Saturday’s race is the fourth of the year for the GTD field, and is LIVE on FOX Sports 2 and IMSA Radio at noon ET.

RESULTS: Qualifying