GruppeM Leads Qualifying as Pole Shootout Places Locked in

GruppeM Racing led a Mercedes-AMG 1-2 in qualifying for the Indianapolis 8 Hour presented by AWS as the ten participants for the Pole Shootout were determined.

Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier and Jules Gounon put together a combined time of 1:23.435 aboard the No. 130 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo to outpace the No. 4 Lone Star Racing machine by 0.104 seconds.

BMW runners made up the remainder of the top five, which entirely consisted of Intercontinental GT Challenge entries.

Charles Weerts, Dries Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde slotted into third aboard the No. 31 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3, 0.155 seconds faster than the No. 33 sister car in fourth.

Random Vandals Racing rounded out the top five, ahead of the No. 120 Wright Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Laurin Heinrich, who shares the green and yellow Porsche with Adam Adelson and Elliott Skeer, set the fastest outright lap across the three segments of qualifying by reeling off a 1:22.986.

Herberth Motorsports’ No. 10 Porsche was the best Pro-Am entry in seventh overall, ahead of the No. 888 Triple Eight JMR Mercedes-AMG.

The No. 28 ST Racing BMW and No. 85 RS1 Porsche were the final two cars to make the cut, with the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG missing out by just 0.025 seconds.

Also eliminated was IGTC drivers’ championship leader Ayhancan Guven in 14th and both DXDT Racing Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.Rs.

The Pole Shootout will take place at 5:45 p.m. EDT.