JMF’s Stephens, Grenier Combine for Pole at Sonoma

Photo: Fabian Lagunas/SRO

JMF Motorsports will start the new era of GT World Challenge America powered by AWS on pole, with Michai Stephens and Mikael Grenier teaming up for the best average in qualifying for this afternoon’s three-hour season opener.

Stephens and Grenier, in the No. 34 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, combined for a best average of 1:33.352 lap time, ending up 0.689 seconds clear of the No. 6 Dollahite Racing Ford Mustang GT3 EVO of Alex Sedgwick and Cameron Lawrence.

Both Stephens and Grenier topped their respective time charts in Q1 and Q2, although Tom Sargent, in the No. 32 GMG Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R, set the session’s overall quickest time, a 1:32.673.

The Porsche Motorsport North America Selected Driver, however, qualified a combined eighth in Pro-Am with co-driver Kyle Washington.

Lorcan Hanafin and Jason Daskalos gave JMF a double pole, having qualified third overall in their Pro-Am class Mercedes-AMG, ahead of the No. 12 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo of Matias Perez Companc and Frederik Schandorff in fourth.

The No. 69 Archangel Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 Evo of Aaron Telitz and Todd Coleman, who bounced back from a drive-through penalty for a pit lane speeding infraction, completed the overall top-five and second in Pro-Am.

Zachary Vanier and Michael McCann Jr. had the quickest Porsche in the combined qualifying, with McCann Jr. set to start the race in sixth, fourth in Pro, ahead of JP Martinez and Jan Heylen in their RS1 Porsche.

Two-time Pro-Am class champions Turner Motorsport, stepping up to the Pro class with the unchanged lineup of Robby Foley and Justin Rothberg, qualified eighth, with the No. 9 TR3 Racing Mercedes-AMG and No. 64 Chicago Performance and Tuning Co. Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 completing the overall top-ten.

The three-hour race takes the green flag at 1:45 p.m. PST (4:45 p.m. EST) with live coverage on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel and on Twitch.

RESULTS: Qualifying (Combined)

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