Brazilian Helio Castroneves takes pole position on the Michelin Raceway in Road Atlanta, during the TireRack.com Grand Prix, the second round of the Endurance Michelin Cup of the IMSA US Endurance Championship, after the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The Penske driver returns from the Indy 500 he finished 11th this year and won three times (2001-2002-2009) signs the reference stopwatch with a time of 1’08.674 driving one of the two Acura ARX-05s, the No.7 he shares with one of the Taylor brothers, Rick.
IMSA-2020-ROAD-ATLANTA-LE-POLEMAN-HELIO-CASTRONEVES.
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And precedes by 0.056 seconds, the fastest of the Cadillac DPi-V.Rn, the N ° 31 of Team Action Express Racing Whelen, entrusted to his compatriot Félipe Nasr, supported by another Brazilian Pipo Derani and the Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque, credited to him with 1’08.730.
La CADILLAC WHELEN
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Next, the other Acura Dpi Penske, the N ° 6 of Dane Cameron who rolls with the Colombian Juan-Pablo Montoya, qualified third with 1’08.767, at 0.093, which is ahead of the two Mazda RT24-P, the N ° 77 of the trio formed by Tristan Nunez, Oliver Jarvis and the French Olivier Pla, preceding with 1’08.916, at 0.242, the sister car, the No.55 of the crew composed of Harry Tincknell, Bomarito and Ryan Hunter Reay, fifth with 1’08.948, at 0.274.
Then, we point to sixth place, the Cadillac N ° 5 of Team JDC Miller, that of the French pair Sébastien Bourdais and Tristan Vautier, reinforced by the Portuguese Joao Barbosa, with 1’09.067
And in seventh position only, the No. 10 Cadillac DPi of Wayne Taylor Racing, the car of the current leaders of the 2020 IMSA Championship, the Dutch Renger van der Zande and the Australian Ryan Briscoe, with 1’09.067
In the LMP2 category, pole for Patrick Kelly, at the wheel of the ORECA 07 N ° 52 of the PR1-Mathiasen Motorsports, with 1’12.209, at 3.535 of the chrono of Castroneves.
The PORSCHE 911 RSR Number 911 in pole
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In GTLM, best time for one of the two official Porsche 911 RSRs, Nick Tandy’s N ° 911 in 1‘16.167, who teamed up with the French Frédéric Makowiecki and ahead of 0.014 seconds, the fastest of the Chevrolet Corvette C8.R, the N ° 3 of Antonio Garcia and Jordan Taylor, second with 1’16.181.
On the second row, we point the second Corvette, of the duo Tommy Milner-Oliver Gavin, 3rd with 1’16.212 and the other Porsche 911 RSR, the N ° 912 of Laurens Vanthoor and Earl Bamber with 1’16.245.
Behind we find, the two BMW M8 GTE of the Rahal RLL team, the six GTLMs being separated only by two tenths of a second ! Proof of a disputed race …
IMSA 2020 – ROAD ATLANTA – LEXUS on pole in GTD
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Finally, in GTD, pole is once again – the third this season – the Lexus RC F GT3 of Team AIM Vasser Sullivan, driven by Frankie Montecalvo with 1’19.757. Lexus No. 12 which he shares with Townsend Bell and Aaron Telitz.
Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo # 48 of Madison Snow, Sellers and Lewis takes second place with 1’19.907
Peter GRISWOLD
Photos : IMSA -TEAMS
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