The Pirelli GT4 America series held its first Qualifying sessions of the 2023 season today at Sonoma Raceway. For Race 1, it was Jesse Webb in the Silver class #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 that won the first pole of the year. The Canadian GT4 newcomer set a 1’45.970 aboard his white and red […]
The post Conquest/JMF And NOLASPORT Split GT4 America Poles At Sonoma first appeared on dailysportscar.com.The Pirelli GT4 America series held its first Qualifying sessions of the 2023 season today at Sonoma Raceway.
For Race 1, it was Jesse Webb in the Silver class #34 Conquest Racing/JMF Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT4 that won the first pole of the year. The Canadian GT4 newcomer set a 1’45.970 aboard his white and red Mercedes to start up front for this afternoon’s race.
Matt Travis qualified second overall – less than a tenth back of Stephens – and won the Pro-Am pole for Race 1 in the #47 NOLASPORT Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. The 2021 GT4 America Pro-Am champion was named as one of their two drivers just before the start of the weekend.
Many of the Silver class contenders featured at the front of the order for the first segment of Qualifying, as the #19 ACI Motorsports Porsche of Francis Selldorff timed in third, followed by the #51 Auto Technic Racing BMW M4 GT4 of Zac Anderson, and after being sidelined for both Practice sessions yesterday, Tyler Maxson qualified fifth in the #74 Copeland Motorsports Toyota GR Supra GT4.
Chris Walsh was sixth in the #96 OGH/Valkyrie Velocity Porsche, and Kevin Boehm was seventh in the Crowdstrike-sponsored #92 Random Vandals Racing BMW M4 GT4.
Pole position in the Am class went to defending series champion Charlie Postins, ninth-fastest in the #36 BimmerWorld BMW, ahead of Curt Swearingin in the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche – the Chattanooga-based outfit put two of their three cars in the overall top ten for today’s race.
Hannah Grisham also put in a strong performance in her debut session, 13th fastest out of 43 cars in the #26 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4, as did Isabella Robusto in 17th, who will be Smooge Racing’s sole driver in the #67 Toyota.
In the second segment of qualifying, the two-time and defending Pro-Am champion Jason Hart put NOLASPORT’s #47 Porsche on the overall pole position with a scorching lap time of 1’44.263.
Porsche Carrera Cup North America runner-up Kay van Berlo was second-fastest in the #7 ACI Motorsports Porsche, half a second behind Hart. John Geesbreght was third-fastest in the #68 Smooge Racing Toyota, and Billy Johnson Jnr was fourth-fastest in the #069 Archangel Motorsports Aston Martin.
Michai Stephens backed up his new co-driver’s form by putting the #34 Conquest/JMF Mercedes fifth on the grid for Race 2 tomorrow – this also guaranteed a double pole position in the silver class.
Kenton Koch was sixth overall, second in silver, aboard the #92 Random Vandals Racing BMW. In seventh overall was Andy Lee in the #8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Aston Martin, followed by Andrew Davis in the #19 ACI Motorsports Porsche.
Jeroen Bleekemolen was ninth-fastest in the new #54 Black Swan Racing McLaren Artura GT4, and Parker Thompson, last year’s Porsche Carrera Cup North America champion, was tenth in the #999 Hanley Motorsports Toyota.
Am class pole position went to the #20 Carrus Callas Raceteam Toyota, with the legendary Terry Borcheller clocking in 11th-fastest overall.
All 43 cars were able to complete each qualifying session without any accidents or mechanical issues. However, there was an administrative mixup in the #253 Auto Technic Racing BMW of Rob Walker and Satakal Khalsa. Walker and Khalsa did take turns qualifying the car but in the wrong order. As a consequence, all their times from both sessions were disallowed and they will start both races from the rear of the field.
Images © Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports America
The post Conquest/JMF And NOLASPORT Split GT4 America Poles At Sonoma first appeared on dailysportscar.com.