(Meyer Shank Racing)
Tom Blomqvist (No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06) captured the first pole of the IMSA GTP era on Sunday and will lead the field in next Saturday's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. In the dramatic final moments, Blomqvist turned the best lap of the entire three days of Roar Before the Rolex 24 on-track activity, turning a lap of 1 minute, 34.031 seconds (136.295 mph). Blomqvist’s fast time – set on the very last lap of the qualifying session – edged Felipe Nasr (No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963) by just 0.083 seconds. The top eight GTP cars were separated by only 0.815 seconds. “That was one of the most difficult sessions I’ve done because my tires weren’t exactly fully, fully ready and I didn’t have much of a good reference to go off of, so I was glad to win that one," Blomqvist said of his fourth career Motul Pole Award and first for the Rolex 24. His co-drivers are Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. Ricky Taylor qualified third in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 fielded by Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (1:34.198, 136.054 mph). (Thank you to Holly Cain/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
It was Blomqvist's - and Acura's - day at Daytona on Sunday.
Tom Blomqvist (No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-06) captured the first pole of the IMSA GTP era on Sunday and will lead the field in next Saturday's Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway. In the dramatic final moments, Blomqvist turned the best lap of the entire three days of Roar Before the Rolex 24 on-track activity, turning a lap of 1 minute, 34.031 seconds (136.295 mph). Blomqvist’s fast time – set on the very last lap of the qualifying session – edged Felipe Nasr (No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963) by just 0.083 seconds. The top eight GTP cars were separated by only 0.815 seconds. “That was one of the most difficult sessions I’ve done because my tires weren’t exactly fully, fully ready and I didn’t have much of a good reference to go off of, so I was glad to win that one," Blomqvist said of his fourth career Motul Pole Award and first for the Rolex 24. His co-drivers are Colin Braun, Helio Castroneves and Simon Pagenaud. Ricky Taylor qualified third in the No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-06 fielded by Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport (1:34.198, 136.054 mph). (Thank you to Holly Cain/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)It was Blomqvist's - and Acura's - day at Daytona on Sunday.
(IMSA)
Veteran driver Ben Keating took the LMP2 pole in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with a lap of 1:40.541 (127.470 mph). While the conditions seemed ideal for fast laps – sunny skies, mild temperatures – Keating said the windy surroundings made it a bit treacherous. “I felt like this was one of the more tricky qualifying sessions,” said Keating, who earned his fourth Rolex 24 pole and 12th of his IMSA career. He’ll share the No. 52 in the race with Paul-Loup Chatin, Alex Quinn and Nicolas Lapierre. “You set your car up so you’re on the edge in the Bus Stop (the Le Mans Chicane on the oval backstretch),” Keating explained. “All weekend, we had a slight headwind going into the Bus Stop. Today, we had about a 19-mph tailwind, and that made a huge difference in our car.” “I expected it to be tricky, but it’s never quite real until you get out there and start doing it,” Keating said. “I had quite a few ‘moments’ in the car at the Bus Stop and I was not surprised to see a car go off there.” Francois Heriau (No. 35 TDS Racing ORECA) was a tick behind Keating, posting a time of 1:41.751 (125.594 mph). Steven Thomas was third in the No. 11 TDS Racing entry at 1:41.813 (125.878 mph) and inadvertently helped Keating. “I got a nice tow off of Thomas and that made about half a second worth of difference,” Keating said. (Thank you to Godwin Kelly/IMSA Wire Service)
Veteran driver Ben Keating took the LMP2 pole in the No. 52 PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports ORECA LMP2 07 with a lap of 1:40.541 (127.470 mph). While the conditions seemed ideal for fast laps – sunny skies, mild temperatures – Keating said the windy surroundings made it a bit treacherous. “I felt like this was one of the more tricky qualifying sessions,” said Keating, who earned his fourth Rolex 24 pole and 12th of his IMSA career. He’ll share the No. 52 in the race with Paul-Loup Chatin, Alex Quinn and Nicolas Lapierre. “You set your car up so you’re on the edge in the Bus Stop (the Le Mans Chicane on the oval backstretch),” Keating explained. “All weekend, we had a slight headwind going into the Bus Stop. Today, we had about a 19-mph tailwind, and that made a huge difference in our car.” “I expected it to be tricky, but it’s never quite real until you get out there and start doing it,” Keating said. “I had quite a few ‘moments’ in the car at the Bus Stop and I was not surprised to see a car go off there.” Francois Heriau (No. 35 TDS Racing ORECA) was a tick behind Keating, posting a time of 1:41.751 (125.594 mph). Steven Thomas was third in the No. 11 TDS Racing entry at 1:41.813 (125.878 mph) and inadvertently helped Keating. “I got a nice tow off of Thomas and that made about half a second worth of difference,” Keating said. (Thank you to Godwin Kelly/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
Eighteen-year-old Nico Pino scored his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole with a blistering lap of 1:43.197 (124.189 mph) in the No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320. Pino leapfrogged past Dakota Dickerson (No. 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier) on the speed chart late in the qualifying session. Dickerson wound up second fastest with a lap of 1:43.307 (124.057 mph). It was a big day for Pino and car owner Sean Creech, who has a race shop in Jupiter, Florida. It was Creech’s first Daytona pole as a car owner. “This is a special one,” Pino said. “This was my first pole (ever). We have a long race coming ahead – 24 hours. This was a 15-minute qualifying session.” Pino will share the No. 33 with Lance Willsey, Danny Soufi and four-time Rolex 24 winner Joao Barbosa. “We have done a lot of work fine-tuning the car,” Pino said. “We had our ups and downs through the practice sessions, but now we have a good baseline to start working with the team for the race. I’m looking forward to it.” (Thank you to Godwin Kelly/IMSA Wire Service)
Eighteen-year-old Nico Pino scored his first IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship pole with a blistering lap of 1:43.197 (124.189 mph) in the No. 33 Sean Creech Motorsport Ligier JS P320. Pino leapfrogged past Dakota Dickerson (No. 36 Andretti Autosport Ligier) on the speed chart late in the qualifying session. Dickerson wound up second fastest with a lap of 1:43.307 (124.057 mph). It was a big day for Pino and car owner Sean Creech, who has a race shop in Jupiter, Florida. It was Creech’s first Daytona pole as a car owner. “This is a special one,” Pino said. “This was my first pole (ever). We have a long race coming ahead – 24 hours. This was a 15-minute qualifying session.” Pino will share the No. 33 with Lance Willsey, Danny Soufi and four-time Rolex 24 winner Joao Barbosa. “We have done a lot of work fine-tuning the car,” Pino said. “We had our ups and downs through the practice sessions, but now we have a good baseline to start working with the team for the race. I’m looking forward to it.” (Thank you to Godwin Kelly/IMSA Wire Service)
(IMSA)
Mercedes-AMG drivers produced the four fastest laps in the combined 15-minute GTD PRO/GTD qualifying session at the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24, led by Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Ellis pushed his V8-powered machine around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course in 1 minute, 46.093 seconds for an average speed of 120.799 mph to earn the Motul Pole Award for the GTD class and the overall top starting spot among the 33 GT entries. That bested similar Mercedes driven by Fabian Schiller, Mikael Grenier and Maro Engel. Schiller came closest, clocking 1:46.312 in the No. 75 Sun Energy 1 GTD entry. There is no split grid between GTD PRO and GTD in WeatherTech Championship races, so all 33 cars (24 in GTD, nine in GTD PRO) will line up in order based on their qualifying times. Although the cars are identical, different driver rating requirements and the level of additional factory support involved makes it unusual for one GTD entry to beat the GTD PRO field, let alone three. “The last half of the 2022 season, we were really, really strong, and the plan was basically to keep that momentum going into this year,” said Ellis, who earned his first career IMSA pole. “The team did great work in the offseason during the winter, and I think all the Mercedes did a great job. I had a great, great lap, and it shows. I’d say we had a perfect Roar.” (Thank you to John Oreovicz/IMSA WIre Service)
Mercedes-AMG drivers produced the four fastest laps in the combined 15-minute GTD PRO/GTD qualifying session at the annual Roar Before the Rolex 24, led by Philip Ellis in the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3. Ellis pushed his V8-powered machine around the 3.56-mile, 12-turn Daytona road course in 1 minute, 46.093 seconds for an average speed of 120.799 mph to earn the Motul Pole Award for the GTD class and the overall top starting spot among the 33 GT entries. That bested similar Mercedes driven by Fabian Schiller, Mikael Grenier and Maro Engel. Schiller came closest, clocking 1:46.312 in the No. 75 Sun Energy 1 GTD entry. There is no split grid between GTD PRO and GTD in WeatherTech Championship races, so all 33 cars (24 in GTD, nine in GTD PRO) will line up in order based on their qualifying times. Although the cars are identical, different driver rating requirements and the level of additional factory support involved makes it unusual for one GTD entry to beat the GTD PRO field, let alone three. “The last half of the 2022 season, we were really, really strong, and the plan was basically to keep that momentum going into this year,” said Ellis, who earned his first career IMSA pole. “The team did great work in the offseason during the winter, and I think all the Mercedes did a great job. I had a great, great lap, and it shows. I’d say we had a perfect Roar.” (Thank you to John Oreovicz/IMSA WIre Service)
(IMSA)
Maro Engel turned a 1:46.784 lap in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to win the Motul Pole Award in the GTD PRO class. Also a first-time IMSA pole winner, Engel’s co-drivers will be Cooper MacNeil, Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. “We definitely have an amazing car,” Engel said. “The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a car that’s well adapted to all forms of GT racing, whether long-distance or the sprint rounds. It's always a car that gives the driver confidence, and I think all four teams did a really good job today." “There was some room for me to improve in that qualifying session, but it was still good enough for pole,” he added. “So that’s great. It’s a huge field of GT cars, and being at the sharp end is good for the start and trying to stay out of trouble.” The fastest non-Mercedes qualifier was Ross Gunn in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the GTD PRO class at 1:46.825. (Thank you to John Oreovicz/IMSA WIre Service)
Maro Engel turned a 1:46.784 lap in the No. 79 WeatherTech Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to win the Motul Pole Award in the GTD PRO class. Also a first-time IMSA pole winner, Engel’s co-drivers will be Cooper MacNeil, Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. “We definitely have an amazing car,” Engel said. “The Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a car that’s well adapted to all forms of GT racing, whether long-distance or the sprint rounds. It's always a car that gives the driver confidence, and I think all four teams did a really good job today." “There was some room for me to improve in that qualifying session, but it was still good enough for pole,” he added. “So that’s great. It’s a huge field of GT cars, and being at the sharp end is good for the start and trying to stay out of trouble.” The fastest non-Mercedes qualifier was Ross Gunn in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the GTD PRO class at 1:46.825. (Thank you to John Oreovicz/IMSA WIre Service)
(INDYCAR)
NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the race broadcast start times for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, headlined by the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28 at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The first seven races of the season will air on NBC and Peacock, including the season-opening Streets of Petersburg at noon ET Sunday, March 5 and concluding with the new Streets of Detroit circuit at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, June 4. Additional highlights of NBC Sports’ 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage schedule include:
NBC Sports and INDYCAR have announced the race broadcast start times for the 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES schedule, headlined by the 107th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on Sunday, May 28 at iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with coverage beginning at 11 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The first seven races of the season will air on NBC and Peacock, including the season-opening Streets of Petersburg at noon ET Sunday, March 5 and concluding with the new Streets of Detroit circuit at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, June 4. Additional highlights of NBC Sports’ 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES coverage schedule include:
- The first race of the doubleheader at Iowa Speedway at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, July 22 begins a stretch of six of the final seven races airing on NBC and Peacock to conclude the season
- Indianapolis 500 qualifying coverage from IMS airing on NBC and Peacock at 3 p.m. ET Saturday, May 20 and 2 p.m. ET Sunday, May 21 to determine the starting grid for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”
- USA Network presents three races: Road America (1 p.m. ET Sunday, June 18); Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, July 2); and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course as part of the fourth edition of the INDYCAR-NASCAR Brickyard Weekend (2 p.m. ET Saturday, Aug. 12)
- The season finale at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to determine the 2023 series champion at 2:30 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 10 on NBC and Peacock
(Corvette images)
Chevrolet has unveiled the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the Daytona International Speedway, a year before it makes its competition debut at the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is Chevrolet’s first racer that fully meets FIA technical regulations for GT3 cars. Design and development of the mid-engine Z06 GT3.R is a collaboration between GM’s Competition Motorsports Engineering division and Pratt Miller Engineering. With an eye specifically toward customer racing, the Z06 GT3.R will be eligible for multiple championships in North America and around the world with a high level of parts and technical support available for its customers. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will race for the first time as part of the GTD PRO category at the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona to open next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. “Corvette Racing has been an important influence on the design of Corvette production cars for 25 years,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “Corvette production and racing teams worked together closely in development to maximize the benefits of a mid-engine design, sharing lessons learned that set both programs up for all-out performance on the track.” The Z06 GT3.R begins its life as an aluminum chassis frame from Chevrolet’s Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky. The frame provides a lightweight yet strong and durable underpinning for both Z06 and Z06 GT3.R. Once in Michigan at Pratt Miller, a purpose-built steel roll cage is welded onto a base plate, which is secured to the chassis. A double-wishbone suspension at the front and rear promotes a higher level of adjustability and fitment of racing-specific tire sizes. This is the same front and rear suspension configuration as on the Z06 production vehicle. The motorsports engineering team added race springs and dampers, competition-specific rotors, calipers and pads. The Z06 GT3.R rides on 18-inch front and rear wheels — the same as on the C8.R. Advanced aerodynamic strategies also link the road-going Corvette and its GT3 counterpart. Motorsports engineers worked with the GM Design Studio to develop an aero package specific to the Z06 GT3.R to optimize levels of downforce, stability, drag reduction and cooling. From the top of the windshield to the rear of the car, the surface elements of the Z06 stayed intact for the Z06 GT3.R, accentuating the tie between production and racing. Most notable are side air ducts behind the doors — directly inspired by Z06 production road car — that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will feature a 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft DOHC V-8 engine derived from the production Z06. This engine began on-track development in 2019 with the initial testing of the C8.R, ahead of its use in the production Z06. The LT6 engine for the GT3.R originates from the Performance Build Center in Bowling Green, the same line on which all production Corvette Z06 engines are built. The 5.5L powerplant shares more than 70 percent of its parts with the production Z06 engine, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of other sensors. Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have worked together to incorporate a number of features into the GT3.R, building on safety construction from the C8.R. The Z06 GT3 features a side-impact crash structure between the driver’s side door and roll cage. Pioneered in the C7.R, the box features an outer casing of carbon fiber and Kevlar, and is filled with an aluminum honeycomb construction. The GT3 Corvette’s integrated steel roll cage is slightly modified from the current racing Corvette to provide easier ingress and egress. The reveal of the Z06 GT3.R follows a two-year testing program. Virtual simulation through Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop simulator began in early 2021. The first on-track test of the Z06 GT3.R took place in September 2022 — which means the Z06 GT3.R will have a full year of on-track development when it gets into the hands of customers in the third quarter of 2023.
Chevrolet has unveiled the new Corvette Z06 GT3.R at the Daytona International Speedway, a year before it makes its competition debut at the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R is Chevrolet’s first racer that fully meets FIA technical regulations for GT3 cars. Design and development of the mid-engine Z06 GT3.R is a collaboration between GM’s Competition Motorsports Engineering division and Pratt Miller Engineering. With an eye specifically toward customer racing, the Z06 GT3.R will be eligible for multiple championships in North America and around the world with a high level of parts and technical support available for its customers. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will race for the first time as part of the GTD PRO category at the 2024 Rolex 24 At Daytona to open next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. “Corvette Racing has been an important influence on the design of Corvette production cars for 25 years,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette. “Corvette production and racing teams worked together closely in development to maximize the benefits of a mid-engine design, sharing lessons learned that set both programs up for all-out performance on the track.” The Z06 GT3.R begins its life as an aluminum chassis frame from Chevrolet’s Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky. The frame provides a lightweight yet strong and durable underpinning for both Z06 and Z06 GT3.R. Once in Michigan at Pratt Miller, a purpose-built steel roll cage is welded onto a base plate, which is secured to the chassis. A double-wishbone suspension at the front and rear promotes a higher level of adjustability and fitment of racing-specific tire sizes. This is the same front and rear suspension configuration as on the Z06 production vehicle. The motorsports engineering team added race springs and dampers, competition-specific rotors, calipers and pads. The Z06 GT3.R rides on 18-inch front and rear wheels — the same as on the C8.R. Advanced aerodynamic strategies also link the road-going Corvette and its GT3 counterpart. Motorsports engineers worked with the GM Design Studio to develop an aero package specific to the Z06 GT3.R to optimize levels of downforce, stability, drag reduction and cooling. From the top of the windshield to the rear of the car, the surface elements of the Z06 stayed intact for the Z06 GT3.R, accentuating the tie between production and racing. Most notable are side air ducts behind the doors — directly inspired by Z06 production road car — that help to cool the engine, transaxle and rear brakes. The Corvette Z06 GT3.R will feature a 5.5L, flat-plane crankshaft DOHC V-8 engine derived from the production Z06. This engine began on-track development in 2019 with the initial testing of the C8.R, ahead of its use in the production Z06. The LT6 engine for the GT3.R originates from the Performance Build Center in Bowling Green, the same line on which all production Corvette Z06 engines are built. The 5.5L powerplant shares more than 70 percent of its parts with the production Z06 engine, including the crankshaft, connecting rods, cylinder heads, fuel injectors, coils, gaskets and a variety of other sensors. Chevrolet and Pratt Miller have worked together to incorporate a number of features into the GT3.R, building on safety construction from the C8.R. The Z06 GT3 features a side-impact crash structure between the driver’s side door and roll cage. Pioneered in the C7.R, the box features an outer casing of carbon fiber and Kevlar, and is filled with an aluminum honeycomb construction. The GT3 Corvette’s integrated steel roll cage is slightly modified from the current racing Corvette to provide easier ingress and egress. The reveal of the Z06 GT3.R follows a two-year testing program. Virtual simulation through Chevrolet’s Driver in the Loop simulator began in early 2021. The first on-track test of the Z06 GT3.R took place in September 2022 — which means the Z06 GT3.R will have a full year of on-track development when it gets into the hands of customers in the third quarter of 2023.
Editor's Note: You can access previous issues of AE by clicking on "Next 1 Entries" below. - WG