Pipo Derani claimed GTP pole position for the Grand Prix of Long Beach after setting a quickest lap time of 1:11.388 in a damaged #31 Wehlen Cadillac Racing V-Series.R.
The Brazilian driver claimed his third consecutive pole position having mastered all of the qualifying sessions so far this year in the 2024 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, although it was not a straightforward journey ahead of the first sprint.
Given the tight and narrow nature of the Long Beach Street Circuit, this proved one of the most crucial qualifying outings of the season with two 15-minute sessions for each category.
Lap times narrowly split drivers up and down the 27-car field during the two free practice sessions so far and so track evolution played a part in keeping the times alive in qualifying.
GTP saw the usage of the softer Michelin tyre compound which gave drivers the chance to turn quick times in the warm, ideal track conditions.
Due to a hybrid fault, the #01 Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac V-Series.R delayed their participation for qualifying as Sebastien Bourdais took to the circuit within the final five minutes of the GTP session.
GTP provoked an initial showdown between Derani, the two Porsche Penskes and the #40 WTRAndretti Acura of Jordan Taylor, as they all set narrowly quicker and quicker lap times.
Derani, on provisional pole, promptly nudged his #31 Cadillac into the Turn 9 tyre barrier in the final minutes of the session, after locking up into the corner, before he quickly reversed the slightly damaged Cadillac.
Meanwhile, Bourdais in the other Cadillac impressively grasped third position despite going out late in the session.
In between the two was Nick Yelloly for BMW RLL in his #25 BMW M Hybrid V8 at just nine-thousandths away from the pole position time.
Fourth place was taken by the #6 Porsche Penske 963 of Nick Tandy with a 1:11.629, followed by his #7 teammate of Dane Cameron who drove a 1:11.741.
In the end, just over six-tenths of a second covered the top-nine cars in the GTP field as Derani claimed his third consecutive pole position this year.
Most notably for this GTD qualifying session, teams were offered free choice over which driver could take on qualifying duties.
Drama came for the Gradient Racing outfit in their #66 Acura NSX GT3 as they did not participate due to carrying out an engine change.
This will confide them to the back of the grid for the race start yet gives them free choice as to which driver starts the race.
The #55 Proton Competition Ford Mustang had a spun at Turn 5 in the hands of Giammarco Levorato, but he simply continued with no contact made against the walls during his moment.
As times quickened dramatically, the two Lexus RC F GT3s being run by Vasser Sullivan demonstrated promising pace as they held the top of the GTD times with Parker Thompson (#89) on the upper hand – on pace – compared to Frankie Montecalvo (#12).
Eventually, it was a 1-2 secured for Vasser Sullivan as Thompson took pole with a 1:17.357, as Montecalvo did a 1:17.619 lap time.
Albert Costa Balboa put the #34 Conquest Racing Ferrari 296 in third after he put a 1:17.679 lap time on the board, followed by Roman De Angelis’ #27 Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 with a 1:17.725.
Danny Formal rounded off the top-five in GTD with a 1:17.814 in his #45 WTRAndretti Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2.
See here for the full qualifying classification from IMSA qualifying for the Grand Prix of Long Beach.
