- Both works-Porsche 963 cars post solid qualifying results at Road Atlanta
- Porsche retains a two-point lead in the manufacturers’ championship
- “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R secures fifth on the GTD Pro grid
- Ten-hour race gets underway on Saturday at 12:10 hrs local time (18:10 CEST)
The best-placed Porsche 963 fielded by Porsche Penske Motorsport will tackle the final round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season from the fourth grid spot. In a fiercely contested qualifying session at Road Atlanta, Brazilian driver Felipe Nasr planted the No. 7 Porsche 963 on the second row of the grid, with Australian Matt Campbell qualifying sixth in the No. 6 sister car. The battle for the manufacturers’ title has heated up ahead of the ten-hour “Petit Le Mans”, with Porsche sitting just two points ahead of title rival Acura.
Under partly cloudy skies and temperatures of 23 degrees Celsius, Max Esterson claimed P12 on the grid at the wheel of JDC-Miller MotorSports’ Porsche 963. This was the American’s first IMSA qualifying appearance. For the race, Esterson will share the cockpit of the No. 85 hybrid prototype with Tijmen van der Helm from the Netherlands and Neel Jani from Switzerland.
“That fact that the two Acuras were ahead in qualifying has little impact on the manufacturers’ championship,” reflected Urs Kuratle, Director Factory Motorsport LMDh. “Starting from fourth and sixth is a solid and perfectly acceptable result. Our long-run pace in Thursday’s practice was great. We head into the race and title battle with confidence.”
“Time gaps between fourth and tenth were minimal in qualifying, so I’m pleased we could position ourselves well in this very competitive group,” explained Jonathan Diuguid, Managing Director Porsche Penske Motorsport. “On Thursday, we were fast in the night practice, which is crucial, as this race is often decided after dark. If we can stay in the leading pack until the final phase, everything is possible for us in the big finale.”
The manufacturers’ championship battle has intensified, with Porsche heading into the season finale holding a slim two-point lead. In the fight for the drivers’ crown, the two Porsche Penske Motorsport factory crews have built a significant gap to their hottest pursuers. Campbell/Jaminet tackle the Petit Le Mans race with a 128-point advantage over Nasr/Tandy.
GT Classes: “Rexy” Porsche 911 GT3 R in skeleton livery to start fifth
AO Racing’s 911 GT3 R will start the final IMSA race of the year from the midfield of the GTD Pro class. Reigning champion Laurin Heinrich planted the fan-favourite “Rexy” on P5 in its class. The German shares the Porsche with Klaus Bachler from Austria and Michael Christensen from Denmark – all three graduates of Porsche’s junior programme. In the GTD class, American Adam Adelson posted the 16th quickest time in the identical ca. 416 kW (565 hp) 911 fielded by Wright Motorsports.
Watch the 28th Petit Le Mans live and free online
The gripping season finale at Road Atlanta gets underway on Saturday, 11 October, at 12:10 hours local time (18:10 CEST). Outside the USA and Canada, the 28th edition of Petit Le Mans can be seen live and free of charge via imsa.tv. Live timing is also provided at scoring.imsa.com.
Driver comments after the qualifying
Matt Campbell (Porsche 963 #6): “Sixth place isn’t what I’d hoped for in qualifying. But the race lasts ten hours, so a single lap doesn’t decide anything. Everything is still possible, particularly as our Porsche 963 should be stronger over the full distance than on one flying lap. Tomorrow will be an extremely important day for us!”
Felipe Nasr (Porsche 963 #7): “Road Atlanta is a fantastic challenge from start to finish and an absolute blast for us drivers. I’m happy with my qualifying lap. Fourth place gives us a solid starting position for the race, especially since we should have a fast and consistent car over the full distance. The dense traffic on Saturday might be tricky – more than 50 cars sharing just over four kilometres of track means we’ll need to navigate carefully. Ultimately, when the race reaches nightfall and the stakes are highest, we expect to be right there.”
Max Esterson (Porsche 963 #85): “It was a lot of fun to push the Porsche 963 to the limit in qualifying on fresh tyres, with low fuel and no traffic. I wish I’d been a little quicker. My lap went well – I made a minor mistake, but nothing decisive. Overall, I’m happy with my first outing in IMSA qualifying.”
Laurin Heinrich (Porsche 911 GT3 R #77): “Qualifying at Road Atlanta is always a real highlight for me. This unique track guarantees thrilling action. I’m happy with my lap – it was great fun to take the perfectly prepared Porsche 911 GT3 R to the absolute limit over a single lap. Fifth place is solid. Road Atlanta should suit us, and I think we’re more competitive than in previous races. We plan to step it up on Saturday and fight our way forward.”
Adam Adelson (Porsche 911 GT3 R #120): “I was one of the few amateur drivers in qualifying, so we kept our expectations in check. In a ten-hour race, starting position matters less than getting everything right on track. Our Porsche may not be the fastest car at Road Atlanta, but our clear goal is to make up for that with a flawless performance, smart strategy decisions, and error-free pit stops. We will give absolutely everything until the very end!”
Qualifying results
GTP class:
1. Blomqvist/Braun/Scott Dixon (GBR/USA/NZL), Acura #60, 1.09.628 minutes
2. Aitken/Bamber/Vesti (GBR/NZL/DNK), Cadillac #31, + 0.199 seconds
3. Van der Zande/Yelloly/Vautier (NLD/GBR/FRA), Acura #93, + 0.280 seconds
4. Nasr/Tandy/Vanthoor (BRA/GBR/BEL), Porsche 963 #7, + 0.613 seconds
6. Campbell/Jaminet/Andlauer (AUS/FRA/FRA), Porsche 963 #6, + 0.656 seconds
12. Van der Helm/Jani/Esterson (NLD/CHE/USA), Porsche 963 #85, + 1.311 seconds
GTD Pro class:
1. Hesse/Harper/De Phillippi (DEU/GBR/USA), BMW #48, 1.18.523 minutes
2. Barnicoat/Telitz/Kirkwood (GBR/GBR/USA), Lexus #14, + 0.167 seconds
3. Milner/Catsburg/Varrone (USA/NLD/ARG), Corvette #4, + 0.224 seconds
5. Bachler/Heinrich/Christensen (AUT/DEU/DNK), Porsche 911 GT3 R #77, + 0.274 seconds
GTD class:
1. Lacorte/Patrese/Molina (ITA/ITA/ESP), Ferrari #47, 1.18.316 minutes
2. Muss/Agostini/Megennis (USA/ITA/USA), Ferrari #021, + 0.289 seconds
3. Hasse-Clot/McIntosh/van der Steur (FRA/USA/USA), Aston Martin #19, + 0.374 seconds
16. Adelson/Skeer/Sargent (USA/USA/AUS), Porsche 911 GT3 R #120, + 2.005 seconds
Full results and championship standings https://results.imsa.com.
