Harward Snatches Race 1 Pole in Sebring
Jason Harward will start on pole position for Race 1 of the GT America powered by AWS at Sebring International Raceway.
The driver of the colourful #88 Zelus Motorsports Lamborghini Huracán GT3 got the pole as the chequered flag fell in the 15-minute time trial session. Harward’s best lap of 2’02.320 was enough to get the top time of the session, his second time to lead a qualifying session this year.
Scott Smithson (#08 Qelo Capital/DXDT Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3) was the second-fastest driver in the session, but he and DXDT Racing team mate David Askew (#63) will bow out of GT America proceedings after qualifying.
That gives the outside of the front row in the SRO3 class to the #04 CrowdStrike with Riley Motorsports AMG GT3 of championship leader, George Kurtz. If he finishes where he starts today, he will clinch the SRO3 Championship with three races remaining.
The #70 MISHUmotors Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R of Mirco Schultis will start third, followed by the #191 TR3 Racing Lamborghini of Jeff Burton, and the #27 Daskalos Motorsports Audi R8 LMS Ultra of Jason Daskalos.
24 hours ago, it looked like Moisey Uretsky’s slim hopes of fighting back in the GT4 championship were dashed after a heavy front-end crash in the first practice session.
However, the Accelerating Performance team put in a phenomenal effort to repair his #55 Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 by the afternoon.
Today, Uretsky repaid the efforts of his team with a GT4 class pole position for Race 1. His best lap of 2’12.142 was enough to knock off the veteran Andy Pilgrim from the top spot.
Pilgrim will start second in the GT4 group in the #3 Regal Racing/Bartone Bros. Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport MR.
Uretsky has a chance to gain back some of his 36 point deficit to championship leader Jason Bell and turn an expected four-way fight for the title into a five-way battle.
Elias Sabo (#8 Flying Lizard Motorsports Vantage GT4) was third-quickest, but will serve a ten-place grid penalty in Race 1 due to penalty points accrued in Race 2 at Road America. That moves Adam Adelson (#120 Premier Racing Cayman RS Clubsport), who is fourth in points, up to the inside of the second row of the GT4 grid – next to Ross Chouest (#50 Chouest Povoledo Racing Vantage GT4), who is second in points, just two behind Bell.
The #2 GMG Racing Vantage GT4 of Bell will start seventh, and Robb Holland (#99 Rotek Racing Cayman RS) will start ninth after his struggles for pace in Practice carried over into Qualifying.
Anthony Bartone (#427 Regal Racing Cayman MR) has changed chassis after a transmission failure suffered in practice, and Custodio Toledo (#35 Conquest Racing Mercedes-AMG GT4) has a new engine. Both drivers were able to complete their qualifying sessions without any issues.
The first of two 40-minute, multi-class sprint races begins later today at 12:10 PM EDT.
Images © Brian Cleary / SRO Motorsports Group America
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