CTMP IMSA: Braun takes emphatic pole in CORE Oreca

In the 15-minute session, Braun – who topped every practice session this weekend – laid down the gauntlet immediately with 1m06.616s, then set 1m06.484s, before unleashing a lap of 1m06.315s.

Braun also set pole in the previous round at Watkins Glen, but the team elected to start from the back of the Prototype grid with teammate Jon Bennett taking the first stint.

“It’s a testament to these CORE guys,” said Braun. “This car is just a blast to drive around here, probably my favorite racetrack. The car is efficient, it’s a great platform, but we’re a single-car team, and we’re building on that every race weekend. It’s only our fifth race with the car, and my dad is engineering this thing!”

Braun's closest rival was Dane Cameron in the #6 Penske-run Acura DPi, who got within 0.225s with a 1m06.540s.

Robert Alon, who has impressed all weekend, put a second Oreca LMP2 in the top three positions with a lap of 1m06.841s for JDC-Miller Motorsports. Renger van der Zande was the quickest of the Cadillacs for Wayne Taylor Racing in fourth, just pipping Jonathan Bomarito in the #55 Mazda.

Helio Castroneves was sixth fastest in the second of the Acuras, ahead of Sebastian Saavedra (AFS/PR1 Mathiasen Ligier) and Ryan Dalziel in the sole ESM Nissan.

In GTLM, Nick Tandy produced a stunning 1m13.517s lap, setting two laps good enough for class pole in Porsche 911 RSR #911. 

“It’s good we can bring our tires up to temperature quickly,” said Tandy. “I’m sure we won’t have such an advantage over a long run. It’s been a good day for England, what with the World Cup and F1 results today. Hopefully we’ll stay in front.”

Ryan Briscoe grabbed second in his Chip Ganassi-run Ford GT, three tenths off Tandy’s pace with a 1m13.844s, ahead of the first of the Chevrolet Corvettes of Jan Magnussen.

A ragged Laurens Vanthoor was only fourth quickest in Porsche #912, over four tenths off the time of the pole-winning sister car. Oliver Gavin qualified the #4 Corvette in fifth, ahead of the BMWs of Jesse Krohn and Alexander Sims.

Joey Hand was slowest of the class runners in the #66 Ford GT which won at Watkins Glen, after reporting an issue with the left-front corner of his car and pulling into the pits.

In GTD, Jack Hawksworth took class pole in his 3GT Racing Lexus RC F, his 1m15.581s beating teammate Dominik Baumann by 0.439s.

“We knew this would be a track that suited us, it feels like this track is almost designed for us,” said Hawksworth. “I had a really good feeling, and the speed came really easily. It’s a fun track on low fuel and new tires. I think we’ve got a great chance in the race.”

Bryan Sellers qualified third in his Paul Miller Racing Lamborghini Huracan, a further three tenths back.

Qualifying results:

Pos	#	Driver	Class	Chassis	Time	Gap
1	54	Jon Bennett    Colin Braun	P	ORECA LMP2	1'06.315
2	6	Juan Pablo Montoya    Dane Cameron	P	Acura DPi	1'06.540	0.225
3	85	Simon Trummer    Robert Alon	P	ORECA LMP2	1'06.841	0.526
4	10	Jordan Taylor    Renger van der Zande	P	Cadillac DPi	1'07.093	0.778
5	55	Harry Tincknell    Jonathan Bomarito	P	Mazda DPi	1'07.109	0.794
6	7	Helio Castroneves    Ricky Taylor	P	Acura DPi	1'07.272	0.957
7	52	Gustavo Yacaman    Sebastian Saavedra	P	Ligier LMP2	1'07.276	0.961
8	22	Pipo Derani    Ryan Dalziel	P	Nissan DPi	1'07.524	1.209
9	77	Oliver Jarvis    Tristan Nunez	P	Mazda DPi	1'07.684	1.369
10	99	Mikhail Goikhberg    Stephen Simpson	P	ORECA LMP2	1'07.827	1.512
11	5	Christian Fittipaldi    Filipe Albuquerque	P	Cadillac DPi	1'08.009	1.694
12	31	Eric Curran    Felipe Nasr	P	Cadillac DPi	1'08.168	1.853
13	911	Nick Tandy    Patrick Pilet	GTLM	Porsche 911 RSR	1'13.517	7.202
14	67	Ryan Briscoe    Richard Westbrook	GTLM	Ford GT	1'13.831	7.516
15	3	Jan Magnussen    Antonio Garcia	GTLM	Corvette C7.R	1'13.934	7.619
16	912	Earl Bamber    Laurens Vanthoor	GTLM	Porsche 911 RSR	1'13.955	7.640
17	4	Oliver Gavin    Tommy Milner	GTLM	Corvette C7.R	1'14.080	7.765
18	24	John Edwards    Jesse Krohn	GTLM	BMW M8 GTE	1'14.100	7.785
19	25	Connor de Phillippi    Alexander Sims	GTLM	BMW M8 GTE	1'14.213	7.898
20	66	Joey Hand    Dirk Müller	GTLM	Ford GT	1'14.228	7.913
21	15	David Heinemeier Hansson   Jack Hawksworth	GTD	Lexus RC F GT3	1'15.581	9.266
22	14	Kyle Marcelli    Dominik Baumann	GTD	Lexus RC F GT3	1'16.020	9.705
23	48	Bryan Sellers    Madison Snow	GTD	Lamborghini Huracan GT3	1'16.386	10.071
24	33	Jeroen Bleekemolen    Ben Keating	GTD	Mercedes-AMG GT3	1'16.417	10.102
25	16	Wolf Henzler    Michael Schein	GTD	Porsche 911 GT3 R	1'16.545	10.230
26	86	Alvaro Parente    Katherine Legge	GTD	Acura NSX GT3	1'16.554	10.239
27	96	Bill Auberlen    Robby Foley	GTD	BMW M6 GT3	1'16.707	10.392
28	58	Patrick Long    Christina Nielsen	GTD	Porsche 911 GT3 R	1'16.887	10.572
29	63	Jeff Segal    Cooper MacNeil	GTD	Ferrari 488 GT3	1'17.027	10.712
30	93	Justin Marks    Lawson Aschenbach	GTD	Acura NSX GT3	1'17.603	11.288
31	44	Andy Lally    John Potter	GTD	Audi R8 LMS GT3	1'17.610	11.295