Yahoo Autos Megennis, Gottsacker capture record MPC poles at Road America
Robert Megennis fired off quickly in a two-lap sprint of IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Motul Pole Award qualifying in Grand Sport (GS), as part of a record-setting day at the freshly repaved 4.048-mile Road America road course.
After a brief red flag for a spin at the Kink, the GS competitors were able to return to the track inside the final four minutes of the 15-minute session. Megennis, in the No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 (G82), posted a lap of 2m14.920s that was a full 0.734s clear of second place.
The top five drivers in GS beat the previous GS pole lap record (2m16.096s in 2020), with the No. 95 Turner BMW getting their second pole of the year after Cameron Lawrence scored the pole at the Detroit street circuit.
The manufacturer variety was present with four different brands in the top four positions. BMW was followed by the No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS, the No. 56 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 and the No. 44 Accelerating Performance Aston Martin Vantage GT4.
The GS championship-leading No. 72 Murillo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT GT4 with co-drivers Kenny Murillo and Christian Szymczak rolls off from seventh place.
While parity reigned in GS, Hyundai dominated in Touring Car (TCR) qualifying with seven of 14 class entries — the Hyundai Elantra N the most populous chassis. It took until the seventh race at Road America, however, for the car to score its first pole of the season.
Harry Gottsacker, who shares the No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport Hyundai with Robert Wickens, will roll from the top spot with a lap of 2m17.249s — a new TCR pole lap record. The top 10 cars in class all beat the previous TCR pole lap mark (2m19.712s in 2019).
Gottsacker and Wickens enter Sunday’s two-hour Road America 120 race just 10 points behind teammates Mason Filippi and Mark Wilkins in the No. 98 BHA Hyundai.
Hyundais locked out four of the top five positions on the grid, with the only interloper Chris Miller in the No. 17 Unitronic/JDC Miller MotorSports Audi RS3 LMS in third.
The Road America 120 airs live on Peacock beginning at 3:55 p.m. ET on Sunday.
