- O’Connell, SKI Autosports Clinch Pole in SRO3 Class
- Grossberg, TPC Racing Quick in GT2
- Sherman, Rotek Racing Returns to the Top in GT4
- Unofficial Results
The GT America Powered by AWS field set off around Circuit of The Americas first thing on Saturday morning for their Qualifying session, with a 15-minute window to clock in their flying laps to set the grid for Race 1 taking place in the afternoon.
Johnny O’Connell secured the fastest lap time of the session to earn the ROWE Pole Position Award in the SRO3 class with a time of 2:06.430. Alan Grossberg was quick again in the GT2 class with a flying lap time of 2:15.107, while Isaac Sherman took the top spot once more in the GT4 class with a time of 2:15.348.
SRO3 Class
Johnny O’Connell was the one to catch in the SRO3 class, clocking in the best time of 2:06.430 on board his No. 3 SKI Autosports Audi R8 LMS GT3 to clinch pole position for Race 1. However, he did not go unchallenged, as Jason Daskalos came sweeping in on his final flying lap of the session to move closer to O’Connell, with a time of 2:06.471 leaving him with a gap of only 0.041 seconds off the top spot. He will be starting alongside O’Connell on the front row in second place in his No. 27 CRP Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3.
After two strong performances in the practice sessions the day prior, Justin Rothberg set the third-quickest time in Qualifying in his No. 29 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 with a lap time of 2:06.506, with the overall margins between the Top 3 qualifiers separated by only 0.076 seconds between them.
GT2 Class
With a lap time of 2:15.107, which he set on his second flying lap of the session, Alan Grossberg’s Qualifying time was one of his personal best laps of the weekend thus far, just narrowly behind his top time from Practice 1. He will be back in the mix in his No. 102 TPC Racing Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 later this afternoon.
GT4 Class
Isaac Sherman added yet another pole position to his tally this season in the GT4 class, finishing the Qualifying session with a best time of 2:15.348 in the No. 098 Rotek Racing Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, putting him at the front of the grid for Race 1. Gray Newell will be lining up alongside him in the No. 25 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 after Qualifying in second position with a time of 2:15.749.
The Top 3 was completed by Curt Swearingin in the No. 7 ACI Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport, who was just 0.102 seconds behind Newell’s time.
Let’s Get Racing
The GT America Powered by AWS field will return to the track for Race 1 on Saturday, May 18th at 3:25 PM CT.
If you can’t make it to Austin, be sure to tune-in to SRO’s free livestreams all weekend long on YouTube (GTWorld) and Twitch (SROMotorsports) and follow all the action through our social media channels and the event hashtag #GTCOTA.