Russell Ward saved his best for the very end to claim the Pole Award in GTD.
Ward wheeled the No. 57 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 around the circuit in 1:23.567, giving him and teammate Philip Ellis the top starting position in class for Sunday’s race.
“I had to keep the excitement going,” Ward joked as he celebrated afterward. “It was amazing. The guys gave us such a fast car. It’s our first time here with the GT3 car. We’ve got some really smart and talented guys, and they know how to set these things up and make them fast. Hats off to them. They did a perfect job.”
Jaden Conwright’s final lap of 1:23.777 moved him into the No. 2 starting position in the No. 42 NTE/SSR Lamborghini Huracán GT3. Conwright, the inaugural IMSA Diverse Driver Development scholarship recipient, is sharing the ride with Marco Holzer this weekend.
Robby Foley will start third in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 he’ll co-drive with Bill Auberlen after a lap of 1:23.821.