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CTMP IMSA: Braun takes emphatic pole in CORE Oreca

Colin Braun took pole position for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship round at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in his CORE autosport Oreca LMP2, recording two laps good enough for the top spot.

#54 CORE autosport ORECA LMP2, P: Jon Bennett, Colin Braun

#54 CORE autosport ORECA LMP2, P: Jon Bennett, Colin Braun

Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

#54 CORE autosport ORECA LMP2, P: Jon Bennett, Colin Braun
#6 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi, P: Dane Cameron, Juan Pablo Montoya
#85 JDC/Miller Motorsports ORECA 07, P: Simon Trummer, Robert Alon
#31 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi, P: Eric Curran, Felipe Nasr
#7 Acura Team Penske Acura DPi, P: Helio Castroneves, Ricky Taylor
#911 Porsche Team North America Porsche 911 RSR, GTLM: Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy
#4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R, GTLM: Oliver Gavin, Tommy Milner
#5 Action Express Racing Cadillac DPi, P: Joao Barbosa, Filipe Albuquerque
#15 3GT Racing Lexus RCF GT3, GTD: Jack Hawksworth, David Heinemeier Hansson

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

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