Clarke Secures Mosport Pole Thriller

Jeremy Clarke produced a superb late qualifying lap to claim pole position for the IMSA Chevrolet Grand Prix at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, edging out Misha Goikhberg in a dramatic LMP2 session that went down to the final seconds.

The Inter Europol Competition driver stopped the clocks at 1:07.904 around the fast and unforgiving 2.459-mile, 10-turn Mosport circuit, securing his fourth career IMSA pole position and his first at the iconic Canadian venue. However, qualifying drama continued after the chequered flag, as AO Racing’s #99 ORECA was relegated to the rear of the LMP2 grid following a technical infringement discovered during post-session scrutineering.

Elsewhere, Paul Miller Racing’s Neil Verhagen delivered another commanding GTD Pro pole for BMW, while championship leader Eduardo ‘Dudu’ Barrichello overcame an early pit lane delay to secure GTD pole for Heart of Racing.

Clarke prevails in thrilling LMP2 battle

LMP2 qualifying developed into an engrossing three-way contest between Jeremy Clarke, PJ Hyett and Misha Goikhberg, with the order changing repeatedly throughout the 15-minute session.

AO Racing’s Hyett initially established the benchmark with a lap of 1:08.376, only for Clarke to immediately respond with a 1:08.224 effort. Hyett then reclaimed provisional pole with a 1:08.186, while Goikhberg entered the fight by climbing to second position in the Bryan Herta Autosport with PR1/Mathiasen ORECA.

Goikhberg elected to pit for fresh Michelin tyres midway through the session, gambling on one final flying lap, while Hyett remained on circuit attempting to improve his existing benchmark. Clarke returned to the top with less than two minutes remaining thanks to a 1:08.019, before the decisive final runs unfolded.

As the clock reached zero, Clarke extracted even more pace from the #43 Inter Europol Competition machine, lowering the benchmark to 1:07.904. Goikhberg also improved but ultimately finished 0.173 seconds adrift, while Hyett secured third on the road.

Clarke was understandably delighted after climbing from the cockpit.

“That’s a fantastic run. That was so fun. The car was amazing. These guys worked so hard to get that car set up, and it was flawless.”

The celebrations for AO Racing were short-lived, however. Following post-qualifying technical inspection, IMSA officials determined that the #99 ORECA failed to meet the minimum height requirement for components located ahead of the front axle. As a result, the car was demoted to the rear of the LMP2 field, promoting every competitor behind it up one position.

Verhagen continues Mosport mastery

Neil Verhagen reinforced his reputation as one of the quickest GT drivers around Canadian Tire Motorsport Park by claiming consecutive GTD Pro pole positions at the circuit.

The Paul Miller Racing BMW driver produced a blistering 1:14.382, nearly half a second quicker than the rest of the field when he first set the benchmark with under two minutes remaining.

Despite late improvements from his rivals, nobody could dislodge the BMW from the top of the timesheets.

Verhagen admitted his affection for the high-speed Canadian circuit played a major role in another standout qualifying performance.

“Two times here, two times pole, so I guess there’s something special with me and this track here. I just love this track; the high speed, the commitment. It’s so much fun.”

Max Esterson delivered an excellent performance for RLL Team McLaren, placing the #59 McLaren 720S GT3 Evo second, 0.185 seconds behind the BMW.

Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports locked out the second row, with Alexander Sims narrowly edging teammate Nicky Catsburg, while Scott Andrews completed the top five for CarBahn.

Barrichello overcomes delay for GTD pole

The GTD session produced its own drama before a competitive lap had even been completed.

Heart of Racing’s Eduardo Barrichello was held in the pit lane for the opening five minutes of the 15-minute qualifying session, significantly reducing his available running time. Nevertheless, the Brazilian needed only a handful of laps to produce a session-best 1:15.130, securing his second pole position of the season.

Barrichello admitted the enforced delay felt considerably longer from inside the cockpit.

“Oh, the longest five minutes of my life. I had good fun. The car was mega and I’m super happy to be sharing the car with Roman (De Angelis), especially at his home race. It’s super special.”

DXDT Racing’s Mason Filippi impressed on his GT3 qualifying debut, placing the #36 Corvette Z06 GT3.R second, just 0.243 seconds behind the Aston Martin.

Filippi described the session as one of the most enjoyable experiences of his racing career.

“It’s my first time ever qualifying in GT3, and it was a lot of fun… probably the most fun I’ve had in a race car ever.”

Benjamin Pedersen completed the GTD top three aboard the Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, ahead of Russell Ward’s Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG.

Qualifying highlights

Top 10 overall starting order*

*Following post-qualifying scrutineering, AO Racing’s #99 ORECA was moved to the rear of the LMP2 grid for failing to meet the minimum ride-height requirement ahead of the front axle. All other inspected cars were found to be compliant.

With championship battles tightening across every class, Sunday’s Chevrolet Grand Prix promises to be one of the most significant races of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season. Clarke will lead the prototype field into Turn 1, while Verhagen and Barrichello will each attempt to convert pole position into valuable victories that could prove decisive in their respective title campaigns.