Thompson Captures Third GTD Pole of Season for Vasser Sullivan
Pole position for a six-hour race isn’t necessarily essential to winning the race. But for Daniel Serra and Risi Competizione, it was important – especially when it’s a track record.
Serra’s lap of 1 minute, 44.203 seconds Saturday in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3 broke the track class record and guaranteed the Motul Pole Award in the Grand Touring Daytona Pro (GTD PRO) class for the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen International.
“It’s a six-hour race, so there is a lot to do tomorrow,” Serra said after landing the No. 1 spot in class and the 24th starting position overall for Sunday’s race. “But of course, it’s best to start in front. Track position is quite important, especially at this track. It’s quite difficult to overtake.”
Serra’s lap broke the track record for the GT classes set last year by Loris Spinelli. Serra and co-driver Davide Rigon will try to add to their victory in the Rolex 24 At Daytona in January when Sunday’s race starts at 11:10 a.m. ET.
The Risi crew made the proper changes to the Ferrari after the first two practice sessions, Serra said.
“The car was super; it was mega,” Serra gushed. “We made the correct changes from the morning session.”
While Serra was prevailing in GTD PRO, Parker Thompson was securing his third pole position of the season by claiming the top starting spot in GTD. He recorded a lap of 1:44.642 in the No. 12 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 around the 11-turn, 3.4-mile circuit.
“This is just the start,” said Thompson, who will share driving duties with Frankie Montecalvo and Aaron Telitz. “Vasser Sullivan and Lexus Racing gave me an absolute rocket. … We’ve got a job to finish. Obviously, it’s great. I’ve worn a couple of these pole hats this season, which is fantastic.”
Serra was followed to the GTD PRO pole by Alexander Sims, who will team with Antonio Garcia in the No. 3 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Ross Gunn had the third-fastest lap in class in the No. 23 Heart of Racing Team Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo he co-drives with Alex Riberas.
Onofrio Triarsi was second in GTD in the No. 023 Triarsi Competizione Ferrari he shares with Charles Scardina and Alessio Rovera. Mikael Grenier was third in the No. 32 Korthoff Preston Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 he co-drives with Mike Skeen and Kenton Koch.
Live coverage of Sunday’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen begins at 11 a.m. ET. USA Network will provide coverage from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with the entirety of the race streaming live on Peacock.
Quote: Daniel Serra, qualifying driver, No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 296 GT3:
“I’m very happy after qualifying. It’s amazing to be on pole. A big thank you to the team. The car was super nice to drive. This track is amazing for qualifying. You need a lot of commitment and we could push a lot because the car was amazing and I had a lot of confidence. The track changed a lot from this morning, but I think they did the correct changes on the set up. Now we see what happens tomorrow.”
