Third Of 2016 WeatherTech Championship For WestbrookBleekemolen Takes TOTAL Pole Award In GTD For Viper’s Final RaceTwo GT Le Mans (GTLM) poles in 2016 just weren’t enough, so Richard Westbrook made it three during Friday’s qualifying for the Petit Le Mans presented by Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort at Road Atlanta.The Brit secured his trifecta thanks to a record-setting lap of 1:18.131 (117.0 mph) around the 2.54-mile, 12-turn circuit in the No. 67 Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GT during the 15-minute qualifying session.The third pole for Westbrook was the fifth of the year for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing, with co-driver Ryan Briscoe taking the pole at Circuit of The Americas and Dirk Mueller putting the team’s Le Mans-winning No. 66 entry on the pole at Road America earlier in the year.Westbrook and Briscoe, joined by four-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon, head into the finale trailing GTLM points leaders Oliver Gavin and Tommy Milner by 11 points, 314-303, with only 10 hours of racing remaining. Milner, who will also be joined by Marcel Fassler, struggled in qualifying, taking seventh on the GTLM grid in the No. 4 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R.“It’s a show of intention, how we’re going to attack the race, and we’re just going to try to keep it at the front,” Westbrook said. “It’s all we can do. At Petit Le Mans, you can have a good car during the day but all that matters is what you have at night. (The championship) is a longshot, but it’s our intention to keep our car at the front and give us the best chance of winning. But honestly, whoever wins the championship, they thoroughly deserved it. It’s been a great fight with the No. 4 car all year and we’re going to try to take it to the end.”Starting second in GTLM will be the No. 3 Corvette Racing Chevrolet Corvette C7.R in the hands of Antonio Garcia. The Spaniard posted a time of 118.283 (116.8 mph). He and co-drivers Jan Magnussen and Mike Rockenfeller enter the race looking for a second victory of the season for the No. 3 car.Toni Vilander qualified third in GTLM with a best lap of 118.294 (116.7 mph) in the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE. He and co-driver Giancarlo Fisichella, also joined by James Calado, are looking for their first victory of the season.Bleekemolen Captures TOTAL Pole Award For Viper’s Final RaceWhen it comes to qualifying, Jeroen Bleekemolen saved the best for last, as the driver from the Netherlands gave the GTD TOTAL Pole Award to both himself and Riley Motorsports for the final race of the year.Bleekemolen posted a record-breaking lap of 1:21.305 (112.4 mph) in the No. 33 Riley Motorsports ViperExchange.com / Cruising with the Monkey Dodge Viper GT3-R he will share with co-drivers Ben Keating and Marc Miller.“It was good to give the Viper a great farewell in its last qualifying session for an international sports car race,” Bleekemolen said. “It wasn’t the toughest qualifying I’ve done. The car was great. I just keptpushing on the car. I pulled out a good lap and now we can focus on tomorrow’s race.” Bleekemolen and Keating enter the finale second in the standings and mathematically eligible for the title. Scuderia Corsa’s Christina Nielsen and Alessando Balzan hold a 32-point lead over the Viper drivers (299-267), and clinch the championship when Nielsen drives the required three hours necessary to score points. Nielsen qualified fourth in the No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3.Porsches took the next two positions. Matt McMurry will start second after a lap of 1:21.765 (111.8 mph) in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT3 R co-driven by Joerg Bergmeister and 2015 Petit Le Mans GTD winner Patrick Lindsey. Mario Farnbacher will start third, with a lap of 1:21.898 (111.6 mph) in the No. 23 Alex Job Racing/Team Seattle Porsche co-driver by Alex Riberas and Ian James.NOTEBOOKIn GTLM, the five fastest qualifiers were all under Nick Tandy’s track record of 1:18.350 (116.7 mph), set in 2014. In GTD, the eight fastest qualifiers were all under James Davison’s track record of 1:22.254 (111.2 mph), set in 2014.Patrick Pilet, Nick Tandy and Richard Lietz – the defending overall and GTLM class winners of the Petit Le Mans – will start 10th in the class sharing the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR. While the trio won last year’s event that was shortened due to heavy rain, Saturday’s forecast calls for sunny skies with temperatures in the low 80s.Sunday’s on-track activities begin with a 20-minute warm-up at 8:40 a.m. ET. Petit Le Mans will be streamed live from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports Go with FS1 authentication. Live television coverage begins from 11 a.m.- noon ET on FS1, resuming from 2:30-6 p.m. on FS2. There will be a three-hour highlight program on FS1 on Monday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. ET.