Makowiecki Becomes 13th Different GTLM Pole Winner In 13 Races

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Considered by many to be the most competitive GT class in the world, the GT Le Mans (GTLM) class in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship witnessed its 13th different pole winner in 13 TUDOR Championship races Friday during qualifying for the 63rd Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida.

 

Frederic Makowiecki extended a streak dating back to qualifying for the 2014 Rolex 24 At Daytona – the inaugural TUDOR Championship event – driving the No. 912 Porsche North America Porsche 911 RSR to the pole with a lap of one minute, 58.587 seconds (113.537 mph) on his final circuit of the 15-minute session. He will start alongside teammate Patrick Pilet in the 12-hour race that also is the second round of the Tequila Patrón North American Endurance Cup (FOX Sports 1, 10:30 a.m. ET).

 

“The grip was really low, and we took a long time to get grip, so that is why we did a lot of laps,” said Makowiecki. “We are trying to get the same result as the (No.) 912 last year with the pole and winning the race. It’s great so far for the team. We started the weekend with a little issue with the car, but the team is working hard and working really well.”

 

Also saving his best lap for last was Pilet, who followed his teammate to the front row in the final minute in the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR. His time of 1:58.806 (113.328 mph), while 0.219 seconds behind Makowiecki, bested the Rolex 24-winning No. 3 Corvette Racing Corvette C7.R of Antonio Garcia, 1:58.828 (113.307 mph).

 

The No. 25 BMW Team RLL BMW Z4 GTLM of Dirk Werner, 1:58.842 (113.293 mph), and the No. 62 Risi Competizione Ferrari F458 Italia of Pierre Kaffer, 1:58.927 (113.212 mph), made it four different manufacturers in the top five positions. The top-seven cars were separated by less than 0.9 seconds.

 

Bleekemolen Beats Trio Of Porsches For TOTAL Pole Award In GTD

For the first time in six TUDOR United SportsCar Championship races dating back to July of 2014, someone other than James Davison will start from the pole in the GT Daytona (GTD) class. Jeroen Bleekemolen drove the No. 33 TI Automotive/Riley Motorsports Dodge Viper SRT GT3-R to the top spot in TOTAL Pole Award qualifying Friday for the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh From Florida, beating a trio of Porsches with a lap of 2:03.485 (109.033 mph).

 

After a string of five consecutive pole positions, Davison will roll off the grid fifth in TRG-AMR’s No. 007 Aston Martin V12 Vantage.

 

Bleekemolen and the No. 23 Team Seattle/Alex Job Racing Porsche 911 GT America of Mario Farnbacher swapped the top spot five times throughout the 15-minute session before Bleekemolen posted the time to beat with three minutes remaining. Farnbacher settled for second, just 0.053 seconds off the pole, at 2:03.538 (108.987 mph).

 

“We knew Alex Job was going to be strong because they tested here,” said Bleekemolen, who earned his second TOTAL Pole Award in the TUDOR Championship. “They had some lap times that were incredibly fast. It turned out to be a fight between me and them. I heard Mario did a great lap and I had to find three-tenths and I didn’t think that was going to work. We got a great lap together and beat him by half a tenth.”

 

Spencer Pumpelly will lead an all-Porsche second row after posting a lap of 2:04.106 (108.488 mph) in the No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche 911 GT America, joined by Leh Keen’s Weather Tech Racing Porsche 911 GT America, 2:04.339 (108.285 mph).

 

Flag-to-flag coverage of the Twelve Hours of Sebring begins at 10:30 a.m. ET on FOX Sports 1; FOX Sports 2, 12:30 -7 p.m.; IMSA.com, 7-10 p.m.; and FOX Sports 2, 10-11 p.m. A two-hour special highlights show will be aired on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, March 22, from 8-10 a.m.

Adam Sinclair
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