Honda Now Has Six-Pack of Poles with Pasquarella Leading TCR Field for IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Penultimate Race
By Tony DiZinno
INDIANAPOLIS – The Heart of Racing Team’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT4 EVO continued its run of form in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying, ahead of Saturday’s two-hour Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120.
Hannah Greenemeier scored her second (Canadian Tire Motorsport Park), and the team’s fourth, pole in Grand Sport (GS) this season aboard the No. 26 Aston Martin she shares with Hannah Grisham. It’s also the team’s fourth pole in the last five races, interrupted only at VIRginia International Raceway.
Greenemeier set her best lap of 1 minute, 29.351 seconds (98.268 mph) on her fifth of eight tours around IMS’ 2.439-mile, 14-turn road course as she and Grisham prepare to improve upon a best finish of sixth this season.
“It was a good lap,” Greenemeier said. “It was one of those, everyone went for a push lap, then a cooldown, so had to conserve tire pressures and temps. I got the peak of the tire. Super thankful for the team, Heart of Racing and Aston Martin, and want to convert it into a win. It’s our fourth pole this year… so (we hope) fourth time’s the charm!
“The team has been working great. Everyone’s fired on all cylinders. But we’ve had no luck in the races. Maybe today the racing gods look down on us! The results will come.”
Finn Wiebelhaus, in his second start in the championship-contending No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing Ford Mustang GT4 he shares with Robert Noaker, qualified second and 0.240 of a second in arrears. KOHR Motorsports’ No. 60 Ford, which made the podium at IMS last year in third, will start from third with Evan Slater qualifying and Mike Skeen due to finish.
The championship-leading No. 95 Turner Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO will roll from 17th, with Dillon Machavern qualifying and Luca Mars due to finish.
TCR: New Lap Record, Pole for Pasquarella
In Touring Car (TCR), Honda banked its sixth pole of the year courtesy of Rocco Pasquarella in the No. 5 KMW Motorsports w/TMR Engineering Honda Civic FL5 TCR. Pasquarella’s third pole in his first season matches the number achieved by LP Montour in the No. 93 MMG Honda, who won three straight at Watkins Glen International, CTMP and Road America.
Pasquarella’s pole time of 1 minute, 30.950 seconds (96.540 mph) is a new lap record and one of two TCR drivers beating the previous mark set in 2023 of 1:31.076. Pasquarella beat Montour by just 0.009 of a second in one of the tighter Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying sessions in recent memory.
“Overall happy to get pole; there was definitely more in that lap, but I backed off a little bit to get a better gap,” Pasquarella said. “It’s Honda 1-2, so pretty good finish for them. It’d be pretty cool to kiss the bricks. Can’t be mad about getting pole! The driver wanted more, but still a pretty good lap.
“Track position in Pilot Challenge is the name of the game here,” he added. “All the races we’ve won or podiumed has been from last – so unsure if that’s a correlation! But you can control the pace from the front. You are also the first car to get to the GS field as well. I like a clear track in front of me.”
The No. 77 Stallion Motorsports with GOU Cupra Leon VZ TCR of Celso Neto qualified third with new co-driver Jenson Brickley, one spot ahead of the championship leading No. 33 Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian Hyundai Elantra N TCR of Mason Filippi and Bryson Morris.
Saturday’s Indianapolis Motor Speedway 120 goes green at 2:30 p.m. ET, with live streaming on Peacock and ad-free, courtesy of Michelin, on IMSA’s Official YouTube channel.