Road America’s New Surface Sends Records Tumbling in IMSA Qualifying; Offline Grip Remains a Question
Photo courtesy of IMSA
Given the grippy, new track surface at Elkhart Lake’s Road America, it’s no surprise track records fell in IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship qualifying Saturday.
Fastest in each of Friday’s two practice sessions, Pipo Derani lowered the IMSA track record in qualifying to win the Motul Pole Award for Sunday’s two-hour forty-minute race. Driving the Whelen Engineering Cadillac V-Series.R, Derani’s time of 1:47.730 bettered the previous track record set by Dane Cameron in 2019 of 1:48.715.
“It’s been, obviously, a very good weekend for Cadillac Racing. We unloaded from the truck with a very good car, but, obviously, with the field being so tight, like we’ve seen in every practice, we had to keep working hard for qualifying, and it showed how tight it is at the end of quali.”
But, as drivers have discovered during the weekend, the grip off the racing line is proving to be is not nearly as good. According to Derani, the championship leader in the GTP class heading to Road America, that makes winning the pole even more important.
‘It’s very important to be out front not only because it will be hard to overtake GT’s on the outside because it’s so slippery, but also in the moment we are in the championship, to be starting out front has a big impact, I would say. Back when I won the championship in 2021, it was decided on the minimum - one or two or three points, and so to be able to take these extra points home could mean something at the end of the championship.
“But, obviously, despite all that and despite being very important for us to start out front, you know how IMSA racing goes - sometimes it can slip out of your hands and sometimes you can control from the beginning to the end. A lot can happen during the race, but, obviously, the first half of the weekend has been going very well for us and to be able to prove that with a pole position prove that our results in practice with a pole position is very good. It means we are working in the right direction.”
Photo courtesy of IMSA
The slippery nature of the track offline will be a challenge for the GTP cars as they encounter slower traffic.
“Normally, we just expect the GT’s to do their line and we go around them. So, by going around them you’re putting yourself on a not so good part of the track. It’s going to be tricky, especially in the Carousel where we’ve seen quite a few guys go off this weekend by trying to overtake GT’s or just by being a foot wide in a quali sim or something.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how much grip builds up during the race as cars go by. I think in a few years time, as the track gets more used, then, obviously, the outside part of the track will improve, but since it’s so new, it’s going to be interesting for those watching from the outside.”
Photo courtesy of IMSA
Assuming he's the early race leader, it means Derani will be the first to encounter the slower GT cars.
“Yeah, obviously, being the first one, it’s like driving in the rain. You never know the braking zone so well and the guy behind you is using you as reference. Honestly, it depends on the situation. If you get behind, you can be a bit more careful and patient but if it comes to you need to go, so you don’t get overtaken, then, obviously, there are moments in the race when you have to take risks. That’s when things can go wrong, obviously, but we’re hoping we don’t get to that part.”
With five classes of cars laying down rubber during the race, will the racing line will widen out? Derani isn’t sure.
“It will really depend on how much rubber those tires put on the track. With the marbles, we don’t really know how the track will evolve, if it will create more marbles than before and if that’s the case, we won’t really be able to use the outside, or if you’re just going to add more real grip to the track which will then create more opportunity to overtake on the outside line. I think it’s something that is unknown to everyone and it’s more of a we have to see as we go. But, definitely something that is new to everyone and have to keep an eye out during the race to see how it develops so we can take advantage of it.”
Photo courtesy of IMSA
GTD pole winner, Madison Snow, also set a record in qualifying. His time of 2:03.291 was nearly two-second faster than the previous record set by Ben Keating, also in 2019. The driver of the Paul Miller Racing BMW M4 GT3 is doubtful the grip offline will get better during Sunday’s race.
“I like the track repave, it’s nice and smooth, but I think offline will keep getting worse and worse because online always gets better and better as the weekend rubbers in.”
LMP2 pole sitter, George Kurtz, also doesn’t believe the track will improve during the race.
“To me it feels like a dry line on a wet track. I don’t think it’s going to get any better and I think it’s going to be pretty difficult for the some of the faster cars to go around the GT cars. It’s just not an easy way to do that.”
18-year-old Chilean driver, Nico Pino, who put the Sean Creech Motorsports Ligier JS P320 on the LMP3 pole in track record time for the class at 1:57.930, agrees.
“It’s really greasy out there. It’ll take some time for the track to improve. You can see the grease when the sun hits the track. It’s pretty slippery but I think it will get better in time, but not for the race, unfortunately, especially with all the pickup on the things laying around.”
Sunday’s race takes the green flag at 10:10 am CDT
In Michelin Pilot Challenge qualifying, Robert Megennis won the Grand Sport class pole with a time of 2:14.920 in his Turner Motorsports BMW M4 GT4.
Harry Gottsacker’s lap of 2:17.249 in Bryan Herta Autosport’s Hyundai Elantra N TCR was good enough to earn the pole position in the Touring Car class.
Sunday’s 120-minute race is scheduled to start at 2:55 pm CDT.