- Heavy showers wash out GTP qualifying for Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen; grid set on championship points
- Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport #10 Acura ARX-06 to start third; Meyer Shank Racing #60 Acura to start eighth.
- Gradient Racing looking for strong run from 16th in GTD; Racers Edge Motorsports with WTRAndretti to start 19th
Heavy rains and unsuitable track conditions at Watkins Glen International Raceway led IMSA officials to cancel GTP qualifying today for the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen. With the grid set by championship points as a result, the #10 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06 of Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Louis Deletraz will start third.
The Meyer Shank Racing duo of Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun will line up eighth in their #60 Acura, despite being quickest in both practice sessions in the hands of Braun.
Acura NSX GT3 Evo22
Prior to the prototypes, the production-based GTD category was able to complete its 15-minute qualifying session in relatively dry conditions. Sheena Monk was the top-qualified Acura NSX GT3 Evo22, slotting her #66 machine 16th on the grid. Monk and her Gradient Racing co-drivers Katherine Legge and Marc Miller were rebounding from a fuel injection issue on Friday that took them out of the first practice session.
At Racers Edge with WTRAndretti, Ashton Harrison qualified her #93 Acura NSX GT3 Evo22 19th. Harrison and her co-drivers Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal will be looking to move forward during the six-hour endurance event.
Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen Acura Starting Positions & Qualifying Results
- 3rd overall - #10 Filipe Albuquerque, Ricky Taylor and Louis Deletraz, Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport Acura ARX-06
- 8th overall - #60 Tom Blomqvist and Colin Braun, Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06
- 16th GTD - #66 Sheena Monk, Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22. Co-drivers will be Katherine Legge and Marc Miller
- 19th GTD - #93 Ashton Harrison, Racers Edge Motorsports with WTRAndretti. Co-drivers will be Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal
Fast Facts
- Acura Motorsports has recorded six previous victories at Watkins Glen, including a 1-2 finish last year as the ARX-05s of Meyer Shank Racing and Wayne Taylor Racing (now Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport) battled through the closing laps. At the checkers, it was the #10 WTR Acura taking a narrow, 0.861-second victory over the sister #60 MSR ARX-05.
- Acura's first victories at Watkins Glen came with three consecutive Camel Lights class triumphs from 1991-93; and GTD class victories in 2017 and 2019.
- Acura is a three-time series champion in the premier prototype division since joining the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in 2018, claiming the Manufacturer, Driver and Team Daytona Prototype International (DPi) titles in 2019-20 and again in 2022 with the Acura ARX-05.
Quote
Colin Braun (#60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06) Will start 8th based on championship points: "Kinda disappointed we didn't get a chance to qualify. We had a really fast car in the dry, and I think we would've been equally fast in the wet. So our expectations were pretty high going into qualifying. We're really impressed with what Acura and HPD have done on the 'tools' side of the car to make it really quick and driveable. I'm sure IMSA made the decision [to cancel qualifying] based on things they could see and we could not. So it was a smart decision for the series, but man, I would've loved to have given it [qualifying] a shot, because we were definitely feeling good about our chances [for pole]."
Sheena Monk (#66 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT3 Evo22) Qualified 16th in GTD: "Of course, there's always things you want to improve or tweak, but I don't know that we could get the car working much better than it already is. From that standpoint, I don't feel badly about the way the weekend has gone. I was really happy with my pace after the second practice – which was my first time in the GT3 car here. I needed to figure out how this machine functions at a place where the top speed is as high as it is here. I kind of eased my way into it, I didn't get too many laps, but I knew what I needed to work on. And then the rain came just before we qualified. I felt like I just didn't have the confidence and didn't come to terms with a couple of the damp spots on the track and how to manage them and still make it through at speed. I wouldn't say it was the worst effort, but I definitely hoped for better since four of the cars in front of me I was faster than in practice. A little disappointing, but I'm still trying to learn what the Acura NSX wants – especially in mixed conditions."
Where to Watch the Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen
Flag-to-flag coverage from Watkins Glen will be available on NBC Peacock starting at 10:40 a.m. EDT Sunday. Live, network television coverage on the USA Network begins at 2 p.m. EDT and continues to the finish of the race.
Fans can listen to audio commentary via IMSA.com, RadioLeMans.com and Sirius XM Radio; and follow the race live via in-car cameras, IMSA Radio and timing & scoring available worldwide on IMSA.com and the IMSA mobile device App.
Acura Motorsports social media content and video links can be found on:
- Instagram (www.instagram.com/hondaracing_hpd)
- TikTok (www.tiktok.com/hondaracing_hpd)
- Twitter (www.twitter.com/HondaRacing_Hpd)
- Facebook (www.facebook.com/HondaRacingHPD)
- YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/HondaRacingHPDTV)
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