IMSA Road America: Albuquerque on pole, Bourdais crashes

Albuquerque initially moved to the top spot in the Daytona Prototype international class with a 1m49.303s lap, then improved to 1m48.955s as the only driver to duck under the 1m49s barrier.

“It just felt amazing,” the Portuguese said of his pole-winning lap, the first for WTR since Laguna Seca in May.

Alex Lynn responded with 1m49.097s in his Chip Ganassi Racing Cadillac, which was good for the outside of the front row in the #02 machine he'll share with Earl Bamber.

After taking pole for the last two IMSA races to feature DPi cars at Watkins Glen and Mosport, Tom Blomqvist had to settle for third in his Meyer Shank Racing Acura with a 1m49.984s lap, his late-running strategy compromised by a red flag caused by Bourdais.

With two minutes to go, the Frenchman dropped his #01 CGR Cadillac at the final corner, ploughed through the gravel at high speed and hit the tyre wall. He was unhurt, but will start last in the six-car class behind Richard Westbrook's JDC-Miller’s Cadillac and Oliver Pla’s Action Express version.

Steven Thomas set pole in LMP2 for PR1 Mathiasen Motorsports, a tenth clear of the sister car of Patrick Kelly.

Meanwhile the LMP3 pole was claimed by Malthe Jakobsen for Sean Creech Motorsport, almost three quarters of a second clear of Jarett Andretti (Andretti Autosport).

#14 VasserSullivan Lexus RC F GT3: Jack Hawksworth, Ben Barnicoat

Photo by: Jake Galstad / Motorsport Images

In GTD, pole switched hands several times between multiple manufacturers.

Frankie Montecalvo (VasserSullivan Lexus RC F) set the early pace with a laptime of 2m05.334s. Antonio Garcia took provisional pole away in his Chevrolet Corvette C8.R with 2m05.930s, then trimmed that down to 2m05.829s.

But in the closing moments, Pfaff Porsche driver Matt Campbell grabbed the top spot with 2m05.618s before VasserSullivan Lexus driver Jack Hawksworth snatched it with 2m05.365s, topping the session by a quarter of a second.

Campbell tried one last desperate attempt and was up on the Briton's eventual pole time before he spun at the final corner, potentially damaging the tyres with which he will have to start the race on.

There was also a huge moment for Alex Riberas’s Heart of Racing Aston Martin Vantage, who took a wild ride across the grass at the exit of The Kink.

Garcia will start third of the GTD Pro entries, ending the session almost half a second back, with GTD entrants Robby Foley (Turner BMW) and Montecalvo fourth and fifth.