Tom Blomqvist secured pole for the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing Acura ARX-06, clocking 1:14.674 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the Battle of the Bricks in qualifying on Saturday.
The Acura ARX-06, numbered 60, claimed pole position by a slim margin of 0.0301 seconds over Jack Aitken, the GTP points leader, in the No. 31 Cadillac of Action Express Racing.
Adverse local weather conditions led to the postponement and eventual cancellation of qualifying for the GTD and GTDPro classes in the TireRac.com Battle of the Bricks.
Despite earlier weather disruptions, conditions improved, allowing LMP2 and GTP vehicles to complete their sessions, setting the scene for IMSA’s concluding sprint race of the season.
Mike Shank announced to the press that, following Acura’s departure at year-end, his team would not participate in IMSA races. Instead, MSR plans to grow its presence in IndyCar with a three-car open-wheel lineup.
This event signifies Mike Shank’s 399th and 400th IMSA starts, while Blomqvist’s pole marks the first of the year for the No. 60 car.
Blomqvist said, “The car was tricky to drive,” and “I only really had one lap in it, just kind of had to hope and pray sort of thing that it would stick.”
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Blomqvist’s pole position is a significant achievement, especially given the team’s impending exit from IMSA, and it provides a sense of closure for the team as they prepare to transition to IndyCar.
Louis Deletraz secured sixth place for the No. 40 Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac, positioning it on the second row next to the No. 24 BMW.
The second Acura ARX-06 will begin from fifth place, 0.524 seconds behind the leading Acura, with the No. 7 Porsche Penske 963 being the quickest in its class, piloted by Julian Andlauer to sixth place.
In the LMP2 category, Jeremy Clark put the No. 43 Inter Europol Competition ORCA 07 Gibson on pole with a time of 1:17.555.
Mike Shank’s team is ending its IMSA program on a high note, with Blomqvist’s pole position a sign of their hard work and dedication.
They will now focus on their IndyCar program, which will feature a three-car team, and they are looking forward to the new challenge.
