DiMeo, Holbrook, Pelletier take Mid-Ohio TC, TCA, TCB poles

Michael DiMeo, of Toronto, Shea Holbrook, of Groveland, Fla., and Chase Pelletier, of Brampton, Ontario have captured the TC, TCA and TCB pole positions for the Pirelli World Challenge Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge Presented by StopTech, Round 9 of the season.DiMeo, driving the No. 71 Grand Alarms Honda Civic Si, snatched the pole near the end of the 12-minute session with a lap of 1:34.810. The pole is DiMeo’s sixth this season in Touring Car.

Second was Round 8 winner Adam Poland, of Mt. Vernon, Texas, in the No. 11 Texas Track Works/Eastex Motorsports Mazda MX-5 at 1:34.936. Third was Round 7 winner Steven Doherty, of Plainfield, Ill., in the No. 94 Nissan/GT Academy/Skullcandy Nissan Altima Coupe at 1:35.692. 

In TCA, Holbrook, in the No. 67 TRUECar/Lucas Oil/Radium Honda Civic Si, secured a pivotal fifth pole of the season at 1:38.093. She looks to take the championship lead this weekend.

Second was Ernie Francis Jr., of Dania, Fla., in the No. 98 Breathless Performance Mazda MX-5 at 1:38.235. Third was Jason Cherry, of Gambrills, Md., in the No. 13 Autism Society of America/Avpro/Purposeful Architecture Mazda MX-5 at 1:39.143. Points leader and local driver Jason Wolfe, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, in the No. 36 Wolfe Trucking Kia Forte Koup, will have to come from fourth after qualifying at 1:39.452. 

Pelletier has taken his first career TCB pole position in the Garrett Racing/Drive4Diabetes entry, the No. 12 ADA/Lilly Diabetes/American Honda Honda Fit.

With a lap of 1:47.987, Pelletier set a new track record by nearly four full tenths of a second over the previous mark set last year by Francis Jr. (1:48.380).

Track veteran John Heinricy of Clarkston, Mich. clocked in second in the No. 35 Matick Chevrolet Chevrolet Sonic (1:48.028), in both his and the car’s first Pirelli World Challenge start of 2014. Brian Price, of Middletown, Va., was third in the No. 51 Unlimited Racing/RP Performance Honda Fit at 1:48.419. 

Of note, Road America race winners Glenn Nixon and Paul Holton qualified sixth and seventh, with Leo Parente clocking in at a 1:52.144 in the charity No. 00 FIAT 500. 

Tonight’s first TC, TCA and TCB race of the weekend, Round 9 of the season, will begin with live streaming on www.world-challengetv.com at 5:05 p.m. ET. The lights will go out from a standing start at 5:15 p.m. for a 40-minute race.