Skeer Hurries To VIR Pole

Subtitle:Title Contender Puts Down Track-Record Lap In Shortened Session

DANVILLE, Va. (Aug. 21, 2015) – Championship contender Elliott Skeer won the pole for Round 11 of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama on Friday, Aug. 21 at VIRginia International Raceway, topping a truncated qualifying session.

Skeer, from Carlsbad, California, led with a track-record lap of 1 minute, 51.044 seconds in the No. 14 Wright Motorsports Porsche in sweltering conditions with air temperatures in the low 90s and high humidity. A crash by Stephen Tullman in the No. 69 Tullman Walker Racing Porsche halted the session, scheduled for 20 minutes, after 11 minutes. Tullman was unhurt.

The incident forced an early end to qualifying, with the field never re-entering the 17-turn. 3.27-mile circuit.

Skeer enters this crucial weekend for the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)-sanctioned Single-Make Series three points behind Platinum Cup leader Jesse Lazare, trailing 154-151. Three events are scheduled, with Round 11 at 8:50 a.m. (ET) Saturday, Aug. 22, Round 12 at 9:20 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23 and the rescheduled Round 4 at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. All three rounds are 45 minutes each and will be streamed live on imsa.com.

“The team, we put a lot of work in since Road America to rebound from that weekend, and I think it shows so far this weekend,” Skeer said. “We’ve all been on point and working as a team together. This one goes out to them that we’ve been able to rebound like this.

“Pole is important here. There are only two or three – three, if you’re lucky – places to pass around here. I’m very happy and very grateful the pole came my way. Usually you take the first two laps easy and build some heat in the tires. That gets a little risky if something happens like this. I put one lap down that I was happy with, and I was backing off that lap (when accident occurred) to go for another. I’m very happy I was able to put in one solid lap.”

Angel Benitez Jr., from Miami, qualified second at 1:51.147 in the No. 05 JDX Racing Porsche. Benitez led the morning practice at 1:51.144.

Lazare, from Montreal, qualified third at 1:51.287 in the No. 21 Kelly-Moss Motorsports Porsche. He was quickest in the afternoon practice at 1:51.217.

Michael Schein, from New York, was fourth at 1:51.893 in the No. 16 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Andrew Longe, from Naples, Florida, rounded out the top five at 1:51.923 in the No. 47 Fall-Line Motorsports Porsche.

Platinum Masters championship leader Kasey Kuhlman, from Cincinnati, was the top qualifier in that class at 1:52.058 in the No. 15 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Reigning Platinum Masters champion Kuhlman will start sixth overall in Round 11.

“I always try to get decent laps in early,” Kuhlman said. “You want to start up front here because it is so hard to pass. In qualifying here, you want to get it done quick because the cars spread out, and you’ll catch lap traffic in qualifying, and then you’re lap is shot. This is the place you want to get out, get it done and get in and preserve your tires.”

Gold Cup and Gold Masters championship leader Jeff Mosing will continue his quest for titles in both classes from the pole in Round 11. Mosing, from Austin, Texas, led with a track-record lap of 1:53.966 in the No. 01 TOPP Racing Porsche.

“For whatever reason, I’m really fortunate that I tend to shine in the first couple of laps and then peter off after that,” Mosing said. “I was able to put my head down and get a good lap in in the first couple of laps. It was surprising I had a 53.9. I didn’t think we had it for the afternoon.

“Hats off to (TOPP Racing owner) Todd Opperman. They nailed the setup for me. I just went out and did what I could do and just put the laps down. It was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks again to Yokohama and Porsche Motorsports North America for putting on such a great series."

Sebastian Landy, from Falls Church, Virginia, was right behind Mosing at 1:54.149 in the No. 49 Champ 1 Motorsport Porsche.

POST-QUALIFYING QUOTES:

ELLIOTT SKEER (No. 14 Wright Motorsports, pole, Platinum Cup): “Qualifying is important here. The team, we put a lot of work in since Road America to rebound from that weekend, and I think it shows so far this weekend. We’ve all been on point and working as a team together. This one goes out to them that we’ve been able to rebound like this. Pole is important here. There are only two or three – three, if you’re lucky – places to pass around here. I’m very happy and very grateful the pole came my way. Usually you take the first two laps easy and build some heat in the tires. That gets a little risky if something happens like this. I put one lap down that I was happy with, and I was backing off that lap (when accident occurred) to go for another. Right as we were coming off the last corner, they called the red (flag), and we dove in (to the pits). I’m very happy I was able to put in one solid lap.”

KASEY KUHLMAN (No. 15 Wright Motorsports, top qualifier, Platinum Masters): “I always try to get decent laps in early. I don’t usually play around and throw away two laps like some of the guys up front did today. When the red flag came out, I was hard on the gas in Hog Pen, on a great lap. But I saw the flag, so I had to dip in the pits. I needed two more laps. I was still coming up. You want to start up front here because it is so hard to pass. In qualifying here, you want to get it done quick because the cars spread out, and you’ll catch lap traffic in qualifying, and then you’re lap is shot. This is the place you want to get out, get it done and get in and preserve your tires.”

JEFF MOSING (No. 01 TOPP Racing, pole, Gold Cup/Gold Masters): “For whatever reason, I’m really fortunate that I tend to shine in the first couple of laps and then peter off after that, so with the short qualifying in here and Conti also, I knew it wasn’t a big issue. I was able to put my head down and get a good lap in in the first couple of laps. It was surprising I had a (1:) 53.9. I didn’t think we had it for the afternoon. And hats off to (Sebastian) Landy and all those guys. (Todd) Opperman went over there to help put the car back together so they can race with us tomorrow, so I’m really looking forward to that. Surprising the car and tires reacted pretty well to the heat. I’ve seen tracks really drop off during the day. We did see some of that here, but as soon as the afternoon sun was heading away from us, the track just got better even though it was rubbered in. So again hats off to Todd Opperman. They nailed the setup for me. I just went out and did what I could do and just put the laps down. It was a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Thanks again to Yokohama and Porsche Motorsports North America for putting on such a great series."

Schedule

Round 11 (45 minutes): 8:50-9:35 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22

Round 12 (45 minutes): 9:20-10:05 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 23

Round 4 (45 minutes, NOLA rainout): 4:30-5:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23

Race Coverage

Live timing: All on-track sessions at scoring.imsa.com or on new IMSA mobile app for iOS, Android or Windows

Twitter: Live text commentary from all sessions at @IMSALive