Maxwell Wins Sixth TOTAL Pole of 2016, Rabe Captures First Career ST Pole

Scott Maxwell took another step towards the IMSA Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge Grand Sport (GS) title by capturing his sixth TOTAL Pole Award of the season in the No. 15 Multimatic Motorsport Ford Shelby GT350R-C co-driven by Billy Johnson. It extended his series-leading total to 16 career poles.

Maxwell turned in a record lap of 1:31.045 (100.4 mph) in the shortened session. To secure his third Continental Tire Challenge GS title, Maxwell must drive the 45-minute minimum driving time required to score points. It would be Johnson’s first title in the series.

“I just wanted to get in one fast lap – I didn’t even care if it was third or fourth,” Maxwell said. “One of the Porsches got really close, but then we had the red flag. Tomorrow I have to do 45 minutes, and I plan on being safe, and then Billy needs to get in one good lap and then go like heck to catch everyone else and win the race. So we’ve got to be real conservative early and then go like stink for an hour and a half.”

Danny Burkett qualified second, running 1:31.285 (100.1 mph) in the No. 33 CJ Wilson Racing Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport co-driven by Marc Miller, followed by Pierre Kleinubing at 1:31.472 (99.9 mph) in the No. 76 C360R Ford Shelby GT350R-C co-driven by Paul Holton.

Jason Rabe captured his first career TOTAL Pole Award in Street Tuner (ST) qualifying, turning a lap of 1:37.300 (93.9 mph) in the No. 31 Bodymotion Racing Porsche Cayman co-driven by Devin Jones. The session was shortened by an incident involving the No. 54 JDC-Miller Motorsports BMW 228i of Mike Johnson and the No. 56 Murillo Racing Porsche Cayman of Jeff Mosing – with Rabe barely avoiding the incident.

“This was a long time coming,” Rabe said. “Every weekend we get better and better. Devin and I, along with the rest of the team, are gelling more than ever. They told me I had to get the lap in quick, because it was going to be crazy, so I tried to get in a good lap right away. We got the flier – and it was my fastest lap of the weekend. Then the incident [that brought out the red flag] was right behind me. I saw it in my rear-view mirror and went through the gravel – otherwise we would have hit too, and would have been toast.”

Drake Kemper was second with a lap of 1:37.300 (93.9 mph) in the No. 34 Alara Racing Mazda MX-5 co-driven by Christian Scymczak, followed by Chad McCumbee, 1:37.358 (93.9 mph) in the No. 25 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5.

McCumbee and co-driver Stevan McAleer enter the race with an eight-point lead over RS1 Porsche Cayman drivers Nick Galante and Spencer Pumpelly, 233, while Mosing and Eric Foss are third with 231 points. Galante will start 11th, while Mosing will start 25th as a result of the incident.

Friday’s schedule includes Round 10 of the Continental Tire SportsCar Championship at 12:25 p.m. ET, followed by WeatherTech Championship qualifying at 3:30 p.m. ET.